Exodus

INTRODUCTION (1:1-2:25)

Background

1¹And the names of the sons of Israel, who came with their families [from the land of Canaan because of a great famine] to Egypt (Hebr. Mitsrajim), were:

²Reuben (Hebr. Reoven), Simeon (Hebr. Shimon), Levi, and Judah (Hebr. Jehoda);
³Issachar (Hebr. Yissachar), Zebulun (Hebr. Zevulun), and Benjamin (Hebr. Binjamin);
⁴Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

⁵Those who descended from Jacob [his twelve children and grandchildren] numbered seventy in all. Joseph was already in Egypt. ⁶[Time passed and] Joseph died, and so did his brothers. Soon the entire [first] generation [that came to Egypt] was gone. ⁷But the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied, they grew and became very strong (numerous), and the whole land was filled with them. [God fulfilled his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the Israelites had become a great people. They had become so large that they were a separate people among the Egyptians.

The Hebrew name for Egypt is Mitsrajim. That word was not used by the Egyptians themselves; they had the name Tavi, which means "two lands" and probably refers to Upper and Lower Egypt. The Hebrew word Mitsrajim comes from Ham's second son, Mitsrajim (Gen. 10:6). The word is in the dual form, which may have to do with the connection to Upper and Lower Egypt. The meaning is not entirely known, but the word is similar to the Hebrew matsor, which means siege and to be besieged. There may be a geographical connection here to the narrow "besieged" land along the Nile River. Civilization is centered around the Nile, and the land is "doubly" enclosed on either side of it. The Bible's choice to use this descriptive word for Egypt makes the story more general and applicable to all kinds of situations and areas that "enclose" and seek to enslave a person. The steps to liberation, in which the family plays an important role (it needs to be gathered and restored before the exodus can take place, see Ex. 12:3–4), can also be applied in our society today.]

Ignorance of history is dangerous

⁸Egypt got a new king who did not know Joseph [how he had saved the country from famine and made Egypt a powerful empire]. [Jacob's son Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. But despite adversity, God blessed him in Egypt and he eventually became Pharaoh's right-hand man. He had gained the ability to interpret dreams. During seven good years, the country built up a grain reserve that enabled them to survive seven difficult years when the harvests failed. They also sold to neighboring countries, which made Egypt rich, see Gen. 40–41. In Egyptian history, there was a clear shift between the seventeenth and eighteenth dynasties. The Hyksos people, who had ruled Egypt for 100 years, were defeated. The new king would then be Pharaoh Amose, who came to power in the new kingdom sometime around 1550 BC.] ⁹The king said to his people: "Look, the Israelites have become too numerous and too strong for us. ¹⁰Now we must act wisely in this situation. Otherwise, they will become even more numerous, and if war breaks out, they may ally themselves with our enemies and fight against us, and then leave this land."

Pharaoh imposes harder slave labor

[The plan to reduce the population was hard labor and poverty, which would indirectly lead to many dying prematurely.] ¹¹Therefore, slave drivers were set over the Israelites to oppress them with hard labor. They forced them to build the store cities of Pitom and Ramses [to store crops] for Pharaoh. ¹²But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread out. Because of this, the Egyptians felt even more threatened. ¹³The Israelites were then forced into pure slave labor. ¹⁴The Egyptians embittered the lives of the Israelites by giving them heavy work with clay and bricks and all kinds of work in the fields. They tormented their Israeli slaves until all the work was done.

Even more drastic measures – kill all boys who are born

[The first measure of hard labor did not work, so Pharaoh took more direct measures to limit the number of Israelite men.] ¹⁵The Egyptian king spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shifra ["the beautiful"] and the other Pua ["the shining one"]. [The Israelites were so numerous that it is likely that Shifra and Pua were in charge of all the Hebrew midwives. The names of these two godly women are mentioned in the text, while the "important" king of the time is not named.] ¹⁶He said, "When you help the Hebrew women give birth, see if it is a boy or a girl. If it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live."
     ¹⁷But the midwives feared (honored and worshiped) God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them, but let the boys live. ¹⁸Then the king called them again and said, "Why are you letting the boys live?"
     ¹⁹The midwives answered Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; they are physically stronger, and they have already given birth before the midwife comes to them."
     ²⁰God protected the midwives, and the people quickly increased in number and became great. ²¹Because the midwives feared (honored and worshiped) God, God made their houses grow.
     ²²Then Pharaoh gave this command to all his people: "Every boy that is born must be thrown into the river [the Nile], but you may let all the girls live." [Disobeying this command was probably punishable by death.]

Moses is born

2¹A man from the tribe of Levi married a woman from the tribe of Levi. [The man's name was Amram and the woman's name was Jochebed, see Ex. 6:20. Levi was the tribe that was assigned to be priests and singers of praise. Sixteen years pass between verses one and two. The family has two children, a teenage daughter named Miriam and a son named Aaron who is three years old, see Ex. 2:8; 7:7.] ²His wife became pregnant [for the third time] and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was healthy (beautiful, good), she hid him for three months. [Acts 7:20; Hebrews 11:23] ³When she could no longer hide him, she took a basket made of papyrus grass and coated it with bitumen and pitch [to make it waterproof]. Then she placed the child in the basket (ark) and set it among the reeds at the edge of the shore [of the Nile River].
[The same Hebrew phrase (tóv meód) that God used when he said "it is very good" after creating humankind in Gen. 1:31 is used here by Jochebed when she says that her child is "very beautiful." The word for "basket" (Hebr. teva) that Moses' mother prepares is also used in Gen. 6:14 about the ark that saved Noah and his family.] ⁴His sister [teenage daughter Miriam] stood (positioned herself) a little way off to see how he would fare. ⁵Then Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe in the river. Her friends (young women) walked [along] the shore. When Pharaoh's daughter saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to fetch it. ⁶When she opened it, she saw the little boy. He was crying, and she took pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrew children."
     ⁷Then his sister [Miriam] said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get a Hebrew nursing woman to nurse the child for you?"
     ⁸Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes, go." So the young teenage girl went and called the child's mother.
     ⁹Pharaoh's daughter said to her [Jochebed, the child's mother], "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed it.
     ¹⁰When the child grew older [probably 3-4 years old], she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses (Hebr. Mosheh), for she said, "I drew him up (Hebr. mashah) from the water."[The name Moses may relate to Egyptian words for "son" or "to give birth to a son." Here, the explanation for the name is given as how he was drawn up, where there is a similarity to the Hebrew verb for to draw up. Perhaps the princess spoke Hebrew, or in contact with Moses' parents and family, she learned a few words and decided on this name. It is possible that he was given this name by his parents already in connection with his circumcision on the eighth day. Regardless, the princess consciously honors her son's Hebrew origins and at the same time makes him a legitimate Egyptian with a name in her own language that emphasizes that she is adopting a son.]

Moses' own exodus

The flight from Egypt

¹¹[The story now jumps forward about 36 years in time. Moses was about 4 years old when he was adopted, and is now 40 years old, see Acts 7:23–30 and Ex. 7:7].

One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers [his people—the Israelites] and saw their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian man beating one of his brothers. ¹²He looked around, and when no one was watching, he killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand. ¹³He went out the next day and saw two of his Hebrew brothers fighting each other. Then Moses said to the one who started the fight, "Why are you beating your fellow countryman?"
     ¹⁴He replied, "Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian [yesterday]?"
    Then Moses was seized with panic and thought, "What I have done must have become known."
     ¹⁵[His fears were correct, and the rumor spread quickly.] When Pharaoh heard what had happened, he wanted to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh [eastward] to the land of the Midianites, where he stayed. There he sat down by a well.

Settling in the land of the Midianites

¹⁶Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. [Moses sat by the well and rested after his journey.] The daughters came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. ¹⁷When some shepherds came and drove them away, Moses defended them and then helped water their sheep.
     ¹⁸When the daughters came home to their father Reguel [which means "friend of God"; he is also called Jethro], he asked, "Why are you home so early today?" ¹⁹They replied, "An Egyptian man helped us against the shepherds. [The harassment of the other shepherds seemed to be something they were used to.] He also drew water for us and let the sheep drink."
     ²⁰Then he said to his daughters, "Where is he now? Why did you leave him [there at the well]? Go and bring him and invite him to dinner." ²¹[They found Moses, and he accepted the invitation.] Moses was willing (agreed) to stay with the priest.

Moses [eventually] married Jethro's daughter Zipporah. ²²She bore him a son, and he named him Gershom, "because I am a stranger in this land," he said. [Moses had now become a citizen of the Midianites, far away from both the land of Egypt and his own people, the Israelites. In Hebrew, ger means stranger and shom means there, so together Gershom means "I was a stranger there" in the land where his son was born. According to Demetrius (a historian in Alexandria in 225 BC), the name Midian came from one of Abraham's sons. He also writes that Moses and Zipporah were both descended from Abraham. Moses in the seventh generation and Zipporah in the sixth.]

God has not forgotten his people

²³Many years later, the king of Egypt [who was seeking Moses' life] died. The Israelites continued to sigh because of their slavery. They cried out in their distress, and their lamentation rose up to God. ²⁴When God heard their cries, he remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ²⁵God saw the situation the Israelites were in, and cared for (understood, did not forget) them.

