Design of the Tabernacle

Exodus 25 

8

And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them.

9

You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.

Exodus 29 

45

Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.

46

And they will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I might dwell among them.

I am the LORD their God.

The Tabernacle design:

• Frames, silver bases and crossbars
• Ten curtains of fine linen
• Eleven curtains of goat hair for the tent
• Tent coverings of ram skins dyed red and leather
• Courtyard for the tabernacle

Frames

Design

Exodus 26:15-25

North and South

20 frames

Size of one frame in cubits l x w	10 x 1.5
Total length of twenty frames in cubits	20 x 1.5 = 30

West

6 frames

2 frames at its corner

Size of one frame in cubits l x w	10 x 1.5
Total length of six frames in cubits	6 x 1.5 = 9

• The frames were made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold; each frame had two tenons.
• Each upright frame was ten cubits long and a cubit and half wide.
• There were two silver bases under each tenons of a frame.
• The north and south side had twenty frames and forty silver bases.
• The west side had six frames and each of its two corners had a frame coupled to it; there were eight frames in all.

Crossbars

Design

Exodus 26:26-29

• The crossbars were made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold.
• There were five crossbars on each side—north, south and west.
• The central crossbar on each side extended from one end to the other.
• There were gold rings on the frames to hold the crossbars.

Ten curtains of tabernacle, eleven curtains for the tent and coverings for the tent

Ten curtains of fine linen

Design

Exodus 26:1-6

Size of one curtain in cubits l x w	28 x 4
Total length of ten curtains in cubits	10 x 4 = 40

• The tabernacle was constructed using ten curtains.
• Each curtain was twenty-eight  cubits long and four cubits wide
• It was made of finely spun linen, blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and cherubim were skillfully worked into it.

• The ten curtains were made of two sets of five curtains that were joined together; so the total length of ten curtains was forty cubits.
• The two sets of five curtains were joined by loops made of blue material and gold clasps.

Eleven curtains of goat hair

Design

Exodus 26:7-13

Size of one curtain in cubits l x w	30 x 4
Total length of eleven curtains in cubits	11 x 4 = 44

• Eleven curtains made of goat hair were used for the tent over the tabernacle.
• Each curtain was thirty cubits long and four cubits wide.
• The eleven curtains were made of a set of five curtains and a set of six curtains that were joined together; so the total length of eleven curtains was forty-four cubits.
• The two sets of curtains were joined by loops and bronze clasps.

sixth curtain was folded double

width of sixth curtain

4-2 = 2 cubits

total length of eleven curtains

44-2 = 42 cubits

Eleven curtains were placed over the ten curtains that had a total length of 40 cubits

Therefore, the tent curtains were a cubit longer on either side:

1 cubit curtain from the set of six at the front

40 cubits overlapped with ten curtains of fine linen

1 cubit curtain from the set of five at the back

Exodus 26

12

As for the overlap that remains of the tent curtains, the half curtain that is left over shall hang down over the back of the tabernacle.

13

And the tent curtains will be a cubit longer on either side

14

Also make a covering for the tent out of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather.

Entrance

Exodus 26

36

“For the entrance to the tent make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer.

37

Make gold hooks for this curtain and five posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold. And cast five bronze bases for them.

Courtyard for the tabernacle

Design

Exodus 27:9-19

All the curtains in the courtyard were five cubits high.

North and South

length: 100 cubits

twenty posts and twenty bronze bases on both sides

curtain: finely spun linen

West

length: 50 cubits

ten posts and ten bronze bases

curtain: finely spun linen

East—The gate of the courtyard

length: 50 cubits

posts: 10

three posts with three bronze bases on either side of entrance

curtain: finely spun linen

length of curtain: 15 cubits

four posts with four bronze bases at the entrance

curtain: embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen

length of curtain: 20 cubits

Exodus 27

16

The gate of the courtyard shall be twenty cubits long, with a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It shall have four posts and four bases.

17

All the posts around the courtyard shall have silver bands, silver hooks, and bronze bases.

18

The entire courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide, with curtains of finely spun linen five cubits high, and with bronze bases.

19

All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, including all its tent pegs and the tent pegs of the courtyard, shall be made of bronze.

Duties

Numbers 3

sons of Levi by name:

Gershon, Kohath and Merari

Numbers 4:24–28

Gershonites

Their duties involved the service for these items:

1. the tabernacle and tent
2. its covering, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,
3. the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar,
4. and the cords

Numbers 4:31–33

Merarites

Their duties involved the service for these items of the tabernacle:

1. frames
2. crossbars
3. posts
4. bases
5. all its equipment
6. the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.