eng_aiv Amundson Interpretive Version Exodus Exodus Exodus Exod Exodus id=eng_aiv name=Amundson Interpretive Version (AIV) status=draft spec=USFM-USX 3.1.1 export=2026-11-02 char:add=translator-addition-italic char:wj=words-of-Jesus-as-received-unmapped note:f=footnotes para:r=parallel-passage-references para:d=psalm-superscriptions The Israelites Multiply in Egypt (Genesis 46:7–27) And these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; each man and his house they came: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. And all the souls coming out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt. 1.5 MT (see also Genesis 46:27); DSS and LXX (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five souls And Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation. And the sons of Israel were fruitful and they swarmed, and they multiplied, and they grew mighty exceedingly, exceedingly, and the land was filled with them. Oppression by a New King (Acts 7:15–19) And there arose a new king over Egypt, who had not known Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are many and mightier than us. Come, let us act wisely with him, lest he multiply, and it comes to pass when war meets us, that he also may join himself to those hating us and fight against us and go up out of the land.1.10 Or and take the country” And they set over him chiefs of forced labor in order to afflict them with their burdens. And they built store cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Rameses. And as they afflicted him, so he multiplied and so he burst forth. And they were in dread from the face of the sons of Israel. And Egypt made the sons of Israel serve with harshness, and they made bitter their lives with hard labor—with mortar and with bricks and with all manner of labor in the field, all their service in which they made them serve—with harshness. And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives, the Hebrewesses, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the second was Puah. And he said, “When you⁺ cause the Hebrewesses to give birth and you⁺ see them on the birthstools, if he is a son, then you⁺ shall kill him; but if she is a daughter, then she shall live.” And the midwives feared God and they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded to them. And the male children they kept alive. And the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you⁺ done this thing and kept alive the male children?” And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrewesses are not like the Egyptian women, for they are lively; and before the midwife comes to them, they have given birth.” And God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and they grew mighty exceedingly. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He provided for them houses. And Pharaoh commanded to all his people, saying, “Every son born to the Hebrews1.22 SP, LXX, and Targum Yonaton; Hebrew does not include to the Hebrews. you⁺ shall cast him into the River, and every daughter you⁺ shall let live.” The Birth and Adoption of Moses (Acts 7:20–22; Hebrews 11:23) And a man from the house of Levi went, and he took a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and bore a son, and she saw him, that he was good, and she hid him for three months. And she was not able to hid him anymore, and she took for him an ark2.3 Or a basket; also in verse 5; see Genesis 6:14. of papyrus and daubed it with tar and with pitch, and she put the child in it and she placed it in the reeds along the edge of the River. And his sister stationed herself from a distance, to know what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the River, and her maidens were walking along the hand of the River. And she saw the ark in the midst of the reeds, and she sent her maidservant and she took it. And she opened it, and she saw the child, and behold, a boy weeping. And she had compassion on him, and she said, “This is one of the children of the Hebrews.” And his sister said to the daughter of Pharaoh, “Shall I go and call for you a nursing woman from the Hebrewesses, that she may nurse for you the child?” And the daughter of Pharaoh said to her, “Go.” And the girl went and called the mother of the child. And the daughter of Pharaoh said to her, “Take away this child and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wage.” And the woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew, and she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh, and he became to her as a son. And she called his name Moses2.10 Moses sounds like a Hebrew term that means to lift out. and she said, “Because I drew him out of the water.” The Rejection and Flight of Moses (Acts 7:23–29) And it came to pass in those days, and Moses had grown, and he went out to his brothers2.11 Or his own people and he saw in their burdens, and he saw a man, an Egyptian, striking a man, a Hebrew, from his brothers. And he turned this way and that way, and he saw that there was no man, and he struck the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. And he went out on the second day, and behold, two men, Hebrews, were fighting. And he said to the wicked one, “Why do you strike your companion?” And he said, “Who appointed you as a man—a ruler and a judge—over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?2.14 Cited in Acts 7:27 and Acts 7:35” And Moses feared and said, “Surely the matter is known.” 2.14 LXX Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday? Cited in Acts 7:28 And Pharaoh heard of this matter, and he sought to kill Moses. And Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and he dwelt in the land of Midian, and he sat down by the well. And the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water and they filled the troughs to water the flock of their father. And the shepherds came and drove them away, and Moses arose and saved them, and he watered their flock. And they came to Reuel their father, and he said, “Why have you returned so early today?” 2.18 Reuel was also called Jethro; see Exodus 3:1. And they said, “A man, an Egyptian, delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and also he has surely drawn water for us, and he watered the flock.” And he said to his daughters, “And where is he? Why is this, that you⁺ have left the man? Call to him, and let him eat bread.” And Moses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. And she bore a son, and he called his name Gershom,2.22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for foreigner. for he said, “I have become a sojourner in a foreign land.” God Hears the Cry of the Israelites And it came to pass after those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out, and their cry went up to God because of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God saw the sons of Israel, and God knew. Moses at the Burning Bush (Acts 7:30–38) And Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law,3.1 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro was also called Reuel; see Exodus 2:18. the priest of Midian. And he led the flock behind the wilderness and he came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.3.1 That is, Mount Sinai, or possibly a mountain in the range containing Mount Sinai And the angel3.2 Or Angel of YHWH appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bush. And he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with the fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, “Let me turn aside, please, and see this great sight. Why does the bush not burn?” And YHWH saw that he had turned aside to look, and God called to him from the midst of the bush and He said, “Moses! Moses!” And he said, “Behold, it is I.” And He said, “Do not come near here. Remove your sandals from upon your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 3.5 Cited in Acts 7:33 And He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look toward God. 3.6 Cited in Matthew 22:32, Mark 12:26, Luke 20:37, and Acts 7:32 And YHWH said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and their cry I have heard from before their taskmasters, for I know their pains; and I have come down to deliver them from out of the hand of Egypt and to bring them up from that land to a land good and broad, to a land flowing with milk and honey—to the place of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me, and also I have seen the oppression with which Egypt is oppressing them. And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and you shall bring out My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.3.10 Cited in Acts 7:34” And Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” And He said, “Surely I will be with you, and this is the sign to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you⁺ shall serve God on this mountain.” 3.12 Cited in Acts 7:7 And Moses said to God, “Behold, I am coming to the sons of Israel and I will say to them, ‘The God of your⁺ fathers has sent me to you⁺,’ and they will say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh.3.14 Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh means I am who I am or I will be what I will be” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘Ehyeh3.14 Ehyeh means I am or I will be has sent me to you⁺.’” And God said moreover to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘YHWH, the God of your⁺ fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you⁺.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial from generation to generation. Go and gather together the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘YHWH, the God of your⁺ fathers, has appeared to me—the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob—saying: I have surely attended to you⁺ and what is being done to you⁺ in Egypt. And I have said I will bring you⁺ up out of the affliction of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite—to a land flowing with milk and honey.’ And they will listen to your voice, and you shall come—you and the elders of Israel—to the king of Egypt, and you⁺ shall say to him, ‘YHWH, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. And now, let us go, please, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and let us sacrifice to YHWH our God.’ And I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you⁺ to go, unless by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out My hand, and I will strike Egypt with all My wonders that I will do in its midst. And after that, he will send you⁺ out. And I will give favor to this people in the eyes of the Egyptians, and it will come to pass when you⁺ go, you⁺ shall not go emptily. And every woman shall ask from her neighbor, and from the one dwelling in her house, articles of silver, and articles of gold, and clothing. And you⁺ shall put them on your⁺ sons and on your⁺ daughters, and you⁺ shall plunder the Egyptians.” Moses’ Staff And Moses answered and said, “And if they will not give credence to me and they will not listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘YHWH has not appeared to you.’” And YHWH said to him, “What is in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” And he cast it to the earth, and it became a serpent, and Moses fled from before it. 4.3 Hebrew nachash, in contrast to Aaron’s staff, which became a tannin in Exodus 7:10 And YHWH said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and seize it by its tail”—and he stretched out his hand and grasped hold of it, and it became a staff in his palm— “so that they may believe that YHWH, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” Moses’ Hand And furthermore YHWH said to him, “Put now your hand into your bosom.4.6 Or inside your cloak; twice in this verse and twice in verse 7” And he put his hand into his bosom, and he took it out, and behold, his hand was leprous,4.6 The Hebrew word traditionally translated as leprous was used for various skin diseases; see Leviticus 13. like snow. And He said, “Return your hand into your bosom.” And he returned his hand into his bosom and he took it out from his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his flesh. “And it shall come to pass, if they will not give credence to you and they will not listen to the voice of the first sign, then they will give credence to the voice of the latter sign. And it shall come to pass, if they will not give credence even to these two signs and will not listen to your voice, then you shall take from the waters of the River and you shall pour them on the dry land, and it will happen that the waters which you take from the River, they will become blood on the dry land.” The Appointment of Aaron And Moses said to YHWH, “Please, my Lord, I am not a man of words, neither from yesterday nor from the day before yesterday nor from the time You have spoken to Your servant. For I am slow of mouth and slow of tongue.” And YHWH said to him, “Who has made a mouth for the man? Or who makes mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, YHWH? And now go, and I—I will be with your mouth, and I will teach you what you shall say.” And he said, “Please, my Lord, send, please, by the hand of another whom You send.” And the anger of YHWH burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he surely speaks. And also, behold, he is coming out to meet you, and he will see you, and he will be glad in his heart. And you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I—I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you⁺ what you⁺ shall do. And he will speak for you to the people. And it shall come to pass that he shall be to you as a mouth, and you shall be to him as God. And this staff you shall take in your hand, with which you shall perform the signs.” Moses Leaves for Egypt And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law4.18 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro was also called Reuel; see Exodus 2:18. and said to him, “Let me go, please, and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” And YHWH said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” And Moses took his wife and his sons, and he set them on the donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand. And YHWH said to Moses, “When you go to return to Egypt, see all the wonders that I have put in your hand, and you do them before the face of Pharaoh. And I will strengthen4.21 Or stiffen or harden his heart, and he will not send out. the people And you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says YHWH: My son, My firstborn is Israel. And I say to you, send out My son, that he may serve Me. And if you refuse to send him out, behold, I am killing your son, your firstborn.’” And it came to pass on the way, at the lodging place, that YHWH met him4.24 That is, met Moses and sought to put him to death. And Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son, and she touched it to his feet4.25 That is, Moses’ feet and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” And He let him alone. (At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.) The People Believe Moses and Aaron And YHWH said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” And he went, and he met him on the mountain of God, and he kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of YHWH with which He had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him. And Moses went—and Aaron—and they gathered together all the elders of the sons of Israel. And Aaron spoke all the words that YHWH had spoken to Moses. And he did the signs before the eyes of the people, and the people believed; and they heard that YHWH had visited the sons of Israel, and that He had seen their affliction. And they bowed and worshiped. Pharaoh’s First Refusal And afterward Moses and Aaron went in and they said to Pharaoh, “Thus says YHWH, God of Israel: ‘Send out My people, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” And Pharaoh said, “Who is YHWH, that I should listen to His voice to send out Israel? I do not know YHWH, and moreover Israel I will not send out.” And they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go, please, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and let us sacrifice to YHWH our God, lest He meet us with the pestilence or with the sword.” And the king of Egypt said to them, “Why, Moses and Aaron, do you⁺ loosen the people from their works? Go to your⁺ burdens.” And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are many now, and you⁺ make them rest from their burdens.” Bricks and Straw And that day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, “You⁺ shall not continue to give straw to the people for the making of the bricks as yesterday and the day before yesterday. They shall go and gather straw for themselves. And the quota of bricks that they were making yesterday and the day before yesterday you⁺ shall set on them. You⁺ shall not diminish from it, for they are idle. Upon thus, they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go, let us sacrifice to our God.’ Let the service be heavy on the men, and let them be occupied with it. And let them not pay attention to lying words.” And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out, and they spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I am not giving straw to you⁺. You⁺ go, get straw for yourselves from wherever you⁺ can find it; for nothing is diminishing from your⁺ service.’” And the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. And the taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your⁺ works, the matter of a day in its day, as when there was the straw.” And the officers of the sons of Israel, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them, were beaten saying, “Why have you⁺ not fulfilled your⁺ quota for making bricks as yesterday and the day before yesterday, both yesterday and today?” The Cry of the Israelites And the officers of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why are you doing this to your servants? Straw is not being given to your servants, and they are saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten, and the fault is in your people.” And he said, “You⁺ are idle—idle! Upon thus you⁺ are saying, ‘Let us go, let us sacrifice to YHWH.’ And now, go—work! And straw shall not be given to you⁺, and the quota of bricks you⁺ shall deliver.” And the officers of the sons of Israel saw themselves in trouble, in saying, “You⁺ shall not diminish from your⁺ bricks, the matter of a day in its day.” And they met Moses and Aaron, who were standing to meet them as they came out from Pharaoh. And they said to them, “May YHWH look on you⁺ and judge, because you⁺ have made our scent stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.” And Moses returned to YHWH and said, “My Lord, why have You done evil to this people? Is this why You have sent me? And since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; and deliver—You have not delivered—Your people.” God Promises Deliverance And YHWH said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for by a mighty hand he will send them out, and by a mighty hand he will drive them out from his land.” And God spoke to Moses, and He said to him, “I am YHWH, and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai;6.3 El-Shaddai means God Almighty and by My name YHWH I was not known to them. And also I have established My covenant with them, to give to them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojourning, in which they sojourned. And also I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel whom Egypt is making serve, and I have remembered My covenant. Therefore say to the sons of Israel, ‘I am YHWH, and I will bring you⁺ out from under the burdens of Egypt, and I will deliver you⁺ from their service, and I will redeem you⁺ with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. And I will take you⁺ to Me for a people, and I will be to you⁺ for God; and you⁺ shall know that I am YHWH your⁺ God, the One bringing you⁺ out from under the burdens of Egypt. And I will bring you⁺ into the land that I lifted up my hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And I will give it to you⁺ as a possession. I am YHWH!’” And Moses spoke in this way to the sons of Israel, and they did not listen to Moses, from shortness of spirit and from hard service. And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “Go in, tell to Pharaoh king of Egypt and he shall send out the sons of Israel from his land.” And Moses spoke before the face of YHWH, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; and how shall Pharaoh listen to me, and I am uncircumcised of lips?6.12 That is, unskilled in speech; also in verse 30” And YHWH spoke to Moses and to Aaron and He gave them a command toward the sons of Israel and toward Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt. Genealogies of Moses and Aaron These are the heads of the houses of their fathers: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These are the clans of Reuben. And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul son of the Canaanitess. These are the clans of Simeon. 6.15 Zohar is a variant of Zerah; see Numbers 26:13 and 1 Chronicles 4:24. And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were seven and thirty and a hundred years. The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their clans. And the sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were three and thirty and a hundred years. And the sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi according to their generations. And Amram took Jochebed his father’s sister for himself for a wife, and she bore to him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were seven and thirty and a hundred years. And the sons of Izhar: Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri. And the sons of Uzziel: Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Sithri. 6.22 Elzaphan is a variant of Elizaphan; see Numbers 3:30. And Aaron took Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, to himself for a wife. And she bore to him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. And the sons of Korah: Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the clans of the Korahite. 