381 The altar of burned offerings he made of hard wood; a square altar, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, 2 And he put horns at its four angles made of the same, plating it all with brass; 3 And brass was used for all the vessels of the altar, the baskets and the spades, the basins and the meat-hooks and the fire-trays; all the vessels he made of brass 4 And he made a network of brass for the altar, under the frame round it, stretching half-way up; 5 And four rings for the four angles of this network, to take the rods. 6 The rods he made of hard wood plated with brass. 7 He put the rods through the rings at the opposite sides of the altar for lifting it; he made the altar hollow, boarded in with wood. 8 And he made the washing-vessel of brass on a brass base, using the polished brass looking-glasses given by the women who did work at the doors of the Tent of meeting.

The Court of the Tabernacle

9 To make the open space, he put hangings on the south side, of the best linen, a hundred cubits long: 10 Their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were brass; and the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 11 And for the north side. hangings a hundred cubits long, on twenty brass pillars in brass bases, with silver hooks and bands. 12 And on the west side, hangings fifty cubits long, on ten pillars in ten bases, with silver bands. 13 And on the east side, the open space was fifty cubits long. 14 The hangings on one side of the doorway were fifteen cubits long, on three pillars with their three bases; 15 And the same on the other side of the doorway; on this side and on that the hangings were fifteen cubits long, on three pillars with their three bases. 16 All the hangings were of the best linen. 17 And the bases of the pillars were of brass; their hooks and the bands round the tops of them were of silver; all the pillars were ringed with silver. 18 And the curtain for the doorway of the open space was of the best linen, with designs of blue and purple and red in needlework; it was twenty cubits long and five cubits high, to go with the hangings round the sides. 19 There were four pillars with their bases, all of brass, the hooks being of silver, and their tops and their bands being covered with silver. 20 All the nails used for the House and the open space round it were of brass.

The Supervision of the Work

21 This is the price of the making of the House, even the House of witness, as it was valued by the word of Moses, for the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. 22 Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything as the Lord had given orders to Moses.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 38:1-22

Commentary on Exodus 38:1-8

(Read Exodus 38:1-8)

In all ages of the church there have been some persons more devoted to God, more constant in their attendance upon his ordinances, and more willing to part even with lawful things, for his sake, than others. Some women, devoted to God and zealous for the tabernacle worship, expressed zeal by parting with their mirrors, which were polished plates of brass. Before the invention of looking-glasses, these served the same purposes.

Commentary on Exodus 38:9-20

(Read Exodus 38:9-20)

The walls of the court being of curtains only, intimated that the state of the Jewish church itself was movable and changeable; and in due time to be taken down and folded up, when the place of the tent should be enlarged, and its cords lengthened, to make room for the Gentile world.

Commentary on Exodus 38:21-31

(Read Exodus 38:21-31)

The foundation of massy pieces of silver showed the solidity and purity of the truth upon which the church is founded. Let us regard the Lord Jesus Christ while reading of the furniture of the tabernacle. While looking at the altar of burnt-offering, let us see Jesus. In him, his righteousness, and salvation, is a full and sufficient offering for sin. In the laver of regeneration, by his Holy Spirit, let our souls be washed, and they shall be clean; and as the people offered willingly, so may our souls be made willing. Let us be ready to part with any thing, and count all but loss to win Christ.