Exodus 39

1 With the blue, purple, and red wool they made the magnificent garments which the priests were to wear when they served in the Holy Place. They made the priestly garments for Aaron, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

2 They made the ephod of fine linen; blue, purple, and red wool; and gold thread.

3 They hammered out sheets of gold and cut them into thin strips to be worked into the fine linen and into the blue, purple, and red wool.

4 They made two shoulder straps for the ephod and attached them to its sides, so that it could be fastened.

5 The finely woven belt, made of the same materials, was attached to the ephod so as to form one piece with it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

6 They prepared the carnelians and mounted them in gold settings; they were skillfully engraved with the names of the twelve sons of Jacob.

7 They put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod to represent the twelve tribes of Israel, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

8 They made the breastpiece of the same materials as the ephod and with similar embroidery.

9 It was square and folded double, 9 inches long and 9 inches wide.

10 They mounted four rows of precious stones on it: in the first row they mounted a ruby, a topaz, and a garnet;

11 in the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;

12 in the third row, a turquoise, an agate, and an amethyst;

13 and in the fourth row, a beryl, a carnelian, and a jasper. These were mounted in gold settings.

14 Each of the twelve stones had engraved on it the name of one of the sons of Jacob, in order to represent the twelve tribes of Israel.

15 For the breastpiece they made chains of pure gold, twisted like cords.

16 They made two gold settings and two gold rings and attached the two rings to the upper corners of the breastpiece.

17 They fastened the two gold cords to the two rings

18 and fastened the other two ends of the cords to the two settings and in this way attached them in front to the shoulder straps of the ephod.

19 They made two rings of gold and attached them to the lower corners of the breastpiece, on the inside edge next to the ephod.

20 They made two more gold rings and attached them to the lower part of the front of the two shoulder straps of the ephod, near the seam and above the finely woven belt.

21 Just as the Lord had commanded Moses, they tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that the breastpiece rested above the belt and did not come loose.

22 The robe that goes under the ephod was made entirely of blue wool.

23 The hole for the head was reinforced with a woven binding to keep it from tearing.

24 All around its lower hem they put pomegranates of fine linen and of blue, purple, and red wool, alternating with bells of pure gold, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

27 They made the shirts for Aaron and his sons,

28 and the turban, the caps, the linen shorts,

29 and the sash of fine linen and of blue, purple, and red wool, decorated with embroidery, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

30 They made the ornament, the sacred sign of dedication, out of pure gold, and they engraved on it "Dedicated to the Lord."

31 They tied it to the front of the turban with a blue cord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

32 All the work on the Tent of the Lord's presence was finally completed. The Israelites made everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

33 They brought to Moses the Tent and all its equipment, its hooks, its frames, its crossbars, its posts, and its bases;

34 the covering of rams' skin dyed red; the covering of fine leather; the curtain;

35 the Covenant Box containing the stone tablets, its poles, and its lid;

36 the table and all its equipment, and the bread offered to God;

37 the lampstand of pure gold, its lamps, all its equipment, and the oil for the lamps;

38 the gold altar; the anointing oil; the sweet-smelling incense; the curtain for the entrance of the Tent;

39 the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its equipment; the washbasin and its base;

40 the curtains for the enclosure and its posts and bases; the curtain for the entrance of the enclosure and its ropes; the Tent pegs; all the equipment to be used in the Tent;

41 and the magnificent garments the priests were to wear in the Holy Place - the sacred clothes for Aaron the priest and for his sons.

42 The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

43 Moses examined everything and saw that they had made it all just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them.

Exodus 39 Commentary

Chapter 39

The priests' garments. (1-31) The tabernacle completed. (32-43)

Verses 1-31 The priests' garments were rich and splendid. The church in its infancy was thus taught by shadows of good things to come; but the substance is Christ, and the grace of the gospel. Christ is our great High Priest. When he undertook the work of our redemption, he put on the clothes of service, he arrayed himself with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, girded himself with resolution to go through the undertaking, took charge of all God's spiritual Israel, laid them near his heart, engraved them on the palms of his hands, and presented them to his Father. And he crowned himself with holiness to the Lord, consecrating his whole undertaking to the honour of his Father's holiness. True believers are spiritual priests. The clean linen with which all their clothes of service must be made, is the righteousness of saints, ( Revelation 19:8 ) .

Verses 32-43 The tabernacle was a type or emblem of Jesus Christ. As the Most High dwelt visibly within the sanctuary, even on the ark, so did he reside in the human nature and tabernacle of his dear Son; in Christ dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, ( Colossians 2:9 ) . The tabernacle was a symbol of every real Christian. In the soul of every true follower of the Saviour the Father dwells, the object of his worship, and the author of his blessings. The tabernacle also typified the church of the Redeemer. The meanest and the mightiest are alike dear to the Father's love, freely exercised through faith in Christ. The tabernacle was a type and emblem of the heavenly temple, Re. 21:3 . What, then, will be the splendour of His appearance, when the cloud shall be withdrawn, and his faithful worshippers shall see him as he is!

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 39

In this chapter is continued the account of making the several things belonging to the sanctuary, particularly the clothes for the service of the tabernacle, and the garments of the priests, as the ephod and its curious girdle, Ex 39:1-7 the breastplate and the putting of the stones in it, and the fastening of it to the ephod, Ex 39:8-21 the robe of the ephod, with the bells and pomegranates to it, Ex 39:21-26 and the coats, mitre, bonnets, breeches, and girdle of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, Ex 39:27-29 and the golden plate, Ex 39:30,31 and all being finished, the tabernacle and everything belonging to it were brought to Moses, and viewed by him; who seeing that all was done exactly according to the commandment of the Lord, blessed the people, and particularly the artificers, Ex 39:38-43.