Moreover is simply a translation of the common conjunction waw, but the word order indicates a change in focus: “And the tabernacle you [singular] shall make [with] ten curtains.” Since this is the first verse in a new section of discourse, it may be helpful to indicate who is speaking; for example, “The LORD said, ‘Make the….’ ” The with is added, but Good News Translation‘s “out of” may be clearer. With this verse, however, Good News Translation introduces a new term, “the Tent of my presence,” in addition to “the sacred Tent,” both of which are used to translate the word mishkan. This kind of duplication, or double translation, is unnecessary and is not recommended. (See the introductory remarks at the beginning of this section.) This later becomes confusing in Good News Translation when the distinction between mishkan, ʾohel, and ʾohel moʿed needs to be made. All three terms are often rendered in Good News Translation as “the Tent of the LORD’s presence.” (See the discussion at 33.7 and in the introduction to 33.7-11.) Various ways to render tabernacle are discussed at 25.8-9. Good News Translation adds the word “interior” to make clear that the curtains described in verses 1-6 will form the inner layer of the tabernacle, over which three other layers will be placed.

Ten curtains may be understood as “ten pieces” (Good News Translation) or “ten sheets” (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “ten strips of cloth.” The Hebrew word always refers to tent fabric, or material used in making tents. Tents were usually made from goats’ hair (see verse 7), but this first layer of the tabernacle is to be made of fine twined linen. (See the discussion at 25.4.) New Revised Standard Version has “fine twisted linen,” since the word for twined refers to twisting the thread in spinning.

And blue and purple and scarlet stuff is identical with 25.4. (See the discussion there). Here again the word stuff is not in the Hebrew, so New Revised Standard Version has “blue, purple, and crimson yarns.” Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version‘s use of “wool” introduces a different kind of fabric, and it is confusing to think of “fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool.” It is possible that woolen thread of the different colors was used for the embroidery, but this is not clear in the text. (The mixing of linen and wool is actually forbidden in Deut 22.11, but there it refers to clothing. See also Lev 19.19.) There are thus two possible alternative models:

• Make [or, Have them make] the sacred tent out of ten pieces of the finest linen. Weave these out of blue, purple, and crimson thread. Also have them embroider….

• Make the sacred tent [or, tent where I live] out of ten pieces of the finest linen cloth. Have them take blue, purple, and crimson wool thread and embroider….

With cherubim skilfully worked you shall make them refers to the “winged creatures” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) discussed at 25.18. Skilfully worked is literally “work of reflection,” or “something done by a thinker.” This may refer either to a specialized form of weaving or to the work of a “skilled craftsman” (New International Version). The text, however, seems to focus on the material rather than on the craftsman. So Good News Translation has “Embroider them with figures of winged creatures,” but New Jerusalem Bible is better, “You will have them embroidered.” This allows for Moses to have the work done by skilled craftsmen rather than doing it himself (as described in 36.8). One may also say “You must have people embroider them.” “Embroider” may also be expressed as “use a needle to sew” or “make … with a needle.”

Alternative translation models for this verse are:

• Make [or, Have them make] the sacred tent [or, tent where I live] out of ten pieces of the finest linen cloth. Weave these out of blue, purple, and crimson thread. Also have them take needles and sew [or, embroider] figures of cherubs into the cloth.

• … Also have them make [or, spin] blue, purple, and crimson thread out of wool and use it to embroider figures of cherubs into the linen cloth.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .