Exodus 35:18 — Word Study
WLCאֶת־ יִתְדֹ֧ת הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן וְאֶת־ יִתְדֹ֥ת הֶחָצֵ֖ר וְאֶת־ מֵיתְרֵיהֶֽם׃
BSAthe tent pegsyâthêd [nails, pins] for the tabernaclemishkân [a special tent where God met with the Israelites] [and]yâthêd for the courtyardchâtsêr [a village, open space] along with their ropesmêythâr [cords, strings]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| יִתְדֹ֧ת | [the] tent pegs of | Noun common, feminine plural construct |
| הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן | the tabernacle | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| יִתְדֹ֥ת | [the] tent pegs of | Noun common, feminine plural construct |
| הֶחָצֵ֖ר | the courtyard | Particle, noun common both singular absolute |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| מֵיתְרֵיהֶֽם׃ | ropes their | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, along with their ropes; |
| KJV | The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords, |
| ASV | the pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords; |
| YLT | 'The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords, |
| WEB | the pins of the tabernacle, the pins of the court, and their cords; |
| BBE | The nails for the House, and the nails for the open space and their cords; |
The translations agree on the key terms in this verse, particularly regarding the items listed for the tabernacle.
The main clause specifies the items needed, with additional phrases providing detail about their purpose and function.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Exodus 35:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Materials for the Tabernaclegenerated
Exodus 35:18 details the specific items required for the construction of the tabernacle and its courtyard, emphasizing the importance of these materials in the worship of God. The tabernacle served as a physical representation of God's presence among the Israelites, and the proper assembly of its components was crucial for maintaining this sacred space.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 27:19 | All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, including all its tent pegs and the tent pegs of the courtyard, shall be made of bronze. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָתֵד, yit.Dotgenerated
The word יָתֵד (yatēd) refers to a peg or nail, specifically used for securing tents. It is a feminine plural noun, indicating multiple pegs are needed for the tabernacle and courtyard. The root meaning of the word relates to fastening or pinning, which is essential for the stability of the tent structure.
In this verse, the tent pegs are critical components that ensure the tabernacle remains secure and functional. Without these pegs, the structure could not be properly erected, highlighting the practical aspects of the tabernacle's construction.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is presented in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses tent pegs for יָתֵד and ropes for מֵיתְרֵיהֶם, consistent with other translations like the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause features the finite verb אֶת־, 'et-, which serves as an object marker, indicating the items being listed. The structure includes multiple noun phrases detailing the components necessary for the tabernacle and courtyard.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes the items being specified, with the tent pegs and ropes directly linked to their respective functions in the construction.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 35:18 lists the tent pegs and ropes needed for the tabernacle and courtyard. These materials are essential for setting up the sacred space where God would meet with the Israelites.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The tent pegs are used to secure the tabernacle and courtyard, ensuring that they remain stable and properly assembled.
The ropes are necessary for tying down the tent and maintaining its structure, working in conjunction with the pegs.
The tabernacle represents God's dwelling among His people, serving as a place for worship and meeting.
This verse connects to the theme of God's instructions for worship and the establishment of a sacred space for His presence among the Israelites.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What significance do the materials used in the tabernacle have for understanding God's presence among His people?
- How can we apply the concept of securing our spiritual lives, like the tent pegs secure the tabernacle?
- In what ways does the tabernacle's construction reflect the importance of order and obedience in our worship?
- What steps can we take to ensure that our lives are a dwelling place for God, similar to the tabernacle?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 35:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe pins of the tabernacle,.... Which were to fix and fasten the ends of the curtains in the ground, that they might not be moved with the wind, as Jarchi observes: and the pins of the court, and
Read John Gill on Exodus 35 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords, Pins of the tabernacle ... pins of the court, and their cords.
Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 35 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10-19) And every wise hearted among you.—The first appeal is to all; all may contribute something towards the materials of the sacred structure. But the second appeal is to some only. The “wise-hearted” alone can take part in the actual construction, and “make all that the Lord hath commanded.” On the expression “wise – hearted,” see Note on Exodus 28:3. It includes skill of various kinds and degrees, even that of poor women, who “did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen” (Exodus 35:25). In enumerating the things to be constructed, Moses follows, not the order of the revelations made to him, but what may…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 35 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18. cords] i.e. tent-cords, to attach the curtains of the Dwelling, and hangings of the Court, to the tent-pins fastened in the earth (cf. Exodus 39:40, Numbers 3:26; Numbers 3:37; Numbers 4:26; Numbers 4:32). Not mentioned in Exodus 27:19, but implied in the mention of ‘pins.’
