Exodus 40

The erection of the Tent of Meeting

Exodus 40:1-15

1–15. Moses is instructed by Jehovah to set up the Tent of Meeting, and the Court, to arrange the sacred vessels in their places (vv. 2–8), to consecrate the whole by anointing it (vv. 9–11), to clothe the priests in their vestments, and to anoint them (vv. 12–15). Most of these instructions have been given before; now that the time has come for carrying them out, they are summarily repeated (though not all that are necessary are given here; see vv. 17 ff.).

Exodus 40:2

2. the first day of the first month] viz. (v. 17) of the second year of the Exodus, nine months since the arrival at Sinai (Exodus 19:1). the Dwelling of the tent of meeting] as Exodus 39:32.

Exodus 40:3

3. See Exodus 26:33.

Exodus 40:4

4. See Exodus 26:35, Exodus 25:30; Exodus 25:37 b. set in order, &c.] lit. arrange its arrangement, with reference to the two piles of loaves arranged upon it. Cf. v. 23 (lit. ‘arranged upon it the arrangement of bread’). Leviticus 24:6 ‘two rows’ (lit. arrangements). And so a later designation of the Presence-bread was ‘bread of arrangement’ (see on Exodus 25:30); cf. the ‘table of the arrangement,’ 2 Chronicles 29:18. light] fix on: see on Exodus 27:20.

Exodus 40:5

5a. See Exodus 30:6. The ‘golden-altar,’ as Exodus 39:38, and v. 26 below. 5b. door] entrance. See Exodus 26:36.

Exodus 40:6

6. the altar of burnt offering] Exodus 27:1-8; Exodus 38:1-7. The position of this altar has not been defined before. the entrance of the Dwelling, &c.] cf. v. 2.

Exodus 40:7

7. See Exodus 30:18 b.

Exodus 40:8

8. Cf. Exodus 27:9 a (the court), 16 (the screen).

Exodus 40:9-11

9–11. The Dwelling, and everything belonging to it, to be anointed with the holy anointing oil: see Exodus 30:26-29; and cf. Exodus 29:36 f. (the altar alone).

Exodus 40:12-15

12–15. Aaron and his sons (i.e. the high-priest and the ordinary priests) to be washed, clothed in their sacred vestments, and anointed. See Exodus 29:4-6 (much abridged here), 7–9; and Exodus 30:30.

Exodus 40:13

13. and sanctify him] Not in Exodus 29:7; but cf. the similar clause in Exodus 30:30.

Exodus 40:14

14. coats] tunics.

Exodus 40:15

15a. For the common priests being anointed exactly as the high-priest (not prescribed in ch. 29), see Exodus 28:41; and cf. on Exodus 30:30. 15b. an everlasting priesthood] It is to be for ever hereditary in Aaron’s family. A perpetual priesthood is also promised to Aaron’s ‘sons’ in Exodus 29:9 : but it is not, as here, based upon their being anointed; in fact, no anointing is there prescribed for them at all. The Rabbis, understanding the pron. in ‘their anointing’ to refer to Aaron’s sons alone, inferred that the anointing of Aaron’s actual sons sufficed for the ordinary priests in all future ages, and that in the case of the ordinary priests the ceremony was never afterwards repeated (cf. Di., and Kalisch, Leviticus, pp. 666–8). But this is a forced and artificial interpretation: their and to them refer naturally to Aaron and his sons together (Di.).

Exodus 40:16

16. Thus did Moses] And Moses did (so),—leading on to the enumeration of particulars in v. 17 ff.: for the form of sentence, see on Exodus 7:6. The verse, so far as vv. 9–14 are concerned, anticipates Leviticus 8:10-11; Leviticus 8:6-9; Leviticus 8:12-13 : the execution of the command in v. 15 is nowhere recorded (cf. on Exodus 30:30).

Exodus 40:17-33

17–33. Moses sets up the Tent of Meeting, and the Court, and arranges the sacred vessels according to the instructions given in vv. 1–8, or (in some cases) in chs. 25–31 only. He also (vv. 23, 25, 27, 29) begins the daily services.

