Exodus 40:28 — Word Study
WLCוַיָּ֛שֶׂם אֶת־ מָסַ֥ךְ הַפֶּ֖תַח לַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃
BSAThen he put upsûwm▸ [set in place, hung] the curtainmâçâk [covering, screen] at the entrancepethach [doorway, gate] to the tabernaclemishkân [sacred tent, place of meeting]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֛שֶׂם | and he set up | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| מָסַ֥ךְ | [the] screen of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| הַפֶּ֖תַח | the entrance | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| לַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ | of the tabernacle | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. |
| KJV | ¶ And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle. |
| ASV | And he put the screen of the door to the tabernacle. |
| YLT | And he setteth the covering of the opening to the tabernacle, |
| WEB | He put up the screen of the door to the tabernacle. |
| BBE | And he put up the curtain at the doorway of the House. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of מָסַךְ — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb governs the sentence, with several phrases detailing the action and its object.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbשׂים
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 40:28
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 — The Setup of the Tabernaclegenerated
Exodus 40:28 describes the final steps in the establishment of the tabernacle, a sacred space where God would meet with His people. This verse highlights Moses’ obedience to God's commands as he prepares the tabernacle for worship. The passage emphasizes the importance of the tabernacle as a place of meeting between God and the Israelites, following detailed instructions given earlier in Exodus.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 40:5 | Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony, and hang the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. |
| 2 | Exodus 26:36–37 | For the entrance to the tent, you are to make a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. |
| 3 | Exodus 38:9–19 | Then he constructed the courtyard. The south side of the courtyard was a hundred cubits long and had curtains of finely spun linen, |
| 4 | John 14:6 | Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. |
| 5 | John 10:9 | I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שׂים, vai.Ya.semgenerated
The verb שׂים (sum) means to put or place something. It is used in various contexts throughout the Bible, including the act of appointing or determining. This word is foundational in the narrative of creation in Genesis, where God places elements in their proper order.
In this verse, the parsing indicates it is a sequential imperfect verb, meaning Moses is actively carrying out the instruction to set up the curtain, emphasizing the ongoing action in the narrative.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses put up to convey the action of Moses.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יָּ֛שֶׂם (yasem), meaning 'he set up,' governs the whole verse. It leads to a noun phrase indicating the object, followed by another noun phrase describing what is being set up, and concludes with a prepositional phrase specifying the location.
The structure emphasizes the action of setting up the curtain at the entrance, with the verb at the forefront, indicating that this is a significant moment in the narrative.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint does not provide a direct Greek equivalent for this verse's words, indicating a focus on the Hebrew text's structure and meaning without a specific translation.
This absence suggests that the Greek translators may have understood the significance of the tabernacle's setup without needing to alter the Hebrew terms.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 40:28 tells us that Moses put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. This action was part of the process of setting up a sacred place where God would meet with His people, emphasizing the importance of worship and obedience to God's commands.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This action signifies the establishment of a sacred space for worship, marking the entrance to the tabernacle where God would meet with the Israelites.
The curtain serves as a boundary between the holy space of the tabernacle and the outside world, symbolizing God's presence and the need for reverence.
This verse is the culmination of detailed instructions given to Moses regarding the construction and setup of the tabernacle, showing his obedience to God's commands.
Moses' actions demonstrate the importance of following God's instructions carefully and the significance of creating spaces for worship and meeting with God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does setting up the tabernacle teach us about the importance of worship?
- How can we create sacred spaces in our own lives for meeting with God?
- In what ways can we demonstrate obedience to God's commands like Moses did?
- What significance does the entrance to the tabernacle hold for understanding our relationship with God?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 40:28 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle. That is, at the door of the holy place, all being brought into it that were to be placed there.
Read John Gill on Exodus 40 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 40 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(28) The hanging at the door.—See above, Exodus 40:5, and comp. Exodus 26:36.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 40 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges28. See v. 5b; and cf. Exodus 26:36. For door, read entrance, as regularly.
Read Cambridge on Exodus 40 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleTHE ORDER TO SET UP THE , Exodus 40:1-16. The formality of this command to erect the sanctuary involves an incidental repetition of what has already been described.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 40 →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
Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
He put up the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
Then he put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
Tyndale line
¶ And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.