Read Cambridge on Exodus 35 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe word “tabernacle” משׁכן mı̂shkān is here used for the full name, the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. It denotes the entire structure.
Read Albert Barnes on Exodus 35 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible11-19. The tabernacle, etc. — These different parts of the sanctuary and the sacred vessels are illustrated in notes on chaps. 25-28.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 35 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, along with their ropes;
the pins of the tabernacle, the pins of the court, and their cords;
the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, along with their ropes;
tent pegs for the tabernacle and tent pegs for the courtyard and their ropes;
Tyndale line
The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,
the pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords;
the pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords;
The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,
The pinnes of the Tabernacle, and the pinnes of the court with their cordes,
Strictly literal
the pegs of the tabernacle, and the pegs of the court, and their cords;
'The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,
the pins of the Dwelling Place, and the pins of the court, and their cords,
The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords;
and the tent pegs for the tabernacle and courtyard, together with their ropes.
From the Latin
The pins of the tabernacle and of the court with their little cords:
Simplified
the tent pegs for the Tabernacle and for the courtyard, as well as their ropes;
The nails for the House, and the nails for the open space and their cords;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text lists the same items as the Samaritan Pentateuch, though it uses the form יתדות for yatēd. The Septuagint does not provide a direct correspondence for this verse.
אֶת־ יִתְדֹ֧ת הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן וְאֶת־ יִתְדֹ֥ת הֶחָצֵ֖ר וְאֶת־ מֵיתְרֵיהֶֽם׃
4 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
את יתדות המשׁכן ואת יתדות החצר ואת מיתריהם
2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: יתדות (peg), יתדות (peg)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Exodus 35:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
יָתֵד (yathed) refers to a pin or peg, often used for securing items like tents. It can also mean a nail or a pin in a figurative sense, and has applications in weaving. The word is built from an unused root meaning to fasten or pin through.
יָתֵד n.f. pin, peg
base
H3489 יָתֵד pin, peg
3489 yathed yaw-thade'
from an unused root meaning to pin through or fast; a
peg:--nail, paddle, pin, stake.
יָתֵד (ya.ted) — peg.
1) pin, stake, peg, nail
1a) pin, peg, tent pin, tent stake
1b) nail, pin (fig.)
1c) pin (used in weaving)
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural constructHNcfpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan) means 'dwelling-place' or 'tabernacle.' It is derived from a root meaning to dwell and can refer to various types of residences, including the Tabernacle in the Old Testament. The term encompasses both literal and figurative meanings, such as a grave or the Temple.
מִשְׁכָּן 139 n.m. dwelling-place, ‘tabernacle’
base
H4908 מִשְׁכָּן dwelling-place, ‘tabernacle’
4908 mishkan mish-kawn'
from 7931; a residence (including a shepherd's hut, the lair
of animals, figuratively, the grave; also the Temple);
specifically, the Tabernacle (properly, its wooden
walls):--dwelleth, dwelling (place), habitation, tabernacle,
tent.
see HEBREW for 07931
מִשְׁכָּן (mish.kan) — tabernacle.
1) dwelling place, tabernacle
1a) dwelling-place
1b) dwellings
Aramaic equivalent: mish.kan (מִשְׁכַּן "habitation" H4907)
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
tab'-er-na-k'l ('ohel mo`edh "tent of meeting," mishkan, "dwelling"; skene):
A. STRUCTURE AND HISTORY
I. INTRODUCTORY
1. Earlier "Tent of Meeting"
2. A Stage in Revelation
3. The Tabernacle Proper
II. STRUCTURE
1. The Enclosure or Court
2. Structure, Divisions and Furniture of the Tabernacle
(1) Coverings of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:1-14; 36:8-19)
(a) Tabernacle Covering Proper
(b) Tent Covering
(c) Protective Covering
(2) Framework and Divisions of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:15-37; 36:20-38)
Arrangement of Coverings
(3) Furniture of the Sanctuary
(a) The Table of Shewbread
(b) The Candlestick (Lampstand)
(c) The Altar of Incense
III. HISTORY
1. Removal from Sinai
2. Sojourn at Kadesh
3. Settlement in Canaan
4. Destruction of Shiloh
5. Delocalization of Worship
6. Nob and Gibeon
7. Restoration of the Ark
Tabernacle
(1.) A house or dwelling-place (Job 5:24; 18:6, etc.).
