Bible Strands

Exodus 38:9

Then he constructed the courtyard. The south side of the courtyard was a hundred cubits long and had curtains of finely spun linen,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The text records the Israelites’ construction phase under Moses’ direction, detailing the physical assembly of the tabernacle complex immediately after the bronze basin and before the installation of the courtyard posts.

The words — חָצֵר (cha.Tzer) denotes the enclosed courtyard space, while קַלְעֵי (kal.'Ei) specifies the woven curtains or hangings that formed its perimeter.

The thread — This construction detail fulfills the earlier command in Exodus 27:9 to create a courtyard with south-side linen curtains, which is later executed in Exodus 40:8 when the courtyard is set up and its entrance curtain is hung.

Why it lands — The verse demands attention to the precise boundaries and materials of sacred space, requiring the reader to recognize how specific measurements and fabrics physically demarcate the area for the Tent of Meeting.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

King James Version

And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits:

Cross-references