6.24 Abiasaph is a variant of Ebiasaph; see 1 Chronicles 6:23 and 1 Chronicles 9:19. And Eleazar son of Aaron took for himself one of the daughters of Putiel to him for a wife, and she bore to him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their clans. It was this Aaron and Moses to whom YHWH said, “Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, according to their hosts.” They are the ones speaking to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the sons of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and Aaron. And it came to pass on the day that YHWH spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, that YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “I am YHWH; speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I am speaking to you.” And Moses said before the face of YHWH, “Behold, I am uncircumcised of lips, and how will Pharaoh listen to me?” God Commands Moses and Aaron And YHWH said to Moses, “See, I have made you God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he may send out the sons of Israel from his land. And I will harden the heart of Pharaoh, and I will multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh will not listen to you⁺, and I will put My hand on Egypt and I will bring out My armies, My people, the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am YHWH when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.” And Moses and Aaron did as YHWH commanded them; so they did. And Moses was a son of eighty years and Aaron was a son of three and eighty years when they spoke to Pharaoh. Aaron’s Staff And YHWH spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “When Pharaoh speaks to you⁺, saying, ‘Give for yourselves a wonder,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before the face of Pharaoh,’ let it become a monster.7.9 Hebrew tannin; here and in verse 10, in contrast to Moses’ staff, which became a nachash in Exodus 4:3 and was noted again in Exodus 7:15” And Moses went in—and Aaron—to Pharaoh, and they did so, as YHWH had commanded. And Aaron cast down his staff before the face of Pharaoh and before the face of his servants, and it became a monster. And Pharaoh also called for the wise men and for the sorcerers; and they—the magicians of Egypt—they also did so with their secret arts. And each man cast down his staff, and they became monsters, and the staff of Aaron swallowed up their staffs. And the heart of Pharaoh was strengthened, and he did not listen to them, as YHWH had spoken. 7.13 Or stiffened or hardened; also in verse 22 The First Plague: Blood And YHWH said to Moses, “The heart of Pharaoh is heavy;7.14 Or unyielding or stubborn he has refused to send out. the people Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Behold, he is going out to the water, and you shall stand to meet him by the edge of the River. And the staff that was turned into a serpent you shall take in your hand. And you shall say to him, ‘YHWH, God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying: Send out My people that they may serve Me in the wilderness. And behold, you would not listen until now. Thus says YHWH: By this you shall know that I am YHWH. Behold, I am striking with the staff that is in my hand upon the waters that are in the River, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that are in the River shall die, and the River shall stink. And the Egyptians shall be weary to drink water from the River.’” And YHWH said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, and they shall become blood.’ And there shall be blood in all the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and in the vessels of stone.” And Moses and Aaron did so, as YHWH had commanded; and he lifted up the staff and struck the waters that were in the River, in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, and all the waters that were in the River were turned to blood. 7.20 Possibly Aaron lifted up the staff; see verse 19; some translators Moses lifted up the staff. And the fish that were in the River died, and the River stank, and Egypt was not able to drink water from the River, and the blood was in all the land of Egypt. And the magicians of Egypt with their secret arts did so. And the heart of Pharaoh was strengthened, and he did not listen to them, as YHWH had spoken. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not set his heart even to this. And all Egypt dug around the River for water to drink, because they were not able to drink from the waters of the River. And seven days were fulfilled after YHWH struck the river. The Second Plague: Frogs And YHWH said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him: Thus says YHWH, ‘Send out My people, that they may serve Me. And if you refuse to send them out, behold, I am striking all your territory with the frogs. And the River shall teem with frogs, and they shall go up and come into your house, and into your bedroom, and onto your bed, and into the house of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls. And on you and on your people and on all your servants the frogs shall come up.’” And YHWH said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the streams, and over the ponds, and bring up the frogs on the land of Egypt.’” And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frog came up and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians with their secret arts did so, and they brought up the frogs on the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron and said, “Pray to YHWH, that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people. and I will send out, the people that they may sacrifice to YHWH.” And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Glorify yourself over me—for when shall I pray for you and for your servants, and for your people, to cut off the frogs from you and from your houses? Only in the River they shall remain.” And he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, so that you may know that there is none like YHWH our God. And the frogs shall depart from you, and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people. Only in the River they shall remain.” And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to YHWH concerning the matter of the frogs which He had placed upon Pharaoh. And YHWH did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died from the houses, from the courtyards, and from the fields. And they piled them up in heaps of heaps, and the land stank. And Pharaoh saw that there was relief, and he made heavy8.15 Or hardened; also in verse 32 his heart, and he did not listen to them, as YHWH had spoken. The Third Plague: Gnats And YHWH said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the land, and it shall become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’” And they did so, and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the land, and it became the gnat on the man and on the beast. All the dust of the land became gnats in all the land of Egypt. And the magicians with their secret arts did so to bring forth the gnats, and they could not. And the gnat was on the man and on the beast. And the magicians said to Pharaoh, “It is the finger of God.” And the heart of Pharaoh was strengthened,8.19 Or stiffened or hardened and he did not listen to them, as YHWH had spoken. The Fourth Plague: Flies And YHWH said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before the face of Pharaoh—behold, he is going out to the water—and say to him, thus says YHWH: ‘Send out My people, that they may serve Me. For if you will not send out My people, behold, I am sending on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses the swarm.8.21 Or a noxious mixture; also in verses 22, 24, 29, and 31 And the houses of Egypt shall be full of the swarm, and also the ground on which they are. And I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which My people are standing, that no swarm shall be there, in order that you may know that I, YHWH, am in the midst of the land. And I will make a distinction8.23 LXX and Vulgate; Hebrew And I will set redemption between My people and between your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.’” And YHWH did so, and heavy swarms came into the house of Pharaoh and the house of his servants, and into all the land of Egypt; the land was ruined from before the swarm. And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your⁺ God in the land.” And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for the abomination of Egypt we shall sacrifice to YHWH our God. Behold, shall we sacrifice the abomination of Egypt before their eyes, and will they not stone us? A journey of three days we will go into the wilderness, and we will sacrifice to YHWH our God, as He says to us.” And Pharaoh said, “I will send you⁺ out, and you⁺ shall sacrifice to YHWH your⁺ God in the wilderness. Only you⁺ shall not go very far away. Pray for me.” And Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I will pray to YHWH, and the swarm shall depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only let Pharaoh not again deal deceitfully in not sending out the people to sacrifice to YHWH.” And Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to YHWH. And YHWH did according to the word of Moses, and He removed the swarm from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. And Pharaoh made heavy his heart also at this time, and he did not send out the people. The Fifth Plague: Livestock And YHWH said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and speak to him: Thus says YHWH God of the Hebrews, ‘Send out, My people that they may serve Me. For if you refuse to send them out, and you are still holding on to them, behold, the hand of YHWH will be on your livestock that are in the field—on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the cattle, and on the flocks—a very severe pestilence. And YHWH will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and between the livestock of Egypt, and not a thing shall die from all that belongs to the sons of Israel.’” And YHWH set an appointed time, saying, “Tomorrow YHWH will do this thing in the land.” And YHWH did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died. And from the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not even one of the livestock of Israel had died. And the heart of Pharaoh was heavy,9.7 Or hardened; also in verse 34 and he did not send out. the people The Sixth Plague: Boils And YHWH said to Moses and to Aaron, “Take for yourselves the fullness of both palms of soot of a furnace, and Moses shall scatter it toward the heavens before the eyes of Pharaoh. And it will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and it shall become boils bursting with blisters, on man and on beast, in all the land of Egypt.” And they took soot of the furnace and stood before the face of Pharaoh. And Moses scattered it toward the heavens, and it became boils with blisters bursting, on the man and on the beast. And the magicians were not able to stand before the face of Moses, because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all Egypt. And YHWH strengthened9.12 Or stiffened or hardened; also in verse 35 the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as YHWH had spoken to Moses. The Seventh Plague: Hail And YHWH said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before the face of Pharaoh and say to him: Thus says YHWH God of the Hebrews, ‘Send out My people, that they may serve Me. For at this time I am sending all My plagues to your heart,9.14 Or against your heart or against your inner man and on your servants, and on your people, in order that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. For now I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with the pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But indeed for this reason I have caused you to stand, in order to show you9.16 Or I have raised you up; or I have spared you My power, and in order to proclaim My name in all the earth.9.16 LXX in you 9.16 Cited in Romans 9:17 Still you are exalting yourself over My people, so as not to send them out. Behold, about this time tomorrow I am raining down very heavy hail, such as has not been like it in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. And now, send—have your livestock brought in, and all that you have in the field; every man and beast that is found in the field and is not gathered to the house—the hail shall come down on them, and they shall die.’” The one who fears the word of YHWH among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses. And he who did not set his heart to the word of YHWH left his servants and his livestock in the field. And YHWH said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the heavens, and there shall be hail in all the land of Egypt, on the man, and on the beast, and on every plant of the field in the land of Egypt.” And Moses stretched out his staff toward the heavens, and YHWH gave voices and hail, and fire went to the earth. And YHWH rained down hail on the land of Egypt. And there was hail, and fire coming in the middle of the hail, very heavy, such as that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation. And the hail struck in all land of Egypt all that was in the field—from man even to beast—and every plant of the field. The hail struck and shattered every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where there were the sons of Israel, there was no hail. And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and for Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time. YHWH is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones. Pray to YHWH, for there has been too much of God’s voices and hail. And I will send you⁺ out, and you shall no longer stay.” And Moses said to him, “As I leave the city, I will spread out my hands to YHWH, and the voices will cease, and there will not be the hail anymore, in order that you may know that the earth belongs to YHWH. And as for you and your servants, I know that you⁺ do not yet fear from before the face of YHWH God.” (And the flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in ear, and the flax was in bud. And the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they are late crops.) And Moses went out from Pharaoh, out of the city, and he spread out his hands to YHWH, and the voices and the hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth. And Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the voices had ceased, and he continued to sin and made heavy his heart—he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was strengthened, and he did not send out the sons of Israel, as YHWH had spoken by the hand Moses. The Eighth Plague: Locusts And YHWH said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have made heavy10.1 Or hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may set these signs of Mine within him, and so that you may recount in the ears of your son and the son of your son how I have dealt severely with Egypt, and My signs that I have set among them, and you⁺ shall know that I am YHWH.” And Moses came in—and Aaron—to Pharaoh, and they said to him, “Thus says YHWH God of the Hebrews, ‘Until when will you refuse to humble yourself before My face? Send out My people, that they may serve Me. For if you refuse to send out My people, behold, tomorrow I am bringing the locust into your territory. And it shall cover the eye of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. And it shall eat the remnant of what is left, what remains for you⁺ from the hail, and it shall eat every tree that grows for you⁺ from the field. And they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and the houses of all Egypt—which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, from the day that they were on the earth to this day.’” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh. And the servants of Pharaoh said to him, “Until when shall this one be a snare to us? Send out the men, that they may serve YHWH their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt has perished?” And Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve YHWH your⁺ God! Who and who are the ones going?” And Moses said, “With our young and with our old we will go, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds we will go, for it is a feast of YHWH for us.” And he said to them, “Thus may YHWH be with you⁺ when I send out you⁺, and your⁺ little ones. See, for evil is before your⁺ faces. Not so! Go now, the men, and serve YHWH. For that is what you⁺ are seeking.” And they were driven out from the face of Pharaoh. And YHWH said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locust, and they shall go up upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant of the land—all that the hail has left.” And Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and YHWH drove an east wind over the land all that day and all the night. And when it was the morning, the east wind brought the locust. And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt and rested in all the territory of Egypt. It was very severe; before them there had never been such a locust as it, and after it there shall never be such. And it covered the eye of all the land, and the land was darkened. And it ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. And there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh hurried to call for Moses and for Aaron and said, “I have sinned against YHWH your⁺ God and against you⁺. And now forgive, please, my sin only this once, and pray to YHWH your⁺ God He may take away from me only this death.” And he went out from Pharaoh, and he prayed to YHWH. And YHWH turned a very mighty sea wind, and it lifted up the locust and blew it into the Red Sea.10.19 Or the Sea of Reeds There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt. And YHWH strengthened10.20 Or stiffened or hardened; also in verse 27 the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not send out the sons of Israel. The Ninth Plague: Darkness And YHWH said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the heavens, and there shall be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.” And Moses stretched out his hand toward the heavens, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They could not see, each man his brother, and no man rose from his place for three days. And for all the sons of Israel there was light in their dwellings. And Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve YHWH. Only your⁺ flocks and your⁺ herds shall stay behind; also your⁺ little ones shall go with you⁺.” And Moses said, “You also must give into our hands sacrifices and burnt offerings, and we shall make them to YHWH our God. And also our livestock shall go with us. Not a hoof shall remain, for from it we shall take to serve YHWH our God, and we do not know with what we shall serve YHWH until we arrive there.” And YHWH strengthened the heart of Pharaoh, and he was not willing to send them out. And Pharaoh said to him, “Go away from me! Take heed to yourself—do not again see my face! For in the day you see my face, you shall die!” And Moses said, “Thus you have spoken! I will not ever again see your face!” The Plague on the Firstborn Foretold And YHWH said to Moses, “One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that he will send you⁺ out from this place. When he sends you out, he will surely drive you out completely from this place. Speak now in the ears of the people, and let each man ask from his neighbor, and each woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.” And YHWH gave the people favor in the eyes of Egypt. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of the servants of Pharaoh and in the eyes of the people. And Moses said, “Thus says YHWH: ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the handmill, and every firstborn of a beast. And there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, and never shall be like it again. And against all the sons of Israel a dog shall not sharpen its tongue, against man even to beast,11.7 Some translators close this quotation at the end of the verse.’ so that you⁺ may know that YHWH distinguishes between Egypt and between Israel. And all these servants of yours shall come down to me and bow themselves to me, saying, ‘Go out, you and all the people who are at your feet.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh with burning anger. And YHWH said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you⁺, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before the face of Pharaoh, and YHWH strengthened11.10 Or stiffened or hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not send out the sons of Israel from his land. The First Passover (Numbers 9:1–14) And YHWH said to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month shall be for you⁺ the beginning of months; it shall be for you⁺ the first of the months of the year. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, on the tenth of this month, and they shall take for themselves—each man—a lamb,12.3 The Hebrew word can mean lamb or kid; also in verses 4 and 5. according to the house of the fathers, a lamb for a house. And if the house is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor who is near to his house shall take it by the number of souls, each man according to the mouth of his eating, you⁺ shall count for the lamb. An unblemished lamb, a male, a son of a year, shall be for you⁺. You⁺ shall take it from the sheep or from the goats. And it shall be kept for you⁺ until the four and tenth day of this month. And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter it between the evenings,12.6 That is, at twilight and they shall take from the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel12.7 That is, on the sides and top of the doorframes; similarly in verses 22 and 23 on the houses in which they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh on this night; roasted in fire and with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. You⁺ shall not eat from it raw or boiled boiling—in water—but only roasted in fire, its head with its legs, and with its entrails. And you⁺ shall not leave from it until morning. And what remains from it until morning you⁺ shall burn with the fire. And thus you⁺ shall eat it: your⁺ loins girded, your⁺ sandals on your⁺ feet, and your⁺ staff in your⁺ hand; and you⁺ shall eat it in haste. It is YHWH's Passover. And I will pass through the land of Egypt on this night, and I will strike every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man even to beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments. I am YHWH. And the blood shall be a sign for you⁺ on the houses where you⁺ are, and I will see the blood, and I will pass over you⁺, and there shall not be among you⁺ a plague for destruction, in my striking in the land of Egypt. The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:4–8; Numbers 28:16–25; Deuteronomy 16:1–8) And this day shall be for you⁺ a memorial, and you⁺ shall celebrate it. as a feast to YHWH throughout your⁺ generations an everlasting—statute—you⁺ shall celebrate it. Seven days you⁺ shall eat unleavened bread; indeed, on the first day you⁺ shall remove leaven from your⁺ houses, for anyone eating leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And on the first day there shall be for you⁺ a holy convocation, and on the seventh day, a holy convocation. No manner of work shall be done on them, except that which every soul must eat—that alone may be done by you⁺. And you⁺ shall keep the Unleavened,12.17 That is, the seven-day period after the Passover during which no leaven may be eaten for on this same day I brought out your⁺ armies from the land of Egypt. And you⁺ shall keep this day throughout your⁺ generations—an everlasting statute. In the first month, on the four and tenth day of the month, in the evening, you⁺ shall eat unleavened bread, until the first and twentieth day of the month in the evening. Seven days leaven shall not be found in your⁺ houses; for anyone eating what is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, among the sojourner and among the native of the land. Anything leavened you⁺ shall not eat; in all your⁺ dwellings you⁺ shall eat unleavened bread.” And Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Draw out and take for yourselves lambs according to your⁺ families, and slaughter the Passover. And you⁺ shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and you⁺ shall touch it to the lintel and to the two doorposts from the blood that is in the basin. and you⁺—each man—shall not go out from the door of his house until morning. And YHWH will pass through to strike Egypt, and He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and YHWH will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come into your⁺ houses to strike you. And you⁺ shall keep this word as a statute for you and for your sons unto eternity. And it shall come to pass, when you⁺ come to the land that YHWH will give to you⁺ as He has spoken, that you⁺ will keep this service. And it shall be, when your⁺ sons say to you⁺, ‘What is this service to you⁺?’ And you⁺ shall say, ‘It is a sacrifice of Passover to YHWH, who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He struck Egypt, and our houses He delivered.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped. And the sons of Israel went and did as YHWH had commanded Moses and Aaron; so they did. The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn And it came to pass at midnight that YHWH struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who is in the house of the pit, and every firstborn of a beast. And Pharaoh rose in the night, he and all his servants and all Egypt, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not a dead person. The Exodus Begins And he called for Moses and for Aaron by night and said, “Rise, go out from the midst of my people, both you⁺ and the sons of Israel. And go, serve YHWH, according to your⁺ word. Also take your⁺ flocks and also your⁺ herds as you⁺ have spoken, and go, and bless me also!” And the Egyptians were strong upon the people to hasten to send them out from the land, for they said, “We are all dead people!” And the people carried their dough before it was leavened, having bound up their kneading bowls in their clothes on their shoulders. And the sons of Israel did according to the word of Moses, and they asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, and articles of gold, and clothing. And YHWH gave the people favor in the eyes of Egypt, and they granted their request; and they plundered Egypt. And the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth,12.37 Succoth means booths or shelters or tabernacles. about six hundred thousand men on foot, apart from little ones. And a mixed multitude also went up with them, and flock and herd—very much livestock. And they baked the dough that they brought out from Egypt, of unleavened cakes, for it was not leavened for they were driven out from Egypt and were not able to delay, and also they had not made provisions for themselves. And the dwelling of the sons of Israel who lived in Egypt12.40 MT; SP in Canaan and Egypt; LXX in Egypt and Canaan thirty years. and four hundred years And it came to pass at the end of thirty years and four hundred years—and it came to pass on this same day—that all the armies of YHWH went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night of vigil for YHWH to bring them out from the land of Egypt. This same night for YHWH, a vigil for all the sons of Israel throughout their generations. Instructions for the Passover And YHWH said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: Any son of a foreigner shall not eat of it. And every man’s servant purchased of silver, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat of it. A sojourner and a hireling shall not eat of it. In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not bring out from the house any of the flesh outside, and a bone of it you⁺ shall not break. All the congregation of Israel shall do it. And when a sojourner sojourns with you, and he does the Passover to YHWH, every male of his shall be circumcised; and then he may come near to do it, and he shall be as a native of the land. And any uncircumcised person shall not eat of it. One law shall be for the native and for the sojourner who is sojourning in your⁺ midst.” And all the sons of Israel did as YHWH commanded Moses and Aaron; so they did. And it came to pass on this very same day that YHWH brought out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt by their armies. The Dedication of the Firstborn (Deuteronomy 15:19–23) And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “Sanctify to Me every firstborn—the one opening every womb among the sons of Israel, among the man and among the beast, it belongs to Me.” 13.2 Cited in Luke 2:23 And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day that you⁺ came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by strength of hand YHWH brought you⁺ out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten. On this day in the month of Abib13.4 Abib was the first month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of March and April. you⁺ are going out. And it shall come to pass when YHWH brings you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give to you, a land flowing with milk and honey, and you shall serve this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day is a feast to YHWH. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days, and leavened bread shall not be seen with you, nor shall leaven be seen with you in all your borders. And you shall declare to your son in that day, saying, ‘It is because of what YHWH did for me in my going out from Egypt.’ And it shall be for you for a sign on your hand and for a memorial between your eyes, so that the law of YHWH may be in your mouth. For by a mighty hand YHWH brought you out from Egypt. And you shall keep this statute at its appointed time from days to days. And it shall be, when YHWH brings you into the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and He gives it to you, that you shall cause to pass over for YHWH every one opening a womb, and every one opening of the offspring of a beast that is unto you—the males belong to YHWH. And every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ That you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand YHWH brought us out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery. And it came to pass, when Pharaoh hardened himself to sending us out, that YHWH killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man and to the firstborn of beast. Upon thus I am sacrificing to YHWH all the males opening a womb; and every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ And it shall be for a sign on your hand and for frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand YHWH brought us out from Egypt.” The Pillars of Cloud and Fire And it came to pass, when Pharaoh sent out the people, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although it was near. For God said, “Lest the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.” And God turned the people by the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea13.18 Or the Sea of Reeds And the sons of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt in battle array.13.18 LXX left the land of Egypt in the fifth generation And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for the sons of Israel had sworn a solemn oath, saying, “God will surely attend to you⁺, and you⁺ shall carry up my bones from this place with you⁺.13.19 Genesis 50:25” And they journeyed from Succoth and camped in Etham, at the edge of the wilderness. And YHWH went before their faces by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them in the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give light to them, to go by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the faces of the people. Pharaoh Pursues the Israelites And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, that they turn back and camp before the face of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and between the sea, before the face of Baal-zephon. Before it you⁺ shall camp by the sea. And Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed in on them.’ And I will strengthen14.4 Or stiffen or harden; similarly in verses 8 and 17 the heart of Pharaoh, and he will pursue after them. And I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that Egypt shall know that I am YHWH.” And they did so. And it was told to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people, and they said, “What is this that we have done, that we have sent out Israel from serving us?” And he harnessed his chariot, and he took his people with him. And he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them. And YHWH strengthened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel were going out with hand held high.14.8 Or marching out boldly or marching out defiantly And Egypt pursued after them—and all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh and his horsemen and his army—and overtook them camping by the sea by Pi-hahiroth before the face of Baal-zephon. And Pharaoh drew near, and the sons of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, Egypt was journeying after them, and they were very afraid. And the sons of Israel cried out to YHWH. And they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? What is this you have done to us, to bring us out from Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone, and we will serve Egypt.’? For it is better for us to serve Egypt than to die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of YHWH, which He will do for you⁺ today; for the Egyptians whom you⁺ see today, you shall see never again, unto eternity. YHWH will fight for you⁺, and you⁺—you⁺ shall be silent.” Parting the Red Sea And YHWH said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the sons of Israel, and they shall journey on. And you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the sons of Israel shall go in the midst of the sea on the dry land. And I, behold, I will strengthen the heart of the Egyptians, and they will come in after them. And I will gain honor through Pharaoh and through all his army, through his chariots, and through his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am YHWH, when I have gained honor for Myself through Pharaoh, through his chariots, and through his horsemen.” And the angel14.19 Or Angel of God, who was going before the face of the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before their face and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of Egypt and between the camp of Israel; and it was the cloud and the darkness, and it gave light by the night.14.20 LXX and the night passed And this one did not come near to the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and YHWH drove back the sea by a strong east wind all that night, and He made the sea into the dry land, and the waters were divided. And the sons of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were a wall to them from their right and from their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them—all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen—into the midst of the sea. And it came to pass in the watch of the morning that YHWH looked down to the camp of Egypt through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw into confusion the camp of Egypt. And He turned aside14.25 Or caused to swerve or caused to come off or caused to bind; see also SP, LXX, and Syriac. the wheel of their chariots, and made it drive with heaviness. And Egypt said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for YHWH is fighting for them against Egypt.” And YHWH said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, and the waters shall return upon Egypt, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength at the turning of the morning. And Egypt was fleeing toward it, and YHWH shook Egypt in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, to all the army of Pharaoh that had come in after them into the sea. Not so much as one of them remained. And the sons of Israel had walked on the dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them from their right and from their left. And YHWH saved Israel on that day out of the hand of Egypt, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the edge of the sea. And Israel saw the great hand which YHWH had done against Egypt, and the people feared YHWH, and they believed in YHWH and in Moses His servant. The Song at the Sea (Judges 5:1–31) Then Moses sang—and the sons of Israel—this song to YHWH, and they spoke, saying: “I will sing to YHWH, for He has greatly triumphed; the horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea. My strength and song is YAH, and He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise Him, God of My father, and I will exalt Him. YHWH is a man of war; YHWH is His name. The chariots of Pharaoh and his army He has cast into the sea, and the choice of his captains are sunk in the Red Sea.15.4 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 22 The depths cover them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O YHWH, is glorious in power. Your right hand, O YHWH, shatters the enemy. And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those rising against You. You send forth Your burning anger; it consumes them like stubble. And by the breath of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together; the flowing waters stood upright like a heap; the depths congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my soul shall be filled with them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ You blew with Your breath; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in mighty waters. Who is like You among the gods, O YHWH? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You have led forth in Your loving devotion15.13 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant. the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation. Peoples heard; they are troubled. Anguish seized those dwelling in Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; the mighty men of Moab; trembling seized them; all those dwelling in Canaan melted away. Fear and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of Your arm they will be as still as a stone, until Your people pass over, O YHWH, until the people whom You have purchased pass over. You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance— the place for Your own dwelling, which You have made, O YHWH, the sanctuary, O Lord, that Your hands have established. YHWH shall reign forever and ever.” For the horses of Pharaoh went in, with his chariots and with his horsemen, into the sea, and YHWH brought back upon them the waters of the sea, and the sons of Israel walked on the dry land in the midst of the sea. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, “Sing to YHWH, for He has greatly triumphed; the horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea.” The Waters of Marah And Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. And they came to Marah,15.23 Marah means bitter. and they were not able to drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. (Upon thus its name was called Marah.) And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried out to YHWH, and YHWH showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them. And He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of YHWH your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and you give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes; all of the diseases that I have brought on Egypt I will not put on you, for I am YHWH who heals you.” And they came to Elim, and there were two and ten wells of water and seventy palm trees. And they camped there by the waters. Manna and Quail from Heaven And they journeyed from Elim, all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and they came to the Wilderness of Sin,16.1 The geographical name Sin is related to Sinai and should not be mistaken for the English word sin. which is between Elim and between Sinai, on the five and tenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And all congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness. And the sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of YHWH in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of flesh, when we ate bread to the full. For you⁺ have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” And YHWH said to Moses, “Behold, I am raining down for you⁺ bread from the heavens, and the people shall go out and gather the portion of a day in its day, so that I may test them whether they will walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be double over what they gather day by day.” And Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “And you⁺ shall know at evening that YHWH has brought you⁺ out from the land of Egypt, and in the morning you⁺ shall see the glory of YHWH, in His hearing your⁺ complaints against YHWH. And what are we, that you⁺ grumble against us?” And Moses said, “In YHWH giving to you⁺ flesh in the evening to eat, and bread in the morning to the full, in YHWH hearing your⁺ complaints that you⁺ complain against Him. And what are we? Your⁺ complaints are not against us, but against YHWH.” And Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Come near before YHWH, for He has heard your⁺ complaints.’” And it came to pass as Aaron spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, that they turned toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of YHWH appeared in the cloud. And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘Between the evenings you⁺ shall eat flesh, and in the morning you⁺ shall be filled with bread, and you⁺ shall know that I am YHWH your⁺ God.’” 16.12 That is, At twilight And it came to pass in the evening that the quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew was lying around the camp. And the lying of the dew went up, and behold, on the face of the wilderness a thin, flaky substance, as thin as frost on the earth. And the sons of Israel saw it, and they said, each man to his brother, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that YHWH has given to you⁺ for food. This is the word that YHWH has commanded: ‘Let every man gather from it, according to the mouths of his eating, an omer16.16 An omer is approximately 2 dry quarts or 2.2 liters; also in verses 18, 32, 33, and 36. for each person; to the number of your⁺ souls, each man shall take for those who are in his tent.’” And the sons of Israel did so. And they gathered—the one much, and the one little. And they measured it with the omer, and he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Each man gathered according to the mouths of his eating. 