Exodus 26:7

Moses is here ordered to make a double covering for the tabernacle, that it might not rain in, and that the beauty of those fine curtains might not be damaged. 1. There was to be a covering of hair camlet curtains, which were somewhat larger every way than the inner curtains, because they were to enclose them, and probably were stretched out at some little distance from them, Exo 26:7, etc. These were coupled together with brass clasps. The stuff being less valuable, the tacks were so; but the brass tacks would answer the intention as effectually as the golden ones. The bonds of unity may be as strong between curtains of goats' hair as between those of purple and scarlet. 2. Over this there was to be another covering, and that a double one (Exo 26:14), one of rams' skins dyed red, probably dressed with the wool on; another of badgers' skins, so we translate it, but it should rather seem to have been some strong sort of leather (but very fine), for we read of the best sort of shoes being made of it, Eze 16:10. Now observe here, (1.) That the outside of the tabernacle was coarse and rough, the beauty of it was in the inner curtains. Those in whom God dwells must labour to be better than they seem to be. Hypocrites put the best side outwards, like whited sepulchres; but the king's daughter is all glorious within (Psa 45:13); in the eye of the world black as the tents of Kedar, but, in the eye of God, comely as the curtains of Solomon, Sol 1:5. Let our adorning be that of the hidden man of the heart, which God values, Pe1 3:4. (2.) That where God places his glory he will create a defence upon it; even upon the habitations of the righteous there shall be a covert, Isa 6:5, Isa 6:6. The protection of Providence shall always be upon the beauty of holiness. God's tent will be a pavilion, Psa 27:5.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Exo 26:7 And thou shalt make curtains [of] goats’ [hair] to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.

Ver. 7. Of goats’ hair.] The tabernacle was goats’ hair without, and gold within. God hid his Son under the carpenter’s son. "The king’s daughter is all glorious within." {Psa 45:13} And all her sons are princes in all lands. {Psa 45:16} Howbeit, they must be content to pass to heaven as Christ their Head did, as concealed men. "Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew not him." {Joh 1:10} "Our life is hid with Christ," {Col 3:4} as the life of flowers in winter is hid in the root.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lest rain and weather should mar it.

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

curtains of goats' hair--These coarse curtains were to be one more in number than the others, and to extend a yard lower on each side, the use of them being to protect and conceal the richer curtains.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 7. Curtains of goats' hair] Stuff made of goats' hair. See Clarke on Ex 25:4. This was the second covering.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(7) To be a covering.—Literally, to be a tent. (See the first Note on the chapter.)

Eleven curtains—i.e., eleven breadths. (See Note 2 on Exo_26:1.)

2. THE GOATS’-HAIR TENT-CLOTH.

(7-13) An awning such as that described in Exo_26:1-6 would have neither kept out sun nor rain. For this purpose an ordinary cloth of goats’-hair was requisite, and accordingly Moses was instructed to make a second covering, which was to be of this material, and to extend over the whole of the first, thus externally concealing it. This second covering was, like the first, to be in two portions (Exo_26:9-11), each of them made up of several “breadths,” but the two portions were not to be of the same size. Both were to be thirty cubits in length, but the hinder portion was to contain five “breadths,” while the portion in front was to contain six. Thus the outer covering was six feet broader than the inner one. The object was the protection of the inner covering, which was overlapped at both ends by the outer one (Exo_26:9; Exo_26:12).

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

Exodus 7-13 (cf. Exo_36:14-18). The Tent over the Dwelling, consisting of eleven curtains of cloth made of goats’ hair, each 30 cubits long, and 4 cubits wide, fastened together so as to form a single large curtain, 30 cubits broad, and 44 cubits long. The Bedawin still make their tents of goats’ hair in the same way: breadths of goats’ hair cloth, it may be ¾ yd. broad, and as long as the breadth of the tent, are stitched together, and form a covering capable of keeping out the heaviest rain (Burckh. Bedouins, i. 37; cf. DB. iv. 717): comp. Son_1:5, where their dark colour is alluded to.

