Preface: Chapter 26 deals with the description of the Tabernacle and how it is supposed to be constructed. Exodus 26 is the blueprint for the Tabernacle; Exodus 36 is the actual construction itself.

The Bible Summary of Exodus 26 (in 140 characters or less): Make a tabernacle of fine linen. Make curtains of goats' hair to cover the tabernacle. Make boards of acacia wood and a linen veil.

There are many chapter commentaries on the book of Exodus. This will be the most extensive examination of Exodus 26, where you will be able to examine in depth every word of the original text. Every attempt has been made to make this both a complete and self-contained study. Therefore, all references, vocabulary, and related concepts should be found within this extensive study. Easy access links to more in-depth studies of some vocabulary words, concepts and doctrines are also provided.

Outline of Chapter 26:

Introduction

         vv.     1–13         The Curtains of the Tabernacle

          v.       14           Hides for the Roof of the Tabernacle

         vv.    15–25         The Acacia Wood Framing for the Sides and Back of the Tabernacle

         vv.    26–29         The Crossbars and Gold Plaiting of the Frame

          v.       30           The Command to Assemble the Tabernacle

         vv.    31–33         The Veil for the Holy of Holies

         vv.    34–35         The Placement of Furniture in the Tabernacle

         vv.    36–37         The Fabric Cover for the Front of the Tabernacle and Its Support

Chapter Summary

Addendum

Charts, Graphics and Short Doctrines:

         Preface               Quotations

         Introduction         Titles and/or Brief Descriptions of Exodus 26 (by various commentators)

         Introduction         Brief, but insightful observations of Exodus 26 (various commentators)

         Introduction         Fundamental Questions About Exodus 26

         Introduction         The Prequel of Exodus 26

         Introduction 

         Introduction 

         Introduction         The Principals of Exodus 26

         Introduction         The Places of Exodus 26

         Introduction         By the Numbers

         Introduction         Timeline for Exodus 26

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Exodus 26

         Introduction         Outlines of Exodus 26 (Various Commentators)

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Exodus 26 from the Summarized Bible

         Introduction         The Big Picture (Exodus –)

         Introduction         Paragraph Divisions of Modern Translation for Exodus 26

         Introduction 

         Introduction 

         Introduction         Changes—additions and subtractions (for Exodus 26)

         Introduction 

         v. 

         v. 

         v.       3              The Tabernacle and Its Fabric (a graphic)

         v.       3              The Fine Linen Fabric Draped over the Tabernacle (a graphic)

         v. 

         v. 

         v.       6              The Ten Curtains, Connected (a graphic)

         v.       6              Curtains Hanging Down on Side of Tent (a photo of a model)

         v. 

         v. 

         v. 

         v.       9              Tabernacle Coverings and Curtains (a graphic)

         v. 

         v.      11              50 Clasps Connecting Two Curtains (a graphic)

         v. 

         v. 

         v. 

         v.      13              Tabernacle Viewed from the Inside (a graphic)

         v. 

         v.      14              The Four Coverings of the Tabernacle (a graphic)

         v. 

         v. 

         v. 

         v. 

         v.      19              Two Boards, Four Sockets (a graphic)

         v.      19              A Concrete Deck Block (a graphic)

         v. 

         v. 

         v. 

         v.      24              Top View of Back Corner (a graphic)

         v.      24              The left rear corner of the tabernacle from an inside perspective (a graphic)

         v.      25              The Boards of the Tabernacle (a graphic)

         v.      26              Location of the Crossbars (a graphic)

         v.      28              The Crossbars (a graphic)

         v. 

         v.      29              Boards Overlain with Gold (a graphic)

         v.      31              The Meanings of These Symbols (from Opening the Seals)

         v.      31              The Veil and the Cherubim (a photo of a model)

         v.      31              The Holy Place (a graphic)

         v.      32              The Four Pillars and the Veil (a graphic)

         v.      33              The Veil Hung by the Clasps (a graphic)

         v.      33              The Glen Cairn Museum Tabernacle (a photo of a model)

         v.      33              The Torn Veil (a graphic)

         v. 

         v.      34              The Placement of the Ark Furniture (a graphic)

         v.      34              The Two Rooms of the Tabernacle (a graphic)

         v.      35              A View of the Inside of the Tabernacle (a model)

         v. 

         v. 

         v. 

         v. 

         v.      37              The Five Pillar Entrance (a graphic)

         v.      37              The Two Veils (picture of a model)

         v.      37              God’s Symbology for the Tabernacle

         Summary            A Set of Summary Doctrines and Commentary

         Summary            Why Exodus 26 is in the Word of God

         Summary            What We Learn from Exodus 26

         Summary            Jesus Christ in Exodus 26

         Summary            An Overall View of the Design and Construction of the Ark (a graphic)

         Summary            The Tabernacle Tent (a graphic)

         Summary            Shmoop Summary of Exodus 26

         Summary            Edersheim Summarizes Exodus 26

         Summary 

         Addendum          Josephus’ History of this Time Period

         Addendum          A Complete Translation of Exodus 26

         Addendum          Doctrinal Teachers Who Have Taught Exodus 26

         Addendum          Word Cloud from a Reasonably Literal Paraphrase of Exodus 26

         Addendum          Word Cloud from Exegesis of Exodus 26

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An Introduction to Exodus 26

I ntroduction: Exodus 26 contains detailed instructions of how the Tabernacle is to be built. Because the Tabernacle was periodically moved from place to place (whenever the Israelites moved in the desert-wilderness; or whenever it was relocated to a different city in Israel), it would have to be broken down into its component parts, which could then be transported from point A to point B. This may help to explain why certain things were done that way that they were.

Once Israel became a nation, there were still occasions when the Ark of God and the Tabernacle would be moved. Even though the actual movement is beyond the scope of this study, if you are interested, this is the location for the doctrine of the Movement of the Ark and the Tabernacle (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Although the Ark of God is not spoken of in this chapter, we previously discussed it in Exodus 25 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

The detailed instructions found here and elsewhere in the Law have two main functions: (1) to tell the sons of Israel exactly what God wants them to do when building the Tabernacle; and (2) to provide more evidence that the Mosaic Law came first, followed by the observation of the Mosaic Law.

At this point, I am going to go off on sort of a jag, and I will try to explain why we have Exodus 26 (God’s instructions for building the Tabernacle) and Exodus 36 (the Hebrew people building the Tabernacle). There are portions of these chapters which are nearly identical. And, when it comes down to the exegesis of these two chapters, there are many overlaps. My question is, is it really necessary to have both chapters and is there any theological reason for that? In answering this, I am going to attack a well-respected (but wrong) theory found in many Protestant seminaries and I will offer up at least two analogous situations which may help to explain why both chapters are necessary to our study.

One of the (false) theories of the origin of the Mosaic Law is that it was written by various people (two primary sources) who lived much later than Moses; and then others added to what they wrote and integrated their texts together. Even though this theory sounds quite convoluted, many theologians hold to it and they will solemnly tell you that E wrote this section; and these two verses here, well, J wrote those, and we know this because, and so they rattle on and on. This is known as the JEPD theory of Scripture. Essentially, they are suggesting that the long held traditions of the Hebrew people were not held as long as we think they were; or that the writing reflected what the Hebrew people were already doing. So somehow, these ingrained observations of centuries just sort of happened; or the people were fooled into thinking they had followed these instructions for years, or whatever.

Sometimes it is helpful to take the assumptions of such a theory and see how they logically play out. So, let’s say that the Torah was written 500 or 1000 years after the fact. There are two possibilities: (1) the complex religious traditions found in this section of Exodus have been ongoing; or (2) not all or none of the complex religious traditions were being followed by Israel.

If #1 is true, then from where did they get these traditions. The more we delve into this chapter, the more complex and interrelated their religious structure is becomes apparent. It is far more complex than someone a long time ago saying, “Hey, let do this and that and the other things, and that is how we will worship God.” As we move through Exodus and Leviticus, it is going to be obvious that these traditions just did not suddenly appear. Someone had to design them, figure them out, present them, and then the population as a whole had to decide to follow them. So, it makes perfect sense that there were some written instructions if Israel is following this set of very complex religious traditions. So why would someone, 500 or 1000 years later pretend that they had just come across all of these writings? If these observances were in place for 500–1000 years, does it not make sense that some sort of writings already existed to guide each new generation? Then why come up with a “new” set hundreds of years later and claim they are the original old set? Do you see how little sense that makes. This is an illogical set of circumstances based upon the JEPD theorists.

Let’s say #2 is true. The Hebrew people were not following any or all of these traditions, and then someone came along and said, “Here are the Scriptures. They are really hundreds of years old; and these are the things that we ought to be doing.” This would be seen historically as a revolution in Hebrew religious observance; but somehow, in all of the historic writings, no one made note of, “In the year 600 b.c. we only had a few religious traditions; but in the year 601 b.c., our religious traditions flourished, due to the discovering of some ancient religious writings.” (go with me on this; I used that dates for illustrative purposes).

It is certainly possible, with a very persuasive leader, to lead many people astray or off in a different direction. The Mormons are a great illustration of this. All of a sudden, they had a new set of Scriptures, in addition to the Old and New Testaments; and many of their followers believed in those new Scriptures (the Book of Mormon and Doctrines and Covenants). Now, did all of Christendom rejoice at these new books and accept them; and accept them as ancient writings? No! A relative handful did and the Mormon religion has been successful, but essentially a cult, an offshoot of mainstream Christianity. My point is, if suddenly these Scriptures showed up in ancient Israel, the people would not have 100% flocked to them and accepted them. A considerable percentage may have, but, just as the previous option led to, there would be some kind of a record of such a major event and change of religious structure. With all of the things recorded in the Old Testament Scriptures, do you really think that something like this—an overhaul of religious practices after hundreds of years is huge—would have gone unnoticed by their historians and religious writers?

Whether the Hebrew people were following all of these traditions already or not, such an occurrence would have been massive; and yet, we as brilliant theologians are only able to perceive it from vocabulary and sentence structure 3000 years after the fact? When the Reformation happened—when the very fundamentals of Catholicism were questioned and when the Bible was being revealed in the language of the people—this was a major event which dramatically changed theological thought and traditions. We don’t have to guess that such an event happened; it is the biggest event in Christian history since the formation of the canon of Scripture (which took place between a.d. 100–400). When people found out that the Bible says X, Y and Z; and this is contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church, that is a major event in Christian history, and it is well documented through the writings of dozens, if not hundreds, of men. My point is, it is illogical that there was a Jewish Reformation which took place, and yet, we are only able to discern it through vocabulary and sentence structure? It is deeply hidden, and only theological geniuses are able to see it?

Forgive me for this comparison, but only someone who is a genius and graduated with an advanced degree in economics can possibly believe the Keynesian economic theories are sound. Normal people—people with common sense—don’t go for any of that nonsense. Similarly, only theologians deeply steeped in JEPD theory from seminaries believe that someone other than Moses—500 or 1000 years after the fact—wrote the Torah. Commentaries even today are steeped in comments like, J wrote this section and this was the point he was making; but E, two verses down, had another point that he was trying to make.

What makes far more sense is, Moses wrote these words, as given him by God; and then he taught these things to the people—as the text will tell us—and these traditions began in the desert-wilderness; and were continued when Israel took the land of Canaan. Such a forthright understanding explains far more than the JEPD theory ever has.

Now, how exactly does this chapter relate to the JEPD topic of which I have been writing passionately? We are studying Exodus 26, which are specific directions laid down by God. Moses and the people of Israel will follow these instructions in Exodus 36 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). It is very logical for a person writing at that time to first, write down the instructions given by God; and then later, to document that the people of Israel actually followed those instructions. For us, studying these chapters, thousands of years later, they will seem very repetitive. Someone pretending to write this narrative 500 or 1000 years later would be very tempted to have Exodus 26 only, followed by the final verse, And Israel did all that God instructed her to do. But someone like Moses living right in the midst of all that would have written both God’s words and then the fulfillment of them by the obedience of Israel.

Let me try to offer up an odd but analogous circumstance. I had a rather large addition made to my house, and every day, I took 10–20 pictures to document everything that was happening. As soon as the workers were gone, I got up on the roof and looked at what they did and took photos of it. However, someone buying this house 20 or 30 years in the future might be interested in the before and after photos, but the daily record of what happened? Little or no interest in that at all. For me it is an experience which I treasure (I eventually did some of the finishing work myself). My point being, as the person involved in the day-to-day experience, I was interested in every aspect of the process; but if someone comes along decades later, they will have very little interest in the process itself.

Moses, living in the midst of all these events, would have had a deep an abiding interest in all that happened; and this is documented throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. There are so many details found in these books which a person living at that time would have been interested in and would have documented. For us, thousands of years later, it might be difficult for us to retain an avid interest in Exodus 26, and then be similarly interested in Exodus 36.

This chapter, like many others found in the Torah, may require a light hand when it comes to commentary. On occasion, someone will read through the various commentaries and try to figure out how to duplicate what we find here, to make a model of some sort; but 99.99% of those who read this are simply curious about what is in the Law and how does it apply to them (in a society such as ours, few are those who don’t think, “How is this relevant to me?”).

A question many might have is, why do we have chapters 26 and 36? Exodus 26 contains God’s instructions for building the Tabernacle; and Exodus 36 is all about the building of the Tabernacle. Do we really need to see this same material twice? In fact, we find this occurring several times in the book of Exodus. Instructions are given for doing X; and then, 10 chapters later, the sons of Israel do X. Now, if this material was put together long after the fact (which is the contention of some liberal theologians), then many editors would have simply left out one of these two chapters. Or they were give all the directions, and add on the verse, and so the sons of Israel built what God told them to build. But this is very much how someone would think after the fact. To Moses and to those who experienced these things in real time, what God said was of the utmost importance, and so it was recorded. But, nearly as important was the obedience of the Israelites to the requirements given by God. To Moses, these two chapters are very distinct events. Therefore, Moses would record both events. To people reading and studying these words 300, 500 or 3000 years later, the importance of having both chapters in the Word of God if less clear.

These two chapters, along with the experiences of those who lived during this time, make up the witnesses to these events. I did not live during the time that God gave Moses the Law. I don’t know anyone from that era and have never known any one from that era. So, how do I know that someone did not just make an elaborate history and present it as real history? These chapters confirm that God gave the Law to Moses; and that the people then obeyed that Law. The actual history of the Israelis in the land of promise have them functioning with the Tabernacle, as it is an essential part of their history throughout the other books of the Old Testament (written separately and long after the Torah was written). Each successive book added to the canon of Scripture is another witness to what had come before. We read about Eli the priest in 1Samuel 1 and Hannah coming to the Tabernacle to worship and to pray. Everything which occurred over the previous 300 or so years is assumed. There is no detailed description of the Tabernacle because it has been a part of Israel’s history for 300 years.

I write this in December of 2020, and there is a deep political conflict between those who believe that our foundation is the Constitution of the United States and those who believe that the Constitution is an old, outdated, racist document which should be set aside or organically interpreted consistent with the times. When we speak of the Constitution today, I do not have to describe the paper that it is written on, describe where it is kept, describe its history and how it came to be. At this point in our history, it just is. And it is fundamental to what the United States is as a country. No one argues about whether or not the Constitution is real and came from the time that it came from, because it is integral to our culture and government.

The same thing is true of the Torah and the things found in the Torah. They are integral to Israel’s culture and government. Now, today, thousands of years later, there are those who want to argue, “Moses really did not write the Law” or claim, “The Torah became a part of Israel’s history a thousand years after Moses.” But with every book added to the Old Testament, this argument becomes less and less convincing. Each layer of history (each book added to the Old Testament) clearly adds another layer of proof, where the history of previous books are assumed, and the future of Israel, from that point in time, is unknown. We may see these as necessary bricks in a great edifice; and how much sense does it make to build a massive structure upon a foundation that was not there in the first place?

For me, this fairly intense chapter-by-chapter study of the Scriptures leads me to places I would have never expected. I have no idea, quite frankly, how interesting some chapters are going to be for me, and ultimately, for the reader (when I first began these studies, I had no idea if there would even be someone who read them). Quite frankly, chapters like this, the repetitive study of Exodus 36, and 7 chapters of animal sacrifices which begin the book of Leviticus, along with a very long chapter on clean and unclean foods and a very long chapter on diagnosing and treating leprosy—I had misgivings up-front as to whether or not I could sustain my own interest in this material, let alone the interest of a read or two who might somehow discover these studies and be drawn to them. What I have found so far is, even if I have had misgivings about a chapter at the outset, at some point, I came across topics or tangents which I found particularly engaging and interesting (to me at least; I have no idea about people who read this material).

My intent is to cover, at minimum, a word-by-word study of the entire Pentateuch, along with a number of other books. These books were, after all, foundational to the Hebrew people. These are also the words of God; so my expectation is, there will be relevant material for all believers, even if the basic subject matter may seem, at first, to be not particularly interesting.

There is one more thing, and the reader may find this important to note: it is not the destination, in the Christian life, but it is the drive. My intention is to cover, in their entirely, specific books in the Word of God. However, in my desire to complete them, I cannot simply race through to reach the destination. Each step taken is just as important if not more so than the final destination (for instance, the completion of the study of the 5 books of the Torah).

This chapter study is going to be filled with pictures. Not all of them are necessarily accurate, but they are close enough for us to have a rough idea of what was being built. The old saying, one picture is worth 1000 words, is clearly in use here. There is a distinct possibility that Moses not only heard the description that we will study, but that he also saw a model or image of the tent on Mount Sinai (see Exodus 26:30).

From time to time, I am going to have a different vision of what the Tabernacle looked like than an image that I have chosen to post. These differences should be taken with a grain of salt. I am pretty certain that I am right when I disagree with a posted image, but I don’t know exactly how important that is.

Timeline for Exodus 26

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The Curtains of the Tabernacle

compare Exodus 36:8–18

The passages that we are suggested to compare to this chapter are the fulfillment of God’s commands. In this chapter are the commands/explanation/description of what God wants Moses is to oversee. God will tell Moses exactly how to construct the Tabernacle. Starting around Exodus 36, Moses, helped by the sons of Israel, begins to build what God has commanded.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:                       Note: I compare the Hebrew text to English translations of the Latin, Syriac (= Aramaic) and Greek texts, using the Douay-Rheims translation; George Lamsa’s translation, and Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton’s translation as revised and edited by Paul W. Esposito, respectively. I often update these texts with non-substantive changes (e.g., you for thou, etc.). I often use the text of the Complete Apostles’ Bible instead of Brenton’s translation, because it updates the English text.

The Septuagint was the earliest known translation of a book (circa 200 b.c.). Since this translation was made before the textual criticism had been developed into a science and because different books appear to be translated by different men, the Greek translation can sometimes be very uneven.

When there are serious disparities between my translation and Brenton’s (or the text of the Complete Apostles’ Bible), I look at the Greek text of the Septuagint (the LXX) to see if a substantive difference actually exists (and I reflect these changes in the English rendering of the Greek text). I use the Greek LXX with Strong’s numbers and morphology available for e-sword. The only problem with this resource (which is a problem for similar resources) is, there is no way to further explore Greek verbs which are not found in the New Testament. Although I usually quote the Complete Apostles’ Bible here, I have begun to make changes in the translation when their translation conflicts with the Greek and note what those changes are.

The Masoretic text is the Hebrew text with all of the vowels (vowel points) inserted (the original Hebrew text lacked vowels). We take the Masoretic text to be the text closest to the original. However, differences between the Masoretic text and the Greek, Latin and Syriac are worth noting and, once in a great while, represent a more accurate text possessed by those other ancient translators.

In general, the Latin text is an outstanding translation from the Hebrew text into Latin and very trustworthy (I say this as a non-Catholic). Unfortunately, I do not read Latin—apart from some very obvious words—so I am dependent upon the English translation of the Latin (principally, the Douay-Rheims translation).

The comparisons which I do are primarily between the English translations which are taken from the ancient tongues. For the most part, the variances are so minor that I rarely investigate them any further than that.

Underlined words indicate differences in the text.

Bracketed portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls are words, letters and phrases lost in the scroll due to various types of damage. Underlined words or phrases are those in the Dead Sea Scrolls but not in the Masoretic text.

I will only list the translation from the Dead Sea Scrolls if it exists and if it is different from the Masoretic text.

The Targum of Onkelos is actually the Pentateuchal Targumim, which are The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel. On the Pentateuch With The Fragments of the Jerusalem Targum From the Chaldee by J. W. Etheridge, M.A. From http://www.becomingjewish.org/texts/targum/onkelos_Exodus.html and first published in 1862.

Occasionally, there is an obvious error in the English translation, and I correct those without additional mention or footnoting. For instance, the online version of the Targum of Onkelos which I use has gorund in Ex. 4:9; I simply corrected the text. This may occur once or twice in a chapter.

I attempt to include translations which are different in their vocabulary and phrasing. On many occasions, I may include a translation which is not substantially different than another listed translation.

Most of the translations can be found here.

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        And the Tabernacle you will make: ten curtains, white linen, twisted; and violet and purple and dye of scarlet. Angels a work of calculating you will make them. And a length of a curtain one eight and twenty in the cubit; and width four in the cubit the curtain one. A measure the one to all the curtains. Five of the curtains will be joined each unto another and five of the curtains joined each unto another.

Dead Sea Scrolls                   .

Targum (Onkelos)                  And thou shalt make THE TABERNACLE (of) ten curtains of fine linen twined, and hyacinth, and purple, and vermilion, (and) figures of kerubin, the work of the artificer shalt thou make them. The length of one curtain twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits; the measure of all the curtains shall be one. Five curtains shall be conjoined one with another, and five curtains conjoined one with another. And thou shalt make loops of hyacinth upon the edge of one curtain in the side on which it is joined, and so shalt thou do on the border of the second curtain in the side on which it is joined. Translation for Onkelos and Pseudo-Jonathan by J. W. Etheridge, M.A. (1862).

Targum (Pseudo-Jonathan)   And the Tabernacle thou shalt make with ten curtains of fine linen twined, and hyacinth, and purple, and crimson, with figures of kerubin; with the work of the artificer shalt thou make them. The length of one curtain twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits; the measure of one shall be that of all the curtains. Five curtains shall be coupled one with another, and five other curtains coupled one with another.

Jerusalem targum                  .

Revised Douay-Rheims         And you shall make the tabernacle in this manner: you shall make ten curtains of fine twisted linen, and violet and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, diversified with embroidery. The length of one curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, the breadth shall be four cubits. All the curtains shall be of one measure. Five curtains shall be joined one to another, and the other five shall be coupled together in like manner.

Douay-Rheims 1899 (Amer.) .

Aramaic ESV of Peshitta        "Moreover you shall make the Tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim. The work of the skilful workman you shall make them. The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits: all the curtains shall have one measure. Five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and the other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.

Lamsa’s Peshitta (Syriac)     MOREOVER you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue and purple and scarlet material; with cherubim, the workmanship of a craftsman shall you make them. The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be of the same measure. Five curtains shall be coupled one to another; and the other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.

V. Alexander’s Aramaic T.     .

Samaritan Pentateuch           And look that thou make [them] after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle [with] ten curtains [of] fine twined linen, blue, and purple, and scarlet: [with] cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.

The length of one curtain [shall be] eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.

And five curtains shall be coupled together one to one; and [other] five curtains shall be coupled one to one. Vv. 1–4 in the Samaritan Pentateuch

Updated Brenton (Greek)       And you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine spun linen, and blue and purple, and scarlet spun with cherubim; you shall make them with the work of a weaver. The length of one curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and one curtain shall be the breadth of four cubits: there shall be the same measure to all the curtains. And the five curtains shall be joined one to another, and the other five curtains shall be closely connected the one with the other.

Significant differences: 

Limited Vocabulary Translations:

Bible in Basic English             And you are to make a House for me, with ten curtains of the best linen, blue and purple and red, worked with designs of winged ones by a good workman. Every curtain is to be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide, all of the same measure. Five curtains are to be joined together, and the other five are to be joined together.

Easy English                          The tabernacle

Make the tabernacle with 10 curtains of very good linen. Also use white, blue, purple and red material. Tell a clever worker that he must make pictures of angels in the curtains. All the curtains must be the same size, 12½ metres long and 1¾ metres wide. Join five of the curtains together. Do the same with the other five curtains.

Easy-to-Read Version–2006  The Holy Tent

“The Holy Tent should be made from ten curtains. These curtains must be made from fine linen and blue, purple, and red yarn. A skilled worker should sew pictures of Cherub angels with wings into the curtains. Make each curtain the same size. Each curtain should be 28 cubits [47' 7 3/8" (14.5 m).] long and 4 cubits [6' 9 5/8" (2.1 m). Also in verse 8] wide. Join the curtains together into two groups. Join five curtains together to make one group and join five curtains together to make the other group.

God’s Word™                         .

Good News Bible (TEV)         The Tent of the Lord's Presence

“Make the interior of the sacred Tent, the Tent of my presence, out of ten pieces of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool. Embroider them with figures of winged creatures. Make each piece the same size, 14 yards long and 2 yards wide. Sew five of them together in one set, and do the same with the other fiv.

The Message                         The Dwelling

“Make The Dwelling itself from ten panels of tapestry woven from fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet material, with an angel-cherubim design. A skilled craftsman should do it. The panels of tapestry are each to be forty-six feet long and six feet wide. Join five of the panels together, and then the other five together.

Names of God Bible               The Tent

The Lord continued, “Make the inner tent with ten sheets made from fine linen yarn. Take violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and creatively work an angel[a] design into the fabric. Each sheet will be 42 feet long and 6 feet wide—all the same size. Five of the sheets must be sewn together, and the other five must also be sewn together.

NIRV                                      The Holy Tent

“Make ten curtains out of finely twisted linen for the holy tent. Make them with blue, purple and bright red yarn. Have a skilled worker sew cherubim into the pattern. Make all the curtains the same size. They must be 42 feet long and six feet wide. Join five of the curtains together. Do the same thing with the other five.

New Simplified Bible              »Construct the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet material. Make them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.

»Each curtain will be forty-two feet long and six feet wide. All will be the same size.

»Five of the curtains must be sewn together. The other five must also be sewn together.

Thought-for-thought translations; dynamic translations; paraphrases:

Contemporary English V.       Furnish the sacred tent with curtains made from ten pieces of the finest linen. They must be woven with blue, purple, and red wool and embroidered with figures of winged creatures. Make each piece fourteen yards long and two yards wide and sew them together into two curtains with five sections each.

The Living Bible                     “Make the tabernacle-tent from ten colored sheets of fine linen, 42 feet long and 6 feet wide, dyed blue, purple, and scarlet, with figures of Guardian Angels embroidered on them. Join five sheets end to end for each side of the tent, forming two long pieces, one for each side. Use loops at the edges to join these two long pieces together side by side.

New Berkeley Version           .

New Life Version                    The Meeting Tent

“Make the meeting tent with ten curtains of fine linen, blue and purple and red. Make them with cherubim sewed into them by an able workman. Each curtain will be as long as fourteen long steps, and as wide as two long steps, all of them the same. Five curtains will be joined to one another. And the other five curtains will be joined to one another.

New Living Translation           Plans for the Tabernacle

“Make the Tabernacle from ten curtains of finely woven linen. Decorate the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. These ten curtains must all be exactly the same size—42 feet long and 6 feet wide [Hebrew 28 cubits [12.9 meters] long and 4 cubits [1.8 meters] wide.]. Join five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, then join the other five into a second long curtain.

Unlocked Dynamic Bible        “Tell the people to make the sacred tent using ten long strips of fine linen. They must take blue, purple, and red thread, and a skilled craftsman must embroider these strips with designs that represent the winged creatures that are above the chest. Each strip is to be twelve and one-half meters long and one and four-fifths meters wide. Tell them to sew five strips together to make one set, and to sew the other five strips together to make another set.

Unfolding Bible (simplified)    .

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          ‘Then you must make the Tent with ten curtains of fine-spun linen, blue [thread], purple [yarn], and scarlet [cloth], with a pattern of cherubs woven into them. The curtains must be forty-seven feet long and six and three-quarters feet tall. All the curtains must be the same size. Five of the curtains will be joined to each other, and the other five will be closely connected to each other.

Beck’s American Translation .

Common English Bible           Instructions for building the dwelling

Make the dwelling with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and deep red yarns. Work figures of winged heavenly creatures into their design. Each curtain should be forty-two feet long and each curtain six feet wide. All the curtains should be the same size. Five curtains will be joined to each other as one set, while the other five curtains will be joined together as a second set.

New Advent (Knox) Bible       And this is how the tabernacle is to be fashioned. Make ten curtains of twisted linen thread, worked in threads of blue and purple and scarlet twice-dyed, with all the embroiderer’s art.[1] 2 All the curtains are to be of the same size, twenty-eight cubits in length and four in width. 3 Five of these must be joined to each other, and then the remaining five in the same way;...

[1] According to the Hebrew text, here and in verse 31 but not in verse 36, the embroidery was a pattern of cherubim.

Translation for Translators                        Instructions for the coverings for the Sacred Tent

“ Tell the people to make the Sacred Tent using ten long strips of fine linen. They must take blue, purple, and red thread (OR, weave the strips from blue, purple, and red thread), and a skilled craftsman must embroider these strips with designs that represent the winged creatures that are above the chest. Each strip is to be ◂fourteen yards/twelve meters► long and ◂2 yards/1.8 meters► wide. Tell them to sew five strips together to make one set, and sew the other five strips together to make another set.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

.

Ferrar-Fenton Bible                You shall also make for the tent ten curtains of twisted linen, and azure, purple, and blue, ornamented artistically with two cherubs. The width of each curtain shall be eighteen cubits, and the height of it four cubits. The extent of each curtain shall be the same to all the curtains. Two curtains shall be attached one to the other; and five curtains attached one to the other.

God’s Truth (Tyndale)           And you shall make an habitation with ten curtains of twined byss, Jacinth, scarlet and purple, and shall make them with cherubins of broidered work. The length of a curtain shall be twenty eight cubits, and the breadth four and they shall be all of one measure: five curtains shall be coupled together one to another: and the other five likewise shall be coupled together one to another.

