Tabernacle Analysis in Exodus

The tabernacle, or tent of meeting, is God’s earthly dwelling place. The tabernacle contains the ark of the covenant and is portable, designed to be carried by the Israelites en route to the promised land. Among other sacred objects, the tabernacle also contains a golden lampstand and altars for incense and burnt offerings. God gives specific directions for its construction to Moses, and the Israelites give offerings of money and materials, with Bezalel serving as the main artisan. When God’s glory fills the tabernacle, the Israelites can see it in the form of a great cloud.

Tabernacle Quotes in Exodus

The Exodus quotes below are all either spoken by Tabernacle or refer to Tabernacle. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

The Lord said to Moses: Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering; from all whose hearts prompt them to give you shall receive the offering for me. This is the offering that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, blue, purple, and crimson yarns and fine linen, goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, fine leather, acacia wood, oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones and gems to be set in the ephod and for the breastpiece. And have them make me a sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them. In accordance with all that I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

Related Characters: God/the LORD (speaker), Moses, The Israelites

Page Number and Citation: 25:1–9

Explanation and Analysis:

Then you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold […] You shall make two cherubim of gold; you shall make them of hammered work, at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other; of one piece with the mercy seat you shall make the cherubim at its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings. They shall face one to another; the faces of the cherubim shall be turned toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark; and in the ark you shall put the covenant that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the covenant, I will deliver to you all my commands for the Israelites.

Related Characters: God/the LORD (speaker), Moses, The Israelites

Page Number and Citation: 25:17–22

Explanation and Analysis:

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. […] Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey; but 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 the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel at each stage of their journey.

Related Characters: God/the LORD, Moses

Related Symbols: Fire

Page Number and Citation: 40:34–38

Explanation and Analysis:

Tabernacle Term Timeline in Exodus

The timeline below shows where the term Tabernacle appears in Exodus. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

God gives Moses specific instructions for the building of the tabernacle. First, they should build an ark out of acacia wood, overlaid with gold. They should... (full context)

The tabernacle should have curtains of fine linen and blue, purple, and crimson yarns. Cherubim should be... (full context)

...holy place. The table should be outside the curtain, on the north side of the tabernacle; the lampstand should be on the south side. The entrance to the tent should also... (full context)

The tabernacle should also have a court. The court should have twenty bronze pillars and bases and... (full context)

...the Sabbath command and tells the people to bring offerings for the construction of the tabernacle. The people, everyone “whose heart was stirred,” bring gold objects, yarn, fine linen, and the... (full context)

...so much that they must be ordered to stop. Then the artisans begin making the tabernacle, its curtains, its ram-skin and leather coverings, its wooden frames, pillars, and screen. (full context)

...women who serve at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Bezalel also makes the tabernacle’s court, with linen hangings on each side and bronze pillars with silver hooks. He also... (full context)

All of the work for the tabernacle of the tent of meeting is completed in this way. All of the items for... (full context)

...Moses that on the first day of the first month, he must set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. It must contain the ark of the covenant, the table,... (full context)

...In the second year, on the first day of the month, he sets up the tabernacle, spreads the tent over it, and covers the tent. He puts the covenant inside the... (full context)

Then the cloud covers the tent of meeting, and the LORD’s glory fills the tabernacle. Moses is not able to enter the tent because of the LORD’s presence. Whenever the... (full context)

Exodus

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Tabernacle Term Analysis

Tabernacle Quotes in Exodus

Tabernacle Term Timeline in Exodus