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 curtains of goats' hair,.... Jarchi calls it the flower or down of goats, the softer and finer part of their hair, which was spun by women, as appears from Exo 35:26, and was made up into a stuff somewhat like our camelot; these curtains were coarser than the former, and were made to be put over them, to preserve them from the weather, as it follows:

to be a covering upon the tabernacle: which, by the curtains of linen coupled together, became one tabernacle, as in the preceding verse: and these curtains were to be a tent or covering over them: they were somewhat like, being made of the same matter, with the coverings with which the ancient Arabs covered their tents, which were made of goats' hair, as were the tents of Kedar alluded to in Sol 1:5, these curtains of goats' hair denote the outward appearance of Christ in human nature, who, attended with all human infirmities, excepting sin, was in the form of a servant, in great meanness and poverty, covered with reproach, and had in the greatest contempt, and especially at the time of his sufferings and death; though all rich and glorious within, full of grace, and of all the blessings of grace, of righteousness and life, of light, joy, peace, and comfort for his people; and may also denote the mean appearance of the church and people of God outwardly; being, generally speaking, a poor and an afflicted people, subject to the scorn, reproach, and persecutions of men, but all glorious within, enriched with the grace of God and righteousness of Christ; and so, in one respect, like these curtains of goats' hair, and, in another respect, like the curtains of fine linen:

eleven curtains shalt thou make; one more than the other; the reason of which was, that there might be one at the entrance of the tabernacle, there being no linen curtain there, see Exo 26:9.

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

Of goats’ hair, spun, Exo 35:26, and woven into a stuff, like our camlet.

To be a covering; to be put next above the curtains.

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

7. Curtains of goats’ hair — For the use of this material for tents see Exo_25:4, note.

Covering upon the tabernacle — Literally, for a tent (אהל) over the tabernacle, (משׁכן.) This then was to form a regular tent cover, while the one just previously described was to serve more for interior ornamentation.

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

The goat"s skin tent-cloth (vers. 7-13).

From the inner covering of the tabernacle the directions proceed to the external covering, or rather coverings, which constituted the real strength of the structure, and its protection from wet or stormy weather. Curtains of goats" hair, such as the Arabs still use, as the ordinary covering of their tents (Layard, Nin. and Bab., p. 171), were to form a true "tent" ("ohel) above the tabernacle, being supported by tent-poles, and kept taut by means of cords and pegs. (Exo_27:19 Exo_35:18) See the representation in Dr. W. Smith"s Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 3. p. 1454, which is reproduced in the Speaker"s Commentary, vol. 1. p. 376. To be a covering. In Exo_36:14, we have made curtains of goats" hair for the tent over the tabernacle," which is far better. The word used in both places is the same ("ohel) Eleven curtainsi.e. , "eleven breadths." Compare ver. 1.

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

The outer tent-cloth, "for the tent over the dwelling," was to consist of eleven lengths of goats' hair, i.e., of cloth made of goats' hair;

(Note: The coverings of the tents of the Bedouin Arabs are still made of cloth woven from black goats' hair, which the women spin and weave (see Lynch's Expedition of the United States to the Jordan and Dead Sea).)

each piece being thirty cubits long and four broad.

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.)

goats’ hair CF. Lev 16:5; Lev 16:7-10. The reference seems to be to the result of the ordinance of the two goats as "covering" (See Scofield "Lev 16:5") thus speaking of Christ in atonement See Scofield "Gen 3:21". This thought is intensified in the colour of the rams’ skins, Exo 26:14.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Yahweh continues telling Moses what the people must do.

eleven ... thirty ... four

"11 ... 30 ... 4" (See: Numbers)

cubits

A cubit is 46 centimeters. (See: Biblical Distance)

translationWords

goat

tent

tabernacle

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

יריעת עזים CURTAINS OF עזים — i. e. GOATS HAIR (cf. Rashi on Exodus 25:4).

לאהל על המשכן TO BE A COVERING UPON THE DWELLING — i. e. to spread them over the lower curtains (over those which had been already placed over the Tabernacle).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.