16.18 Cited in 2 Corinthians 8:15 And Moses said to them, “Let no man leave any of it until morning.” And they did not listen to Moses, and some men left from it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. And they gathered it morning by morning, each man according to the mouths of his eating; and when the sun grew hot, it melted. The Sabbath Observed (Genesis 2:1–3; Hebrews 4:1–11) And it came to pass, on the sixth day, that they gathered double bread—two omers16.22 2 omers is approximately 4 dry quarts or 4.4 liters per person. for each one—and all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said to them, “This is what YHWH has said: ‘Tomorrow is a complete rest, a holy Sabbath to YHWH. What you⁺ bake, bake, and what you⁺ boil, boil; and all that remains, lay up for yourselves to be kept until the morning.’” And they laid it up until the morning, as Moses had commanded, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. And Moses said, “Eat it today; for today is a Sabbath to YHWH; today you⁺ will not find it in the field. Six days you⁺ shall gather it, and on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none in it.” And it came to pass on the seventh day, that some of the people went out to gather, and they found none. And YHWH said to Moses, “How long do you⁺ refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See that YHWH has given to you⁺ the Sabbath; upon thus He gives to you⁺ on the sixth day bread for two days. Let each man remain in his place; let no man go out from his place on the seventh day.” And the people rested on the seventh day. The Jar of Manna And the house of Israel called its name Manna,16.31 Manna sounds like the Hebrew for What is it? (see verse 15). and it was like white coriander seed, and its taste was like wafers with honey. And Moses said, “This is the word that YHWH has commanded: ‘The fullness of an omer from it is to be kept for your⁺ generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you⁺ in the wilderness when I brought you⁺ out from the land of Egypt.’” And Moses said to Aaron, “Take one pot, and put there the fullness of an omer of manna, and lay it up before the face of YHWH to be kept for your⁺ generations.” And as YHWH commanded Moses, Aaron laid it up before the face of the Testimony16.34 The Testimony refers to the stone tablets in the ark of the covenant inscribed with the Ten Commandments. to be kept. And the sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. And an omer is a tenth of an ephah.16.36 An ephah was a dry measure having the capacity of about 20 dry quarts or 22 liters. Water from the Rock (Numbers 20:1–13) And all the congregation of the sons of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sin17.1 The geographical name Sin is related to Sinai and should not be mistaken for the English word sin. on their journeys, according to the mouth of YHWH. And they camped in Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. And the people contended with Moses and said, “Give to us water, that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you⁺ contend with me? Why do you⁺ test YHWH?” And the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why is this—you have brought us up from Egypt to kill me and my sons and my livestock with thirst?” And Moses cried out to YHWH, saying, “What shall I do for this people? A little longer and they will stone me!” And YHWH said to Moses, “Pass on before the face of the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel. And your staff with which you struck the River, take in your hand and go. Behold, I am standing before you there on the rock in Horeb,17.6 Horeb is another name for Sinai. and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out from it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so in the eyes of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah,17.7 Massah means testing. because of the contention of the sons of Israel, and because of their testing of YHWH, saying, “Is YHWH among us, or not?” 17.7 Meribah means quarreling. The Defeat of the Amalekites And Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men and go out—fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill, and the staff of God will be in my hand.” And Joshua did as Moses said to him, to fight with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, that Amalek prevailed. And the hands of Moses became heavy, and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands—one from this, and one from that—and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua weakened Amalek and his people with the mouth of the sword. And YHWH said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book, and put it in the ears of Joshua, that I will surely blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens.” And Moses built an altar and called its name YHWH-Nissi.17.15 YHWH-Nissi means The LORD Is My Banner And he said, “Because a hand is on the throne of YAH, war belongs to YHWH with Amalek from generation to generation.” The Visit of Jethro And Jethro priest of Midian,18.1 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro was also called Reuel; see Exodus 2:18. father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for His people Israel, that YHWH had brought Israel out from Egypt. And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah, wife of Moses, after he had sent her back, and her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom,18.3 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for sojourner. for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” And the name of the one was Eliezer,18.4 Eliezer means God is my helper. for, “The God of my father was my help and He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” And Jethro father-in-law of Moses came—and his sons and his wife—to Moses, to the wilderness, where he was camping at the mountain of God. And he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, and your wife and her two sons with her.” And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed himself and kissed him, and they asked, each man to his neighbor, of their welfare, and they went into the tent. And Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that YHWH had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt for the sake of Israel, all the hardship that had found them on the way, and how YHWH had delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced over all the good that YHWH had done for Israel, that He had delivered them from the hand of Egypt. And Jethro said, “Blessed be YHWH, who delivered you⁺ from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, who delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt. Now I know that YHWH is greater than all the gods, for in the matter in which they acted proudly He was above them.” And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before the face of God. Jethro Advises Moses (Deuteronomy 1:9–18) And it came to pass on the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening. And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing to the people, and he said, “What is this thing that you are doing to the people? Why do you sit by yourself, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?” And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and between his neighbor, and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.” And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both you and this people who are with you. For this thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to do it by yourself. Now listen to my voice; I will counsel you, and God will be with you. You must be for the people before God, and you—you shall bring the matters to God. And you shall warn them of the statutes and of the laws and you shall make known to them the way in which they shall walk, and the work that they shall do. And you—you shall see from all the people men of valor, fearers of God, men of truth, haters of dishonest gain—and you shall appoint these over them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And they shall judge the people at all times. And it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, and every small matter they shall judge themselves. And it will be lightened from you, and they will bear up with you. If you do this thing, and God commands you, then you will be able to endure, and also all this people will go to its place in peace.” And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and he did all that he had said. And Moses chose men of valor out of all Israel, and he appointed them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And they judged the people at all times; the hard matter they would bring to Moses, and every small matter they would judge themselves. And Moses sent away his father-in-law, and he went on his way to his land. Israel at Mount Sinai In the third month of the going out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,19.1 That is, two months after leaving Egypt; see Numbers 33:3. on that day, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai. And they journeyed from Rephidim and entered the Wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness. And Israel camped there before the mountain. And Moses went up to God, and YHWH called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and you shall tell to the sons of Israel: ‘You⁺ yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and I bore you⁺ up on wings of eagles, and I brought you⁺ to Myself. And now if you⁺ will listen carefully to My voice and keep My covenant, then you⁺ shall be to Me a treasured possession from among all the peoples—for all the earth belongs to Me. And you⁺—you⁺ shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” And Moses came and called for the elders of the people and he set before their faces all these words that YHWH commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, “All that YHWH has spoken, we will do.” And Moses brought back the words of the people to YHWH. And YHWH said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in the thick cloud, so that the people may hear in My speaking with you, and also put their trust in you forever.” And Moses told the words of the people to YHWH. And YHWH said to Moses, “Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and they shall wash their clothes, and let them be ready for the third day; for on the third day YHWH will come down in the eyes of all the people upon Mount Sinai. And you shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Guard yourselves from going up on the mountain and touching on its base. Everyone who touches on the mountain must surely be put to death. A hand shall not touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or he shall be shot through, whether beast or man—he shall not live.’ At the drawing out of the horn, they shall go up on the mountain.19.13 Cited in Hebrews 12:20” 19.13 Or may they go up on the mountain And Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and he sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day. Do not draw near to a woman.” Yahweh Visits Sinai And it came to pass on the third day, when it was the morning, that there were voices and lightnings, and a heavy cloud on the mountain, and the voice of the shofar was very mighty. And all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out from the camp to meet God, and they stood at the bottom of the mountain. And Mount Sinai smoked—all of it—because YHWH descended on it in the fire. And its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and all the mountain trembled greatly. And the voice of the shofar was going on, and was very strong. Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice. And YHWH descended upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And YHWH called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses ascended. And YHWH said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to YHWH to see, and many from them fall. And also let the priests who draw near to YHWH shall sanctify themselves, lest YHWH break out against them.” And Moses said to YHWH, “The people are not able to come up to Mount Sinai, for You yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain and sanctify it.’” And YHWH said to him, “Go, descend, and you shall come up, you and Aaron with you. And the priests and the people, do not let them break through to come up to YHWH, lest He break out against them.” And Moses went down to the people and spoke to them. The Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:6–21) And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am YHWH your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before My face.20.3 Or besides Me You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them and you shall not serve them; for I, YHWH your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of fathers on sons on the third and on the fourth for those who hate Me, and showing loving devotion to thousands for those who love Me and for those who keep My commandments. 20.6 Or to a thousand generations You shall not take the name of YHWH your God in vain, for YHWH will not hold guiltless him who takes His name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it. Six days you shall labor and you shall do all your work, and the seventh day is a Sabbath to YHWH your God; you shall not do any work—you, and your son, and your daughter, your manservant, and your maidservant, and your livestock, and your sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days YHWH made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; and He rested on the seventh day. Therefore YHWH blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it. Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long upon the land that YHWH your God is giving to you. 20.12 Cited in Matthew 15:4, Matthew 19:19, Mark 7:10, Luke 18:20, and Ephesians 6:2–3 You shall not murder. 20.13 Cited in Matthew 5:21, Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20, Romans 13:9, and James 2:11 You shall not commit adultery. 20.14 Cited in Matthew 5:27, Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20, Romans 13:9, and James 2:11 You shall not steal.20.15 Cited in Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20, and Romans 13:9 You shall not answer against your neighbor as a false witness.20.16 Cited in Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:19, and Luke 18:20 You shall not covet the house of your neighbor; you shall not covet the wife of your neighbor, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” 20.17 Cited in Romans 7:7 and Romans 13:9 Moses Comforts the People (Deuteronomy 5:22–33; Hebrews 12:18–29) And all the people were seeing the voices, and the flames, and the voice of the shofar, and the mountain smoking; and the people saw, and they trembled and they stood from afar. And they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will listen; and let not God speak with us, lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come in order to test you⁺, and in order that His fear may be before your⁺ faces, so that you⁺ may not sin.” And the people stood from afar, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. Idolatry Forbidden (1 Corinthians 10:14–22) And YHWH said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘You⁺ yourselves have seen that I have talked with you⁺ from the heavens. You⁺ shall not make alongside Me gods of silver; and gods of gold you⁺ shall not make for yourselves. An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings, and your peace offerings, your flock, and your herd. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and I will bless you. And if you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build them of cut stone, for if you wave your tool on it, then you have profaned it. And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’ Hebrew Servants (Deuteronomy 15:12–18) “ And these are the judgments that you shall set before their faces: If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out as the free for nothing. If he comes in by himself, by himself he shall go out; if he is husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. If his lord gives to him a wife, and she bears to him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be unto her lord, and he shall go out by himself. And if the servant surely declares, ‘I love my lord, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his lord shall bring him to the judges.21.6 Or before God And He shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his lord shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever. And if a man sells his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the manservants go out. If she is displeasing in the eyes of her lord who has betrothed her to himself,21.8 Or who does not designate her for himself then he shall redeem her. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, in his dealing deceitfully with her. And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the judgment of the daughters. If he takes another wife for himself, her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights he shall not diminish. And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free without silver. Personal Injury Laws The one who strikes a man so that he dies must surely be put to death. And if he did not lie in wait and God caused it to meet his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where there he may flee. But if a man acts presumptuously against his neighbor to kill him by treachery, you shall take him away from My altar to die. And the one who strikes his father or his mother must surely be put to death. And the one who steals a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he must surely be put to death. And the one who curses his father or his mother must surely be put to death.21.17 Or dishonors or reviles 21.17 Cited in Matthew 15:4 and Mark 7:10 And if men contend with each other and one strikes his neighbor with a stone or with a fist, and he does not die and falls to bed, if he rises again and walks about outside with his staff, then the one who struck him shall be acquitted; only for the loss of his time he shall pay, and for his complete healing. And if a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be avenged. But if he stands a day or two, he shall not be avenged, for he is his silver. And if men fight and strike a pregnant woman and her children come out21.22 Or and her child is born prematurely and there is not harm, he shall surely be fined as the husband of the woman lays upon him, and he shall give through the judges. But if there is harm, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 21.24 Cited in Matthew 5:38 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. And if a man strikes the eye of his manservant or the eye of his maidservant, and he destroys it, he shall send him out free for his eye. And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or the tooth of his maidservant, he shall send him out free for his tooth. And if an ox21.28 Or a bull; also in verses 29–36 gores a man or a woman, and they die, the ox must surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; and the owner of the ox is innocent. But if the ox itself has a habit of goring from yesterday and the day before yesterday, and it has been made known to his owner, and he has not guarded it, and it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and also its owner shall be put to death. If a ransom is laid on him, then he shall give the redemption of his soul according to all that is laid on him. Whether it gores a son or it gores a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him. If the ox gores a manservant or a maidservant, he shall give thirty silver shekels21.32 30 shekels is approximately 12 ounces or 342 grams of silver. to their lord, and the ox shall be stoned. And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit, and he does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in there, the owner of the pit shall repay. He shall return silver to its owner, and the dead animal shall be unto him. And if the ox of one man strikes the ox of his neighbor and it dies, then they shall sell the living ox and divide its silver, and also the dead ox they shall divide. Or if it was known that the ox itself has a habit of goring from yesterday and the day before yesterday, and its owner has not guarded it, he shall surely repay, ox for ox; and the dead animal shall be unto him. Property Laws “ If a man steals an ox22.1 Or a bull or a cow; also in verses 4, 9, and 10 or a sheep and he slaughters it or sells it, five of the herd he shall repay for the ox, and four sheep for the sheep. If the thief is found in the breaking in, and he is struck and he dies, there is no bloodguilt for him. If the sun has risen on him, there is bloodguilt for him. He shall surely repay …; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft is actually found in his hand alive—whether ox or donkey or sheep—he shall repay double. If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed, and he sends out his animal and it grazes in the field of another man, then from the best of his field and from the best of his vineyard he shall repay. If fire goes out and finds thorns, and stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, the one who kindled the fire, He shall surely repay. If a man gives to his neighbor silver or articles to keep and it is stolen from the house of the man, if the thief is found, he shall repay double. If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges22.8 Or before God; also in verse 9 to see if he has not stretched out his hand against the property of his neighbor. For every matter of trespass, for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or for any lost thing that one says that this is it, the matter of the two of them shall come before the judges; whomever the judges condemn,22.9 Or whom God condemns he shall repay double to his neighbor. If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey, or an ox, or a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies or is hurt or is taken captive, without one seeing it, an oath of YHWH shall be between the two of them—that he has not stretched out his hand against the property of his neighbor, and its owner shall accept this and he shall not repay. But if it is actually stolen from him, he shall repay to its owner. If it was torn to pieces, then he shall bring it as a witness of the torn thing. He shall not repay. And if a man borrows from his neighbor and it is injured or dies, its owner not being with it, he shall surely repay. If its owner was with it, he shall not repay; if it was hired, it has come for its wages. Laws of Social Responsibility And if a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed, and he lies with her, he must surely pay the full dowry for her to be his wife. If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, then he shall weigh out silver according to the dowry of virgins. A sorceress you shall not permit to live. Whoever lies with an animal, he must surely be put to death. One who sacrifices to a god—except to YHWH alone—he must be devoted to destruction.22.20 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to YHWH, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering. And a sojourner you shall not oppress and you shall not crush, for you⁺ were sojourners in the land of Egypt. Any widow or fatherless child you⁺ shall not afflict. If you really afflict him, then surely if he cries out in distress to Me, I will surely hear his cry. And My anger will burn and I will kill you⁺ with the sword, and your⁺ wives shall be widows, and your⁺ sons fatherless. If you lend silver to My people, the poor with you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you⁺ shall not lay on him interest. If you at all take in pledge the garment of your neighbor, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. For that alone is his covering; it is his garment for his skin. In what will he sleep? And it will be that when he cries out to Me, then I will hear, for I am gracious. You shall not revile God, and a ruler of your people you shall not curse.22.28 Elohim, translated here as God, is the same term translated as the judges in verses 8 and 9, and also in chapter 21. 22.28 LXX You shall not revile the gods, nor speak evil about the ruler of your people; cited in Acts 23:5 Your fullness and your juices you shall not delay. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. Likewise you shall do with your oxen and with your sheep. Seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me. And you⁺ shall be to Me holy men. And flesh torn in the field you⁺ shall not eat; you⁺ shall throw it to the dog. Justice and Mercy “ You shall not lift up a vain report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be a violent witness. You shall not follow a crowd to do evil, and you shall not testify in a dispute to turn aside after many to turn aside justice. And to a poor man you shall not honor in his dispute. If you encounter the ox of your enemy or his donkey going astray, you shall surely return it to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, then do not leave it; you must surely help him with it. You shall not turn aside the justice of your poor in his dispute. From a false matter you shall keep far, and the innocent and righteous you shall not kill, for I will not justify the wicked. And a bribe you shall not take, for the bribe blinds the clear-sighted and perverts the words of the righteous. And a sojourner you shall not oppress, for you⁺ yourselves know the soul of a sojourner, because you⁺ were sojourners in the land of Egypt. Sabbath Laws (Leviticus 25:1–7; Deuteronomy 15:1–6) And for six years you shall sow your land and gather its produce. And the seventh year you shall let it rest and let it lie fallow, and the poor of your people shall eat. And what they leave, the beast of the field shall eat. You shall do likewise for your vineyard and for your olive grove. Six days you shall do your works, and on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your maidservant and the sojourner may be refreshed. And take heed in all that I have said to you⁺. And the name of other gods you⁺ shall not mention, nor let it be heard on your mouth. The Three Feasts of Pilgrimage (Leviticus 23:1–3) Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to Me. The Feast of the Unleavened23.15 That is, the seven-day period after the Passover during which no leaven may be eaten; see Exodus 12:14–20. you shall keep; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib;23.15 Abib was the first month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of March and April. for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before My face empty. And the Feast of the Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors that you sow in the field; and the Feast of the Ingathering23.16 That is, Shavuot, the late spring feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; it is also known as the Feast of Weeks (see Exodus 34:22) or the Feast of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1). at the end of the year, when you have gathered in your labors from the field. 23.16 That is, Sukkot, the autumn feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; it is later called the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths or Shelters). Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the face of the Lord YHWH. You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice on leavened bread, nor shall the fat of My sacrifice remain until morning. The first of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of YHWH your God. You shall not boil a young goat in the milk of its mother. God’s Angel to Lead (Deuteronomy 7:12–26) Behold, I am sending an angel before your face to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Be guarded from his face and listen to his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your⁺ transgressions, for My name is within him. But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. For My angel will go before your faces and bring you in to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I will cut them off. You shall not bow down to their gods, and you shall not serve them, and you shall not do according to their works; for you must utterly demolish them and thoroughly break to pieces their pillars. And you⁺ shall serve YHWH your⁺ God, and He will bless23.25 LXX and Vulgate and I will bless your bread and your water, and I will take away sickness from among you. There will be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; the number of your days I will fulfill. My terror I will send before your faces, and I will confuse all the people among whom you come in; and I will give the neck of all your enemies to you. And I will send the hornet before your faces, and it shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before your faces. I will not drive them out from before your faces in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beast of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before your faces, until that you are fruitful and you take possession of the land. And I will set your border from the Red Sea23.31 Or the Sea of Reeds and to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River.23.31 That is, the Euphrates For I will give into your⁺ hands those dwelling in the land, and you shall drive them out from before your faces. You shall not cut a covenant with them or with their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” The Covenant Sealed And to Moses He said, “Come up to YHWH, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy from the elders of Israel, and worship from a distance. And Moses alone shall draw near to YHWH, and they shall not draw near, and the people shall not go up with him.” And Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of YHWH and all the ordinances. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that YHWH has spoken, we will do.” And Moses wrote all the words of YHWH. And he rose early in the morning and built an altar at the base of the mountain, and two and ten pillars, according to the two and ten tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed sacrifices of peace to YHWH, young bulls. And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud in the ears of the people. And they said, “All that YHWH has spoken we will do, and we will listen.” And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and he said, “Behold, the blood of the covenant which YHWH has cut with you⁺ according to all these words.” 24.8 Cited in Hebrews 9:20 And Moses went up, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy from the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel, and under His feet was like the work of a pavement of sapphire, and like the substance of the heavens for purity. And on the nobles of the sons of Israel He did not stretch out His hand; and they saw God, and they ate and they drank. Moses on the Mountain And YHWH said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain, and be there, and I will give to you the tablets of stone, and the law, and the command that I have written, that you may teach them.” And Moses arose, and Joshua his assistant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. And to the elders he said, “Remain for us in this place, until that we return to you⁺. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you⁺. Whoever is a master of words shall come near to them.” And Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. And the glory of YHWH dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And He called to Moses on the seventh day from the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of YHWH was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the sons of Israel. And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, and he went up to the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Offerings for the Tabernacle (Exodus 35:4–9) And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, and they shall take for Me a contribution. From every man whose heart impels him, you⁺ shall take My contribution. And this is the contribution that you⁺ shall take from them: gold, and silver, and bronze, and blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and ram skins dyed red, and badger skins, and acacia wood, 25.5 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the incense of spices, onyx stones, and stones as settings for the ephod and for the breastplate. And let them make for Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. According to all that I am showing you—the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its vessels—and thus you⁺ shall make it. The Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 37:1–5) And they shall make an ark of acacia wood, two cubits and a half its length, and a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.25.10 The ark was approximately 3.75 feet long, 2.25 feet wide, and 2.25 feet high (114.3 centimeters long, 68.6 centimeters wide, and 68.6 centimeters high). And you shall overlay it with pure gold—from within and from without you shall overlay it—and you shall make on it a molding of gold all around. And you shall cast for it four rings of gold and put them on its four feet, and two rings on the one side, and two rings on the second side. And you shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And you shall bring the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. In the rings of the ark shall be the poles; they shall not be taken from it. And you shall put into the ark the Testimony25.16 The Testimony refers to the stone tablets in the ark of the covenant inscribed with the Ten Commandments; also in verses 21 and 22. that I shall give to you. The Mercy Seat (Exodus 37:6–9) And you shall make a mercy seat25.17 Or an atonement cover; here and throughout Exodus of pure gold, two cubits and a half its length, and a cubit and a half its width.25.17 The mercy seat was approximately 3.75 feet long and 2.25 feet wide (114.3 centimeters long and 68.6 centimeters wide). And you shall make two cherubim of gold—of hammered work you shall make them—from the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub from this end, and one cherub from that end; from the mercy seat you⁺ shall make the cherubim on its two ends. And the cherubim shall be stretching out wings upward, covering over the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces each toward his brother; toward the mercy seat shall be the faces of the cherubim. And you shall put the mercy seat on the ark from above, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I shall give to you. And I will meet with you there, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat (from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the Testimony25.22 That is, the ark of the covenant) all that I command you for the sons of Israel. The Table of Showbread (Exodus 37:10–16; Leviticus 24:5–9) And you shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits its length, and a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.25.23 The table was approximately 3 feet long, 1.5 feet wide, and 2.25 feet high (91.4 centimeters long, 45.7 centimeters wide, and 68.6 centimeters high). And you shall overlay it with pure gold and make for it a molding of gold all around. And you shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around,25.25 A handbreadth is approximately 2.9 inches or 7.4 centimeters. and you shall make a gold molding for its frame all around. And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and you shall put the rings on the four corners that are at its four feet. Close to the frame shall be the rings as holders for the poles, to carry the table. And you shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table may be carried with them. And you shall make its dishes, and its pans, and its pitchers, and its bowls with which it shall be poured out; of pure gold you shall make them. And you shall set on the table the Bread of the Presence before My face continually. The Lampstand (Exodus 37:17–24; Numbers 8:1–4) And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold, it shall be made of hammered work; the lampstand, its base, and its branches, its cups, its buds, and its flowers shall be from it. And six branches shall come out from its sides, three branches out of the one side of the lampstand, and three branches of the lampstand out of the second side. Three cups made like almond blossoms on the one branch—a bud and a flower—and three cups made like almond blossoms on the one branch—a bud and a flower—thus for the six branches coming out from the lampstand. And on the lampstand itself are four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers. And a bud under two branches from it, and a bud under two branches from it, and a bud under two branches from it, for the six branches going out from the lampstand. Their buds and their branches are from it, all of it one hammered work of pure gold. And you shall make its seven lamps; and he shall cause its lamps to go up and they shall give light on the side of its face. And its wick trimmers and their firepans are of pure gold. Of a talent of pure gold25.39 A talent is approximately 75.4 pounds or 34.2 kilograms of gold. it shall be made, with all these vessels. And see and make according to their pattern that you are being shown on the mountain. 25.40 Cited in Hebrews 8:5 The Ten Curtains for the Tabernacle (Exodus 36:8–13) “ And you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely woven linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn; with cherubim, the work of a designer, you shall make them. The length of the one curtain is eight and twenty by the cubit, and the width of the one curtain four by the cubit26.2 Each of the ten curtains was approximately 42 feet long and 6 feet wide (12.8 meters long and 1.8 meters wide).—one measurement for all the curtains. Five curtains shall be joined, each to her sister, and five curtains joined each to her sister. And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain, from the end at the joining, and likewise you shall do on the edge of the outermost curtain, at the seam of the second. Fifty loops you shall make in the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the end of the curtain that is at the seam of the second, that the loops may be clasped each to her sister. And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and join the curtains each to her sister with the clasps, and the tabernacle shall be one. The Eleven Curtains of Goat Hair (Exodus 36:14–19) And you shall make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; one and ten curtains you shall make them. The length of the one curtain is thirty by the cubit, and the width of the one curtain four by the cubit. One measurement for the one and ten curtains.26.8 Each of the eleven curtains was approximately 45 feet long and 6 feet wide (13.7 meters long and 1.8 meters wide). And you shall join the five curtains by themselves, and the six curtains by themselves, and you shall double over the sixth curtain at the front of the face of the tent. And you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain, the outermost, at the joining, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain at the seam of the second. And you shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and bring the clasps into the loops, and join together the tent, and it shall be one. And the excess that remains in the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. And the cubit from this side and the cubit from that side,26.13 A cubit is approximately 18 inches or 45.7 centimeters. in the remains in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle from this side and from that side to cover it. And you shall make a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red, and a covering of badger skins26.14 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals from above. The Frames and Bases (Exodus 36:20–34) And you shall make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood standing upright. Ten cubits is the length of the board, and a cubit and a half cubit is the width of the one board,26.16 Each board was approximately 15 feet long and 2.25 feet wide (4.6 meters long and 68.6 centimeters wide). with two tenons26.17 That is, projecting pieces of wood made for insertion into another piece; similarly in verse 19. in the one board for binding each to her sister. Thus you shall do for all the boards of the tabernacle. And you shall make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side, southward. And forty bases of silver you shall make under the twenty boards, two bases under the one board for its two tenons, and two bases under the one board for its two tenons. And for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, are twenty boards, and their forty bases of silver, two bases under the one board, and two bases under the one board. And for the far side of the tabernacle, westward, you shall make six boards. And two boards you shall make for the corners of the tabernacle for the rear sides. And they shall be coupled from the bottom, and together they shall be complete at its top by the one ring. Thus it shall be for the two of them; they shall be for the two corners. And there shall be eight boards and their bases of silver, six and ten bases, two bases under the one board and two bases under the one board. And you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the second side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the rear sides westward. And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall pass through from the end to the end. And the boards you shall overlay with gold, and their rings make of gold as holders for the bars, and overlay the bars with gold. And you shall raise up the tabernacle according to its pattern that you were shown on the mountain. The Veil (Exodus 36:35–36) And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen, the work of a designer; cherubim he shall make on it. And you shall put it upon four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold; their hooks of gold, upon four bases of silver. And you shall put the veil under the clasps, and you shall bring there within the veil the ark of the Testimony.26.33 That is, the ark of the covenant; also in verse 34 And the veil shall divide for you⁺ between the Holy Place and between the Holy of Holies.26.33 Or the Most Holy Place; also in verse 34 And you shall put the mercy seat upon the ark of the Testimony in the Holy of Holies. And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand across from the table on the side of the tabernacle southward; and you shall put the table on the north side. The Curtain for the Entrance (Exodus 36:37–38) And you shall make a screen for the door of the tent, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen, the work of a weaver. And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks are of gold, and you shall cast for them five bases of bronze. The Bronze Altar (Exodus 38:1–7) “ And you shall make an altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and three cubits its height.27.1 The altar was approximately 7.5 feet in length and width, and 4.5 feet high (2.3 meters in length and width, and 1.4 meters high). And you shall make its horns on its four corners; from it shall be its horns, and you shall overlay it with bronze. And you shall make its pots for removing its ashes, and its shovels, and its basins, and its forks, and its firepans; even all its vessels you shall make of bronze. And you shall make for it a grate of work of net of bronze; and you shall make on the net four bronze rings on its four ends. And you shall put it under the ledge of the altar from below, and the net shall be up to the middle of the altar. And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. And the poles shall be brought into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar, when carrying it. Hollow, of boards, you shall make it; as it was shown you on the mountain; so shall they make it. The Courtyard (Exodus 38:9–20) And you shall make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side, southward, hangings for the court of finely woven linen, a hundred by the cubit27.9 100 cubits is approximately 150 feet or 45.7 meters; also in verse 11. the length for the one side. And its twenty pillars, their twenty bases are of bronze, and the hooks of the pillars and their bands are silver. And likewise along the north side in length, hangings a hundred cubits long, and with its twenty pillars and their twenty bases of bronze. And the hooks of the pillars and their bands are of silver. And along the width of the court on the west side, hangings of fifty cubits,27.12 50 cubits is approximately 75 feet or 22.9 meters; also in verse 13. with their ten pillars and their ten bases. And the width of the court on the east side toward the sunrise is fifty cubits. And the hangings on one side are five and ten cubits,27.14 15 cubits is approximately 22.5 feet or 6.9 meters; also in verse 15. with their three pillars and their three bases. And on the second side are hangings five and ten cubits, with their three pillars, and their three bases. And for the gate of the court is a screen twenty cubits long,27.16 20 cubits is approximately 30 feet or 9.1 meters. of blue and purple and scarlet yarn and finely woven linen, the work of a weaver; with its four pillars and its four bases. All the pillars around the court shall have bands of silver, with their hooks