Moses and the burning bush

3¹Moses tended the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro (Hebr. Jitro), who was a priest in Midian. Once, he drove the sheep beyond the desert and came to God's (Elohim's) mountain Horeb (Hebr. Chorev) [another name for Mount Sinai]. [Moses is now 80 years old; he left Egypt at the age of 40 and has been tending his father-in-law's sheep ever since, see Acts 7:30. Chorev shares its root with the word for dry/desolate (Hebr. charev), which indicates that the mountain and the area are desert. The word also shares its root with the word cherev, which means sword. This takes on a deeper meaning when we know that God's word is described as a sword (Heb. 4:12) and it was on this mountain that God would later give them the teaching, the Torah, which is the fundamental part of God's word.] ²The angel of the Lord (sent messenger) appeared to him in a flame of fire in the midst of a thorn bush. [The one speaking from the bush is called both the angel of the Lord and God. A generally accepted view is that it is Jesus preincarnate, i.e., Jesus appearing as an angel of the Lord before taking human form.]
    Moses looked and saw that the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. ³So Moses said (to himself), "I will go there (leave the flock) to see this strange sight! Why is the bush not burning up?"
     ⁴When the Lord saw that he went to look, God called to him from the bush: "Moses! Moses!"
    He answered, "Here I am." [The Hebrew word for bush is seneh, similar to Sinai. The word is used only here and in Deut. 33:16. The exact species of the bush is not known, but the word describes a bush with thorns. Presumably, it is a small acacia tree, the same type of wood that Moses is later instructed to use as material for the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, and the table of showbread, see Ex. 25:10, 23; 26:15. Thorns are associated with humanity and the curse, see Gen. 3:18, but throughout history, God reverses that curse. Moses sees God take up residence in an inconspicuous thorn bush and later manifest his presence in the ark of the covenant made of acacia wood. The finale occurs when Jesus, crowned with a crown of thorns, bears the sins of the world on the cross.] ⁵God said, "Do not come any closer! Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." [It is because of God's presence that it becomes a holy place, separate from the world.] ⁶He continued, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."
    Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
     ⁷The Lord said, "I have indeed seen (it has not escaped my notice) how my people are suffering in Egypt. I have heard their cries because of their slave drivers. I am well aware of their suffering. ⁸Therefore, I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians and bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the area now inhabited by the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. [Despite unfavorable conditions with high humidity and heat, Israel has dramatically increased its milk production since the 1950s, when a cow produced an average of 4,000 liters of milk per year, to an incredible 12,000 liters in recent years. Every year on the evening that marks the beginning of the week-long holiday of Shavuot (Pentecost in the spring), the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics releases its "milk and honey report." Israel is the world leader in this statistic, with a commanding lead of over 30% over the United States, which ranks second. In 2019, an Israeli cow produced an average of 11,852 liters of milk per year, while the corresponding figure in Sweden was around 9,000 liters. The average in Europe was 6,000 liters and in India 1,000 liters.] ⁹Behold, the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress (torture) them. ¹⁰Therefore, go now, so that I may send you to Pharaoh, and you shall bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." [Now follows a dialogue between Moses and God. Moses gives four excuses for why he does not want to go, and finally he says outright, send someone else, see Ex. 4:13.]

Excuse 1 – I am unworthy

¹¹But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" ¹²God replied, "I will certainly be with you (I am with you now and will always be with you). This shall be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." [This is the beginning of God's explanation of his name. The important thing is not the qualifications of the servant, but who God is and that he is with his servant, then nothing is impossible.]

Excuse 2 – I don't know God well enough

¹³But Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What shall I say to them?" ¹⁴God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM (I have always been present, I am now, and I will always be). You shall say this to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you. ¹⁵God also said to Moses, "This is what you shall say to the Israelites: 'The Lord (Yahweh), the God of your fathers (Elohim) – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob – has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is how I will be remembered from generation to generation.
     ¹⁶Now go and gather the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The Lord (Yahweh), the God of your fathers (Elohim)—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Elohim)—has appeared to me and said, "I have seen what is happening to you in Egypt, ¹⁷and I have decided to bring you out of the oppression in Egypt up to

the land of the Canaanites,
the Hittites,
the Amorites,
the Perizzites,
the Hivites, and
the Jebusites.

To a land flowing with milk and honey.'
     ¹⁸They [the elders of Israel] will listen to you. Then you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say: The Lord (Yahweh), the God of the Hebrews, has appeared to us. We ask your permission to go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God.
     ¹⁹But I know [already] that the king of Egypt will not let you go willingly. No, not even by a mighty hand [any human army]. ²⁰So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with a series of conspicuous signs. Then he will let you go. ²¹I will make the Egyptians treat this people [who are my people] well. When you leave Egypt, you shall not go empty-handed. ²²Every [Hebrew] woman shall ask her [Egyptian] neighbor, and other women who happen to be in her house, for objects of silver and gold, and also clothing. With these you shall clothe your sons and daughters. In this way you shall plunder the Egyptians [of what belongs to you, what has been withheld from you through slavery]."

Excuse 3 – No one will believe me

4¹Moses replied, "But what if they do not believe me or listen to what I say, but say, 'The Lord (Yahweh) has not appeared to you'? " ²Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to him, "What is that in your hand?"
     ³He replied, "A [shepherd's] staff." The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." He threw it on the ground, and it turned into a snake (Hebr. nachash), and Moses recoiled [in fear]. [Using a snake as a sign would be something that stirred up their conceptual world, since the cobra was one of the religious symbols in Egypt.]
     ⁴But the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand and take it by the tail."
    [Moses overcomes his fear.] He stretched out his hand and took it, and the snake became a staff in his hand again.
     ⁵The Lord said, "This [sign] is so that the elders will believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to you." ⁶The Lord also said to him [and gave a second sign]: "Put your hand inside your cloak!"
    He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was diseased (Hebr. tsara) – white as snow.
[The Hebrew word tsaraat is a general term for various types of skin diseases. It is a type of mold that appears as light spots and swellings on the skin, see Lev. 13–14. Traditionally, the word leprosy has been used, but it does not correspond to the disease we now call leprosy or Hansen's disease.] ⁷The Lord said, "Put your hand back inside your cloak!"
    He put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was normal again, like the rest of his body. ⁸[The Lord said:] "If they do not believe or pay attention to the first sign [with the staff], perhaps they will believe the second sign [with the hand]. ⁹But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry land (the ground – Hebr. jabbashah). [This will be the third sign.] Then the water from the river will turn to blood on the dry land (Hebr. jabeshet)."
[Two different Hebrew words for "dry land" are used in this verse. The first is the general word used in creation and when the Israelites cross the Red Sea and the Jordan dry-shod. The latter is used only here and in Ps. 95:5, where it is used to describe how God is greater than all idols.]

Excuse 4 – I am not qualified

¹⁰Then Moses said [and offered another excuse] to the Lord (Yahweh): "My Lord (Adonai, focus on God's greatness and power), I have such difficulty expressing myself. I have never been good with words, either before or after you spoke to your servant. I stammer and stutter (I am slow to speak and have a sluggish tongue)." ¹¹The Lord (Yahweh) said to him, "Who created the mouth of man? Who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹²Now go, I will be with your mouth and teach you what to say."

Send someone else instead

¹³[The excuses are over, and now Moses says outright that he does not want to go.]But Moses said, "O my Lord (Adonai), send your message by someone else, anyone else." ¹⁴Then the Lord became angry with Moses and said, "Do you not have a brother, Aaron [who is three years older, see Ex. 7:7], the Levite [who is a trained priest and accustomed to speaking the word of God]? I know that he is skilled in speaking (literally: 'speaking eloquently' – Hebr. davar davar), and besides, he is actually on his way right now to meet you. When he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart. ¹⁵You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you both what to do. ¹⁶He [Aaron] shall speak for you [be your spokesman] before the people, and it shall be that he shall be your mouth, and you shall be like a god (elohim) to him. ¹⁷You shall also take this staff in your hand, with which you shall perform the signs."

Moses returns to Egypt

¹⁸Moses went home to his father-in-law Jethro (Hebr. Yitro) and said, "Let me go back to my brothers and sisters in Egypt, I want to see if they are still alive."
    Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace (be blessed)." ¹⁹The Lord said to Moses while he was in Midian: "Go back to Egypt. [I assure you:] All the men who sought to take your life are no longer alive." [Moses was now eighty years old. Those who forty years earlier wanted to kill Moses were now dead, see Ex. 2:15. This may be Amenhotep I and his successor Amenhotep II, in which case the current pharaoh is Amenhotep III. An interesting detail is that his firstborn son Tutankhamun died at only 18-19 years of age, which fits well with the tenth plague in chapter 12.] ²⁰Then Moses took his wife and sons [Gershom and Eliezer, see Ex. 18:2–4] and had them sit on a donkey and returned to Egypt. He had God's (Elohim's) staff in his hand. [Moses' staff in verse 2 has now become God's staff. It seems that it was a mistake to bring his family along on this mission, for in Ex. 18:1–6 he sends them home.] ²¹The Lord said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, you shall perform before Pharaoh all the supernatural signs that I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. [The Bible is clear that Pharaoh himself also hardens his heart, see Ex. 7:13; 8:15, 32; 9:34.] ²²You shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the Lord: Israel is my firstborn son. ²³I have told you to let my son go, so that he may worship me. But you have refused, and therefore I will kill your firstborn son.'" [The text in verses 22-33 is addressed to Pharaoh. However, the second part may be addressed to both Pharaoh and Moses. Pharaoh reluctantly let the people go only after 10 plagues, but it is reluctantly that Moses returns to Egypt. There are 10 points where Moses delays and opposes the mission. The tenth is in the next verse when they stop.]

An unexpected event

²⁴Along the way [to Egypt], they stopped at a place to spend the night. [Another hint that Moses is delaying his mission.] There the Lord met him and seemed to want to kill him [probably his firstborn son Gershom]. [The Hebrew text has "him." Of the four people there, it could refer to Moses, his firstborn Gershom, or Eliezer, see Ex. 18:2.] ²⁵Then Zipporah took a sharp flint and cut off the foreskin of her son and touched him [Gershom or Moses] with it down to his foot and said, "You are my blood bridegroom." [The Hebrew word for "stroked" is the same word used in Ex. 12:22 where the Israelites "stroke" the blood of the lamb on the doorposts so that the firstborn will not die.] ²⁶When he [presumably referring to God] left him [Moses] alone, Zipporah said, "You are my blood bridegroom because of the circumcision." [In God's covenant with Abraham and the people of Israel, the circumcision of boys was important, see Gen. 17:9–14. It seems that Moses and Zipporah had neglected to do this for one of their sons, or for both. Although the exact meaning of these verses is not entirely clear, we see that God was careful that Moses, who was to deliver his people, obeyed God's command.]

Aaron meets Moses

²⁷The Lord said to Aaron [Moses' brother, three years his senior, who had remained in Egypt]: "Go and meet Moses in the desert." He went, and at God's mountain he met him and kissed him. [It was a joyful reunion after forty years. It also shows that there was no discord between them, since kissing at that time was an important sign of peace.] ²⁸Moses told Aaron everything that the Lord had sent him to say and all the signs he had been commanded to perform.
     ²⁹Then Moses and Aaron left there [for Egypt] and called together the elders of the Israelites. ³⁰Aaron spoke [repeated] everything that the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs before the people, ³¹and the people believed [in Moses and Aaron]. When they heard that the Lord had taken care of the Israelites and that he had seen how they suffered, they fell down and bowed down and worshipped [in thanksgiving to God].

Moses confronts Pharaoh (5:1-7:13)

First visit

5¹Some time later, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness."
     ²But Pharaoh [who considered himself a god] replied, "Who is the Lord (Yahweh)? Why should I obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord (Yahweh), and I will not let Israel go."
     ³They replied, "The God of the Hebrews has appeared to us. Let us go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God. Otherwise, he will come upon us with pestilence or the sword."
     ⁴The king of Egypt answered them, "Moses and Aaron, why have you made the people stop working [given them false hopes]? Go back to your slave labor!"
     ⁵Pharaoh said [to them or thought to himself], "The population is large, and you want them to stop working!"

The result – even harder work

⁶On that same day, he commanded the [Egyptian] slave drivers who were over the people and the [Israeli] foremen [who led their countrymen, see verse 14]: ⁷"You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks. Let them go out and gather straw for themselves. ⁸However, you shall demand the same amount of bricks from them as before; do not reduce the quota. They are lazy, which is why they cry out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God. ⁹Therefore, make their work so hard for them that they have no time to think of anything but work. Perhaps then they will stop listening to these lies [spoken by Moses and Aaron]!"
     ¹⁰Then the slave drivers went over to the people and the foremen went out and said to the people, "Thus says Pharaoh: 'I will not give you any straw. ¹¹Go out and get it as best you can. There will be no reduction in the quota [you must produce as many bricks as before].'"
     ¹²The people went out over all Egypt to gather stubble [short stubble from the fields] to use as straw. ¹³The slave drivers pressed them hard and said, "Do your work, your daily quota, just as when you had straw." ¹⁴The Israeli foremen whom Pharaoh's slave drivers had set over the people were beaten and told, "Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks as before, neither yesterday nor today?"

The Israelite overseers complain to Pharaoh

¹⁵Then the Israelite foremen came to Pharaoh and cried out, "Why are you treating your servants this way? ¹⁶No straw is given to your servants, yet they say, 'Make bricks! Your servants are now being beaten, even though the fault lies with your own people."
     ¹⁷He replied, "No, it is you who are lazy, you are truly lazy (idle)! [You are trying to get out of your work.] That is why you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord (Yahweh).' ¹⁸Get out, back to your work! You will not be given any straw, but you must produce the same quota of bricks."
     ¹⁹The Israeli foremen understood that they were in trouble when they were told that the workload would not be lightened. They had to make as many bricks every day as they had done before. ²⁰When the overseers left Pharaoh, they went straight to Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them. ²¹They said, "Let the Lord see and judge what you have done. Because of you, Pharaoh and his servants look at us as if we were something repulsive (literally: 'a disgusting stench'). You have put the sword in their hands to kill us." [Now they have an excuse to kill us.]

Moses complains to the Lord

²²Then Moses turned again to the Lord (Yahweh) and said, "Lord (Adonai, focus on God's greatness and power), why have you brought so much misery upon this people? Why did you send me? ²³Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, his evil toward this people has only increased, and you have done nothing to save your people."

6¹The Lord answered Moses [encouraging him and repeating and reinforcing his earlier promise, see Ex. 3:19; 4:21]: "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. With a strong hand he will let the people go [and not only that], he will drive them out of his land with a strong hand." [The expression "with a mighty hand" used twice here probably refers to God's power, see Ex. 3:20. The plagues that came upon the land finally made the Egyptians want the people to leave, and they sent them away, see Ex. 12:33.]

God promises to free his people

²God spoke to Moses: "I am the Lord (Yahweh). ³I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty (El-Shaddai) [Gen. 17:1; 35:11]. However, I did not make myself known (they did not experience me) by my name Yahweh. ⁴I have also established my covenant with them and promised to give them Canaan, the land where they lived as strangers. ⁵I have also heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians have enslaved, and I have remembered (not forgotten) my covenant. ⁶Therefore, tell the Israelites:

'I am the Lord (Yahweh).
I will bring you out from under the oppression of the Egyptians.
I will rescue you from their slavery.
I will redeem (Hebr. gaal) you with my outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.
⁷I will make you my people.
I will be your God.
You shall know that
    I am the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim),
    who brought you out from under the oppression of the Egyptians.
⁸I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
I will give it to you as an inheritance and property.
I am the Lord (Yahweh)." [In verse 6, Hebr. gaal is used for the first time in Exodus. This entire story of how God frees the Israelites from slavery is the single greatest typology in the entire Old Testament of what Jesus does during Holy Week when he goes to the cross for us as our Redeemer (Hebr. goel; the noun form of the verb gaal), see also Ruth 2:20; Job 19:25.]

⁹So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and hard labor. [Literally, discouragement means "shortness of spirit." The word can be translated as impatience because there is no spirit of hope left. The verse describes how the Israelites were so broken, both spiritually and physically, that they could not take in his encouraging words.]
     ¹⁰The Lord spoke to Moses: ¹¹"Go and tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to let the Israelites leave his country."
     ¹²But Moses spoke to the Lord: "Lord, see [how hopeless the situation is], the Israelites do not listen to me, so why would Pharaoh listen? Besides, I have difficulty speaking." [Literally, "I have uncircumcised lips." The expression seems to relate to previous failures, see Num. 4:24–26.] ¹³The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and Aaron and commanded them (gave them the task) to tell both the children of Israel and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, that the Israelites would be led out of the land of Egypt.

The genealogy of Moses and Aaron

Five generations

[Here there is a pause in the story. You could say it's a "cliffhanger" – how will it turn out? Neither the Israelites nor Pharaoh listen to Moses, and he himself is on the verge of giving up, see verse 12. In the middle of the story's climax, there is a flashback showing how Moses and Aaron are the fourth generation from Jacob via the tribe of Levi. The genealogy is limited to the first three sons of Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. The following nine sons are not relevant to showing Moses and Aaron's kinship and are not included. Jacob is also called Israel, see Gen. 32:28. In the list below, the names included in Moses and Aaron's family tree are marked in bold.] ¹⁴These were the heads of their respective families.

The first generation and their children

The sons of Reuben, Israel's [Jacob's] firstborn:
    Chanoch (Enoch) and Pallo,
    Chetsron (Hesron) and Karmi;
these were the Reubenite families.

¹⁵The sons of Simeon [Shimon – Jacob's second son]:
    Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Sochar (Tsochar), and Saul (Shaol), the son of a Canaanite woman;
these were the families of the Simeonites.

¹⁶The sons of Levi [Israel's third son] were, in order of age:
    Gershon [his sons are listed in verse 17],
    Kehat [his sons are listed in verse 18], and
    Merari [his sons are listed in verse 19].
Levi lived to be 137 years old. [Jacob had twelve sons, but since this genealogy is about Moses and Aaron, it is sufficient to include the sons up to Jacob's third son, Levi.]

The second generation and their children

[Now follows the second generation of Levi's tribe.] ¹⁷The sons of Gershon, family by family:
    Livni and Shimi.

¹⁸The sons of Kohath:
    Amram [his sons are listed in verse 20],
    Jizhar [his sons are listed in verse 21],
    Hebron (Hebr. Chevrón) and
    Uzziel [his sons are listed in verse 22].
Kehat lived to be 133 years old.

¹⁹The sons of Merari:
    Mahli and Mushi.
These were the Levitical families in order of age.

The third generation and their children

²⁰Amram married Jochebed, his aunt, and she bore him
    Aaron and
    Moses.
Amram lived to be 137 years old.

²¹The sons of Jishar:
    Korach, Nefeg, and Zikri.

²²The sons of Uzziel:
    Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

The fourth generation and their children

²³Aaron married Elisheva, daughter of Amminadav and sister of Nachshon, and she bore him:
    Nadav and Avihu,
    Elazar and Itamar.

²⁴The sons of Korah:
    Assir, Elkanah, and Aviasaph;
these were the Korahite families. [Korah is probably included here because of the rebellion he later led, see Num. 16. In terms of kinship, he had the same status as Moses and Aaron.]

The fifth generation and their children

²⁵Elazar, Aaron's son, married one of Putiel's daughters, and she bore him:
    Pinchas.

These were the heads of the Levitical families, family by family.

²⁶It was this Aaron and this Moses whom the Lord commanded to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, arranged in divisions. ²⁷It was they who spoke to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, about bringing the Israelites out of the land—these two, Moses and Aaron.

Aaron becomes Moses' spokesman

[Three verses now summarize the conversation before the family tree, then the story continues with Aaron speaking on behalf of Moses.] ²⁸On the day when the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses in Egypt ²⁹he said: "I am the Lord (Yahweh). Everything I speak to you, you shall speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt." ³⁰But Moses pleaded with the Lord, "I have difficulty speaking [literally, 'I have uncircumcised lips']. Why should Pharaoh listen to me?" 7¹The Lord answered Moses: "Now I will make you like a god to Pharaoh [to speak my words to him], and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. ²You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh so that he must let the Israelites leave his land. ³But I will harden Pharaoh's heart. Even though I will perform many supernatural signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, ⁴Pharaoh will not listen to you. I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my armies, my people the Israelites, out of the land of Egypt through great judgments. ⁵Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand over Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them." ⁶Moses and Aaron did everything the Lord commanded them. ⁷When they spoke to Pharaoh, Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83. ⁸The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: ⁹"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Perform a supernatural sign. [Prove your authority.],' you shall say to Aaron, 'Throw your staff before Pharaoh,' and it shall become a snake (crocodile – Hebr. tanin)." [Literally, verse 8 begins and ends with the verb amar, to speak. This emphasizes how the Lord speaks to Moses.]

The second visit

¹⁰Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did exactly as the Lord had told them. Aaron threw his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a snake (crocodile – Hebr. tanin).
[Earlier in Ex. 4:3 (and in verse 15), the usual word for snake (Hebr. nachash) is used, but here tanin is used instead, a word that can be another word for snake or describe a crocodile. The word is used for sea creatures in Gen. 1:21. Interestingly, the pharaohs were considered to be Sobek, the crocodile god; see also Ezek. 29:3–5]. ¹¹Then Pharaoh summoned his wise men and magicians (sorcerers), and these—the Egyptian soothsayers (scribes, from the word for pen)—did similar things [imitated God's miracles] with the help of magic (occult powers). [According to Jewish tradition, two of them were named Jannes and Jambres, see 2 Tim. 3:8.] ¹²Each of them threw down his staff, and they turned into snakes (crocodiles – Hebr. tanin), but Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs. ¹³But Pharaoh's heart was hardened (closed – Hebr. chazaq) and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken. [The Hebr. word chazaq means "to harden" and "to close". When used in reference to the heart, it describes a will that is unyielding and hard. The Hebrew verb form here does not indicate whether it is Pharaoh himself or God who initiates the hardening. The same open wording is also used in Ex. 7:22; 8:19; 9:7. God knows the hearts of men and can predict their actions, see Jer. 17:10. When Moses is first called, the Lord tells him that he knows Pharaoh will resist and refuse to let the Israelites go, see Ex. 3:19–20. He also tells him that he will ultimately harden Pharaoh's heart, see Ex. 4:21; 7:3.
    Is Pharaoh then just a pawn in God's game, without a will of his own? During the ten plagues, a pattern emerges in which there is a gradual hardening, with Pharaoh himself first hardening his own heart, see Ex. 8:15, 32; 9:13. After the fifth plague, a shift occurs; in the sixth plague, it is stated for the first time that God hardens Pharaoh's heart, see Ex. 9:34. In the seventh plague, Pharaoh hardens his own heart again, but now he seems to have crossed a point of no return. From the eighth plague onwards, it is the Lord who hardens him further, see Ex. 10:1, 20; 10:27; 11:10.

