# Exodus 38 đź“–: Building the Altar and Courtyard
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### The Making of the Altar for the Burnt Offering
[[#Verse 01.]] Bezalel made the altar for the burnt offering of acacia wood 7½ feet long and 7½ feet wide—it was square—and its height was 4½ feet.Â
[[#Verse 02.]] He made its horns on its four corners; its horns were part of it, and he overlaid it with bronze.Â
[[#Verse 03.]] He made all the utensils of the altar—the pots, the shovels, the tossing bowls, the meat hooks, and the fire pans—he made all its utensils of bronze.Â
[[#Verse 04.]]Â He made a grating for the altar, a network of bronze under its ledge, halfway up from the bottom.Â
[[#Verse 05.]]Â He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating, to provide places for the poles.Â
[[#Verse 06.]]Â He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.Â
[[#Verse 07.]] He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made the altar hollow, out of boards.
[[#Verse 08.]] He made the large basin of bronze and its pedestal of bronze from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
### The Construction of the Courtyard
[[#Verse 09.]] Bezalel made the courtyard. For the south side the hangings of the courtyard were of fine twisted linen, 150 feet long,Â
[[#Verse 10.]] with their twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with the hooks of the posts and their bands of silver.Â
[[#Verse 11.]] For the north side the hangings were 150 feet, with their twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with the hooks of the posts and their bands of silver.Â
[[#Verse 12.]] For the west side there were hangings 75 feet long, with their ten posts and their ten bases, with the hooks of the posts and their bands of silver.Â
[[#Verse 13.]]Â For the east side, toward the sunrise, it was 75 feet wide,Â
[[#Verse 14.]] with hangings on one side of the gate that were 22½ feet long, with their three posts and their three bases,Â
[[#Verse 15.]] and for the second side of the gate of the courtyard, just like the other, the hangings were 22½ feet long, with their three posts and their three bases.Â
[[#Verse 16.]]Â All the hangings around the courtyard were of fine twisted linen.Â
[[#Verse 17.]]Â The bases for the posts were bronze. The hooks of the posts and their bands were silver, their tops were overlaid with silver, and all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.Â
[[#Verse 18.]] The curtain for the gate of the courtyard was of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer. It was 30 feet long and, like the hangings in the courtyard, it was 7½ feet high,Â
[[#Verse 19.]]Â with four posts and their four bronze bases. Their hooks and their bands were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver.Â
[[#Verse 20.]]Â All the tent pegs of the tabernacle and of the courtyard all around were bronze.
### The Materials of the Construction
[[#Verse 21.]] This is the inventory of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, which was counted by the order of Moses, being the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.Â
[[#Verse 22.]] Now Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord had commanded Moses;Â
[[#Verse 23.]]Â and with him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an artisan, a designer, and an embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen.
[[#Verse 24.]] All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary (namely, the gold of the wave offering) was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.
[[#Verse 25.]] The silver of those who were numbered of the community was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel,Â
[[#Verse 26.]] one beka per person, that is, a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, for everyone who crossed over to those numbered, from twenty years old or older, 603,550 in all.Â
[[#Verse 27.]] The 100 talents of silver were used for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the special curtain—100 bases for 100 talents, one talent per base.Â
[[#Verse 28.]] From the remaining 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the posts, overlaid their tops, and made bands for them.
[[#Verse 29.]]Â The bronze of the wave offering was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels.Â
[[#Verse 30.]]Â With it he made the bases for the door of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it, and all the utensils of the altar,Â
[[#Verse 31.]]Â the bases for the courtyard all around, the bases for the gate of the courtyard, all the tent pegs of the tabernacle, and all the tent pegs of the courtyard all around.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
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###### Verse 29.
###### Verse 30.
###### Verse 31.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. The basin was made from the bronze mirrors of women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting (38:8).
2. Ancient mirrors were made of polished bronze or copper, not glass.
3. Women serving at the entrance of the tent of meeting are mentioned again in 1 Samuel 2:22.
4. Ithamar, Aaron's son, oversaw the record of materials (38:21).
5. Bezalel from Judah and Oholiab from Dan are named again as the master craftsmen (38:22-23).
6. The gold totaled 29 talents and 730 shekels (38:24), roughly a ton.
7. The silver from the census totaled 100 talents and 1,775 shekels (38:25).
8. 603,550 men were counted (38:26), the same number given in Numbers 1:46.
9. Each man gave a half shekel (38:26), the ransom money of 30:13.
10. The silver made one hundred bases for the frames and the curtain, a talent per base (38:27).
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the One who cleanses His people. The bronze basin was made for washing before serving the Lord (38:8; 30:18-21), and Christ cleanses His church by the washing of water by the word (Ephesians 5:25-26).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. The basin was made from the bronze mirrors of the women who served (38:8). What might God be asking you to give up for His purposes?
2. The chapter records exact amounts of gold, silver, and bronze (38:24-31). Why does accountability matter in God's work?
3. Everyone counted gave the same half shekel (38:26). How did each person's small part build something great?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 8: The bronze basin is made from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance.
- đź“– verse 21: The materials are recorded under the direction of Ithamar.
- đź“– verse 26: Each person counted gave a half shekel, from 603,550 men.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[Ephesians 05#Verse 25.|Ephesians 5:25-26]] - Christ cleanses the church by the word.
- đź”— [[Titus 03#Verse 05.|Titus 3:5]] - The washing of new birth.
- đź”— [[Hebrews 10#Verse 22.|Hebrews 10:22]] - Bodies washed with pure water.
- đź”— [[John 13#Verse 08.|John 13:8-10]] - Unless I wash you, you have no share with Me.
- đź”— [[1 Samuel 02#Verse 22.|1 Samuel 2:22]] - Women who served at the entrance.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[Exodus 38- SOAP|Giving For A Higher Purpose]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes