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Exodus Chapter 40

Old Testament Law (Torah) 38 Verses

What is Exodus 40 about?

Israel's deliverance from Egypt, the Ten Commandments given at Sinai, and the construction of the Tabernacle. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2On the first day of the first month shalt thou rear up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
3And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and thou shalt screen the ark with the veil.
4And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.
5And thou shalt set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
6And thou shalt set the altar of burnt-offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
7And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and shalt put water therein.
8And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the screen of the gate of the court.
9And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the furniture thereof: and it shall be holy.
10And thou shalt anoint the altar of burnt-offering, and all its vessels, and sanctify the altar: and the altar shall be most holy.
11And thou shalt anoint the laver and its base, and sanctify it.
12And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tent of meeting, and shalt wash them with water.
13And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments; and thou shalt anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister unto me in the priest`s office.
14And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them;
15and thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest`s office: and their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
16Thus did Moses: according to all that Jehovah commanded him, so did he.
17And 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.
18And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and laid its sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up its pillars.
19And he spread the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
20And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy-seat above upon the ark:
21and he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
22And he put the table in the tent of meeting, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the veil.
23And he set the bread in order upon it before Jehovah; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
24And he put the candlestick in the tent of meeting, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.
25And he lighted the lamps before Jehovah; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
26And he put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil:
27and he burnt thereon incense of sweet spices; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
28And he put the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
29And he set the altar of burnt-offering at the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt-offering and the meal-offering; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
30And he set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water therein, wherewith to wash.
31And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat;
32when they went into the tent of meeting, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
33And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle.
35And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle.
36And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys:
37but if the cloud was not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
38For the cloud of Jehovah was upon the tabernacle by day, and there was fire therein by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
← Exodus 39

What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
“And the Lord spake unto Moses, etc.] When the tabernacle, and the work of it, were finished, and he had taken a survey of it, and everything belonging to it, which appeared to be done as was ordered: saying; as follows.”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“THE TABERNACLE REARED AND ANOINTED. (Exo. 40:1-38) On the first day of the first month--From a careful consideration of the incidents recorded to have happened after the exodus (Exo 12:2; Exo 13:4; Exo 19:1; Exo 20:18; Exo 34:28, &c.), it has been computed that the work of the tabernacle was commenced within six months after that emigration; and consequently, that other six months had been occupied in building it. So long a period spent in preparing the materials of a movable pavilion, it would be difficult to understand, were it not for what we are told of the vast dimensions of the tabernacle, as well as the…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 2
“See Exodus 40:17. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 2
“The time for doing this is, On the first day of the first month - This wanted but fourteen days of a year since they came out of Egypt. Probably the work was made ready just at the end of the year, so that the appointing this day gave no delay. In Hezekiah's time they began to sanctify the temple on the first day of the first month, Ch2 29:17. The new moon (which by their computation was the first day of every month) was observed by them with some solemnity; and therefore this first new moon of the year was thus made remarkable. Exodus 40:15”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“40:1-33 The report on setting up the Tabernacle begins with the Lord’s commands to do so (40:1-15) and continues with the report on how Moses obeyed those commands (40:16-33). • The repeated statement that Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him (40:16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 32) is in radical contrast to Aaron’s self-serving statement in 32:22-24. God wishes to share his presence with us, but his holiness is such that this can occur only if we renounce our own efforts to secure his presence and gifts.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 2
“the first month: Exo 40:17, Exo 12:1, Exo 12:2, Exo 13:4; Num 7:1 tabernacle: Exo 40:6, Exo 40:18, Exo 40:19, Exo 26:1, Exo 26:7, Exo 26:30, Exo 27:21, Exo 30:36, Exo 35:11, Exo 36:18 Exodus 40:3”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
“After the completion of all the works, the command was given by God to Moses to set up the dwelling of the tabernacle on the first day of the first month (see at Exo 19:1), sc., in the second year of the Exodus (see Exo 40:17), and to put all the vessels, both of the dwelling and court, in the places appointed by God; also to furnish the table of shew-bread with its fitting out (ערכּו = לחם ערך Exo 40:23), i.e., to arrange the bread upon it in the manner prescribed ( Exo 40:4 cf. Lev 24:6-7), and to put water in the laver of the court ( Exo 40:7). After that he was to anoint the dwelling and everything in it,…”
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