1. Blood: Pharaoh's heart "became hard," see Ex. 7:22
2. Frogs: Pharaoh "hardened his own heart," see Ex. 8:15
3. Insects: Pharaoh's heart "became hard," see Ex. 8:19

4. Flies (beetles): Pharaoh "hardened his own heart," see Ex. 8:32
5. Livestock dies: Pharaoh's heart became hard, see Ex. 9:7
6. Boils: "The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart," see Ex. 9:12

7. Hail and fire: Pharaoh "hardened his own heart," see Ex. 9:34
8. Locusts: The Lord says, "I have hardened Pharaoh's heart," see Ex. 10:1, 20
9. Darkness: "The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart," see Ex. 10:27

10. Death of the firstborn: "The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart," see Ex. 11:10

The first nine plagues (signs) can be grouped into three groups of three plagues each. They follow a similar pattern: In the first two plagues, Pharaoh is warned, while the third plague (in each group) occurs without warning. In the first three plagues, it is Aaron who holds out his staff (Ex. 7:19; 8:6, 17). The fourth and fifth are sent by God (Ex. 8:21; 9:3). In the sixth plague, Moses uses his hands and throws ashes into the air (Ex. 9:10), and in the last three, he stretches out his hand (Ex. 9:23; 10:13, 22). The tenth plague comes from God, see Ex. 12:29.]

The first nine plagues (7:14-10:29)

The first plague – the waters of the Nile turn to blood

¹⁴Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is hard (closed). He refuses to let the people go. ¹⁵Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the water, and stand on the riverbank to meet him. The staff that became a snake (Hebr. nachash) shall be in your hand. [Ex. 4:3] ¹⁶You shall say to him, 'The Lord (Yahweh), the God of the Hebrews (Elohim), has sent me to you, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve (worship) me in the wilderness," and behold, you have not listened. [Here, the Hebrew word avad is used to mean "serve." The word means to worship but also to work. The same word is used in verse Ex. 20:9 about "working" six days and about slave labor in Ex. 1:13, 14, see also Gen. 2:5; 15. In Greek philosophy and thinking, which has greatly influenced the Western world, work is considered evil and the spiritual good. For God, worship and work belong together.] ¹⁷This is what the Lord says: By this you shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh). Behold, I will strike the water that is in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and it shall be turned into blood. ¹⁸The fish in the river will die, and the river will stink [from all the rotten fish], and the Egyptians will be disgusted (lose patience; become weary) with drinking the water of the river. ' [Here, the Hebr. word laa is used to mean that they will become exhausted, irritated, and lose patience in their search for clean drinking water.]
     ¹⁹The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over its rivers, over its canals, over its ponds, and over all its collected (Hebr. miqveh) water [i.e., reservoirs, but also smaller vessels]—so that it becomes blood.' There shall be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in wooden vessels and stone vessels [all water, both natural and collected, shall be turned into blood]."
     ²⁰Moses and Aaron did as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded. He lifted up the rod and struck the water in the Nile before the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants. Then all the water in the river turned to blood (became blood red). [The Hebrew can be interpreted to mean that the water literally turned to blood, or that it became blood red in color. The word also symbolizes death, which was the effect because the fish died and the people had to dig wells to get drinkable water, see verses 21, 24.] ²¹The fish in the river died, and the river stank (smelled and tasted) so bad that the Egyptians could not drink the water. The blood was everywhere (in all kinds of water) throughout the land of Egypt. [The plagues were directed "against all the gods of Egypt," see Ex. 12:12. The Egyptians worshipped more than 2,000 different gods. Since the Nile, with its annual floods, created fertile conditions, several gods were associated with the Nile. The great creator god Khnum was the protector of the Nile. Hapi was the spirit of the Nile and the god of the river's annual flooding. He was responsible for the fish, birds, and fertility of the land around the river through the floods. These two gods were seen as the source of life, Khnum gave life and Hapi gave food and water, which are the prerequisites for life to exist. Osiris was the god of the underworld and the Nile was considered to be his bloodstream.] ²²But the Egyptian soothsayers (scribes, from the word for pen) did the same thing with their secret arts.

Pharaoh's heart became hardened (closed) and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken. ²³Pharaoh turned and went into his house without even taking notice of them. ²⁴All the Egyptians dug around the river for drinking water because they could not drink the water from the Nile. ²⁵Seven full days passed after the Lord (Yahweh) had struck the Nile. [A whole week without drinkable water anywhere in Egypt affected the entire society. There was certainly wine and other beverages in storage, so they were not completely without liquids, and there was still food in the country, but much of this food required water to prepare. Therefore, we can assume that this became a week that increasingly turned into starvation for the people of the land, both in Pharaoh's palace and in all other homes. The fact that the plague lasted for seven full days speaks figuratively of something that will be complete, accomplished, and fulfilled. An image of eternal punishment for those who do not want to obey God's will. Because God is long-suffering and great in mercy, he gives Pharaoh more opportunities to repent before he finally puts his plan into action. The fact that there are ten plagues is also a number that represents God's fullness and completion.]

The second plague – frogs

8¹Then the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and said, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'Let my people go, so that they may serve (worship) me. ²But if you refuse to let them go, I will smite (strike) your whole land with frogs. [The goddess Heket was associated with frogs. She was responsible for childbirth, creation, and the growth of grain. As a water goddess, fertility and especially the latter part of pregnancy and childbirth were important parts of her responsibility. She was considered to be the wife of Khnum. Khnum made man from clay on his potter's wheel, and then Heket breathed the spirit of life into the clay before placing it in the woman's womb. Khnum and Hapi were the source of life, while Heket was the guarantor of future generations so that life would not end.] ³The river will be swarming with frogs, and they will come up (from the river) and enter your house, and enter your bedroom, and climb into your bed. They will enter the houses of your servants and the houses of the people, into their ovens and into their kneading troughs. ⁴The frogs will climb on you, your people, and all your servants." [Lots of frogs will crawl all over everyone's bodies.]
     ⁵Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the river, the canals, and the ponds, so that frogs will come up over all the land of Egypt. ⁶Then Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the whole land.
     ⁷But the magicians (scribes, from the word for pen) did the same thing with their secret arts and brought up frogs over all the land of Egypt.
     ⁸Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'Pray to the Lord (Yahweh) to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let the people go so that they can sacrifice to the Lord (Yahweh).' ⁹Moses answered Pharaoh, "Do me the honor! At what time shall I pray for you, your servants, and your people, that the frogs may leave (literally be cut off from) you and your house and remain only in the Nile?" ¹⁰"Tomorrow," he [Pharaoh] said. So he [Moses] said, "Let it be done according to your word, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God (Yahweh Elohim). ¹¹The frogs will leave you, your house, your servants, and your people. They will remain only in the Nile."
     ¹²After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord (Yahweh) concerning the frogs he had sent upon Pharaoh. ¹³The Lord (Yahweh) did as Moses said, and the frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards, and in the fields. ¹⁴They were gathered into piles upon piles (many large heaps), and the land stank. [There was a terrible smell of dead frogs everywhere.] ¹⁵But when Pharaoh saw the relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken.

The third plague – insects

¹⁶The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses: Tell Aaron: Stretch out your staff and strike the dust on the ground, and insects (Hebr. kenim) [probably gnats or lice; perhaps mosquitoes] will come up out of the ground throughout Egypt. ¹⁷They did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust on the ground, and insects came up on people and livestock. All the dust on the ground turned into insects throughout the land of Egypt. [The Egyptian god Geb was the god of the earth in Egypt. Now he suddenly no longer had control over the earth when myriads of stinging insects came up from the ground. It was also believed that Geb could keep you in the grave or let you move on to the afterlife. Therefore, it was important to worship him so that you would not remain in the grave. The word for insects is the plural form of Hebr. ken. It can refer to gnats, lice, or any other small insect that attacks both humans and animals. Since Aaron strikes his staff on the dust of the ground (Hebr. afar), it is more likely that these are gnats or lice than mosquitoes, which often hatch in wetlands. This was also something special. Mosquitoes were common, as the Nile flooded every year, creating favorable conditions for mosquitoes.] ¹⁸When the magicians (scribes, from the word for pen) tried to do the same thing and produce insects using their secret arts, they could not; they failed. Now there were insects everywhere, on both people and livestock. ¹⁹The magicians (scribes, from the word for pen) said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God (Elohim)."

But Pharaoh's heart was hardened (closed), and he did not listen to them, as the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken.

The fourth plague – flies (or beetles)

²⁰Then the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses: Get up early in the morning and stand (position yourself) before Pharaoh. When he comes to the water (the Nile), you shall say to him: This is what the Lord (Yahweh) says: Let my people go, so that they may serve (worship) me. ²¹Otherwise, if you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you, your servants, your people, and into your houses. The houses of Egypt will be full (so that they are completely swarming) with swarms of flies, even in the foundations of the houses. [The Egyptian god Khepri had control over all insects, flies, and beetles. He had control over creation and was even considered so powerful that he was the one who personally moved the sun across the sky every day.] ²²But on that day I will make a distinction for the land of Goshen, where my people live, so that no swarm of flies will come there, so that you may know that I, the Lord (Yahweh), am (exist) in the midst of the land (on earth). [Here, for the first time, God makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites so that the plague does not affect the Jewish people.] ²³I will make a distinction between my people and your people. Tomorrow this plague will occur. [Pharaoh has the day to repent, but does not do so.] ²⁴The Lord (Yahweh) did just that. A massive swarm of flies entered all of Pharaoh's houses and the houses of his servants. The whole land of Egypt was ruined because of the enormous swarms of flies.
     ²⁵Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God in the land." ²⁶But Moses replied, "That would not be right. The sacrifices we intend to offer to the Lord our God (Yahweh Elohim) are an abomination to the Egyptians. Wouldn't the Egyptians stone us if we offered what is an abomination to them? ²⁷We must go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God (Yahweh Elohim) just as he has instructed us."
     ²⁸Pharaoh said, "I will let you go so that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim) in the desert. Just don't go too far away. Pray for me."
     ²⁹Moses replied, "Behold, when I leave you, I will pray to the Lord (Yahweh) that the swarms of flies leave Pharaoh, his servants, and the people tomorrow. Only Pharaoh must stop acting in a degrading manner (being deceitful, deceiving—Hebr. talal) and refuse to let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord (Yahweh)." [The unusual word for deceit (Hebr. talal) has the same root as the word tel, which is used to describe a city that has been built up and torn down. Pharaoh's approach is like a cruel joke in which Pharaoh's expectations have been built up like a city visible to all, only to be demolished, rebuilt, and demolished again.] ³⁰Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord (Yahweh). ³¹The Lord (Yahweh) did just as Moses had said and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, his servants, and his people. Nothing remained. ³²But Pharaoh hardened (closed) his heart and would not let the people go.