HCSB                                     The Tabernacle

“You are to construct the tabernacle itself with 10 curtains. You must make them of finely spun linen, and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with a design of cherubim worked into them. The length of each curtain should be 42 feet, [Lit 28 cubits] and the width of each curtain six feet; [Lit four cubits] all the curtains are to have the same measurements. Five of the curtains should be joined together, and the other five curtains joined together.

International Standard V        .

Jubilee Bible 2000                  .

Lexham English Bible            Instructions for Making the Tabernacle

"And the tabernacle you will make [with] ten curtains; you will make them of finely twisted linen and blue and purple and crimson [yarns], [with] cherubim, the work of a skilled craftsman. The length of the one curtain [will be] twenty-eight cubits, and the width [will be] four cubits [for] the one curtain; one measure [will be] for all the curtains. Five curtains will be joined {to one another}, and five curtains joined {to one another}.

NIV, ©2011                             .

Unfolding Bible Literal Text    .

Unlocked Literal Bible            .

Urim-Thummim Version         You will make the Tabernacle with 10 curtains of finely twisted linen, and blue, purple, and scarlet, you will fashion it with cherubim of embroidered work. The length of one curtain will be 42 feet and its width 6 feet. And all the curtains will be the exact same size. Five curtains will be joined together, and the other 5 curtains joined together too.

Wikipedia Bible Project          And the dwelling you will make of ten drapes. Sixfold wrought cloth, and cyan and magenta, and second-weave, with griffins. Make them thoughtful work. The length of one drape twenty eight cubits, and width four cubits, one drape. All the drapes are of one measure. Five drapes shall be joined, one against her sister, and five drapes joined, one against her sister.

Catholic Bibles (those having the imprimatur):

Christian Community (1988)  The Holy Tent itself you are to make with ten sheets of fine twined linen, of purple wool, violet shade and red, and of crimson wool; you are to have these sheets finely embroidered with angels. The length of a single sheet is to be twenty-eight cubits, its width four cubits, all the sheets to be of the same size. Five of the sheets must be sewed together, and the other five, also.

The Heritage Bible                 And you shall make ten curtains of fine twisted linen for the tabernacle, and you shall make them blue, and purple, and bright crimson with cherubs of calculated work. The length of one curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of one curtain four cubits; and there shall be one measure to every one of the curtains. The five curtains shall be joined together each woman to her sister; and five curtains shall be joined each woman to her sister. ³

³ 26:3 each woman to her sister is literally what is written. The curtains are simply referred to as feminine, and each one is like the other.

New American Bible (2002)             .

New American Bible(2011)    The Tent Cloth.

The tabernacle itself you shall make out of ten sheets* woven of fine linen twined and of violet, purple, and scarlet yarn, with cherubim embroidered on them. [(26:1–14) Ex 36:8–19.] The length of each shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width four cubits; all the sheets shall be of the same size. Five of the sheets are to be joined one to another; and the same for the other five.

* [26:1] Sheets: strips of tapestry, woven of white linen, the colored threads being used for the cherubim which were embroidered on them. These sheets were stretched across the top of the tabernacle to form a roof, their free ends hanging down inside the framework that formed the walls.

New English Bible–1970        The tent of the Presence. - Ex.36.8-38

Make the Tabernacle of ten hangings of finely woven linen, and violet, purple, and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked on them, all made by a seamster. The length of each hanging shall be twenty-eight cubits and the breadth four cubits; all are to be of the same size. Five of the hangings shall be joined together, and similarly the other five.

New Jerusalem Bible             'The Dwelling itself you will make with ten sheets of finely woven linen dyed violet-purple, red-purple and crimson. You will have them embroidered with great winged creatures. The length of a single sheet is to be twenty-eight cubits, its width four cubits, all the sheets to be of the same size. Five of the sheets are to be joined to one another, and the other five sheets are to be joined to one another.

New RSV                               .

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           (A: iii) “You are to make the tabernacle with ten sheets of finely woven linen and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn. You are to make them with k’ruvim worked in, that have been crafted by a skilled artisan. Each one is to be forty-two feet long and six feet wide; all the sheets are to be the same size. Five sheets are to be joined one to another, and the other five sheets are to be joined one to another.

exeGeses companion Bible   PATTERN FOR THE TABERNACLE

And work the tabernacle

with ten curtains of white twined linen

and blue and purple and scarlet:

work them with cherubim, the work of a fabricator:

the length of one curtain, twenty-eight cubits

and the width of one curtain, four cubits

- and everyone of the curtains has one measure:

join five curtains woman to sister

and join five curtains woman to sister:...

Hebraic Roots Bible               And you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains. You shall make them with cherubs, the work of a skilled workman, of twined linen, and blue and purple and crimson. The length of one curtain shall be twenty eight by the cubit; and the width four by the cubit, for the one curtain; one measure to all the curtains. Five curtains shall be joined together, each to her sister. And five curtains shall be joined each to its sister-piece.

Israeli Authorized Version      .

Kaplan Translation                 The Tabernacle

Make the tabernacle out of ten large tapestries consisting of twined linen, and sky-blue, dark red, and crimson [wool], with a pattern of cherubs woven into them.

Each tapestry shall be 28 cubits long and 4 cubits wide, with each tapestry the same size.

The [first] five tapestries shall be sewn together, and the [second] five shall [also] be sewn together.. The Kaplan Translation, particularly in Exodus through Deuteronomy, takes note of historic rabbinic opinions.

tabernacle

These tapestries constituted the tabernacle proper. See Exodus 36:8 ff.

twined linen

The threads were made of six thinner threads twisted together. The colored wools were also twined together with the linen to form a single thread, with various colors dominating (Yad, Kley HaMikdash 8:14).

cherubs

See note on Exodus 25:18. Some say that there was a pattern of cherubs (Midrash HaGadol), while others maintain that there were two cherubs on each curtain (Rabbenu Meyuchas).

woven into

So that the form could be seen on both sides of the tapestry (Yoma 72b; Rashi; Yad, Kley HaMikdash 8:15).

28 cubits long...

Each curtain was 42' x 6'. This was the maximum width that could be woven practically.

sewn

(Rashi; Rashbam; cf. Shabbath 99a, Rashi ad loc. s.v. VeNere'in). Literally, 'attached.'

The Scriptures 1998              “And make the Dwelling Place with ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue and purple and scarlet material. Make them, with kerub?im, the work of a skilled workman.