of silver and their bases of bronze. The length of the court is a hundred by the cubit, and the width fifty by fifty,27.18 The courtyard was approximately 150 feet long and 75 feet wide (45.7 meters long and 22.9 meters wide). and the height five cubits,27.18 5 cubits is approximately 7.5 feet or 2.3 meters. of finely woven linen, and their bases of bronze. For all the vessels of the tabernacle in all its service, and all its pegs, and all the pegs of the court are of bronze. The Oil for the Lamps (Leviticus 24:1–4) And you shall command the sons of Israel, and they shall bring to you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil that is over the Testimony,27.21 The Testimony refers to the stone tablets in the ark of the covenant inscribed with the Ten Commandments. Aaron and his sons shall arrange it from evening until morning before the face of YHWH; it shall be a statute forever for their generations with the sons of Israel. Garments for the Priests “ And you, bring near to you Aaron your brother and his sons with him from the midst of the sons of Israel, that he may minister as priest to Me—Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. And you shall speak to all the wise of heart, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, and they shall make the garments of Aaron to sanctify him, that he may minister as priest to Me. And these are the garments that they shall make: A breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. And they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and for his sons, that he may minister as priest to Me. And they shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet yarn, and the fine linen. The Ephod (Exodus 39:1–7) And they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen, the work of a designer. It shall have unto it two shoulder straps joined at the two ends, and it shall be joined. And the skillfully woven waistband of his ephod, that is on it, from it shall be, according to its work: gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen. And you shall take two onyx stones and you shall engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the second stone, according to their births; the work of an engraver of stone, engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; turned in settings of gold you shall make them. And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod, stones of memorial for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the face of YHWH on his two shoulders for a memorial. And you shall make settings of gold, and two chains of pure gold, a braided work, you shall make them cord; and you shall put the cords of chains on the settings. The Breastpiece (Exodus 39:8–21) And you shall make the breastplate of judgment, the work of a designer. You shall make it according to the workmanship of the ephod; you shall make it of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen. It shall be square, doubled, a span its length, and a span its width.28.16 The breastpiece, when folded over, was approximately 9 inches or 22.9 centimeters in both length and width. And you shall fill in it fillings of stone, four rows of stone:28.17 The precise identification of some of these gemstones is uncertain. a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald are the first row; and the second row is turquoise, sapphire, and diamond; and the third row is jacinth, agate, and amethyst; and the fourth row is beryl, and onyx, and jasper. They shall be set in gold in their fillings. And the stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, two and ten, according to their names, the engravings of a signet, each one according to his name, they shall be for the two and ten tribes. And you shall make on the breastplate chains, cords of braided work of pure gold. And you shall make on the breastplate two rings of gold, and you shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. And you shall put the two cords of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastplate. And the two ends of the two cords you shall put on the two settings, and you shall put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod, toward the front of its face. And you shall make two rings of gold, and you shall put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge that is toward the side of the ephod inwardly. And you shall make two rings of gold and you shall put them on the two shoulders of the ephod from below, toward its face, right at the seam above the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod. And they shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, to be on the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod, and the breastplate shall not come loose from on the ephod. And Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place, for a memorial before the face of YHWH continually. And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim,28.30 That is, Lights and Perfections and they shall be over the heart of Aaron when he goes in before the face of YHWH. And Aaron shall bear the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the face of YHWH continually. Additional Priestly Garments (Exodus 39:22–31) And you shall make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue. And there shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it; it shall have an edge for its opening all around, the work of a weaver, like the opening of a corselet,28.32 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; possibly a coat of mail. it shall be that it does not tear. And you shall make upon its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet on its hem all around, and bells of gold in the midst of them all around, a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around. And it shall be upon Aaron to minister, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the face of YHWH and when he comes out, and he shall not die. And you shall make a plate of pure gold, and you shall engrave on it the engravings of a signet: HOLY TO YHWH. And you shall put it on a blue cord, and it shall be on the turban; it shall be toward the front of the face of the turban. And it shall be on the forehead of Aaron, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things that the sons of Israel shall sanctify for all their holy gifts; and it shall be on his forehead continually, for a pleasing thing for them before the face of YHWH. And you shall weave the tunic of fine linen, and you shall make the turban of fine linen, and the sash you shall make, the work of a weaver. And for the sons of Aaron you shall make tunics, and you shall make for them sashes, and you shall make headbands for them for glory and for beauty. And you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him, and you shall anoint them and you shall fill their hand and you shall sanctify them, and they shall minister as priests to Me. And you shall make for them linen undergarments to cover naked flesh; they shall be from the waist and to the thighs. And they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the Tent of Meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the Holy Place, and they shall not bear iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever for him and for his seed after him. Consecration of the Priests (Leviticus 8:1–13) “ And this is the thing that you shall do to them to sanctify them to minister as priests to Me: Take one bull, a son of the herd, and two rams, unblemished, and unleavened bread, and unleavened cakes mixed with the oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with the oil; you shall make them of fine flour of wheat. And you shall put them in one basket and bring them near in the basket and with the bull and the two rams. And you shall bring near Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and you shall wash them with the water. And you shall take the garments, and you shall clothe Aaron—the tunic, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate—and you shall gird him with the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod. And you shall put the turban on his head, and put the holy diadem on the turban. And you shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. And you shall bring his sons near, and put on them tunics. And you shall gird them with sashes—Aaron and his sons—and tie on them the headbands; and the priesthood shall be theirs for an everlasting statute. And you shall fill the hand of Aaron and the hand of his sons. The Order of the Sacrifices (Leviticus 8:22–36) And you shall bring near the bull before the face of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. And you shall slaughter the bull before the face of YHWH, by the door of the Tent of Meeting. And you shall take from the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and you shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar. And you shall take all the fat that is covering the entrails, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and you shall burn them on the altar. And the flesh of the bull, and its skin and its dung, you shall burn with the fire outside of the camp; it is a sin offering.29.14 Or purification offering; also in verse 36 And the one ram you shall take, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. And you shall slaughter the ram, and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it on the altar all around. And the ram you shall cut into its pieces, and you shall wash its entrails and its legs, and you shall put them on its pieces and on its head. And you shall burn all the ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to YHWH, a pleasing aroma; it is a fire offering to YHWH. And you shall take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. And you shall slaughter the ram, and you shall take from its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hands, and on the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood on the altar all around. And you shall take from the blood that is on the altar, and from the anointing oil, and sprinkle them on Aaron, and on his garments, and on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he shall be holy, and his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him. And you shall take from the ram the fat, and the fat tail, and the fat that is covering the entrails, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), and one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer from the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the face of YHWH, and you shall put all these on the palms of Aaron, and on the palms of his sons, and you shall wave them as a wave offering before the face of YHWH. And you shall take them from their hands and burn them on the altar upon the burnt offering, a pleasing aroma before the face of YHWH; it is a fire offering to YHWH. And you shall take the breast from the ram of ordination that is for Aaron and wave it, a wave offering before the face of YHWH; and it shall be for you—your portion. And you shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the thigh of the contribution, which is waved and which is raised from the ram of ordination, from that which is for Aaron and from that which is for his sons. And it shall be for Aaron and for his sons for a statute forever from the sons of Israel, for it is a contribution; and it shall be a contribution from the sons of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, their contributions to YHWH. And the holy garments that are for Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them and to fill their hand in them. For seven days the priest from among his sons shall put them on in his place when he enters into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place. Food for the Priests And the ram of the ordination you shall take and boil its flesh in a holy place. And Aaron shall eat—and his sons—the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket at the door of the Tent of Meeting. And they shall eat them, that which atonement was made by them, to fill their hand, to sanctify them. And an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy. And if remains from the flesh of the ordination or from the bread until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with the fire; it shall not be eaten, because it is holy. And you shall do thus to Aaron and to his sons according to all that I have commanded you; seven days you shall fill their hand. And a bull as a sin offering you shall offer day by day for the atonements, and you shall cleanse from sin upon the altar in your making atonement upon it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it. Seven days you shall make atonement upon the altar and sanctify it, and the altar shall be holy of holies;29.37 Or most holy anything that touches the altar shall be holy. The Daily Offerings (Numbers 28:1–8) And this is what you shall offer on the altar: Two lambs, sons of a year, day by day continually. The one Lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the second lamb you shall offer between the evenings.29.39 That is, at twilight; also in verse 41 And shall be a tenth of an ephah of flour29.40 A tenth of an ephah is approximately 2 dry quarts or 2.2 liters (probably about 2.6 pounds or 1.2 kilograms of flour). mixed with pressed oil, and a fourth of a hin as a drink offering, and a fourth of a hin29.40 A fourth of a hin is approximately 0.97 quarts or 0.92 liters of wine for the one lamb. And the second lamb you shall offer between the evenings according to the grain offering of the morning, and according to its drink offering you shall offer with it for a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to YHWH— a continual burnt offering throughout your⁺ generations at the door of the Tent of Meeting before the face of YHWH, where there I will meet you⁺ to speak to you there. And I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by My glory. And I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and Aaron and his sons I will sanctify to minister as priests to Me. God Will Dwell among the People And I will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am YHWH their God, who brought them out from the land of Egypt, to dwell in their midst. I am YHWH their God. The Altar of Incense (Exodus 37:25–29) “ And you shall make an altar to burn incense. Of acacia wood you shall make it. A cubit its length, and a cubit its width. It shall be square, and two cubits its height.30.2 The altar was approximately 1.5 feet in length and width, and 3 feet high (45.7 centimeters in length and width, and 91.4 centimeters high). from it its horns shall be. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around. And you shall make two gold rings for it, under its molding, on two of its sides. You shall place them on both of its flanks, and they will be as holders for poles, to carry it with them. And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and you shall overlay them with gold. And you shall put it before the face of the veil that is over the ark of the Testimony,30.6 That is, the ark of the covenant; also in verse 26 before the face of the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you there. And Aaron shall burn on it incense of spices morning by morning; when he makes good the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. And when Aaron lifts up the lamps between the evenings,30.8 That is, at twilight he shall burn incense continually before the face of YHWH throughout your⁺ generations. You⁺ shall not lift up strange30.9 Or unauthorized incense on it, and a burnt offering, and a grain offering; and a drink offering you⁺ shall not pour on it. And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once in the year from the blood of the sin offering30.10 Or purification offering of the atonements; once in the year he shall make atonement upon it. Throughout your⁺ generations it is holy of holies30.10 Or most holy; also in verses 29 and 36 to YHWH.” The Census Offering (2 Samuel 24:1–9; 1 Chronicles 21:1–6) And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “When you take up the census of the sons of Israel for their number, then they shall give each man a ransom for his soul to YHWH when numbering them, and there shall not be a plague among them when numbering them. This they shall give—everyone passing over among those who are numbered—a half shekel30.13 A half shekel is approximately 0.2 ounces or 5.7 grams; also in verse 15. according to the shekel of the sanctuary (twenty gerahs is the shekel).30.13 20 gerahs is equivalent to one shekel (approximately 0.4 ounces or 11.4 grams). The half shekel is a contribution to YHWH. Everyone passing over among those who are numbered, from a son of twenty years and above, shall give a contribution of YHWH. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than the half shekel, to give a contribution of YHWH to make atonement upon your⁺ souls. And you shall take the silver of the atonements from the sons of Israel, and you shall give it to the service of the Tent of Meeting, and it shall be for the sons of Israel, for a memorial before the face of YHWH, to make atonement upon your⁺ souls.” The Bronze Basin (Exodus 38:8) And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “And you shall make a basin of bronze, and its stand of bronze, for washing. And you shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and between the altar, and you shall put water in it. And Aaron and his sons shall wash from it their hands and their feet. When they go into the Tent of Meeting they shall wash with water, and they shall not die; or when they draw near to the altar to minister, to burn a fire offering to YHWH. And they shall wash their hands and their feet, and they shall not die; and it shall be to them a statute forever, to him and to his seed throughout their generations.” The Anointing Oil And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “And you, take for yourself the finest myrrh: five hundred shekels of liquid spices;30.23 500 shekels is approximately 12.6 pounds or 5.7 kilograms of myrrh. and half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon, two hundred and fifty shekels;30.23 250 shekels is approximately 6.3 pounds or 2.9 kilograms of cinnamon. and sweet-smelling cane, two hundred and fifty shekels;30.23 250 shekels is approximately 6.3 pounds or 2.9 kilograms of cane. and cassia, five hundred shekels,30.24 500 shekels is approximately 12.6 pounds or 5.7 kilograms of cassia. according to the shekel of the sanctuary; and olive oil, a hin.30.24 A hin is approximately 0.97 gallons or 3.67 liters of olive oil. And you shall make it holy anointing oil, a compounded ointment, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. And you shall anoint with it the Tent of Meeting and the Ark of the Testimony, and the table and all its vessels, and the lampstand and its vessels, and the altar of incense, and the altar of the burnt offering and all its vessels, and the basin and its stand. And you shall sanctify them, that they may be holy of holies. Anything that touches them shall be holy. And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons and sanctify them to minister as priests to Me. And you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘A holy anointing oil this is to Me throughout your⁺ generations. On the flesh of man it shall not be poured, and with its proportion you⁺ shall make no other like it. It is holy; it shall be holy to you⁺. A man who compounds like it, and whoever puts from it on an outsider, he shall be cut off from his people.’” The Incense And YHWH said to Moses, “Take unto you spices—gum resin, and onycha, and galbanum—spices and pure frankincense; there shall be part for part. And you shall make it incense, a compound, the work of a perfumer; salted, pure, and holy. And you shall grind some of it very fine and put some of it before the face of the Testimony30.36 The Testimony refers to the stone tablets in the ark of the covenant inscribed with the Ten Commandments. in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you there. It shall be holy of holies to you⁺. And the incense that you shall make with its proportion, you⁺ shall not make for yourselves. It shall be holy to you for YHWH. A man who makes something like it to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.” Bezalel and Oholiab (Exodus 35:30–35) And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and in silver and in bronze, and in cutting stone for setting, and in cutting wood, to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, behold, have appointed with him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And in the hearts of all who are wise of heart, I have put wisdom, and they shall make all that I have commanded you: The Tent of Meeting, and the ark of the Testimony,31.7 That is, the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the vessels of the tent, and the table and its vessels, and the pure lampstand and all its vessels, and the altar of incense, and the altar of the burnt offering and all its vessels, and the basin and its stand, and the woven garments and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to minister as priests, and the anointing oil, and the incense of spice for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.” The Sign of the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32–36) And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “And You, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Truly My Sabbaths you⁺ shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and between you⁺ throughout your⁺ generations, that you may know that I am YHWH who sanctifies you⁺. And you⁺ shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you⁺. Everyone who profanes it, he must surely be put to death, for every doer of work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days work shall be done, and the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to YHWH. Every doer of work on the Sabbath day, he must surely be put to death. And the sons of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to do the Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant. It is a sign between Me and between the sons of Israel forever; for in six days YHWH made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’” Moses Receives the Tablets And He gave unto Moses, as He finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. The Golden Calf (Deuteronomy 9:7–29; Acts 7:39–43) And the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, and the people gathered together against Aaron and they said to him, “Arise, make for us gods who will go before our faces. For this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.32.1 Cited in Acts 7:40” And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden rings that are in the ears of your⁺ wives, your⁺ sons, and your⁺ daughters, and bring them to me.” And all the people broke off the golden rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he took it from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool and he made a molten calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!” And Aaron saw, and he built an altar before its face. And Aaron proclaimed and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to YHWH.” And they rose early on the next day, and they offered burnt offerings, and they brought near peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and they rose up to play. 32.6 Or to indulge in revelry; cited in 1 Corinthians 10:7 And YHWH said to Moses, “Go, descend; for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and they have bowed down to it, and they have sacrificed to it and they have said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” And YHWH said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. And now, leave Me alone, and My anger may burn hot against them, and I may consume them. And I will make you into a great nation.” And Moses pleaded the face of YHWH his God, and he said, “Why, O YHWH, does Your anger burn hot against Your people, whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should Egypt speak, saying, ‘In evil He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and relent over the evil against Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants whom You swore to them by Yourself, and You said to them, ‘I will multiply your⁺ seed as the stars of the heavens, and all this land, that I have said, I give to your⁺ seed, and they shall inherit it forever.’” And YHWH relented from the evil that He spoke to do to His people. And Moses turned, and he went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on their two sides—on this and on that they were written. And the tablets, they were the work of God; and the writing, it was the writing of God engraved on the tablets. And Joshua heard the voice of the people in their shouting, and he said to Moses, “A voice of war is in the camp.” And he said, “It is not a voice of responses of might, and it is not a voice of responses of weakness; I hear a voice of singing.” And it came to pass as soon as he came near to the camp that he saw the calf and the dancing; and the anger of Moses burned, and he cast from his hands the tablets, and he shattered them at the base of the mountain. And he took the calf that they had made, and he burned it in the fire, and he ground it until it was powder, and he scattered it over the face of the waters, and made the sons of Israel drink it. And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought upon them a great sin?” And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn. You have known the people, that it is in evil. And they said to me, ‘Make for us gods who shall go before our faces. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ And I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let them break it off.’ And they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.” And Moses saw the people, that they were unrestrained—for Aaron had not restrained them, unto derision among their enemies. And Moses stood in the entrance of the camp and said, “Who is for YHWH? Come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, “Thus says YHWH God of Israel, ‘Put each man his sword on his side, pass over and turn back from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each man kill his brother, and each man his companion, and each man his neighbor.’” And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and there fell from the people in that day about three thousand men. And Moses said, “Fill your⁺ hand32.29 Or Set yourselves apart for service today for YHWH—for each man is against his son and against his brother—that He may bestow on you⁺ this day a blessing.” And it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You⁺—you⁺ have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to YHWH; perhaps I may make atonement for your⁺ sin.” And Moses returned to YHWH and said, “Oh, this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold. And now, if You will forgive their sin—. and if not, blot me out, please, from Your book that You have written.” And YHWH said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out from My book. And now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My angel shall go before your face. And in the day of My charging, then I will charge upon them their sin.” And YHWH struck the people because of what they made the calf that Aaron had made. The Command to Leave Sinai (Deuteronomy 1:1–8) And YHWH said to Moses, “Depart, go up from this place, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land that I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘To your seed I will give it.’ And I will send before your face an angel, and I will drive out the Canaanite, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way.” And the people heard this bad word, and they mourned; and no man put his ornaments on himself. And YHWH had said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You⁺ are a stiff-necked people. In one moment I will come up among you and I will consume you. And now put down your ornaments from on you, and I will know what I shall do to you.’” And the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb.33.6 That is, from Mount Sinai, or possibly a mountain in the range containing Mount Sinai The Tent of Meeting And Moses took the tent and he pitched it outside of the camp, far from the camp, and he called it the Tent of Meeting. And it came to pass that everyone seeking YHWH went out to the Tent of Meeting that was outside of the camp. And it came to pass, as Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose, and each man stood at the door of his tent and they looked after Moses until he had gone into the tent. And it came to pass, as Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud descended and it remained at the door of the tabernacle, and He talked with Moses. And all the people saw the pillar of cloud remaining at the door of the tent; and all the people rose and bowed down, each man, at the door of his tent. And YHWH would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, and his minister, Joshua son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the midst of the tent. The Promise of God’s Presence And Moses said to YHWH, “See, You are saying to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ and You have not made known to me whom You will send with me. And You, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and also you have found favor in My eyes.’ And now if, please, I have found favor in Your eyes, make known to me, please, Your ways, and I shall know You, in order that I may find favor in Your eyes. And consider that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My Presence will go with you and I will give rest to you.” And he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from this place. And by what will it be known then that I have found favor in Your eyes, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, and we will be distinguished—I and Your people—from all the people who are upon the face of the earth?” And YHWH said to Moses, “Also this word that you have spoken, I will do, for you have found favor in My eyes, and I know you by name.” And he said, “Show me, please, Your glory.” And He said, “I will cause all My goodness to pass before your face, and I will proclaim in the name of YHWH before your face, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 33.19 Cited in Romans 9:15 And He said, “You are not able to see My face, for a man shall not see Me and live.” And YHWH said, “Behold, a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. And it shall be, when My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and I will cover My palm over you until I pass by. And I will take away My palm, and you shall see My back, and My face shall not be seen.” New Stone Tablets (Deuteronomy 10:1–11) And YHWH said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you shattered. And be ready for the morning, and you shall come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain. And no man shall come up with you, and also let no man be seen throughout all the mountain; also the flock and the herd shall not pasture toward the front of that mountain.” And he cut two tablets of stone like the first ones. And Moses rose early in the morning, and he went up to Mount Sinai, as YHWH had commanded him, and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone. And YHWH descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed in His name, YHWH. And YHWH passed before his face and proclaimed, “YHWH, YHWH God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving devotion and truth, keeping loving devotion to the thousands,34.7 Or to a thousand generations forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and he will surely not acquit the guilty, visiting iniquity of fathers upon sons and upon sons of sons, upon a third and upon a fourth.” And Moses hurried and bowed down to the earth and worshiped. And he said, “If please I have found favor in Your eyes, O Lord my Lord, please, go among us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and You shall pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.” Yahweh Renews the Covenant (2 Corinthians 3:7–18) And He said, “Behold, I am cutting a covenant before all your people. I will do marvels that have not been created in all the earth and in all the nations. And all the people who are among you shall see the work of YHWH, for it is an awesome thing that I am doing with you. Keep for yourself what I am commanding you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before your face the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Guard for yourself lest you make a covenant34.12 Or a treaty with the dwellers of the land where you are entering, lest it become a snare in your midst. But their altars you⁺ shall break down, and their pillars you⁺ shall smash, and their Asherah poles you⁺ shall cut down. For you shall worship no other god, for YHWH, Jealous is his name, is a jealous God. Lest you cut a covenant with the dwellers of the land, and they play the prostitute with their gods, and they make sacrifice to their gods, and he calls to you, and you eat from his sacrifice, and you take from his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the prostitute with their gods, and they make your sons play the prostitute with their gods. Molten gods you shall not make for yourselves. The feast of the Unleavened34.18 That is, the seven-day period after the Passover during which no leaven may be eaten; see Exodus 12:14–20. you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib;34.18 Abib was the first month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of March and April; twice in this verse. for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt. All that open the womb belong to Me, and all firstborn of your livestock born a male, whether ox or sheep. And the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you do not redeem it, then you shall break his neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem, and none shall appear before My face empty. Six days you shall work, and on the seventh day you shall rest: In the plowing time and in the harvest you shall rest. And the Feast of Weeks you shall observe with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of the Ingathering34.22 That is, Shavuot, the late spring feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; it is also known as the Feast of Harvest (see Exodus 23:16) or the Feast of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1). at the end of the year. 34.22 That is, Sukkot, the autumn feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; it is later called the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths or Shelters). Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the face of the Lord YHWH, God of Israel. For I will cast out the nations before your face and enlarge your border, and no man will covet your land when you go up to appear before the face of YHWH your God three times in the year. You shall not slaughter with leaven the blood of My sacrifice, and the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover shall not remain until the morning. The first of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of YHWH your God. You shall not boil a young goat in the milk of its mother.” And YHWH said to Moses, “Write for yourself these words, for upon the mouth of these words I have cut a covenant with you and with Israel.” And he was there with YHWH forty days and forty nights; he has not eaten bread and has not drunk water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Words.34.28 That is, the Ten Commandments And it came to pass when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in the hand of Moses when he came down from the mountain), and Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone in his speaking with Him. And Aaron saw—and all the sons of Israel—Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near to him. And Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke to them. And afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that YHWH had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. And Moses finished from speaking with them, and he put on his face a veil. And whenever Moses went in before the face of YHWH to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until his coming out. And he would come out and speak to the sons of Israel whatever he had been commanded, and the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, and Moses would return the veil on his face until he went in to speak with Him. The Sabbath And Moses gathered together all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and he said to them, “These are the words that YHWH has commanded—to do them: Six days work shall be done, and the seventh day shall be for you⁺ holy, a Sabbath of complete rest to YHWH. Every doer of work on it shall be put to death. You⁺ shall not kindle a fire in any of your⁺ dwellings on the Sabbath day.” Offerings for the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:1–9) And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the word that YHWH has commanded, saying, take from among you⁺ a contribution to YHWH; everyone of a willing heart, he shall bring it as a contribution to YHWH: gold, and silver, and bronze, and blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn; and fine linen, and goats’ hair; and ram skins dyed red, and badger skins;35.7 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals; also in verse 23 and acacia wood; and oil for the light; and spices for the anointing oil and for the incense of spices; and onyx stones, and stones as settings for the ephod and for the breastplate. The Skilled Craftsmen And all wise of heart among you⁺ shall come, and they shall make all that YHWH has commanded: The tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its clasps, and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; the ark and its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; the table and its poles and all its vessels, and the Bread of the Presence; and the lampstand of the light, and its vessels, and its lamps, and the oil of the light; and the altar of incense and its poles; and the anointing oil and the incense; of spices and the screen of the door for the entrance of the tabernacle; the altar of the burnt offering and the bronze grate that is for it, its poles and all its vessels; the basin and its stand; the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen of the gate of the court; the pegs of the tabernacle, and the pegs of the court, and their cords; the woven garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to minister as priests.” The People Offer Gifts And all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from before the face of Moses. And they came in—every man whom his heart lifted him and everyone whom his spirit impelled him—and they brought a contribution of YHWH for the work of the Tent of Meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. And they came in, the men, man along with the women—everyone willing of heart—they brought hooks and earrings and rings and necklaces, every article of gold, and everyone who waved a wave offering of gold to YHWH. And every man with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and rams skins dyed red, and badger skins, brought them in. Everyone lifting a contribution of silver and bronze brought in a contribution of YHWH. And everyone with whom was found acacia wood for every work of the service brought it. And every woman wise of heart spun with her hands, and they brought in what she had spun of the blue and the purple, of the scarlet yarn and of the fine linen. And all the women whose heart was lifted up with wisdom spun the goats’ hair. And the rulers brought the onyx stones and stones as the settings for the ephod and for the breastplate, and the spice, and the oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the incense of spices. Every man and woman whose heart impelled him to bring in for all the work that YHWH had commanded to be done by the hand of Moses—the sons of Israel brought a freewill offering to YHWH. Bezalel and Oholiab (Exodus 31:1–11) And Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, YHWH has called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And He has filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship, and to design artistic works, to work in gold and in silver and in bronze, and in cutting stone for setting, and in cutting wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship. And to teach He has given in his heart—he and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with wisdom of heart to do every work of an engraver and designer and weaver in the blue and the purple, in the scarlet yarn, and in the fine linen, and of a weaver—those who do every work and those who design artistic works. The People Bring More than Enough “ And Bezalel and Oholiab and every man wise of heart in whom YHWH has put wisdom and understanding, to know to do all of the work of the service of the Holy Place, to do according to all that YHWH has commanded.” And Moses called to Bezalel and to Oholiab and to every man wise of heart in whom YHWH had put wisdom in his heart—everyone whose heart lifted him—to come near to the work to do it. And they took from before the face of Moses all the contribution that the sons of Israel had brought out to do the work of the service of the Holy Place. And they continued bringing to him a freewill offering morning by morning. And all the wise ones doing all the work of the Holy Place came, every man, from his work that they were doing, and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the service of the work that YHWH has commanded us to do.” And Moses commanded, and they caused a voice to pass throughout the camp, saying, “Let not man or woman do anymore work for a contribution of the Holy Place.” And the people were restrained from bringing. And the work they had was sufficient for all the work to be done, and there was excess. The Ten Curtains for the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:1–6) And everyone wise of heart among those doing the work made the tabernacle; ten curtains of finely woven linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn; cherubim—the work of a designer—he made them. The length of the one curtain was eight and twenty by the cubit, and the width of the one curtain was four by the cubit,36.9 Each of the ten curtains was approximately 42 feet long and 6 feet wide (12.8 meters long and 1.8 meters wide). one measurement for all the curtains. And he joined five curtains one to one, and five curtains he joined one to one. And He made loops of blue on the edge of the one, the curtain from the end at the joining; likewise he did on the edge of the outermost curtain at the seam of the second. Fifty loops he made in the one curtain, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain that is at the seam of the second; that the loops may be clasped one to one. And he made fifty clasps of gold and joined the curtains one to one with the clasps, and the tabernacle shall be one. The Eleven Curtains of Goat Hair (Exodus 26:7–14) And He made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; one and ten curtains he made them. And the length of the one curtain is thirty by the cubit, the width of the one curtain four cubits. One measurement for the one and ten curtains.36.15 Each of the eleven curtains was approximately 45 feet long and 6 feet wide (13.7 meters long and 1.8 meters wide). And he joined the five curtains by themselves, and the six curtains by themselves. And he made fifty loops on the outermost edge of the curtain at the joining, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain at the seam of the second. And He made fifty clasps of bronze to join together the tent, and it shall be one. And he made a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red, and a covering of badger skins36.19 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals from above. The Frames and Bases (Exodus 26:15–30) And he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright. Ten cubits is the length of the board, and a cubit and a half cubit is the width of the one