The fifth plague – the livestock falls ill

9¹Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may serve (worship) me. ²If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, ³behold, the hand of the Lord (Yahweh) will come upon your livestock in the fields, upon the horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, and flocks of small animals. There will be a devastating plague. ⁴But the Lord (Yahweh) will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing belonging to the children (sons) of Israel will die." [Here God again makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites, see also Ex. 8:22.] [The Egyptian goddess Hathor was the king's nurse, she was also the goddess responsible for love, fertility, and women. She was also considered to be the one who cleansed the land of those who were not true believers, pagans in relation to the Egyptian pantheon. This is also a judgment against the religious hierarchy where calves, cows, and oxen were worshipped and highly regarded.] ⁵And the Lord (Yahweh) set a specific time and said, "Tomorrow this will take place in the land." ⁶The next day, the Lord (Yahweh) did this deed (carried out this prov). All the livestock [horses, donkeys, camels, sheep, and goats, see verse 3] in Egypt died, but not a single animal belonging to the children of Israel died. ⁷When Pharaoh inquired, not a single animal belonging to the children of Israel (sons) had died.

But Pharaoh's heart was hardened (closed), and he did not let the people go.

The sixth plague – boils

⁸Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of ashes from the furnace [may refer to ashes from the furnaces where the carcasses of the dead animals were burned] and let Moses throw it up toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. ⁹It shall become fine dust throughout the land of Egypt and shall become like boils that break out in sores on both humans and animals throughout the land." [With this sixth plague, the Lord tackles the entire Egyptian system of healing. In Egypt, every conceivable disease and ailment was rampant. But healing was not about medicine but exclusively about magic and occultism. Different ailments were attributed to different gods and goddesses who could either prevent or cause these diseases. Each ailment had its own ritual, potion, or amulet to appease the specific god.
    One of the rituals for healing was particularly cruel. It prescribed the sacrifice of a living human being who was burned on a high altar. The ashes were then thrown into the air, and it was believed that when they spread with the wind, they would bring blessings and healing. When Moses takes ashes in his hand and throws them into the air toward the sky in front of Pharaoh, it is a direct confrontation with this custom.] ¹⁰So they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh's face. When Moses threw the ashes toward the sky, they turned into boils that broke out in sores on both humans and animals throughout the land. ¹¹The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for they were on the magicians just as they were on all the Egyptians. ¹²But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he would not listen to them. Just as the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken to Moses [Ex. 4:21; 7:3]. [After the fifth plague, it says in Ex. 9:6 that "all the livestock died." Which animals were afflicted with boils in the sixth plague, see Ex. 9:10, and which livestock are brought in from the fields and protected from the hail in the seventh plague, see Ex. 9:20–25? There are several explanations.
    The Hebrew word kol, translated as "all" in Ex. 9:6, does not necessarily mean every single one, but can also mean "all kinds." In the Gk. translation Septuagint, the word holon, which describes every single one, is not chosen, but rather pas, which describes "all kinds and different types." The meaning then becomes that the fifth plague, some kind of disease, affected all different kinds of livestock such as horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. This interpretation is reinforced by the fact that a few verses earlier, these different types of livestock are listed, see Ex. 9:3.
    The Bible also does not specify how much time passes between the fifth and sixth plagues. If it was really every single piece of livestock that was wiped out, the Egyptians could have taken livestock from the Israelites or bought it from neighboring countries. As for the hail in the seventh plague, "those who feared the Lord among Pharaoh's servants" were warned to bring their livestock under cover so that they would not die, see Ex. 9:20. Although the Bible does not explicitly say so, these God-fearing Egyptians may have been spared even earlier, in the same way as the Israelites, when Egyptian livestock were struck by disease during the fifth plague.]

The seventh plague – hail and fire

¹³Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand (position yourself) before Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go so that they may serve (worship) me. ¹⁴This time I will send all the afflictions (plagues – Hebr. magefa) upon your heart, and upon your servants, and upon your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the world. ¹⁵Truly, I could now have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the face of the earth. ¹⁶Nevertheless (a sharp emphasis and contrast between something that was and something that is – Hebr. olam), I have let you stand [kept you alive; raised you up as leader] for this reason: to show you my power and so that my mighty name may be recounted (counted – Hebr. safar) throughout the earth. [Rom. 9:17] ¹⁷Yet you exalt yourself above my people by not letting them go. ¹⁸Behold, tomorrow at this time I will cause it to rain with a very heavy hailstorm, the likes of which has never been seen in Egypt since the day it was founded until now. ¹⁹Send out this word (make it known throughout Egypt); bring your livestock and everything you have in the fields into the stables. Every person or animal that remains in the field and is not brought home (to the stable) will die when the hail falls on them.' "
     ²⁰Those who feared (revered) the word of the Lord (Yahweh) among Pharaoh's servants made sure that his own servants and livestock took shelter in the houses, ²¹but those who did not fear (revere) the word of the Lord (Yahweh) left their servants and their livestock in the fields.
     ²²Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky and let it hail over all of Egypt, on people, on animals, and on everything that grows in the fields throughout the land." [The Egyptian goddess Nut was associated with the sky. She controlled a barrier that separated chaos from the cosmic order in this world. She was the wife of Geb, the god of the earth, and was seen as the protector of the earth. Nut was considered particularly responsible for the night sky with its constellations that could predict the future, what we call astrology. Nut was one of the most important goddesses. The Egyptians believed that they were protected from the destructive forces of nature when they served her. When hail destroyed animals, crops, and people, her power proved ineffective.] ²³Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and the Lord (Yahweh) sent thunder and hail. Fire came down on the earth when the Lord (Yahweh) caused hail to fall on the land of Egypt. ²⁴The hail fell heavily with lightning in the midst of the hail. Nothing like it had ever been seen in Egypt since the country came into being. [The hail consists of both fire and ice. Miraculously, the fire does not melt the ice, and the ice does not extinguish the fire. These opposing forces work together to carry out God's will. The medieval French rabbi Rashi, who wrote the most influential commentary on the Old Testament, also notes how the word for heaven (Hebr. shamaim) consists of two words: fire (Hebr. esh) and water (Hebr. maim).] ²⁵The hail struck down everything in the fields, both people and animals, throughout the land of Egypt. It also struck down all the crops in the fields and broke all the trees. ²⁶Only in the land of Goshen, where the children (sons) of Israel lived, did no hail fall. [Here God again makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites.]
     ²⁷Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, "I have sinned this time. The Lord (Yahweh) is righteous, while I and my people are wicked. ²⁸Pray to the Lord (Yahweh), for God's (Elohim's) thunder and hail are enough. I will let you go. You need not stay any longer."
     ²⁹Moses said to him, "As soon as I have left the city, I will stretch out my hand to the Lord (Yahweh). The thunder will cease and the hail will stop, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord (Yahweh). ³⁰But as for you and your servants, I know that you still do not fear (revere) the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim)."
     ³¹The flax and the barley were destroyed, because the barley had come to the ear and the flax was in bloom. ³²But the wheat and spelt had not been destroyed because they are harvested later. [From these agricultural notes, we know that this must have taken place at the end of March/beginning of April.]
     ³³Moses went out of the city, away from Pharaoh, and stretched out his hand to the Lord (Yahweh). Then the thunder ceased, and the hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the earth. ³⁴But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened (closed) his heart, both he and his servants. ³⁵Pharaoh's heart was hardened (closed), and he did not let the children (sons) of Israel go, as the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken through Moses.

The eighth plague – locusts

10¹Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened (closed) his heart and the hearts of his servants, so that I may show my signs among them. ²You shall recount (tell) this in the ears [emphasis that reinforces clear teaching] of your sons and their sons (children and grandchildren) how I have made Egypt a laughingstock [played a prank on the Egyptians], as well as my signs [the plagues] that I have done among them, so that you may know that I am the Lord (Yahweh)."
     ³Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "This is what the Lord (Yahweh), the God of the Hebrews (Elohim), says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go so that they may serve (worship) me. ⁴Otherwise, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts upon your borders. ⁵Then they will cover the face of the ground, so that no one will be able to see the ground. They will eat what escaped, what was left after the hail, and eat all your trees in the fields. ⁶Your houses will be filled (with locusts), as will the houses of your servants and the houses of all the Egyptians, in a way that your fathers or forefathers have never seen from the day they came to the earth until today." Then he turned and left Pharaoh. [With the locusts, several Egyptian gods are punished. Shu was the god who controlled the winds, and God sent the locusts with the east wind. Nefri guarded the seed, Renenutet was the goddess who watched over the harvest, Geb was the god of the earth, so all of these were destroyed when God let the locusts ruin all vegetation. Heset was the god of abundance in Egypt, and this too was taken away when the land yielded no crops. All these gods were trusted in Egypt for growth and a safe and good harvest that brought prosperity.] ⁷Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long will this man be a snare to us? Send these people away so that they may serve (worship) their God (Elohim). Don't you realize that all of Egypt will be ruined?"
     ⁸Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, "Go and serve (worship) the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim). Who are the ones who are going?" ⁹Moses replied, "We will go with our young and our old, our sons and our daughters. We will go with our flocks and our herds. For we must celebrate a feast to the Lord (Yahweh) in his honor (to the glory of God)." ¹⁰But he said to them, "May the Lord (Yahweh) be with you if I ever let you go with your little ones. Behold, evil is in your faces. ¹¹Not like that. Now go, you men, and serve (worship) the Lord (Yahweh), for that is what you desire." Then they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
     ¹²Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt so that the locusts may come up over Egypt and eat every plant that the hail has left." ¹³Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord (Yahweh) brought an east wind over the land, all that day and all that night. When morning came, the east wind brought the swarms of locusts. ¹⁴The swarms of locusts came up over the whole land of Egypt and remained within the whole territory of Egypt (within all the borders of Egypt), so thick that there had never been anything like it before, nor will there ever be again. ¹⁵They covered the ground so that it was darkened, and they ate every plant in the land and all the fruit from the trees that the hail had left. Not a single trace of greenery, no tree or plant in the fields remained in the whole land of Egypt.
     ¹⁶Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim) and against you. ¹⁷Now forgive my sin just this once, and pray to the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim) to take this death away from me." ¹⁸He [Moses] went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord (Yahweh). ¹⁹Then the Lord (Yahweh) turned the wind so that it came very strongly from the west, and it carried away the locusts and drove them into the Reed Sea (Hebr. jam sof) [Red Sea]. Not a single locust remained in the whole territory of Egypt (within all the borders of Egypt). ²⁰But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children (sons) of Israel go.

The ninth plague – three days of darkness

²¹Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, and darkness will cover the whole land of Egypt. A darkness that can be touched." [Ps. 105:28]

[This darkness was no ordinary darkness, but one that could be physically touched and felt/experienced. The sun god Ra was the highest in rank among the gods of Egypt, and now he could not dispel this darkness. But there was also another god named Apep who was an opponent of Ra and who ruled over darkness. He too was confronted in this plague because God let the sun shine among the Israelites, thus showing that it was God who ruled even over darkness.]

²²Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness over the whole land of Egypt for three days. ²³No one could see anyone else, and no one could rise from their place for three days. But all the sons of Israel (all the people) had light where they were.
     ²⁴Pharaoh called Moses and said, "Go, serve (worship) the Lord (Yahweh). Leave only your flocks and herds, and your little ones may go with you." ²⁵But Moses said, "You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings in our hands, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God (Yahweh Elohim). ²⁶Our livestock shall also go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. We must take them to serve the Lord our God (Yahweh Elohim). We ourselves do not know how we shall serve the Lord (Yahweh) until we arrive there.
     ²⁷But the Lord (Yahweh) hardened (closed) Pharaoh's heart, and he was not willing to let them go. ²⁸Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me. Beware of coming before my face again, for if (on the day – Hebr. bejom) you see my face again, you will die." ²⁹Moses replied, "As you say [you yourself have now said/wished it], I will never see your face again."

The tenth plague

The death of the firstborn

11¹Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague upon Pharaoh and Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will forcefully (compel) you all to leave here. ²Now speak to the people and let every man among you ask his neighbor, and every woman her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry." ³The Lord (Yahweh) gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. The man Moses was truly, truly great in the eyes of Pharaoh's servants and in the eyes of the people. [At this point, virtually all Egyptians regarded Moses as a great god, perhaps the greatest, because through all the signs that the Lord had enabled him to perform, he had now demonstrated that the various gods of Egypt did not possess the power that the people had hitherto attributed to them.] ⁴Moses said [to Pharaoh], "This is what the Lord (Yahweh) says: At midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt (Hebr. Mitsrajim), ⁵and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die. From the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the maidservants at the mill, together with all the firstborn of the cattle. [In this plague, it is Pharaoh himself who is challenged. Pharaoh was one of the highest gods in Egypt, together with the goddess Isis, who was the protector of children. When it says all firstborn, it applies regardless of age. So it is not only children who die, but also older people who are firstborn in their families. See also Heb. 11:28]

⁶There will be great weeping throughout the land of Egypt, the likes of which has never been heard before and will never be heard again. ⁷But not even a dog will growl (bark; literally: 'move its tongue') at any of the children of Israel (sons), neither man nor beast, so that you may know that the Lord (Yahweh) makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. ⁸And all these your servants shall come down to me and fall down before me and say, 'Go forth, you and all your people who follow you. Then I will go.'" Then he went out from Pharaoh in burning anger. ⁹The Lord (Yahweh) had said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that my signs may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. ¹⁰Moses and Aaron performed all these signs before Pharaoh, and the Lord (Yahweh) hardened (closed) Pharaoh's heart, so that he did not let the children (sons) of Israel go out of his land.

The Passover feast is instituted

12¹The Lord (Yahweh) had spoken to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: ²"This month [aviv/nisan – in the spring] is to be your beginning (head; the most important) of months, it will be the first of the months of the year.

The Jewish year
The Israelites' new year shall begin with the remembrance of the exodus from Egypt. The first month is called Aviv in Hebrew, meaning 'the month when the ears of corn ripen', and its Babylonian name is Nisan. The month corresponds roughly to March/April. The twelve months from spring to spring are:
    Nisan (Aviv), Iyar (Ziv), Sivan, Tamuz, Av, Elul, Tishri, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shvat, and Adar.

Every second or third year, a 13th month is added to compensate for the 10 days that are otherwise missing in the solar year. This extra month is called the second Adar (Hebr. adar bet). To distinguish it from the 'regular' month of Adar, it is called the first Adar (Hebr. adar alef). The holiday of Purim, which always falls in Adar, is celebrated in the second Adar when it is a leap year, but many also celebrate 'Little Purim' (Hebr. purim qatan) during the first Adar. However, since the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE), the Jewish New Year, when the year changes, falls in the fall in the 7th month of Tishri on the first day, which is Rosh Hashanah (the name given to Yom Teroah, the Feast of Trumpets, since the 17th century).

³Speak to the whole people of Israel [tell them]: On the 10th day of this month, each family shall take a lamb—one lamb for each household. ⁴If a household is too small for a lamb [if there are fewer than ten people], then the man and his closest neighbor shall share a lamb. Depending on how much each person eats and the number of family members, you shall calculate how many can share a lamb. ⁵The lamb must be without blemish (perfect, innocent) [Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 1:19], male, and one year old. You may choose it from among the sheep or goats. ⁶You shall guard it (take care of it) until the 14th of this month. [The lamb shall be separated from the other sheep for four days.] Then all the people of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight (literally: 'between the two evenings' – Hebr. ben arbajim). [Between the two evenings is a Hebrew expression for the time from when the sun begins to set until sunset. In Israel, this is sometime between three and six in the afternoon. In Jesus' time, it had come to be interpreted as between noon and six, probably because of logistical problems with everyone slaughtering in the temple and queuing up instead of everyone slaughtering at home.
    This is a foreshadowing of Jesus riding into Jerusalem four days before his arrest and crucifixion. Just as the lamb here must live with and be seen by the family who will then slaughter and eat it, Jesus must be seen by the priests in Jerusalem before he could go to the cross. Even the doorposts and crossbars are an image of the cross where Jesus gave his blood (verse 7). Jesus was a whole burnt offering (verse 9). Jesus' body was taken down from the cross before evening (verse 19).] ⁷They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of every house where they eat it. ⁸They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread [which is a picture of having no evil in it] and bitter herbs [to remind them of slavery and suffering in Egypt]. ⁹Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roasted over a fire with the head, bones, and entrails. ¹⁰You must not leave any of it until the next morning; whatever is left must be burned in the fire.
     ¹¹This is how you shall eat it: Be dressed as for a journey [literally: 'be girded around the loins', i.e. tie up your cloak to be ready to depart], with your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. You shall eat it in haste. This is the Lord's (Yahweh's) Passover (Hebr. pesach). [The word Passover is a English adaptation of the Hebrew word pesach, which in turn goes back to the Hebrew verb pasach (verses 13, 23, and 27). One of the meanings of the verb is to limp and hop (2 Sam. 4:4; 1 Kings 18:21, 26) with the figurative meaning of jumping around without landing on a decision in 1 Kings 18:21. In Isa. 31:5, pesach is used together with the verbs to protect, save, deliver, and fly/soar. The verb is used three times in Exodus about Passover, where it is traditionally translated as "pass over." However, there is a common verb avar, which means to pass by and go past. Based on the parallelism in Ex. 12:12, it is understandable how pesach may have acquired this meaning in translations. The meaning of "hovering over" shows how the Lord protects the Israelites from the destroyer passing through the land. The parallelism in Ex. 12:27, where the Lord saves, fits better with hovering and protecting than with passing over. Here in Ex. 12:11 is the first time the noun pesach appears. In total, the word is used 49 (7 x 7) times, 22 of which are in the Books of Moses. The verb is used 7 times. The definite form ha-pesach (see verse 21) has the numerical value 153, cf. John 21:11.] ¹²On that same night, I will pass through (Hebr. avar) the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn in Egypt, both man and beast. I will judge all the gods of Egypt—I Am the Lord (Yahweh). ¹³The blood that you have smeared on your houses shall be a sign [to me] of where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you (Hebr. pasach) [hover over and protect, save and deliver, see Isa. 31:5], and this plague will not come upon you and destroy you when I attack the land of Egypt. [In the same way, God looks upon us today when we have accepted Jesus' atonement in our lives. Then we escape the punishment for our sins because Jesus took it upon himself in our place.] ¹⁴This day shall be a day to be remembered. You shall celebrate it as a feast of the Lord (Yahweh) throughout your generations; you shall make it a custom (habit, tradition) forever. ¹⁵For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread (bread baked without yeast – Hebr. matsa). [Unleavened bread is a symbol of sinlessness.] On the first day, you must remove all leaven (sourdough – Hebr. chamets) from your houses. Anyone who eats bread baked with leaven between the first and seventh days [of the feast] shall be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶On the first day of the feast and also on the seventh, gather everyone for a holy assembly. No work shall be done on these two days, except to prepare what each person needs to eat.
     ¹⁷You shall celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on that day (literally: 'on the bone/power of the day') [in the middle of the day, completely open for all to see] that I brought your armies out of Egypt. It shall be an eternal statute for you to celebrate this day from generation to generation. ¹⁸From the evening of the 14th day of the first month until the evening of the 21st day of the month, you shall eat unleavened bread. ¹⁹No yeast (leaven) shall be found in your houses during these seven days [of the feast]. Anyone who eats anything that has yeast in it shall be cut off from Israel. It does not matter whether he is a stranger or born in the land [the principle applies to everyone]. ²⁰Wherever you live [or gather], make sure you do not eat bread with yeast [during that week]." ²¹Then Moses called all the elders and said to them, "Go and take a small animal (sheep, lamb) for each family, and slaughter the Passover lamb (Hebr. pesach). ²²Take a handful of hyssop stalks. [Hyssop has a stiff, branched stem and grows up to 0.5 meters long.] Dip them in the bowl of blood [which you have drained from the lamb] and spread it above the door and down both doorposts. None of you may go outside until the next morning.
     ²³The Lord (Yahweh) will pass through (Hebr. avar) [the land during the night] to strike Egypt. But when he sees the blood above the door and on both doorposts, he will pass over (Hebr. pasach) [protect, see verse 13] the doorway (Hebr. mezozah) and not allow the destroyer [the angel of death, see also Ps. 78:49; 1 Cor. 10:10] to enter your houses and strike you. ²⁴You and your children shall keep this event as a statute forever. ²⁵Even after you have entered the land that the Lord has spoken of [promised to Israel], you shall keep (preserve) this feast (ceremony, worship service). ²⁶When your children ask you, 'Why do we celebrate this feast? ²⁷Then you shall answer: 'It is the Passover lamb to the Lord (Yahweh), because he passed over (Hebr. pesach) [protected] the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he struck the Egyptians, but saved our houses. Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
     ²⁸Then the Israelites went and did everything the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. ²⁹At midnight, the Lord (Yahweh) struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoners in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. ³⁰Then Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a loud cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone had not died.

THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT (12:31-15:21)

[There are two theories regarding the date of the exodus: the late theory (12th century BC) and the early theory (14th century BC). See 1 Kings 6:1 for more information. The enormous volcanic eruption on the Greek island of Santorini (then known as Thera) could explain many of the plagues. The eruption caused earthquakes, tsunamis, and many cubic kilometers of ash and pumice shook some of the early civilizations of the Mediterranean to their foundations. This could explain how the water receded and caused a huge tsunami. It could have appeared as a "pillar of fire" at night, etc. The eruption, which is the worst ever, has been dated to 1450 BC based on findings from neighboring civilizations. Dating based on radiometric measurements places the eruption earlier, between 1628 and 1600 BC.] ³¹He [Pharaoh] called Moses and Aaron in the middle of the night and said: "Get up, leave my people, both you and the sons of Israel (all Israelites), and go and serve (worship) the Lord (Yahweh) as you have said (spoken – Hebr. davar). ³²Take your flocks and herds, as you have said (spoken), and go! But bless me too."
     ³³Now the Egyptians urged the people eagerly and insistently and sent them out of the country as quickly as they could, for they thought that otherwise they would all die.
     ³⁴The people took their dough before it had risen and tied their baking pans to their clothes on their shoulders. ³⁵In this way, the sons of Israel (the people) did as Moses had said. They asked the Egyptians for objects of silver and gold and clothing. ³⁶The Lord (Yahweh) gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that they gave them everything they asked for. Thus the Egyptians were plundered.
     ³⁷Then the children (sons) of Israel journeyed from Rameses [Tanis or Zoan] to Sukkot [probably Tell el Maskhuta, southeast of Rameses], about 600,000 strong men [over 20 years old] on foot, in addition to the children (families). [In Num. 1, the count after the exodus is 625,550 men over the age of 20.] ³⁸A mixed crowd (non-Jews) also went up with them, along with flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and many cattle. ³⁹They had baked unleavened bread from the dough they had brought with them from Egypt. It was unleavened because they did not have time to let it rise when they were driven out of Egypt. Nor had they had time to stock up on provisions (before the exodus). ⁴⁰The time that the sons of Israel (the people) had stayed in Egypt was 430 years. ⁴¹And it came to pass at the end of the 430 years, on that very day, that all the Lord's (Yahweh's) great hosts (armies – Hebr. tsevaot) [arranged according to their tribes] departed from the land of Egypt. ⁴²It was a night of watching for the Lord (Yahweh) to bring them out of the land of Egypt. This same night is a night of watching for the Lord (Yahweh), for all the children (sons) of Israel throughout the generations.
     ⁴³And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the ordinance of the Passover. [Refers both to the feast and to the meal itself, the Passover lamb.] No stranger may eat it, ⁴⁴but all the servants of men who are bought with money, when you have circumcised them, they shall eat of it. ⁴⁵A visitor and a hired servant shall not eat of it.
     ⁴⁶It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall any bone be broken. [This passage is a clear foreshadowing of Jesus as our Passover, our Passover lamb. Only those who are circumcised according to the rules of the covenant may eat it, just as only those who are saved, and thus have their hearts circumcised in the renewed covenant, can partake of Jesus. Even here it is predicted that none of his bones shall be broken, and this did not happen, see John 19:33; Ps. 22:18.] ⁴⁷The entire congregation of Israel must observe this. ⁴⁸But if any outsider living among you wants to keep the Passover for the Lord (Yahweh), all men must be circumcised. Then they can come near and keep it. He shall then be counted as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. ⁴⁹The same teaching (Hebr. Torah) applies to the native as to the stranger who lives among you.
     ⁵⁰And all the children (sons) of Israel did so. They did exactly as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses and Aaron. ⁵¹It was on that very day that the Lord brought the children (sons) of Israel out of the land of Egypt as an army (Hebr. tsevaot). [Ex. 12:17]

All the firstborn belong to the Lord

13¹The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and said: ²"Set apart (sanctify) for me every firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children (sons) of Israel, both among humans and animals, it is mine." ³Moses said to the people: "Remember this day, when you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage (slavery), for with a mighty hand the Lord (Yahweh) brought you out of this place. No leavened bread (Hebr. chamets) [bread or food containing yeast] shall be eaten. ⁴On this day in the month of Aviv [the Canaanite name for the first month of the biblical calendar (corresponding to March/April; also called Nisan), see Ex. 12:2] you went out. ⁵And it shall be when the Lord (Yahweh) brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you [Gen. 12:1–3], a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall serve, keep this service in this month. ⁶For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord (Yahweh). ⁷For seven days you shall eat bread baked without yeast [which is a symbol that there is no evil in it], nothing leavened shall be found in your house, and no leaven shall be found anywhere in your land.
     ⁸On that day, you shall tell (inform) your son, 'It is because of what the Lord (Yahweh) did for me when I came out of Egypt. ⁹It shall be as a sign on your hand and a mark on your forehead (between your eyes), a constant reminder that the Lord's (Yahweh's) teaching (Hebr. Torah) is always in your mouth, for it was with a strong hand that the Lord brought you out of Egypt. ¹⁰Therefore, you shall keep this feast at this time year after year.
     ¹¹Now when the Lord (Yahweh) brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he has sworn to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, ¹²you shall set apart for the Lord every firstborn of the womb, and every firstborn male that you get shall belong to the Lord (Yahweh). ¹³Every firstborn donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you shall break its neck. But you must redeem every firstborn son among your sons. [When it comes to animals, it is optional to redeem a firstborn animal or not, but when it comes to humans, there is no such option. Jesus is the one who redeems us all if we allow ourselves to be redeemed.] ¹⁴When your son asks you in the future, 'What is this?', you shall answer him, 'With a mighty hand the Lord (Yahweh) brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, ¹⁵and when Pharaoh refused to let us go, the Lord (Yahweh) struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both humans and livestock. Therefore, I sacrifice all the firstborn males to the Lord (Yahweh), but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.'[The ceremony is called Pidjon haben, Hebrew for "the redemption of the son," see Num. 8:16. The custom is still practiced today by Orthodox Jews. The father handed his son over to a priest in the temple and got him back for a prescribed symbolic sum of five silver coins. A firstborn son from a priestly family (Hebr. kohen) is not covered by the commandment, see Num. 3:12.] ¹⁶It shall be as a sign on your hand and between your eyes (on your forehead), for with a strong hand the Lord (Yahweh) brought us out of Egypt."

The way out of Egypt

¹⁷After Pharaoh let the people go, God (Elohim) did not lead them on the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was the nearest and shortest route, for God (Elohim) said: The people may change their minds if they see war and want to return to Egypt. [God chose to initially spare the people from adversity to give them the opportunity to feel secure in their new situation and learn to understand that God is always reliable. But later, he wants to teach us to trust him even in adversity, because it is part of life as a believer to face both good times and bad times together with God. This verse teaches us to help new believers so that we protect them from unnecessary adversity at the beginning of their walk with Jesus.] ¹⁸God led the people around through the desert toward the Reed Sea (Red Sea). The Israelites marched like an army (organized in structured groups) out of Egypt.[The Bible uses the general term Reed Sea (Hebr. jam sof) and then just the sea (Ex. 14:2, 9, 16, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 30; 15:1). In 1 Kings 9:26, it refers to the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea at present-day Eilat. The Greek translation Septuagint writes Red Sea. Since the Red Sea has two arms on either side of the Sinai Peninsula, the western one being the Gulf of Suez and the eastern one being the Gulf of Aqaba, there are several suggestions as to exactly where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea.] ¹⁹Moses also took Joseph's bones with him, because he had taken an oath, a promise, from the children (sons) of Israel, saying, "God (Elohim) will surely remember you, and then you shall take my bones with you."
[Joseph knew for certain the word that God had spoken to Abraham when he said that they would be slaves in Egypt for four generations and then return to the land, see Gen. 15:13–16, so he took this promise from the sons of Israel, which Moses now fulfills.] ²⁰The Israelites broke camp from Sukkot and encamped at Etam on the border of the desert. [They do not take the fastest sea route, Via Maris (the trade route along the sea between Egypt and Mesopotamia), which passes through the land of the Philistines, see verse 17, but go in a southeasterly direction through the Sinai desert.] ²¹The Lord (Yahweh) went before them. By day in a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light (to light their way). In this way they were able to travel both day and night. ²²He did not remove the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night. 14¹The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and said:

²Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp outside Pi Hachirot [this word is similar to the Hebrew word herut, which means freedom] between Migdol [meaning tower] and the sea; opposite Baal Tsefon, you shall camp by the sea. ³Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel (people): They are wandering aimlessly in the land, the desert has closed in on them. [Pi Hachirot means "the place where the papyrus plant grows" and should be in the lowlands of Egypt, probably not far from the Nile. Another interpretation gives the meaning "the entrance to the excavations," in which case it refers to the canal that was built in a north-south direction, which runs through the region near Qantara. Baal Tsefon is "the gate to the north." As they wandered south on the Sinai Peninsula, they were surrounded by water on all sides except the north, and from a human perspective it might seem completely pointless to go that way, as it would only lead them back to where they started if they had no boats to take them across the water.] ⁴I will harden Pharaoh's heart (close it), and he will pursue them, and I will be glorified over Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord (Yahweh). And so it came to pass.