Exodus 40:18

18. See v. 2b, Exodus 26:30.

Exodus 40:19

19. the tent over the Dwelling, and … the covering] See Exodus 26:7; Exodus 26:14. ‘Covering’ (strictly, ‘coverings’), as Exodus 35:11. as Jehovah commanded Moses] so vv. 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 32; cf. on Exodus 39:1.

Exodus 40:20

20. See Exodus 25:16; Exodus 25:21 b; Exodus 25:14-15; Exodus 25:21 a. For the ‘testimony’ (i.e. the tables of stone with the Decalogue), see on Exodus 25:16.

Exodus 40:21

21. See v. 3, Exodus 26:33. The ‘veil of the screen,’ as Exodus 35:12, Exodus 39:34.

Exodus 40:22

22. See Exodus 26:35 a, c; and cf. v. 4a, above.

Exodus 40:23

23. See Exodus 25:30; and cf. on v. 4a, above.

Exodus 40:24

24. See v. 4b, Exodus 26:35 b. For over against, read opposite to.

Exodus 40:25

25. See v. 4b, Exodus 25:37 b. For lighted, read fixed on.

Exodus 40:26

26. See v. 5a, Exodus 30:6. The ‘golden altar,’ as Exodus 39:38.

Exodus 40:27

27. See Exodus 30:7. Moses, however, not Aaron, according to the present writer, begins the daily services (cf. vv. 23, 25, 29), and maintains them during the first eight days till the priests are installed (cf. Exodus 29:35, Leviticus 8:33; Leviticus 9:1).

Exodus 40:28

28. See v. 5b; and cf. Exodus 26:36. For door, read entrance, as regularly.

Exodus 40:29

29. at the entrance of the Dwelling, &c.] See v. 6; and on Exodus 39:32. the burnt offering, &c.] See Exodus 29:38-42.

Exodus 40:30

30. See v. 7, Exodus 30:18 b.

Exodus 40:31-32

31–32. See Exodus 30:19-20. Moses is included, because for the time he acted as priest (v. 27). The tenses are frequentative, used to wash (twice), just as in Exodus 34:34 f., for instance. As ‘Aaron and his sons’ are not yet installed (see Leviticus 8), there is a prolepsis in the verses, even if (Di.) they are not a mere interpolation, attached unsuitably to v. 30, on the basis of Exo 30:19 f.

Exodus 40:33

33. See v. 8; cf. Exodus 27:9 a, 16. (‘Set up’ here = ‘hang up’ in v. 8. ‘Put up’ in v. 8a, and ‘set up’ in v. 8b, would make the renderings in the two verses uniform.)

Exodus 40:34-38

34–38. The cloud (see on Exodus 13:21-22) now takes up its abode on the Tent of Meeting (cf. Numbers 9:15 P), and the glory (see on Exodus 16:10) of Jehovah fills the Dwelling (vv. 34 f.). Ever afterwards, through the period of the Israelites’ journeyings, the cloud, while they were stationary, remains upon the Tent of Meeting, with fire shining in it by night, its being lifted up from it being a signal that they are to break up camp, and move on (vv. 36–38). the glory of Jehovah filled the Dwelling] cf. Exodus 29:43.

Exodus 40:35

35. was not able, &c.] cf. 1 Kings 8:10 f. (at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple), Ezekiel 43:4 f.

Exodus 40:36-38

36–38. The tenses are throughout frequentative (used to go onward, used not to journey, used to be), describing what was the case habitually during the journeyings in the wilderness. Cf. Numbers 9:16-23; Numbers 10:34; also Exodus 10:11 f. (all P). For the divergent representations of J and E, see on Exodus 13:21-22.

Exodus 40:38

38. and there was fire therein, &c.] i.e. in the cloud. Cf. Numbers 9:15-16 (P). The book thus closes with the fulfilment of the promise given in Exodus 29:43; Exodus 29:45 (see on Exodus 29:43-46). The Dwelling is complete,—and Jehovah, with His protecting and sanctifying Presence, has taken up His abode in it, in the midst of His people. For the noble and impressive symbolism by which this great idea is expressed, see p. 113.