Exodus 38:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he made the court. For the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits;

NIV: Next they made the courtyard. The south side was a hundred cubits long and had curtains of finely twisted linen,

NASB: Then he made the courtyard: for the south side the hangings of the courtyard were of fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits;

CSB: Then he made the courtyard. The hangings on the south side of the courtyard were of finely spun linen, 150 feet long,

NLT: Then Bezalel made the courtyard, which was enclosed with curtains made of finely woven linen. On the south side the curtains were 150 feet long.

KJV: And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits:

NKJV: Then he made the court on the south side; the hangings of the court were of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long.

Exodus 38:9–20 duplicates the instructions given in Exodus 27:9–19. Bezalel (Exodus 35:30) carefully follows the Lord's designs to make a courtyard for the tabernacle (Exodus 25:8–9). This is a large open area creating space around the tabernacle itself. In the courtyard are a sacrificial altar (Exodus 27:1) and a washbasin (Exodus 30:18).

God's assigned manager, Bezalel, oversees construction of more items for the Lord's sanctuary (Exodus 25:8–9). This chapter focuses on the components seen in the tabernacle courtyard, including the sacrificial altar and a washbasin. Scripture also records the quantity of metal donated to tabernacle construction. The total is several tons of silver, gold, and bronze.

Under the supervision of Bezalel (Exodus 35:30), Israel has followed God's exact plans for constructing the sanctuary. The Lord gave designs to Moses (Exodus 25—31). Most of the text in this long section is a near-duplication of those same words (Exodus 35—37). This emphasizes the care which Israel used to obey the Lord in this project. Final items are made in the next chapter (Exodus 39) before being assembled into the finished sanctuary (Exodus 40).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.

Accessed 9/17/2025 9:48:41 AM