32 So all the work on the House of the Tent of meeting was done; as the Lord had given orders to Moses, so the children of Israel did it.
33 Then they took the House to Moses, the tent with all the things for it; its hooks, its boards, its rods, its pillars, and its bases;
34 The outer cover of sheepskins coloured red, and the cover of leather, and the veil for the doorway;
35 The ark of the law, with its rods and its cover;
36 The table, with all its vessels and the holy bread;
37 The support for the lights, with the vessels for the lights to be put in their places on it, and all its vessels, and the oil for the lights;
38 And the gold altar, and the holy oil, and the sweet perfume for burning, and the curtain for the doorway of the tent;
39 And the brass altar, with its network of brass, and its rods and all its vessels, and the washing-vessel and its base;
40 The hangings for the open space, with the pillars and their bases, and the curtain for the doorway, and the cords and nails, and all the instruments necessary for the work of the House of the Tent of meeting;
41 The robes for use in the holy place, and the holy robes for Aaron and his sons when acting as priests.
42 The children of Israel did everything as the Lord had given orders to Moses.
43 Then Moses, when he saw all their work and saw that they had done everything as the Lord had said, gave them his blessing.
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Commentary on Exodus 39 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 39
Ex 39:1-43. Garments of the Priests.
1, 2. cloths of service—official robes. The ephod of the high priest, the robe of the ephod, the girdle of needlework, and the embroidered coat were all of fine linen; for on no material less delicate could such elaborate symbolical figures have been portrayed in embroidery, and all beautified with the same brilliant colors. (See on Ex 28:1-43).
3. cut the gold into wires to work it—that is, the metal was beaten with a hammer into thin plates, cut with scissors or some other instrument into long slips, then rounded into filaments or threads. "Cloth of golden tissue is not uncommon on the monuments, and specimens of it have been found rolled about mummies; but it is not easy to determine whether the gold thread was originally interwoven or subsequently inserted by the embroiderer" [Taylor].
30. a writing, like to the engravings of a signet—The seal-ring worn both by ancient and modern Egyptians on the little finger of the right hand, contained, inscribed on a cornelian or other precious stone, along with the owner's name, a religious sentiment or sacred symbol, intimating that he was the servant of God, or expressive of trust in Him. And it was to this practice the inscription on the high priest alludes (compare Joh 3:33).
34. the covering of rams' skin dyed red—(See on Ex 25:5). It was probably red morocco leather and "badgers' skins," rather "the skins of the tahash, supposed to be the dugong, or dolphin of the Red Sea, the skin of which is still used by the Arabs under the same appellation" [Goss].
43. Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded—A formal inspection was made on the completion of the tabernacle, not only with a view to have the work transferred from the charge of the workmen, but to ascertain whether it corresponded with "the pattern." The result of a careful and minute survey showed that every plank, curtain, altar, and vase had been most accurately made of the form, and in the place designed by the Divine Architect—and Moses, in accepting it of their hands, thanked God for them, and begged Him to bless them.