And he put the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
And he put the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.
Also he hanged vp the vayle at the doore of the Tabernacle.
Strictly literal
And he hung up the curtain of the entrance to the tabernacle.
And he setteth the covering of the opening to the tabernacle,
And he sets the covering [at] the opening of the Dwelling Place,
And he put up the hanging at the door to the tabernacle.
He hung the curtain at the tabernacle entrance.
From the Latin
And he set the laver between the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar, filling it with water.
Simplified
Then he put up the screen at the entrance to the Tabernacle.
And he put up the curtain at the doorway of the House.
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 states, וַיָּ֛שֶׂם אֶת־ מָסַ֥ךְ הַפֶּ֖תַח לַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃, and the Samaritan Pentateuch agrees word for word. The Septuagint aligns closely with the Masoretic Text, showing consistency across these ancient witnesses.
וַיָּ֛שֶׂם אֶת־ מָסַ֥ךְ הַפֶּ֖תַח לַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃
4 of the 5 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.
וישׂם את מסך הפתח למשׁכן
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
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 40:28
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.
The Hebrew word שׂוּם (sum) is a verb meaning to put, place, or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, establishing, and making. It can also refer to laying something upon or directing it. There is a related noun שׂוּמָה (sumah), which may denote a token of unluckiness. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.
שׂוּם, שִׂים 582 vb. put, place, set
Qal
put, set, in a place
put something upon
put, lay, set
put, c. בֵּין
set, direct
set, ordain, in a place
set, establish a law, statute
set, found a nation
set, appoint (as ruler, official)
set, constitute, make
set, determine, fix, bounds
set, station, at a post
put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
set up altars
= plant, wheat
set, fix (countenance)
make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
make, constitute
work, bring to pass
appoint, give
set, fix (countenance)
Hiph. I will make him for a sign
Hoph. there was set before him
base
שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl;—2 S 13:32
ref
H7760a שׂוּם, שִׂים put, place, set .. . put, set, in a place
. put something upon
. put, lay, set
. put, c. בֵּין
. set, direct
. . set, ordain, in a place
. set, establish a law, statute
. set, found a nation
. set, appoint (as ruler, official)
. set, constitute, make
. set, determine, fix, bounds
. . set, station, at a post
. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
. set up altars
. = plant, wheat
. set, fix (countenance)
. . make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
. make, constitute
. work, bring to pass
. appoint, give
. set, fix (countenance)
. I will make him for a sign
. there was set before him
H7760b שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl
7760 suwm soom
or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great
variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially,
and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a
name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider,
convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap
up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out),
mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve,
purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set
(on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down,
((over-))turn, X wholly, work.
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: make.
: make/establish
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix
1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give
1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign
1c) (Hophal) to be set
שׂוּמָה (su.mah) — fate.
token of unluckiness, scowl
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: put.
: put/give
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
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
מָסָךְ (masakh) refers to a covering or screen, often associated with the tabernacle. It is derived from the root meaning to cover, and encompasses terms like curtain and hanging. The entries consistently highlight its function as a veil or protective layer.
מָסָךְ n.[m.] covering, screen
base
H4539 מָסָךְ covering, screen
4539 macak maw-sawk'
from 5526; a cover, i.e. veil:--covering, curtain, hanging.
see HEBREW for 05526
מָסָךְ (ma.sakh) — covering.
1) covering, rag, screen
1a) covering
1b) screen (of the tabernacle)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
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…
פֶּ֫תַח (pethach) refers to an opening, such as a doorway or entrance. It is derived from a root meaning to open and encompasses terms like gate and entrance way. The entries consistently highlight its literal and figurative uses, but do not provide specific verse references.
פֶּ֫תַח 164 n.m. opening, doorway, entrance
base
H6607 פֶּ֫תַח opening, doorway, entrance
6607 pethach peh'-thakh
from 6605; an opening (literally), i.e. door (gate) or
entrance way:--door, entering (in), entrance (-ry), gate,
opening, place.
see HEBREW for 06605
פֶּ֫תַח (pe.tach) — entrance.
opening, doorway, entrance
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
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)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/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…