Exodus 38:1-31 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

Exodus 38:1. The altar. The tabernacle had two celebrated altars, the altar of incense within the sanctuary, and the altar of burnt-offering mentioned here, which was without. The exterior frame was wood, the platform was a hollow network of brass, that the ashes might pass through, and that the air having free access to the fire, the victims might be quickly consumed. Many hallowed implements also appertained to the altar, as shovels and pans to bring the coals and take away the ashes, and hooks to turn the pieces of the victims. It was provided also with brazen dishes or censers, in which the priest conveyed the fire into the holy place when he burnt incense. From these mysteries I learn that my sinful soul ever needs to take refuge at the atoning altar; and my heart has need to be constantly warmed with the flame of redeeming love: and I would never cease to offer up to God, through Jesus my great High-priest, the sacrifices of prayer and praise. Let the sinner likewise flee and take hold of the horns of this altar, on which the great propitiatory sacrifice has been offered up, and there wait for pardon and acceptance through the atoning blood.

Exodus 38:8. The laver. This was made of pieces of polished brass, used by the women as mirrors. It stood near the altar, and here the priest washed his hands and his feet. This laver presignified the cleansing waters of baptism, or rather of regeneration, in which we are cleansed by the blood and the Spirit of Christ from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, that we may afterwards proceed to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. Looking glasses. This is an accommodated reading; glasses not being used till after our Saviour's time. The Hebrew ראה raah, is he saw, as in Genesis 29:32; “the Lord hath looked on my affliction.” Here the word looked is equivalent to that of a reflector. Among the Greeks those reflectors were made of mixed metals, copper, tin and brass. The apostle refers to these in 1 Corinthians 13:12: “Now we see in a speculum darkly.”

REFLECTIONS.

How immense the oblations of a poor and afflicted people! What gold and silver, and precious stones; what brass and linen, and riches they bestowed on the sanctuary of the Lord; and yet they continued to give till forcibly restrained by a refusal of their gifts. Yet what are all these perishable gifts, when compared with the gift of Christ, and all his grace! God who is rich in mercy, when we were dead in trespasses and sins, hath raised us up together with Christ, and made us sit together in heavenly places. And shall we think any thing too rich to give to God, or too hard to do for his service. Oh no: had we the wisdom of Bezaleel, the skill of Aholiab and Ahisamach, we should employ the whole for him; and bless him that he has counted us worthy to have a name and a place in his house for ever.

Related Commentaries of Exodus 38:1

Exodus 38:1-31

1 And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.

2 And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass.

3 And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.

4 And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.

5 And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.

6 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.

7 And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.

8 And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglassesa of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

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

10 Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.

11 And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

13 And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.

14 The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.

15 And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.

16 All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.

17 And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.

18 And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.

19 And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.

20 And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.

21 This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.

22 And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.

23 And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.

24 All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

25 And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

26 A bekah for every man,b that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.

27 And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.

28 And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.

29 And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.

30 And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar,

31 And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.