“The length of each curtain is twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits, all the curtains having one measure.

“Five curtains are joined to each other, and five curtains are joined to each other.

Tree of Life Version                Curtains

“Moreover you are to make the Tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen, of blue [Or violet.], purple and scarlet, with cheruvim made by the work of a skillful craftsman. The length of each curtain is to be 28 cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains are to have the same measure. Five curtains are to be coupled together one to another, and the other five curtains are also to be coupled one to another.

Weird English, Olde English, Anachronistic English Translations:

Alpha & Omega Bible            .

Awful Scroll Bible                   You was to make the dwelling place with ten curtains, of being twined linen, violet, magenta, crimson, scarlet, with cherubs, a being assessed work was it to be made. The length of one curtain is to be eight and twenty cubits, and the width of the other curtain is to be four cubits, the curtains are to be by one measurement. The five curtains are to be coupled, each to its sister, and five curtains are to be coupled, each to its sister.

Concordant Literal Version    The tabernacle you shall make with ten sheets of corded cambric and blue, purple and double-dipped crimson; with cherubim in the handiwork of a designer shall you make them. The length of one sheet shall be twenty-eight cubits and the width four cubits for one sheet; one measure shall be for all the sheets. Five of the sheets shall be joining each to its fellow, and the five other sheets shall be joining each to its fellow.

Darby Translation (1889)       .

exeGeses companion Bible   .

Orthodox Jewish Bible           Moreover thou shalt make the Mishkan (Tabernacle) with ten curtains of twisted linen with turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool; with keruvim of artistic needle work shalt thou make them.

The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the width of one curtain four cubits; and every one of the curtains shall have middah achat (one size).

The five curtains shall be choverot (joined together) one to another; and the other five curtains shall be chovrot one to another.

Rotherham’s Emphasized B. .

Third Millennium Bible            .

Expanded/Embellished Bibles:

The Amplified Bible                Curtains of Linen

“Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle (sacred tent of worship) with ten [interior] curtains of fine twisted linen, and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric; you shall make them with [embroidered] cherubim, the handwork of a skillful craftsman. The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; all of the curtains shall measure the same. The five curtains shall be joined to one another, and the other five curtains shall be joined to one another.

The Expanded Bible              The Holy Tent

“Make for the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] ten curtains of fine linen and blue, purple, and ·red [scarlet] thread. Have a skilled craftsman sew designs of ·creatures with wings [cherubim; 37:7] on the pieces of cloth [^C these deep blue curtains with cherubim represent heaven on earth]. Make each curtain the same size—·forty-two feet [^L twenty-eight cubits] long and ·six feet [^L four cubits] wide. ·Sew [^L Join; Bind] five curtains together for one set, and ·sew [join; bind] the other curtains together for the second set.

Kretzmann’s Commentary    Verses 1-14

The Covering of the Tent

Moreover, thou shalt make the Tabernacle with ten curtains, long pieces, or strips, corresponding to the canvas of modern tents, of fine twined linen, the silky byssus cloth, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, Exodus 25:4; with cherubim of cunning work shalt thou make them. The work was to be that of an artist in weaving, the meaning evidently being that the white, shiny byssus threads were to be woven with similar fine yarns of hyacinth, purple, and crimson, to form figures of cherubim, the appearance of the cloth afterward being that of a heavy damask.

The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits and the breadth of one curtain four cubits; and everyone of the curtains shall have one measure, be exactly of the same size.

The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another, five strips should be sewed together side by side to form a large piece twenty-eight cubits long and twenty cubits wide; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.

Syndein/Thieme                     .

Bible Translations with Many Footnotes:

The Complete Tanach           "And the Mishkan you shall make out of ten curtains [consisting] of twisted fine linen, and blue, purple, and crimson wool. A cherubim design of the work of a master weaver you shall make them.

"The length of one curtain [shall be] twenty eight cubits, and the width of one curtain [shall be] four cubits; the same measure for all the curtains.

"Five of these curtains shall be joined to one another, and [the other] five curtains shall [also] be joined to one another.

The Geneva Bible                  .

Kaplan Translation                 The Tabernacle

Make the tabernacle out of ten large tapestries consisting of twined linen, and sky-blue, dark red, and crimson [wool], with a pattern of cherubs woven into them. Each tapestry shall be 28 cubits long and 4 cubits wide, with each tapestry the same size. The [first] five tapestries shall be sewn together, and the [second] five shall [also] be sewn together.

tabernacle

These tapestries constituted the tabernacle proper. See Exodus 36:8 ff.

twined linen

The threads were made of six thinner threads twisted together. The colored wools were also twined together with the linen to form a single thread, with various colors dominating (Yad, Kley HaMikdash 8:14).

cherubs

See note on Exodus 25:18. Some say that there was a pattern of cherubs (Midrash HaGadol), while others maintain that there were two cherubs on each curtain (Rabbenu Meyuchas).

See note on Genesis 3:24. The cherubs were creatures like birds (Or HaAfelah; Rashbam; Chizzkuni; Philo, De Vide Mose 2:99) with wings (Exodus 25:20) and faces like human infants (Chagigah 13b; Ralbag). Some say that one was male and the other was female (Rashi on 1 Chronicles 3:10; Bachya, from Yoma 54a; cf. Zohar 3:59a). See Ezekiel 10:7-15.

cherubim

Rashi notes that they are angels of destruction. Man is told that he must eventually die and is banished from paradise. He can only return to paradise after death, and before doing so, he must pass by these angels of purgatory (Bachya). The prophet must also pass these angels to approach the Tree of Life and obtain a vision. This is the significance of the cherubim on the Ark (Exodus 25:18), and those seen in Ezekiel's vision (Ezekiel 1:5, 10:15). (Rambam on Exodus 25:18).

woven into

So that the form could be seen on both sides of the tapestry (Yoma 72b; Rashi; Yad, Kley HaMikdash 8:15).

28 cubits long...

Each curtain was 42' x 6'. This was the maximum width that could be woven practically.

sewn

(Rashi; Rashbam; cf. Shabbath 99a, Rashi ad loc. s.v. VeNere'in). Literally, 'attached.'