board,36.21 Each board was approximately 15 feet long and 2.25 feet wide (4.6 meters long and 68.6 centimeters wide). with two tenons36.22 That is, projecting pieces of wood made for insertion into another piece; similarly in verse 24. in the one board for binding one to one. Thus he did for all the boards of the tabernacle. And he made the boards for the tabernacle twenty boards for the south side, southward. And forty bases of silver he made under the twenty boards—two bases under the one board for its two tenons, and two bases under the one board for its two tenons. And for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards and their forty bases of silver, two bases under the one board, and two bases under the one board. And for the west side of the tabernacle he made six boards, and He made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle, for the rear sides. And they were coupled from the bottom, and together they were complete at its top by the one ring. Thus he made for the two of them, for the two corners. And there were eight boards and their bases of silver, six and ten bases—two bases, two bases under the one board. And he made bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards on the second side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle, for the rear sides westward. And he made the middle bar to pass through in the middle of the boards, from the end to the end. And he overlaid the boards with gold, and their rings he made of gold as holders for the bars, and he overlaid the bars with gold. The Veil (Exodus 26:31–35) And he made a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen, the work of a designer, cherubim he made on it. And He made for it four pillars of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, their hooks of gold. And he cast for them four bases of silver. The Curtain for the Entrance (Exodus 26:36–37) And He made a screen for the door of the tent, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen, the work of a weaver, and its five pillars and their hooks. And he overlaid their tops and their bands with gold, and their five bases were bronze. Constructing the Ark (Exodus 25:10–16) And Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood, two cubits and a half its length, and a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.37.1 The ark was approximately 3.75 feet long, 2.25 feet wide, and 2.25 feet high (114.3 centimeters long, 68.6 centimeters wide, and 68.6 centimeters high). And he overlaid it with pure gold—from within and from without—and he made for it a molding of gold all around. And he cast for it four rings of gold on its four feet, and two rings on the one side and two rings on the second side. And He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. And he brought the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark. The Mercy Seat (Exodus 25:17–22) And He made a mercy seat of pure gold, two cubits and a half its length, and a cubit and a half its width.37.6 The mercy seat was approximately 3.75 feet long and 2.25 feet wide (114.3 centimeters long and 68.6 centimeters wide). And He made two cherubim of gold—of hammered work he made them—from the two ends of the mercy seat, one cherub from this end, and one cherub from that end; from the mercy seat he made the cherubim from its two ends. And the cherubim spread out the wings upward, covering over the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces each toward his brother; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim. The Table of Showbread (Exodus 25:23–30; Leviticus 24:5–9) And He made the table of acacia wood, two cubits its length, and a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.37.10 The table was approximately 3 feet long, 1.5 feet wide, and 2.25 feet high (91.4 centimeters long, 45.7 centimeters wide, and 68.6 centimeters high). And he overlaid it with pure gold, and he made for it a molding of gold all around. And he made for it a frame of a handbreadth all around,37.12 A handbreadth is approximately 2.9 inches or 7.4 centimeters. and he made a gold molding for its frame all around. And he cast for it four rings of gold, and he put the rings on the four corners that were at its four legs. Close to the frame were the rings as holders for the poles, to carry the table. And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. And He made the vessels which were on the table—its dishes, and its pans, and its bowls, and the pitchers with which to pour out—with pure gold. The Lampstand (Exodus 25:31–40; Numbers 8:1–4) And He made the lampstand of pure gold. Of hammered work he made the lampstand. Its base, and its branch, its cups, its buds, and its flowers—they were from it. And six branches came out from its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of the one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the second side. Three cups made like almond blossoms on the one branch—with a bud and a flower—and three cups like almond blossoms on the one branch—with a bud and a flower—thus for the six branches coming out from the lampstand. And on the lampstand itself were four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers. And a bud was under the two branches from it, and a bud under the two branches from it, and a bud under the two branches from it, for the six branches going out from it. Their buds and their branches were from it, all of it one hammered work of pure gold. And he made its seven lamps, and its wick trimmers, and its firepans of pure gold. Of a talent of pure gold37.24 A talent is approximately 75.4 pounds or 34.2 kilograms of gold. he made it, and with all its vessels. The Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1–10) And He made the altar of the incense of acacia wood, a cubit its length, and a cubit its width—square—and two cubits its height.37.25 The altar was approximately 1.5 feet in length and width, and 3 feet high (45.7 centimeters in length and width, and 91.4 centimeters high). Its horns were from it. And he overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns, and He made for it a molding of gold all around. And He made two gold rings for it under the molding, on two of its sides on both of its flanks, as holders for poles to carry it with them. And he made the poles of acacia wood, and he overlaid them with gold. And He made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of spices, the work of a perfumer. The Bronze Altar (Exodus 27:1–8) And He made38.1 That is, Bezalel made the altar of the burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits its length, and five cubits its width—square—and three cubits its height.38.1 The altar was approximately 7.5 feet in length and width, and 4.5 feet high (2.3 meters in length and width, and 1.4 meters high). And He made its horns on the four corners; its horns were from it. And he overlaid it with bronze. And He made all the vessels of the altar: The pots, and the shovels, and the basins, the forks, and the firepans; all its vessels he made of bronze. And he made for the altar a grate of work of net of bronze under its ledge from below up to its middle. And He cast four rings for the four corners, for the grate of bronze, as holders for the poles. And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. And he brought the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, to carry it with them. He made the altar hollow, of boards. The Bronze Basin (Exodus 30:17–21) And he made the basin of bronze, and its stand of bronze, with mirros of the serving women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting. The Courtyard (Exodus 27:9–19) And he made the court on the south side southward. The hangings of the court were of finely woven linen, a hundred by the cubit,38.9 100 cubits is approximately 150 feet or 45.7 meters. with their twenty pillars and twenty bronze bases. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. And the north side was a hundred by the cubit, with twenty pillars and twenty bronze bases. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. And on the west side were hangings fifty by the cubit,38.12 50 cubits is approximately 75 feet or 22.9 meters. with ten pillars and ten bases. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. And the east side toward the sunrise was fifty cubits. The hangings on one side were five and ten cubits,38.14 15 cubits is approximately 22.5 feet or 6.9 meters. with their three pillars and their three bases. And on the second side at the gate of the court, from this and from that, were hangings of five and ten cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases. All the hangings of the court were of finely woven linen all around. And the bases for the pillars were bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver, and the overlay of their tops was silver, and they—all the pillars of the court—had bands of silver. And the screen of the gate of the court, the work of a weaver was of blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen. And twenty cubits was the length,38.18 20 cubits is approximately 30 feet or 9.1 meters. and the height along its width was five cubits,38.18 5 cubits is approximately 7.5 feet or 2.3 meters. corresponding to the hangings of the court. And there were four pillars and their four bases of bronze; their hooks were silver, and the overlay of their tops and their bands was silver. And all the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court were bronze all around. An Inventory of Materials (Ezra 2:68–70; Nehemiah 7:70–73) These are the numberings of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, which were counted by the mouth of Moses, the service of the Levites by the hand of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. And Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, did all that YHWH had commanded Moses. And with him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and weaver in the blue and in the purple and in the scarlet yarn, and in the fine linen. All the gold used for the work in all the work of the Holy Place (and it was the gold of the wave offering) was nine and twenty talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels,38.24 The total weight of the gold (29 talents and 730 shekels) was approximately 1.1 tons or 1 metric ton. according to the shekel of the sanctuary. And the silver of those numbered of the congregation was a hundred talents, and a thousand and seven hundred and five and seventy shekels,38.25 The total weight of the silver (100 talents and 1,775 shekels) was approximately 3.79 tons or 3.44 metric tons. according to the shekel of the sanctuary— a bekah38.26 A beka is half a shekel, or approximately 0.2 ounces or 5.7 grams. per head, that is, half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for everyone who had passed over to be numbered, from a son of twenty years old and above, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. And the hundred talents of silver38.27 100 talents is approximately 3.77 tons or 3.42 metric tons of silver. were for casting the bases of the Holy Place and the bases of the veil—a hundred bases for the hundred talents, one talent per base. And the thousand and the seven hundred and five and seventy shekels38.28 1,775 shekels is approximately 44.6 pounds or 20.2 kilograms of silver. he made the hooks for the pillars, and he overlaid their tops, and he made bands for them. And the bronze of the wave offering was seventy talents and two thousand and four hundred shekels.38.29 The total weight of the bronze (70 talents and 2,400 shekels) was approximately 2.67 tons or 2.42 metric tons. And he made with it the bases of the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the bronze altar, and the bronze grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar, and the bases of the court all around, and the bases of the gate of the court, and all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs of the court all around. The Ephod (Exodus 28:6–14) And from the blue and the purple and the scarlet yarn they made woven garments for ministering in the Holy Place; and they made the holy garments that were for Aaron, as YHWH had commanded Moses. And He made39.2 That is, Bezalel made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen. And they beat the gold into plates, and they cut threads to work in the midst of the blue, and in the midst of the purple, and in the midst of the scarlet yarn, and in the midst of the fine linen—the work. of a designer They made shoulder straps for it to join it together; at its two ends it was joined together. And the skillfully woven waistband of his ephod that was on it, it was from it, according to its work: gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen, as YHWH had commanded Moses. And they set the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold; they were engraved with engravings of a signet, with the names of the sons of Israel. And He put them on the shoulders of the ephod, stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, as YHWH had commanded Moses. The Breastpiece (Exodus 28:15–30) And he made the breastplate, the work of a designer, according to the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen. It was square; doubled they made the breastplate; a span its length and a span its width—doubled.39.9 The breastpiece, when folded over, was approximately 9 inches or 22.9 centimeters in both length and width. And they filled in it four rows of stones:39.10 The precise identification of some of these gemstones is uncertain. a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald was the first row; and the second row was turquoise, sapphire, and diamond; and the third row was jacinth, agate, and amethyst; and the fourth row was beryl, onyx, and jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold in their fillings. And the stones, according to the names of the sons of Israel, they were two and ten, according to their names, the engravings of a signet, each one according to his name, for the two and ten tribes. And they made on the breastplate chains, cords of braided a work of pure gold. And they made two settings of gold, and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. And they put the two cords of gold on the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. And the two ends of the two cords they put on the two settings, and they put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod, toward the front of its face. And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge that was toward the side of the ephod inwardly. And they made two rings of gold, and they put them on the two shoulders of the ephod from below, toward its face, right at the seam above the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod. And they bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, to be on the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod, and the breastplate would not come loose from on the ephod, as YHWH had commanded Moses. Additional Priestly Garments (Exodus 28:31–43) And He made the robe of the ephod the work, of a weaver, entirely of blue. And there was an opening in the middle of the robe, like the opening in a corselet,39.23 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; possibly a coat of mail. an edge for its opening all around, so it would not tear. And they made upon the hem of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and finely woven linen. And they made bells of pure gold, and they put the bells in the midst of the pomegranates on the hem of the robe all around, in the midst of the pomegranates, a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, on the hem of the robe all around, to minister, as YHWH had commanded Moses. And they made the tunics of fine linen, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and for his sons, and the turban of fine linen, and the ornate headbands of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of finely woven linen, and a sash of finely woven linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, the work of a weaver, as YHWH had commanded Moses. And they made the plate of the holy diadem of pure gold and wrote on it a writing, the engraving of a signet: HOLY TO YHWH. And they put on it a blue cord to put it on the turban from above, as YHWH had commanded Moses. Moses Approves the Work And all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished. And the sons of Israel did according to all that YHWH had commanded Moses; so they did. And they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent, and all its vessels, its clasps, its boards, its bars, and its pillars, and its bases; and the covering of ram skins dyed red, and the covering of badger skins,39.34 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals and the veil of the screen; the ark of the Testimony39.35 That is, the ark of the covenant and its poles, and the mercy seat; the table, all its vessels, and the Bread of the Presence; the pure gold lampstand, its lamps—lamps set in order—and all its vessels, and the oil for the light; and the gold altar, and the anointing oil, and the incense of spices, and the screen of the door of the tent; the bronze altar, and the grate of bronze that is for it, its poles, and all its vessels; the basin and its stand; the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases; and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, and its pegs, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting; the woven garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to minister as priests. According to all that YHWH had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did all the work. And Moses looked over all the work, and behold, they had done it as YHWH had commanded; so they had done. And Moses blessed them. Setting Up the Tabernacle (Acts 7:44–47; Hebrews 9:1–10) And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “On the first day of the month, in the first month, you shall raise up the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. And you shall put there the ark of the Testimony,40.3 That is, the ark of the covenant; also in verses 5 and 21 and you shall cover over the ark with the veil. And you shall bring in the table, and you shall arrange its arrangement, and you shall bring in the lampstand, and you shall set up its lamps. And you shall set the gold altar for incense before the face of the ark of the Testimony, and you shall put up the screen of the door for the tabernacle. And you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the face of the door of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting. And you shall set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and between the altar, and you shall set water there. And you shall put up the court all around, and you shall set up the screen of the gate of the court. And you shall take the anointing oil, and you shall anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and you shall sanctify it and all its vessels, and it shall be holy. And you shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its vessels, and you shall sanctify the altar, and the altar shall be holy of holies. And you shall anoint the basin and its stand, and you shall sanctify it. And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and you shall wash them with the water. And you shall clothe Aaron with the holy garments, and you shall anoint him, and you shall sanctify him, and he shall minister as priest to Me. And you shall bring his sons, and you shall clothe them with tunics. And you shall anoint them as you anointed their father, and they shall minister as priests to Me. And their anointing shall surely be to them an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.” And Moses did according to all that YHWH had commanded him; so he did. And it came to pass, in the first month of the second year, on the first of the month, the tabernacle was raised up. And Moses raised up the tabernacle, and he set its bases, and he put its boards, and he set its bars, and he raised up its pillars. And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle, and he put the covering of the tent on it from above, as YHWH had commanded Moses. And he took and he set the Testimony into the ark, and he put the poles on the ark, and he set the mercy seat on the ark from above. And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and he put up the veil of the screen, and he covered over the ark of the Testimony, as YHWH had commanded Moses. And he set the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. And he arranged on it an arrangement of bread before the face of YHWH, as YHWH had commanded Moses. And he put the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. And he lit the lamps before the face of YHWH, as YHWH had commanded Moses. And he put the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting before the face of the veil. And he burned on it incense of spices, as YHWH had commanded Moses. And he put up the screen of the door for the tabernacle. And he put the altar of the burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and he offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as YHWH had commanded Moses. And he put the basin between the Tent of Meeting and between the altar, and he set water in it for washing. And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed from it their hands and their feet. Whenever they went into the Tent of Meeting and when they came near to the altar, they washed, as YHWH had commanded Moses. And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and he set up the screen of the gate of the court. And Moses finished the work. The Cloud and the Glory (Numbers 9:15–23) And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of YHWH filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud dwelt on it, and the glory of YHWH filled the tabernacle. And whenever the cloud was taken up from on the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out in all their journeys; and if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of YHWH was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the eyes of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.