(2.) A portable shrine (comp. Acts 19:24) containing the image of Moloch (Amos 5:26; marg. and R.V., “Siccuth”).
(3.) The human body (2 Cor. 5:1, 4); a tent, as opposed to a permanent dwelling.
(4.) The sacred tent (Heb. mishkan, “the dwelling-place”); the movable tent-temple which Moses erected for the service of God, according to the “pattern” which God himself showed to him on the mount (Ex. 25:9; Heb. 8:5). It is called “the tabernacle of the congregation,” rather “of meeting”, i.e., where God…
The tabernacle was the tent of Jehovah, called by the same name as the tents of the people in the midst of which it stood. It was also called the sanctuary and the tabernacle of the congregation. The first ordinance given to Moses, after the proclamation of the outline of the law from Sinai, related to the ordering of the tabernacle, its furniture and its service as the type which was to be followed when the people came to their own home and "found a place" for the abode of God. During the forty days of Moses’ first retirement with God in Sinai, an exact pattern of the whole was shown him, and all was made according to it. (Exodus 25:9,40; 26:30; 39:32,42,43; Numbers 8:4; Acts 7:44;
A tent, booth, pavilion, or temporary dwelling. For its general meaning and uses, see TENT. In the Scriptures it is employed more particularly of the tent made by Moses at the command of God, for the place of religious worship of the Hebrews, before the building of the temple. The directions of God, and the account of the execution of them, are contained in Ex 25:1-40, and the following chapters. This is usually called the tabernacle of the congregation, or tent of assembly, and sometimes the tabernacle of the testimony.
The tabernacle was of an oblong rectangular form, thirty cubits long, ten broad, and ten in height, Ex 26.15-30; 36.20-30; that is, about fifty-five feet long, eighteen broad, and eighteen high. The two sides and the western end were formed of boards of shittim wood, overlaid with thin plates of gold, and fixed in…
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
יָתֵד (yathed) refers to a pin or peg, often used for securing items like tents. It can also mean a nail or a pin in a figurative sense, and has applications in weaving. The word is built from an unused root meaning to fasten or pin through.
יָתֵד n.f. pin, peg
base
H3489 יָתֵד pin, peg
3489 yathed yaw-thade'
from an unused root meaning to pin through or fast; a
peg:--nail, paddle, pin, stake.
יָתֵד (ya.ted) — peg.
1) pin, stake, peg, nail
1a) pin, peg, tent pin, tent stake
1b) nail, pin (fig.)
1c) pin (used in weaving)
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural constructHNcfpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
חָצֵר (chatser) refers to an enclosure or court, and can also mean a settled abode, settlement, or village, typically appearing in the plural form חֲצֵרִים. The word is derived from a root meaning to enclose, indicating spaces that are surrounded by walls or fences.
חָצֵר 145 n.m. and (oftener) f. enclosure, court
base
[חָצֵר] 46 n.m. settled abode, settlement, village—always pl. abs. חֲצֵרִים
base
H2691a חָצֵר n. m. and (oftener) f. enclosure, court H2691b חָצֵר settled abode, settlement, village—always pl. abs. חֲצֵרִים
2691 chatser khaw-tsare'
(masculine and feminine); from 2690 in its original sense; a
yard (as inclosed by a fence); also a hamlet (as similarly
surrounded with walls):--court, tower, village.
see HEBREW for 02690
חָצֵר (cha.tser) — court.
1) court, enclosure
1a) enclosures
1b) court
חָצֵר (cha.tser) — village.
settled abode, settlement, village, town
Art | N-cs — Particle · noun common both singular absoluteHTd/Ncbsa
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
מֵיתָר (meythar) refers to a cord or string, specifically that of a tent or the string of a bow. It is derived from the root word meaning to stretch or extend. The entries consistently define it in this way, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
[מֵיתָר] n.m. cord, string
base
H4340 מֵיתָר
4340 meythar may-thar'
from 3498; a cord (of a tent) (compare 3499) or the string
(of a bow):--cord, string.
see HEBREW for 03498
see HEBREW for 03499
מֵיתָר (me.tar) — cord.
cord, string
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3mp