Exodus 26:33

26:33 The Most Holy Place was the earthly dwelling of the Lord. It contained the Ark of the Covenant, from which the Lord would give his commands for the people of Israel (25:22). The Most Holy Place was approximately 15 feet wide, 15 feet deep, and 15 feet high.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Whereinto the high Priest only entered once a year.

Hebrew, Under the hooks: meaning that it should hang downward from the hooks.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(33) Thou shall hang up the vail under the taches.—The “taches” meant are the links whereby the two portions of the inner covering were connected together (Exo_26:6). If “under the taches” means directly under them, we must regard the mishkân as divided into two chambers of equal size. It is possible, however, that “under” may be used with some vagueness, and that the “Holy of Holies” may in the tabernacle, as well as in the Temple, have been only half the size of the outer chamber.

That thou mayest bring in.—Heb., and thou shalt bring in.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

33. under the clasps] the clasps mentioned in v. 6, which must have been (vv. 2, 3) at a distance of 5 × 4 (= 20) cubits from the front of the Dwelling, and (as the Dwelling Isaiah 30 cubits long) 10 cubits from its back. The Holy place is thus 20 cubits long, and the Most Holy place 10 cubits; as the latter is also Exodus 10 cubits high and 10 cubits wide, it forms a cube. The length and breadth of the Dwelling are exactly half those of Solomon’s Temple (60 × 20 cubits): the Holy of holies is also half the height of that in the Temple (20 × 20 × 20 cubits), but the Holy place is only a third as high as that in the Temple (40 × 20 × 30 cubits): see 1Ki_6:2; 1Ki_6:16-17; 1Ki_6:20 [for ‘oracle,’ read hindmost part, or shrine, and for ‘temple,’ Heb. hêkâl, read hall; see p. 259].

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent,.... At the east end of the tabernacle, which lay open and exposed, and for which as yet there was no provision; the west end of it, where stood the holy of holies, was enclosed with six boards, and two corner ones, Exo 26:22 and the linen curtains hung down there to the silver bases, and so did the curtains of goats' hair, even to the ground, and half a curtain to spare, see Exo 26:12 but for the east end, or entrance into the tabernacle, there was nothing till now ordered, only the sixth curtain of the goats' hair curtains was there turned up double, Exo 26:9, but now here an "hanging" is ordered, or rather a "covering" (z), as the word signifies; Jarchi calls it a vail; and this was instead of a door to the tabernacle, and divided the holy place, into which only the priests might enter, from the place where the people stood and worshipped: and this also was made

of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as was the vail between the holy and the holy of holies; only with this difference, this was

wrought with needle work, and that was of "cunning work": the difference between these two, "Rokem" and "Chosheb", was, as Ben Melech from the Misnah relates, that "Rokem" is the work of a needle, and therefore but one face or figure is seen, that is, it is only seen on one side; but "Chosheb" is the work of a weaver, and therefore two faces or figures are seen, that is, they are seen on both sides; and with this account Maimonides agrees; see Gill on Exo 26:1, besides this hanging, Josephus (a) tells us there was another of linen, of the same size with this, and which covered it, and preserved it from the weather, and which on festival days was turned back, that the people might have a prospect of the other; just as there were curtains of goats' hair to preserve the linen ones.

(z) "operimentum", Montanus; "tegumentum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "velum", Tigurine version, Drusius. (a) Antiqu. l. 3. c. 6. sect. 4.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The sanctuary, &c. That part of the tabernacle, which was without the veil, into which the priests daily entered, is here called the sanctuary, or holy place; that part which was within the veil, into which no one but the high priest ever went in, and he but once a year, is called the holy of holies, (literally, the sanctuaries of the sanctuary,) as being the most holy of all holy places. (Challoner) --- It occupied only one-third of the tabernacle. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Under the taches, or, in the place (as the Hebrew tacheth oft signifies) of the taches, to wit, where the two curtains are joined together by taches, Exo 26:6.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

33. Hang up the vail under the taches — What taches are here meant? The only use of this word has been to describe the gold and brass hooks which were to couple the tabernacle and tent curtains. Exo_26:6; Exo_26:11. If these are referred to, the gold taches of Exo_26:6 would be most naturally understood, and the vail that separated the two holy places would have hung directly under the coupling of the great tabernacle-cloth. This again would indicate that the sanctuary was divided into two rooms of equal size, which appears to be contrary to all tradition. There seems, however, no insuperable objection to making these taches identical with the hooks mentioned in the preceding verse. There is nothing in the immediate context to suggest the taches of the tabernacle curtain, mentioned Exo_26:6; so that, if they were intended, there should have been added here some qualifying word. In the absence of such word the most natural reference seems to be to the hooks (ווים) just mentioned. The innermost room formed by this dividing vail was the appointed place for the ark of the testimony, (see Exo_25:10-22, notes,) and was known as the most holy, or, more literally, the holy of holies. Like “the oracle,” the corresponding apartment in the temple, it has been commonly supposed to have been in the form of a perfect cube, (see 1Ki_6:20, note,) and this is believed to have prompted the description of “the holy Jerusalem” in Rev_21:16.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thou shalt hang up the veil under the taches. If the "taches" of ver. 6 or even of ver. 11, are intended, and" under" is to be taken strictly as" immediately under," the mishkan must have been divided by the veil into two equal, or very nearly equal parts; and the tabernacle must in an important particular have completely differed from the temple. In the temple the holy place was twice the length of the holy of holies. (1Ki_6:16, 1Ki_6:17) It is possible that "under "may be used vaguely, or that the "taches" of this verse are the "hooks" of ver. 32. That thou mayest bring in. Rather, "And thou shalt bring in." The clause is directive. The most holy. Literally, "the holy of holies the inner chamber, that within the veil, which constituted the adytum, or innermost recess of the tabernacle. The ark and the mercy-seat were the special furniture of this inner sanctuary. To these is added later (Exo_30:1-10) the altar of incense.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

"Thither (where the curtain hands under the loops) within the curtain shalt thou bring the ark of testimony (Exo 25:16-22), and the curtain shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy" (הקּדשׁים קדשׁ the holy of holies). The inner compartment was made into the most holy place through the ark of the covenant with the throne of grace upon it.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

AND THOU SHALT BRING IN THITHER WITHIN THE VEIL THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY. He did not now command Moses to do it in this particular order, to hang up the veil under the clasps and only afterwards to bring in the ark inside the veil, for the commandment now does not refer to the erection of the Tabernacle but to the making thereof. Similarly, And thou shalt put the ark-cover upon the ark of the Testimony in the most holy place, does not mean that he is to put the ark-cover upon the ark of the Testimony when the ark has already been brought into the Holy of Holies [screened by the veil]. (further 40:3), and then thou shalt screan the ark with the veil (ibid.). It is so explained in the Tur based upon Ramban’s words further on. But the purport of the verse is to command Moses to hang up the veil under the clasps in order that the ark be there within the veil, and the veil will thus divide between the holy place and the most holy. Similarly He says, And thou shalt put the ark-cover upon the ark of the Testimony in the most holy place, in order to inform us that the ark-cover with its cherubim on the ark should all be there in the Holy of Holies mentioned, which means within the veil. But when He came to command the erection of the Tabernacle He said, And thou shalt put therein the ark of the Testimony, and afterwards, thou shalt screen the ark with the veil. Similarly, at the actual construction it is said, and he put the ark-cover above the ark. And he brought the ark into the Tabernacle, and afterwards, he set up the veil of the screen., 20-21.Tetzaveh

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.