Exodus 38:18

Verse

The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It was twenty cubits long and, like the curtains of the courtyard, five cubits high,

American Standard Version (1901)

And the screen for the gate of the court was the work of the embroiderer, 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.

Bible in Basic English

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.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And he made in the entry thereof an embroidered hanging of violet, purple, scarlet, and fine twisted linen, that was twenty cubits long, and five cubits high according to the measure of all the hangings of the court.

Free Bible Version

The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was embroidered with blue, purple, and crimson thread, and finely-spun linen. It was twenty cubits long by five cubits high, the same height as the courtyard curtains.

Geneva Bible 1599

He made also the hanging of the gate of the court of needle worke, blewe silke, and purple, and skarlet, and fine twined linen euen twentie cubites long, and fiue cubites in height and bredth, like the hangings of the court.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

One Unity Resource Bible

The screen for the gate of the court was the work of the embroiderer, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. Twenty cubits [30 ft; 91.44 m] was the length, and the height in the width was five cubits [7.5 ft; 22.9 m], like to the hangings of the court.

Translation for Translators

For the entrance of the courtyard, they made a curtain from fine white linen, and a skilled weaver embroidered it with blue, purple, and red yarn/thread. The curtain was ◄30 feet/9 meters► long and ◄7-1/2 feet/2.3 meters► high, just like the other curtains around the courtyard.

Unlocked Literal Bible

The curtain at the courtyard gate was twenty cubits long. The curtain was made of blue, purple, and scarlet linen, fine twined linen, and was twenty cubits long. It was twenty cubits in length and five cubits in height, like the courtyard curtains.

Noah Webster Bible

And the hanging for the gate of the court was needle-work, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the hight in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.

World English Bible

The screen for the gate of the court was the work of the embroiderer, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. Twenty cubits was the length, and the height along the width was five cubits, like the hangings of the court.

Young's Literal Translation

And the covering of the gate of the court [is] the work of an embroiderer, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen; and twenty cubits [is] the length, and the height with the breadth five cubits, over-against the hangings of the court;

Context

The Courtyard

¹⁷The bases for the posts were bronze, the hooks and bands were silver, and the plating for the tops of the posts was silver. So all the posts of the courtyard were banded with silver. ¹⁸The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It was twenty cubits long and, like the curtains of the courtyard, five cubits high,¹⁹with four posts and four bronze bases. Their hooks were silver, as well as the bands and the plating of their tops.

Summary

This verse describes the construction of the altar of burnt offering in the tabernacle, emphasizing the importance of sacrifices in the worship of God. The altar symbolized atonement for sin and the need for repentance before approaching a holy God. The detailed measurements and materials used highlight the precision and reverence required in offering sacrifices to God. This passage underscores the significance of worship and the seriousness of sin, pointing to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. It serves as a reminder of the central role of sacrifice in the Old Testament and foreshadows the perfect sacrifice of Christ in the New Testament.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

the height in the breadth--or, "in the measure." The sense is that the hangings of the court gate, which was twenty cubits wide, were of the same height as the hangings all round the court [WALL].