15 And thou shalt anoint H4886 them, as thou didst anoint H4886 their father, H1 that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: H3547 for their anointing H4888 shall surely be an everlasting H5769 priesthood H3550 throughout their generations. H1755
For G1063 every G3956 high priest G749 taken G2983 from among G1537 men G444 is ordained G2525 for G5228 men G444 in things pertaining to G4314 God, G2316 that G2443 he may offer G4374 both G5037 gifts G1435 and G2532 sacrifices G2378 for G5228 sins: G266 Who can G1410 have compassion G3356 on the ignorant, G50 and G2532 on them that are out of the way; G4105 for G1893 that he G4029 himself G846 also G2532 is compassed G4029 with infirmity. G769 And G2532 by reason G1223 hereof G5026 he ought, G3784 as G2531 for G4012 the people, G2992 so G3779 also G2532 for G4012 himself, G1438 to offer G4374 for G5228 sins. G266 And G2532 no G3756 man G5100 taketh G2983 this honour G5092 unto himself, G1438 but G235 he that is called G2564 of G5259 God, G2316 as G2509 G2532 was Aaron. G2 So G3779 also G2532 Christ G5547 glorified G1392 not G3756 himself G1438 to be made G1096 an high priest; G749 but G235 he that said G2980 unto G4314 him, G846 Thou G4771 art G1488 my G3450 Son, G5207 to day G4594 have G1080 I G1473 begotten G1080 thee. G4571 As G2531 he saith G3004 also G2532 in G1722 another G2087 place, Thou G4771 art a priest G2409 for G1519 ever G165 after G2596 the order G5010 of Melchisedec. G3198 Who G3739 in G1722 the days G2250 of his G846 flesh, G4561 when he had offered up G4374 prayers G1162 and G5037 G2532 supplications G2428 with G3326 strong G2478 crying G2906 and G2532 tears G1144 unto G4314 him that was able G1410 to save G4982 him G846 from G1537 death, G2288 and G2532 was heard G1522 in that G575 he feared; G2124 Though G2539 he were G5607 a Son, G5207 yet learned he G3129 obedience G5218 by G575 the things which G3739 he suffered; G3958 And G2532 being made perfect, G5048 he became G1096 the author G159 of eternal G166 salvation G4991 unto all G3956 them that obey G5219 him; G846 Called G4316 of G5259 God G2316 an high priest G749 after G2596 the order G5010 of Melchisedec. G3198 Of G4012 whom G3739 we G2254 have G3056 many things G4183 to say, G3056 and G2532 hard G1421 to be uttered, G3004 seeing G1893 ye are G1096 dull G3576 of hearing. G189 For G2532 G1063 when for G1223 the time G5550 ye ought G3784 to be G1511 teachers, G1320 ye have G2192 need G5532 that one teach G1321 you G5209 again G3825 which G5101 be the first G746 principles G4747 of the oracles G3051 of God; G2316 and G2532 are become such as G1096 have G2192 need G5532 of milk, G1051 and G2532 not G3756 of strong G4731 meat. G5160 For G1063 every one G3956 that useth G3348 milk G1051 is unskilful G552 in the word G3056 of righteousness: G1343 for G1063 he is G2076 a babe. G3516 But G1161 strong G4731 meat G5160 belongeth to them that are G2076 of full age, G5046 even those who by reason G1223 of use G1838 have G2192 their senses G145 exercised G1128 to G4314 discern G1253 both G5037 good G2570 and G2532 evil. G2556
For G1063 he testifieth, G3140 G3754 Thou G4771 art a priest G2409 for G1519 ever G165 after G2596 the order G5010 of Melchisedec. G3198 For G1063 there is G1096 verily G3303 a disannulling G115 of the commandment G1785 going before G4254 for G1223 the weakness G772 and G2532 unprofitableness G512 thereof. G846 For G1063 the law G3551 made G5048 nothing G3762 perfect, G5048 but G1161 the bringing in G1898 of a better G2909 hope G1680 did; by G1223 the which G3739 we draw nigh G1448 unto God. G2316 And G2532 inasmuch as G2596 G3745 not G3756 without G5565 an oath G3728 he was made priest: (For G1063 those priests G2409 were G3303 G1526 made G1096 without G5565 an oath; G3728 but G1161 this with G3326 an oath G3728 by G1223 him that said G3004 unto G4314 him, G846 The Lord G2962 sware G3660 and G2532 will G3338 not G3756 repent, G3338 Thou G4771 art a priest G2409 for G1519 ever G165 after G2596 the order G5010 of Melchisedec:) G3198 By G2596 so much G5118 was G1096 Jesus G2424 made G1096 a surety G1450 of a better G2909 testament. G1242 And G2532 they G1526 truly G3303 were G1526 G1096 many G4119 priests, G2409 because they were not suffered G2967 to continue G3887 by reason of G1223 death: G2288 But G1161 this man, because G1223 he G846 continueth G3306 ever, G1519 G165 hath G2192 an unchangeable G531 priesthood. G2420
