And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits:
Parallel translations
- WEB He made the court: for the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, one hundred cubits;
- BSB Then he constructed the courtyard. The south side of the courtyard was a hundred cubits long and had curtains of finely spun linen,
- NKJV Then he made the court on the south side; the hangings of the court were of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long.
- NASB Then he made the courtyard: for the south side the hangings of the courtyard were of fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits;
- NLT Then Bezalel made the courtyard, which was enclosed with curtains made of finely woven linen. On the south side the curtains were 150 feet long.
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 courtyard was enclosed, with the south side curtained in fine linen one hundred cubits long. This marked off the sacred space around the tabernacle.
Overview
The linen hangings formed a boundary separating the holy courtyard from the common camp, controlling how people approached God. The fine white linen suggests purity required to draw near. The construction follows Exodus 27:9.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Exod 27:9–19And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:
- Ps 89:7God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
- Exod 40:33And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
- 1 Kgs 6:36And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.
- Ps 92:13Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
- Ps 100:4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
- Ps 84:10For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
- Ps 84:2My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
- Exod 40:8And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.
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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 38:9 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
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