Osborn, Noel and Hatton, Howard. A Handbook on Exodus. New York: UBS, 1999.
This verse repeats the instructions given in verses 4 and 5. In this case, however, since the strips of goats’ hair material are longer, the fifty loops were to be sewn along the 30-cubit edge of each set. It is understood that the loops on one set will match those on the second set.
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 .
For the gate of the court refers to “the entrance itself” (Good News Translation) into the courtyard. It was to be in the center of the eastern side, with about 7½ yards between the one edge of it and the northeast corner, and 7½ yards between the other edge of it and the southeast corner. (See verses 14-15.) There shall be a screen is simply “a screen,” the same word (masak) used in 26.36 for the screen at the eastern end of the tabernacle. (See the comment there.) Twenty cubits long is about “10 yards long” (Good News Translation), or “9 meters.”
Of blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen is identical to the description in 26.31 and 36. (See the comment at 26.1 for the materials, and at 25.4 for the colors.) Embroidered with needlework is identical with 26.36.
It shall have four pillars and with them four bases is literally “their pillars four and their bases four.” The plural pronoun in “their bases” refers to the four pillars, but the same pronoun in “their pillars” seems to have no antecedent. New Jerusalem Bible changes this to the singular, “with its four poles and their four sockets.” Good News Translation avoids this grammatical problem: “It is to be supported by four posts in four bases” (similarly New International Version, New American Bible, Revised English Bible, and others).
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 .
And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons simply means “Aaron and his sons shall wear them” (New American Bible). This refers primarily to the “breeches” mentioned in verse 42, but it may also refer to all the vestments mentioned. Translator’s Old Testament has “Aaron and his sons must wear these breeches,” and Good News Translation has “Aaron and his sons shall always wear them.”
When they go into the tent of meeting is literally “in their entering unto the ʾohel moʿed,” which in this context obviously refers to the tabernacle. (But see the comment at 27.21 and at the introduction to 33.7-11.) Or when they come near the altar is literally “or in their approaching the altar.” (Use the same term used for altar at 27.1.) To minister in the holy place uses the verb meaning to serve in a cultic way, as in verse 35.
Lest they bring guilt upon themselves and die is literally “and they will not carry guilt and die.” The word for “carry” is translated as “bear” in verses 12 and 29-30, and “take upon himself” in verse 38. Here Revised Standard Version adds the words upon themselves. The word for guilt is the same as in verse 38. And die means “and in consequence die” (Durham), for death will be the result of the guilt they would incur. That is, Yahweh will condemn them for not obeying these rules, and their punishment will be death. New International Version has “so that they will not incur guilt and die.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “so that they do not incur punishment and die.”
Good News Translation interprets this in a more specific way: “so that they will not be killed for exposing themselves.” This may be what is intended, but it limits the warning to wearing the “breeches” rather than all the vestments. The idea of death as punishment for exposing oneself to the ground was probably based on the mysterious holiness of the altar and the holy place. It was not a matter of modesty, for the normal dress at that time did not include a special covering for the genital area. (See the comment at 20.26.)
This shall be a perpetual statute is literally “an obligation of long time.” This shall be is added to make the sentence complete. Good News Translation calls it “a permanent rule,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “a law for all time.” (See the comment on statute, choq, in the introduction to 20.22-26.) For him and for his descendants after him refers to Aaron and to all his descendants (literally “his seed”), who are to be the official priests of Israel. Contemporary English Version has “This same rule applies to any of their descendants who serve as priests.” (See descendants and the comment at 1.1.)
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 .
And the other lamb you shall offer in the evening follows the pattern of verse 39. (See the comment there.) And shall offer with it is literally “you [singular] shall do to it.” A cereal offering refers to the same kind of flour offering described in verse 40, but here it is called the cereal offering, in Hebrew minchah, which literally means “a gift.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh calls it a “meal offering,” and New Revised Standard Version now has “grain offering.” Good News Translation calls it “a food offering.” (Further description of the minchah offering may be found in Leviticus 2.) And its libation refers to the same kind of “drink offering” as in verse 40.
As in the morning means not only the same kinds of offerings but also the same quantities that are mentioned in verse 40. So Good News Translation has “and offer with it the same amounts of flour, olive oil, and wine as in the morning.” For a pleasing odor and an offering by fire to the LORD are the same expressions used in verse 18.
Verses 40 and 41 may be combined in the following way:
• With each lamb you must offer grain consisting of two pounds of your finest flour mixed with a quart of pure olive oil. You must also pour out a quart of wine as an offering. I will smell these offerings as they go up in smoke, and I will be pleased.
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 .
The LORD said to Moses is literally “And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying.” (See the comment on this formula at 25.1.) See is literally what the Hebrew says in the imperative singular form (“You look!”). It is stronger than the more common “Behold,” but it also is intended to arouse attention. New Jerusalem Bible has “Look,” and Revised English Bible and Durham have “Take note.”