Now G1161 of G1909 the things which we have spoken G3004 this is the sum: G2774 We have G2192 such G5108 an high priest, G749 who G3739 is set G2523 on G1722 the right hand G1188 of the throne G2362 of the Majesty G3172 in G1722 the heavens; G3772 A minister G3011 of the sanctuary, G39 and G2532 of the true G228 tabernacle, G4633 which G3739 the Lord G2962 pitched, G4078 and G2532 not G3756 man. G444 For G1063 every G3956 high priest G749 is ordained G2525 to G1519 offer G4374 gifts G1435 and G5037 G2532 sacrifices: G2378 wherefore G3606 it is of necessity G316 that this man G5126 have G2192 somewhat G5100 also G2532 to G3739 offer. G4374 For G1063 if G1487 G3303 he were G2258 on G1909 earth, G1093 he should G302 not G3761 be G2258 a priest, G2409 seeing that there are G5607 priests G2409 that offer G4374 gifts G1435 according G2596 to the law: G3551 Who G3748 serve G3000 unto the example G5262 and G2532 shadow G4639 of heavenly things, G2032 as G2531 Moses G3475 was admonished of God G5537 when he was about G3195 to make G2005 the tabernacle: G4633 for, G1063 See, G3708 saith he, G5346 that thou make G4160 all things G3956 according to G2596 the pattern G5179 shewed G1166 to thee G4671 in G1722 the mount. G3735 But G1161 now G3570 hath he obtained G5177 a more excellent G1313 ministry, G3009 by how much G3745 also G2532 he is G2076 the mediator G3316 of a better G2909 covenant, G1242 which G3748 was established G3549 upon G1909 better G2909 promises. G1860 For G1063 if G1487 that G1565 first G4413 covenant had been G2258 faultless, G273 then should G302 no G3756 place G5117 have been sought G2212 for the second. G1208 For G1063 finding fault G3201 with them, G846 he saith, G3004 Behold, G2400 the days G2250 come, G2064 saith G3004 the Lord, G2962 when G2532 I will make G4931 a new G2537 covenant G1242 with G1909 the house G3624 of Israel G2474 and G2532 with G1909 the house G3624 of Judah: G2455 Not G3756 according to G2596 the covenant G1242 that G3739 I made with G4160 their G846 fathers G3962 in G1722 the day G2250 when I took G1949 them G846 by the hand G3450 G5495 to lead G1806 them G846 out of G1537 the land G1093 of Egypt; G125 because G3754 they G846 continued G1696 not G3756 in G1722 my G3450 covenant, G1242 and I G2504 regarded G272 them G846 not, G272 saith G3004 the Lord. G2962 For G3754 this G3778 is the covenant G1242 that G3739 I will make G1303 with the house G3624 of Israel G2474 after G3326 those G1565 days, G2250 saith G3004 the Lord; G2962 I will put G1325 my G3450 laws G3551 into G1519 their G846 mind, G1271 and G2532 write G1924 them G846 in G1909 their G846 hearts: G2588 and G2532 I will be G2071 to G1519 them G846 a God, G2316 and G2532 they G846 shall be G2071 to G1519 me G3427 a people: G2992
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Exodus 40
Commentary on Exodus 40 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 40
This chapter contains the order for setting up the tabernacle, and placing the furniture of it where it was the will of God it should be put, Exodus 40:1 and for the anointing it, and all its vessels, and also Aaron and his sons, Exodus 40:9 all which were accordingly done, the tabernacle was reared up, and everything was put in its proper place, Exodus 40:16 upon which a cloud covered the tent, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, so that Moses could not enter; which cloud afterwards was a direction in their journeys, by night and by day, Exodus 40:34.
And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... When the tabernacle, and the work of it, were finished, and he had taken a survey of it, and everything belonging to it, which appeared to be done as was ordered:
saying; as follows.
