Bible Strands
Exodus 40:32
They washed whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator describes the priests' routine following the tabernacle's erection and the initial washing of Moses, Aaron, and his sons. This moment occurs after the courtyard is set up but before Moses completes the final arrangements.
The words — The verb יִרְחָ֑צוּ (yir.Cha.tzu) literally means "they washed," denoting the repeated action. The noun אֹ֣הֶל (ʾōhel) denotes the tent, specifically paired with מוֹעֵד (meeting) to identify the sacred space.
The thread — The washing practice connects to Exodus 30:19, where the LORD commands Aaron and his sons to wash their hands and feet. The tent's erection follows the pattern in Exodus 40:19, where Moses spreads the tent over the tabernacle as commanded.
Why it lands — The text states the priests washed upon entering the Tent of Meeting or approaching the altar, explicitly grounding the action in the LORD's command to Moses rather than a human decree. It requires the reader to recognize that ritual access to the sacred space is governed by divine instruction, not human initiative.
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
When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the Lord commanded Moses.
Cross-references
- Exodus 30:19 with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet.
- Exodus 40:19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, just as the LORD had commanded him.
- Psalms 73:19 How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!