I have called by name Bezalel should not be understood literally. It means, as Good News Translation puts it, “I have chosen Bezalel,” or “I have singled out Bezalel” (New Jerusalem Bible). The meaning of the name Bezalel is “in the shadow [or, protection] of God [ʾEl],” which seems appropriate for the special work he was called to do. He is further identified as the son of Uri (meaning “my light”), who was the son of Hur. In many languages this will be expressed as “son of Uri and grandson of Hur” (Good News Translation). It is possible that this was a different person from the one mentioned in 17.10 and 24.14, since he is further identified as being of the tribe of Judah, that is, as a descendant of Judah. Moffatt has “the clan of Judah,” but see the comment on “clan” in contrast with tribe at 6.14. It will be necessary in some languages to state what this man was chosen to do; for example, “I have chosen Bezalel … to make the sacred tent and its furnishings.”
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 .
And he said to them introduces what Moses said to the Levites. Thus says the LORD God of Israel is identical with the messenger formula used in 5.1. (See the comment there and at 4.22.) This formula introduces the exact word of Yahweh as a quote within a quote. Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version have “The LORD God of Israel commands….” Put every man his sword on his side is literally “You [plural] place a man his sword upon his upper thigh.” The word for sword probably refers to a long dagger, about eighteen inches in length, with a straight double-edged metal blade and a wood or bone handle. It was carried in a leather sheath tied to the girdle and worn at the left side. In certain languages this sentence will be expressed as “tie your sword to your belt.”
And go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp is literally “you [plural] pass through and you return from gate to gate in the camp.” Good News Translation assumes there were two gates, “from this gate to the other.” Durham assumes there was only one, “from the entrance and back again.” New International Version does not use gate but has the intended meaning, “from one end to the other.” The word for go means to pass through from one side to the other.
And slay every man his brother, literally “and you [plural] kill a man his brother,” uses the common word for “kill” (Good News Translation), as in verse 12. (See the comment at 2.14.) The word for brother in this context refers broadly to the fellow tribesman and even the fellow Israelite. It does not include women, however, and in certain languages it will be necessary to make this explicit; for example, “kill your male relatives, friends, and neighbors.” His companion includes friend, fellow, or comrade. His neighbor uses a word for someone very close, in terms of either space or kinship. So the three terms overlap in meaning. The point is that the Levites were to spare no one who presumably had been guilty of worshiping the golden calf.
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 .
Literally the verse reads “And Moses hurried, and he bowed down earthward and worshiped.” New Jerusalem Bible seems more natural, “Moses immediately bowed to the ground in worship.” The two words for bowing down and worshiping, used together, imply kneeling down and then touching the head to the ground, or even prostrating oneself, in a posture of worship. (See the comment at 11.8.) In some languages one must supply the object or goal of worshiped and say “worshiped the LORD [or, Yahweh].”
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 .
The tabernacle is the last word in verse 10, according to Revised Standard Version, but it should be placed here as the first word in verse 11 (see the comment above). It is the Hebrew word mishkan, which here seems to refer to the entire structure, as in 25.9, with all the various parts then listed in the verses that follow. (See the comments on mishkan and ʾohel in the introduction to chapter 26, at 27.21, and in the introduction to 33.7-11.) Its tent (Revised Standard Version verse 11) is simply “its ʾohel,” meaning the primary tent described in 26.1-6. New International Version has “the tabernacle with its tent,” which helps to clarify this distinction (similarly New American Bible). This does not refer to the “tent of meeting,” as in 33.7. Good News Translation translates mishkan as “Tent,” and ʾohel as “its covering.”
Its tent and its covering, literally “its ʾohel and its mikseh,” therefore refers to the primary tent and its “outer covering” (Good News Translation). The same word for covering is used in 26.14 for an additional layer (or layers) of animal skins. (See the comment there.) Its hooks and its frames refers to the “clasps” in 26.6 and the frames in 26.15. (The two words in Hebrew are listed together because they sound alike, since its hooks is qerasaw and its frames is qerashaw.) Its bars refers to the “crossbars” (Good News Translation) described in 26.26-28. Its pillars refers to the “posts” (Good News Translation) mentioned in 26.32. Its bases refers to the “sockets” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and others) mentioned in 26.19.
The ark with its poles refers to “the Covenant Box” (Good News Translation) and “its poles” described in 25.10-15, where it indicates that the poles were always to be kept in the rings of the ark. The mercy seat refers to the “lid” (Good News Translation) of solid gold, or “propitiatory” (New American Bible), that was be the “cover” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) for the ark. And the veil of the screen is changed in New Revised Standard Version to “the curtain for the screen,” but it is better rendered as “the covering curtain.” This refers only to the veil, or “curtain” (Good News Translation), separating the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place (31.33). Good News Translation has “the curtain to screen it off,” and Contemporary English Version has “the curtain in front of it.” The same word for screen is used in 26.36 for the “curtain” that was to hang at the entrance to the enclosure, and it is used with this meaning in verse 15 below.
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 .