The skilled craftsmen made ten curtains of finely woven linen for the Tabernacle. Then Bezalel decorated the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim.
Parallel translations
- WEB All the wise-hearted men among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, with cherubim, the work of the skillful workman, they made them.
- KJV And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work made he them.
- BSB All the skilled craftsmen among the workmen made the ten curtains for the tabernacle. They were made of finely spun linen, as well as blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with cherubim skillfully worked into them.
- NKJV Then all the gifted artisans among them who worked on the tabernacle made ten curtains woven of fine linen, and of blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim they made them.
- NASB All the skillful people among those who were performing the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twisted linen and violet, purple, and scarlet material, with cherubim, the work of a skilled embroiderer, Bezalel made them.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The skilled workers make the tabernacle's ten curtains of fine linen and colored yarn, embroidered with cherubim.
Overview
Construction now begins in careful obedience to the pattern God gave, starting with the inner curtains woven with figures of cherubim. The cherubim recalled the guardians of God's holy presence, signaling that this was sacred space. These details point to the heavenly reality the tabernacle copied, where God dwells in unapproachable holiness now opened in Christ (Hebrews 9:23-24).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Exod 25:22There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the testimony, all that I command you for the children of Israel.
- Exod 26:1–37“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim. The work of the skillful workman you shall make them.
- Exod 25:18You shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
- Exod 35:10“‘Let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make all that Yahweh has commanded:
- Exod 31:6Behold, I myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of all who are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you:
- 1 Kgs 6:23In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.
- 1 Chr 15:1David made himself houses in David’s city; and he prepared a place for God’s ark, and pitched a tent for it.
- 2 Chr 3:10In the most holy place he made two cherubim by carving; and they overlaid them with gold.
- Ezek 1:5–28Out of its center came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
- Ezek 10:1–19Then I looked, and see, in the expanse that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 36:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.