On the first day of the first month,.... Which was the month Nisan, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it; which was the month the children of Israel came out of Egypt, out of which they had now been a whole year, excepting fourteen days:
shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation; the tabernacle, which had a tent or covering over it, to which the people were gathered at times for religious service.
And thou shall put therein the ark of the testimony,.... The ark or chest where the law was, a testimony of the divine will, and which was to be put into the most holy place of the tabernacle:
and cover the ark with the vail; not with the propitiatory or mercy seat, as the Targum of Jonathan; for though that was a covering or lid to the ark, yet not a vail; this was the vail that divided between the holy place and the most holy, and so covered or hid the ark from the sight even of the priests that went into the holy place.
And thou shall bring in the table,.... The table of shewbread, which was to be set in the holy place:
and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; besides the dishes, spoons, covers, and bowls, there were the twelve loaves of shewbread to be set in two rows:
and thou shall bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof; which was to be brought and set in the same holy place with the shewbread table; and though the lamps were to be lighted by Aaron, the priest of the Lord, he being not yet consecrated, the office was performed by Moses.
And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony,.... Not in the most holy place where the ark was, but over against it in the holy place:
and put the hanging of the door of the tabernacle; the door of entrance into the holy place, where there were to be no other things set but those now mentioned, the shewbread table, the candlestick, and the altar of incense; and these being brought in, the hanging was to be put up, which hid the sight of the above things, and forbid the entrance of the people there.
And thou shall set the altar of the burnt offering,.... Where the sacrifices of the people were to be brought, and offered up by the priests; and this was to be set up in the open court, as it was proper it should, both because of the smell and smoke of the sacrifices:
before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation; just a little before the entrance into the holy place.
And thou shall set the laver,.... As is directed in Exodus 30:18.
And thou shall set up the court round about,.... Which consisted of various hangings, east, west, north, and south; see Exodus 27:9.
And thou shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle,.... In this, and the two following verses Exodus 40:10, orders are given for the anointing of the tabernacle and its vessels, the altar of burnt offering and its vessels, the laver and its foot, whereby they were consecrated for divine use and service, according to Exodus 30:26
And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,.... To wash, anoint, and clothe them, as in the two following verses Exodus 40:13, that they might minister in the priest's office, according to Exodus 28:41
And thou shall anoint them as thou didst anoint their father,.... For Aaron was first anointed, and then his sons:
that they may minister unto me in the priest's office; which they might not do before their anointing, though separated for it, and called unto it:
for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations; that is, this ceremony of anointing was to be used in all ages at the investiture of the high priest with his office, until the Messiah should come, who would put an end to the Aaronic priesthood; for not common priests, only the successors of the high priest, were anointed in later times; this present unction serving for all the priests that should follow in successive generations, so long as the priesthood continued.
Thus did Moses,.... He set up the tabernacle, and every thing in its place, and anointed them, and Aaron and his sons:
according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he; by which he approved himself to be a faithful servant in the house of God.
And it came to pass in the first month, in the second year,.... Of the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt:
on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up; so that this was in the spring of the year, about the vernal equinox, on a new year's day, that this was done, which was beginning the year well: it was within a fortnight of a year after their coming out of Egypt, and when they had been about five months and a half in building the tabernacle; for such a time it seems they were in doing that, and which, considering the many things to be done, and in the winter season, it shows great dispatch. Where was the place, in which the tabernacle was reared up, is not said: it isF4Pocock's Travels, p. 147. observed, that near the southwest corner of that part of Mount Sinai, which is called Mount Episteme, there is a little hill called Araone by the Arabs, and by the Greeks the tabernacle of the testimony, where they say Aaron was consecrated, and first performed the offices of the priesthood: probably, says a learned manF5Clayton's Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, p. 350. , on this hill was placed the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses was ordered to place without the camp afar off; but he seems to mistake the tent of Moses, or however the little tabernacle erected before the grand one was made, for this tabernacle in Exodus 33:7 which he seems to refer to; it is more probable that it was now reared up in the midst of the camp of Israel, see Numbers 2:2.
And Moses reared up the tabernacle,.... Not of himself, but with the help of others:
and fastened the sockets, and set up the boards thereof; fixed the silver sockets all around, which were the foundation of the building, and placed and established the shittim boards in them:
and put in the bars thereof; to keep the boards close and tight:
and reared up his pillars; the pillars that supported the vail between the holy and holy of holies, and those on which the hanging for the door of the tabernacle was put, as well as the several pillars all around the court of the tabernacle for the hangings of that.
