Old Testament Commentary - Exodus 27

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 27 Tabernacle to contain an alter for burnt offerings; also, a court surrounded by pillars—A light to burn always in the tabernacle of the congregation.
1 AND thou shalt make an ^aaltar of ^bshittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. 2 And thou shalt make the ^ahorns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be ^bof the same: and thou shalt overlay it with ^cbrass.		3^a Lev. 1:1; Moses 1:17 ^b Ex. 3:12; Moses 1:1-3 4^a Deut. 327:11; D&C 124:18 (18,99) 5^a TG Obedience ^b TG Abrahamic Covenant TG Covenants ^c TG Israel, Twelve Tribes TG Peculiar People ^d TG Israel, Blessing of TG Treasure 6^a TG Election ^b TG Israel, Mission of; TG; Priesthood; TG Priesthood, History of ^c Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9); TG Holiness ^d TG Separation
3 And thou shalt make his ^apans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass. 4 And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof. 5 And thou shalt put it under the ^acompass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.		3^a Lev. 1:1; Moses 1:17 ^b Ex. 3:12; Moses 1:1-3 4^a Deut. 327:11; D&C 124:18 (18,99) 5^a TG Obedience ^b TG Abrahamic Covenant TG Covenants ^c TG Israel, Twelve Tribes TG Peculiar People ^d TG Israel, Blessing of TG Treasure 6^a TG Election ^b TG Israel, Mission of; TG; Priesthood; TG Priesthood, History of ^c Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9); TG Holiness ^d TG Separation
6 And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass. 7 And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it. 8 Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was ^ashewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.		3^a Lev. 1:1; Moses 1:17 ^b Ex. 3:12; Moses 1:1-3 4^a Deut. 327:11; D&C 124:18 (18,99) 5^a TG Obedience ^b TG Abrahamic Covenant TG Covenants ^c TG Israel, Twelve Tribes TG Peculiar People ^d TG Israel, Blessing of TG Treasure 6^a TG Election ^b TG Israel, Mission of; TG; Priesthood; TG Priesthood, History of ^c Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9); TG Holiness ^d TG Separation
9 ¶ And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle^a: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined ^alinen of an hundred cubits long for one side: 10 And the twenty ^apillars thereof and their twenty ^bsockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 11 And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.	9^a thous shalt make the court of the tabernacle This 'court' of the tabernacle was the open air outer court. Though it was withing the 'curtain walls' of the outer tabernacle, it had no covering. It was the place for the outward ordinances of the tabernacle or temple, which in Moses' day consisted of the burnt offering sacrifice of the various appropriate animals of sacrifice upon the altar built and housed within this outer open air court.
12 ¶ And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten. 13 And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.
14 The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three. 15 And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
16 ¶ And for the gate of the court shall be an ^ahanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four. 17 All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.
18 ¶ The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass. 19 All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.
20 ¶ And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure ^aoil ^bolive beaten for the light, to cause the ^clamp to burn always. 21 In the ^atabernacle of the ^bcongregation ^cwithout the ^dvail, which is before the testimony, ^eAaron and his sons shall ^forder it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a ^gstatute for ever unto their ^hgenerations on the behalf of the children of Israel.