NET Bible®                             The Tabernacle

¹ “The tabernacle itself² you are to make with³ ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet;⁴ you are to make them with⁵ cherubim that are the work of an artistic designer. The length of each6 curtain is to be forty-two feet, and the width of each curtain is to be six feet⁷ – the same size for each of the curtains. Five curtains are to be joined,⁸ one to another,⁹ and the other¹⁰ five curtains are to be joined, one to another.

^1sn This chapter is given over to the details of the structure itself, the curtains, coverings, boards and walls and veil. The passage can be studied on one level for its function both practically and symbolically for Israel’s worship. On another level it can be studied for its typology, for the tabernacle and many of its parts speak of Christ. For this one should see the commentaries.

^2tn The word order in Hebrew thrusts the direct object to the front for particular emphasis. After the first couple of pieces of furniture are treated (chap. 25), attention turns to the tabernacle itself.

^3tn This is for the adverbial accusative explaining how the dwelling place is to be made.

^4sn S. R. Driver suggests that the curtains were made with threads dyed with these colors (Exodus, 280). Perhaps the colored threads were used for embroidering the cherubim in the curtains.

^5tn The construction is difficult in this line because of the word order. “Cherubim” is an adverbial accusative explaining how they were to make the curtains. And מַעֲשֵׂה חֹשֵב (ma’aseh khoshev) means literally “work of a designer”; it is in apposition to “cherubim.” The Hebrew participle means “designer” or “deviser” so that one could render this “of artistic designs in weaving” (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 280-81). B. Jacob says that it refers to “artistic weavers” (Exodus, 789).

^6tn Heb “one” (so KJV).

^7tn Heb “twenty-eight cubits” long and “four cubits” wide.

^8tn This is the active participle, not the passive. It would normally be rendered “joining together.” The Bible uses the active because it has the result of the sewing in mind, namely, that every curtain accompanies another (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 348).

^9tn Heb “a woman to her sister,” this form of using nouns to express “one to another” is selected because “curtains” is a feminine noun (see GKC 448 §139.e).

^10tn The phrase “the other” has been supplied.

New American Bible(2011)    .

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

Brenner’s Mechanical Trans....and you will (make) the dwelling, ten tent walls of [twisted] linen and blue and purple and kermes of scarlet, you will (make) them with keruvs of a work of thinking, the length of the (one) tent wall is eight and / (by) the forearm, and the width is four (by) the forearm, the (one) tent wall measurement is (one) (for) all the tent walls, five of the tent walls will exist, coupling (each) to her sister, and five tent walls coupling (each) to her sister,...

Charles Thompson OT           .

C. Thompson LXX (updated) .

Context Group Version          .

English Standard Version      .

Green’s Literal Translation    .

Modern English Version         .

Modern Literal Version           .

New American Standard B.    Curtains of Linen

“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and ^[a]blue and purple and scarlet material; you shall make them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman. The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight ^[b]cubits, and the width of each curtain four ^[c]cubits; all the curtains shall have ^[d]the same measurements. Five curtains shall be ^[e]joined to one another, and the other five curtains shall be ^[f]joined to one another.

                                               [a]     Exodus 26:1 Or violet

                                               [b]     Exodus 26:2 I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.

                                               [c]     Exodus 26:2 I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.

                                               [d]     Exodus 26:2 Lit one measure

                                               [e]     Exodus 26:3 Or coupled

                                               [f]      Exodus 26:3 Or coupled

New European Version          The Curtains of the Tabernacle

Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim. By the work of the skilful workman you shall make them. The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits: all the curtains shall have one measure. Five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and the other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.

New King James Version       The Tabernacle

“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them. The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. And every one of the curtains shall have the same measurements [Lit. one measure]. Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another.

Niobi Study Bible                   .

Owen's Translation                .

Restored Holy Bible 6.0         .

Updated Bible Version 2.11   .

A Voice in the Wilderness      .

Webster’s Bible Translation  .

World English Bible                .

Young's Literal Translation     .

Young’s Updated LT             “And you will make the tabernacle: ten curtains of twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet; with cherubs, work of a designer, you will make them; the length of the one curtain is eight and twenty by the cubit, and the breadth of the one curtain four by the cubit, one measure is to all the curtains; five of the curtains are joining one unto another, and five curtains are joining one to another.

The gist of this passage:     For the Tabernacle, there would be ten curtains made from fine linen using the royal colors violet, purple and red. These curtains were to be 42' x 6', and then joined together in groups of 5.

1-3

Translation: You will construct the Tabernacle [as follows]:...

I believe that this first phrase acts as a title for this chapter. The entire chapter will be given over to the design and building of the Tabernacle.

Even though the original writings were not divided into chapters, those who studied the Scriptures understood when one section ended and another began.

Translation: ...[you will make] ten tarps [of] white linen, twisted;...

There would be ten tarps made of white linen. I don’t know exactly what it means to be twisted.

In this day and age, this would have been the very finest of material.

Translation: ...[using] violet, purple and scarlet dyes.

Violet, purple and scarlet dyes were to be used to color the tarps.

Translation: You will make the angels [for this tarp], the handiwork of a skillful [craftsman].

These are some sort of angels to be affixed to the tarps. It is not clear to me how they were added to the fabric. Were they made separately and then added; or were they an integral part of the tarps? The former seems more likely.

Mention will be made of some of the skilled craftsmen later in the chapter.

Exodus 26:1 You will construct the Tabernacle [as follows]: [you will make] ten tarps [of] white linen, twisted; [using] violet, purple and scarlet dyes. You will make the angels [for this tarp], the handiwork of a skillful [craftsman].

The tabernacle, the dwelling place of Y^ehowah among the Hebrews, will have colors representing royalty and judgement. There is an outstanding picture of the tabernacle in the NIV Study Bible, 10th Anniversary p. 124. The structure on the inside was 45'x15' and the walls were 15' high. The inside of this contained the holy of holies (which was about 15'x15') along with the holy place, where the golden table for the bread of Presence and the golden lampstand and the altar of incense were.

The New American Bible (2011): The sheets or curtains were] strips of tapestry, woven of white linen, the colored threads being used for the cherubim which were embroidered on them. These sheets were stretched across the top of the tabernacle to form a roof, their free ends hanging down inside the framework that formed the walls.