And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle,.... Which were curtains of goats' hair:
and put the covering of the tent above upon it; which was of rams' skins died red, and over that another covering of badgers' skins:
as the Lord commanded Moses; Exodus 26:7.
And he took and put the testimony into the ark,.... The ten commands, called the "testimony", because they testified and declared what was the will of God with respect to things to be done, or not done. The Targum of Jonathan says, he put the broken pieces of the tables into it; but what became of them, or were done with them, we nowhere read; and it does not appear that any other, but those that Moses hewed by the order of God, were put into the ark; see Deuteronomy 10:1.
and set the staves on the ark; that it might be ready to be carried whenever a remove was necessary:
and put the mercy seat above upon the ark; together with the cherubim.
And he brought the ark into the tabernacle,.... Into that part of it called the holy of holies:
and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; the vail which divided between the and most holy place, and so kept out of sight the ark of the testimony within, from being seen by any, even by the priests in the holy place:
as the Lord commanded Moses; Exodus 26:33.
And he put the table in the tent of the congregation,.... In the holy place; for there the shewbread table, which is here meant, was put:
upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail; on the north side of the tabernacle, at a little distance from the walls, which were the curtains and boards, even in the holy place on the outside of the vail, which divided from the most holy place.
And he set the bread in order upon it before the Lord,.... The shewbread, the twelve cakes of it, in two rows, six in a row:
as the Lord had commanded Moses: Exodus 25:30.
And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation,.... In the same place, the holy place: over against the table: the shewbread table:
on the side of the tabernacle southward: directly opposite to the table.
And he lighted the lamps before the Lord,.... The seven lamps belonging to it: this, though it was the business of the priests of Aaron, and his sons, yet they not being at present invested with their office, was done by Moses, who in this and several other things mentioned in this chapter officiated as a priest:
as the Lord commanded Moses, Exodus 25:37.
And he put the golden altar,.... The altar of incense; so called because it was overlaid with gold, and to distinguish it from the altar of burnt offering, which was covered with brass: to this altar there is an allusion in Revelation 8:3.
in the tent of the congregation, before the vail; in the same place, the holy place, where the shewbread table and candlestick were, and these were all the furniture of it; and this was put, not within the vail, but before it, over against the ark, as that stood within it, Exodus 40:5.
And he burnt sweet incense thereon,.... Which is another branch of the priestly office exercised by Moses, and which he would never have done had he not had a command from God for it, as follows:
as the Lord commanded Moses; he commanded Moses indeed to order and direct Aaron to do this, but he being not yet consecrated, Moses, being the Lord's priest, did it.
And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle. That is, at the door of the holy place, all being brought into it that were to be placed there.
And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation,.... Of which see Exodus 40:6.
and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; either the burnt offering the meat offering of the daily sacrifice, as Jarchi interprets it, see Exodus 28:38 or it may be rather the burnt offering and meat offering of the consecration of Aaron and his sons, Exodus 29:1.
as the Lord commanded Moses; in the places referred to.
And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar,.... Of which position, see Exodus 30:18.
and put water there to wash withal; for the priests to wash their hands and feet with; a type of that laver or fountain opened for the house of David and inhabitants of Jerusalem to wash in, Zechariah 13:1.
And Moses, and Aaron, and his sons, washed their hands and their feet thereat. This laver was for the priests, and Moses, officiating as a priest, washed in it, with Aaron, and his sons, whom he was now about to consecrate to the priest's office, and invest with it by offering sacrifice for them; Jarchi says this was on the eighth day of the consecration.
When they went into the tent of the congregation,.... Not only at this time, but at all other times:
and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; to the altar of burnt offering to offer sacrifice; and also to the altar of incense, and burn incense on that; for before whatever service they performed in the tabernacle they washed:
as the Lord commanded Moses; Exodus 30:20 this phrase is near twenty times expressed in this and the preceding chapter, to show that everything was done by the workmen, and everything put in its proper place by Moses, exactly according to the will of God; no one pursuing his own fancy and private judgment, but all consulting the mind of God, and acting according to that.
And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar,.... Which consisted of hangings one hundred cubits long and fifty broad; see Exodus 27:9, &c.
and set up the hanging of the court gate; which was at the east end of it; and the hanging was of twenty cubits, hung upon four pillars, Exodus 27:16.
so Moses finished the work; of the tabernacle, in making it by workmen, and in rearing it up by the help of others; and as the former was the work of some months, so the latter, it is highly probable, was the work of some days, at least, in doing all that is said to be done in this chapter relative to it; for though it is said to be reared up on the first day of the first month, yet not then fully set up, or everything done requisite to the use and service of it; see Numbers 7:1.
Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation,.... The outside of it; this cloud was the same with the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites, as soon almost as they came out of Egypt; and led them through the Red sea, and conducted them to Mount Sinai; only it now appeared in a different form, not erect as a pillar, but more expanded, so as to cover the tabernacle without:
and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle; the inside of it, not the most holy place only, but the holy place also: this was an uncommon brightness, lustre, and splendour, a glorious stream of light, which the eye of man could not well bear to behold; such a glory filled the temple of Solomon at the dedication of that, 1 Kings 8:11 and was an emblem of Christ, the brightness of his Father's glory, dwelling in and filling the tabernacle of the human nature, where the Godhead, the Shechinah, the divine Majesty, dwells bodily, Hebrews 1:3 Colossians 2:9.
And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation,.... He had been there before, both in the holy, and in the most holy place, to see that the furniture of each were put as the Lord directed, which being done he came out again; and now a cloud being on the outside of it, and the glory of the Lord within, he was so struck with an awe and reverence of the divine Being, of whose presence these were a symbol, that he could not engage his heart, or had not boldness to go into the tabernacle until he was called, Leviticus 1:1 for so it follows:
because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle; there was something, no doubt, very venerable in the spreading cloud, as well as very striking in the refulgent glory, which commanded distance, even to a person that had been used to converse with God; Moses, that went into the midst of the cloud where the Lord was, now could not or durst not go into the tabernacle it covered; and he who then was not deterred by the sight of the glory of God, which was like devouring fire, Exodus 24:16 now could not, or at least thought it not proper and advisable to enter into the holy place erected for the service and worship of God; the chief reason of which may be, because, as yet, he had not a call to enter, as he then had, and as we find was afterwards given him, Leviticus 1:1 and perhaps another reason may be, because he was now no longer a priest; Aaron and his sons being invested with the priestly office, whose business it was to draw nigh to God; and indeed the call he afterwards had was not to come into the tabernacle, but was a call unto him out of it.
And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle,.... By the Lord himself, or it removed by his order, that is, rose up and stood above the tabernacle, and appeared in the form of a pillar, and went before it:
the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys; the motion of the cloud was a direction to set forward and continue their journey as long as it lasted; but when it rested and abode upon the tabernacle, then they stopped and rested also, as is suggested in the following verse Exodus 40:37, see Numbers 9:17 thus the saints are to be followers of God as dear children, and to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes or directs, and walk after the Spirit, the dictates and directions thereof; so the wheels in Ezekiel's vision went and stood, as did the living creatures, and the spirit in them, Ezekiel 1:19.
But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not,.... Even if it continued so two days, or a month, or a year, as very probably it sometimes did; which will in some measure account for the long continuance of the Israelites in the wilderness, see Numbers 9:22.
till the day that it was taken up: or, "of its ascent"F6העלתו "sustolli ejus", Montanus. , being "lifted up", or going upwards, higher in the air, right over the tabernacle, or perhaps more to the front of it; the word used before in this and the preceding verse has the signification of ascending upwards.
For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day,.... Or over itF7על המשכן "supra tabernaculum", Drusius. , it covered it, when it abode upon it, and rested; and stood on high over it when it moved and the people journeyed:
and fire was on it by night; the same phenomenon which had the appearance of a cloud in the day time shone like fire in the night time: or "fire was in it"F8בו "in ea"; Fagius, Junius & Tremellius; Drusius. ; that is, in the cloud; so it appeared in the night, and was, as the Targum of Jonathan here calls it, a pillar of fire; the same with the pillar of cloud and fire, which departed not from the people all the while they were in the wilderness, Exodus 13:21 and this was
in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys; whether by night or by day; for in hot countries they travel much by night; and as the cloud was both a shelter from the heat of the sun in the daytime, and a direction of their way; so the fire by night was of the same use for direction, and might be also terrifying to wild beasts in the wilderness, who are afraid of fire, and so be a security to the Israelites from them; all which is an emblem of the guidance and protection, light, joy, and comfort, the church of God has from his gracious presence, while in the wilderness of this world; see Isaiah 4:5.