Pharaoh pursues the Israelites

⁵When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants' hearts changed toward the people, and they said, "What have we done, letting Israel leave their place as our slaves?" ⁶He [Pharaoh] prepared his chariot and took his people with him. ⁷He took 600 of the finest chariots, along with all the other chariots in Egypt and their commanders. [Most chariot units during this period numbered between 10 and 150, so 600 is a large number, but not unreasonable. When Ramses II fought the Hittites at the Battle of Qadesh, his enemy boasted of having 2,500 chariots.] ⁸The Lord (Yahweh) hardened (closed) the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, so that he pursued the sons (people) of Israel, because the sons (people) of Israel went out with a high hand (confidently, proudly) [in Pharaoh's eyes, openly and defiantly]. ⁹But the Egyptians pursued them with all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, as well as his horsemen and his army, and caught up with them where they were encamped by the sea outside Pi Hachirot, opposite Baal Tsefon. [The places are mentioned again, see verse 2.] ¹⁰When Pharaoh was near, the Israelites discovered that the Egyptians were marching toward them, and the Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord, ¹¹and they said to Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have brought us out here to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us so badly and brought us out of Egypt? ¹²Did we not say this to you in Egypt? We said, 'Leave us alone so that we may be slaves to the Egyptians. It is better for us to serve the Egyptians as slaves than to die in the desert.
     ¹³Moses said to the people, "Stop being afraid! Stand firm (don't run away) and you will see how the Lord will deliver (save) you today. You will never see the Egyptians you see today again. [Can also be translated: 'As you see the Egyptians today, you will never see them again.] ¹⁴The Lord will fight for you, and you shall be still (silent, deaf; remain calm; take in the impression)." [The word still (Hebr. charesh) has more than one meaning. God wanted the Israelites to stop and be silent—that is, to cease their cries of fear and their expressions of discontent (see verses 10, 11, and 12). They were to be like deaf-mutes who would simply witness God's intervention—how He would take care of the approaching Egyptian army. The root word also means to engrave or plow something, and in this context it means to let your heart be marked by God's peace and let the knowledge of his intervention sink deep into you – in the midst of and despite the circumstances.] ¹⁵The Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move forward [into the sea]. ¹⁶Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the Israelites shall walk on dry ground straight through the sea. ¹⁷And I, behold, I will harden (close) the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall pursue them, so that I may be glorified in Pharaoh and his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. ¹⁸Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh), when I glorify myself on Pharaoh and his chariots and his horsemen." ¹⁹The angel (messenger) of God (Elohim), who [usually] went before the camp (army) of Israel, moved and went [now] behind them, so that the pillar of cloud (pillar of smoke/cloud) [Ex. 13:21] moved from [being] in front of them and stood [now] behind them. ²⁰The [pillar of cloud, the angel] came in that way between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of the Israelites. The cloud was there with darkness [for the Egyptians], yet it gave light there during the night [to the Israelites], and no one came near the other all night long. [The Hebrew text is not entirely clear in verse 20, which literally reads: "The cloud and the darkness were there and lit up the night." The Greek translation Septuagint translates: "Darkness fell, and the whole night passed without the armies coming close to each other." The point is that the two camps were separated and no one could pass the cloud that was between them.]

The sea is divided

²¹Moses stretched out his hand toward the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind all night. He turned the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. ²²The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, while the water stood like a wall on both sides of them. [In total, about two million people passed through the sea that night, see Ex. 12:37.]
     ²³But the Egyptians pursued them and went after them into the middle of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. ²⁴Now it came to pass in the morning watch [the last of the three night watches – from two o'clock to six o'clock in the morning] that the Lord (Yahweh) looked down upon the army of Egypt from the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud and caused panic (confusion, tumult – Hebr. hamam) in the Egyptian army. [The word for confusion is similar to the verb for movement (Hebr. hom) and to roar and thunder (Hebr. hamah).] ²⁵He caused the wheels to fall off [the Greek translation has "stick"] their chariots and made them drive heavily, so that the Egyptians said, "Get away from the face of Israel (do not come near Israel), for the Lord (Yahweh) is fighting for them against the Egyptians. ²⁶And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the water will return upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and upon their horsemen. ²⁷So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when morning dawned, and the Egyptians fled toward it, and the Lord (Yahweh) shook down (scattered, scattered around – Hebr. naar) the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. ²⁸And the waters returned and covered the chariots and horsemen, as well as the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not a single one of them remained (survived). ²⁹But the children (sons) of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea, and the water stood as a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. ³⁰In this way, the Lord (Yahweh) saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore. ³¹And Israel saw the great work that the Lord (Yahweh) did to the Egyptians, and the people feared (revered) the Lord (Yahweh) and believed in the Lord (Yahweh) and his servant Moses.

Praise

Moses' song

15¹Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord, saying:

I will sing to the Lord,
    for he has triumphed gloriously.
He has thrown horse and rider into the sea.
²The Lord (Yah, short for Yahweh, signifying that he has always existed) is my strength (power) and my song of praise,
    he became my salvation (rescue).
He is my God (El) and I will praise him,
    my father's God (Elohim) and I will exalt him. ³The Lord (Yahweh) is a warrior,
    the Lord (Yahweh, I Am and have always existed) is his name. ⁴Pharaoh's chariots and his army
    he has cast into the sea;
his chief commanders
    were also drowned in the Reed Sea (Hebr. jam sof) [Red Sea].
⁵The depths have covered them,
    they sank to the bottom like stones.

⁶Your right hand, Lord (Yahweh),
    was majestic in power (completely superior to everything else).
Your right hand, Lord (Yahweh),
    crushed the enemy. ⁷In your great glory (exaltedness, majesty)
    you struck down those who rose up against you.
You unleashed your consuming fire (wrath)
    which consumed them like straw. [The same verb "unleash" was used throughout in the demand that Pharaoh "let" the Israelites go free. Ironically, God's fire is now unleashed upon him himself because he refused to obey God.] ⁸A snort from your nose [the east wind that blew during the night, see Ex. 14:21]
    dammed up the waters (piled them up).
The surging (rushing water) rose like a wall,
    the streams of water froze in the depths of the sea.

⁹The enemy said:
    "I will pursue,
    I will overtake,
    I will divide the spoil,
    my will shall be done with them,
    I will draw my sword,
    my hand shall destroy them."
¹⁰but you [Lord] blew with your wind (breathed),
    and the sea covered them.
They sank (whirled down)
    like lead in the mighty waters.

¹¹Who among the gods [all the idols that were in Egypt] is like you, Lord (Yahweh)?
Who is like you—
    majestic in holiness (completely perfect, totally separate from all that is unclean) [the opposite of all sin],
    worthy of wonder (respect, reverence) in praise,
    you who perform wonders (amazing things, miracles)?

¹²You stretched out your right hand
    and the earth swallowed them up. ¹³You in your mercy (caring love) led the people
    whom you redeemed (Hebr. gaal) [Ex. 6:6]. You have guided them in your strength and in your holy dwelling place.
¹⁴When the nations hear, they tremble.
    Anxiety has taken hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
¹⁵The leaders of Edom are terrified.
    Anxiety has seized the mighty men of Moab.
All the inhabitants of Canaan melt away. [The word for melt signifies a change that cannot be resisted. The people tremble with fear and cannot do anything about the situation.] ¹⁶Terror and fear will fall upon them,
    through the greatness of your arm
    they will be petrified (become still as stones),
until your people have passed, Lord (Yahweh),
    until the people you have redeemed have passed by. ¹⁷You brought them in and planted them
    on the mountains of your inheritance,
the place, Lord (Yahweh), that you have made for yourself to dwell in,
    the holy place (the temple), Lord (Adonai), that your hands have prepared.
¹⁸The Lord shall reign from everlasting to everlasting!

¹⁹For Pharaoh's horses with his chariots and his horsemen went out into the sea, but the Lord (Yahweh) brought the waters back over them. Yet the sons (people) of Israel were able to walk in the midst of the sea on dry ground.

Miriam's song

²⁰Then the prophetess Miriam, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing. ²¹while Miriam sang to them:

Sing to the Lord (Yahweh),
    for he is highly exalted!
The horse and its rider
    he has thrown into the sea!

Trials in the desert (15:22-18:27)

Bitter water becomes sweet

²²Then Moses led the people on from the Reed Sea. They went out into the wilderness of Shur. They walked three days in the wilderness and found no water. ²³And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. Therefore, the place was called Marah (which means bitter). ²⁴And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"
     ²⁵And he cried out to the Lord (Yahweh), and the Lord (Yahweh) showed him a tree, and he threw it [all or part of it] into the water, and the water became sweet. There he made a statute and a rule for them, and there he tested them. [Hebrew ets is used for trees, but also for branches and boards of wood, see Hag. 1:8; Ezek. 37:16. It could be a small bush that Moses pulls up and throws into the water, or a branch from the tree.] ²⁶He [Moses] said, "If you listen to the voice of the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim) and carefully follow his commands and keep all his statutes, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord your healer (Hebr. JHVH rafa)."
[The title Yahweh rafa is the first of the covenant names that the Lord reveals to the children of Israel. This occurs in the second month of the Hebrew calendar, which is Iyar (April/May). In Hebrew, the word consists of three letters alef–yod–resh (איר). The first letters of the phrase "I, the Lord, your healer" (three Hebrew words ani Yahweh rafa) are also alef, yod and resh – Iyar. The phrase is thus an acronym for the month of Iyar, a month often associated with healing.] ²⁷Then they came to Elim, where there were 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees. There they camped by the water.

God provided them with food

16¹When the whole people of Israel left Elim and came to the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month [Iyar – April/May] after they had left Egypt, ²the whole Israelite community complained (blamed, cried out loudly against) Moses and Aaron in the desert. ³The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and had enough bread, but you have brought us out into this desert to let the whole people die of hunger."
     ⁴Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "I will rain bread from heaven for you. The people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, so that I may test them, whether they will walk in my instruction (Hebr. Torah) or not. ⁵On the sixth day [the day before the Sabbath], when they prepare what they have brought home, it shall be twice as much as they have gathered on the other days."
     ⁶Moses and Aaron said to the Israelites: "This evening you shall know that it is the Lord (Yahweh) who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, ⁷and tomorrow you will see the glory (honor, splendor) of the Lord (Yahweh), for the Lord has heard your complaints against (inability to trust) him. Who are we [Moses and Aaron] that you complain against us [we are only messengers; it is God you have complained against]."
     ⁸Moses said [the wording of this sentence is abrupt in the original text and repeats verses 6 and 7; this may reflect the fact that Moses was not a good speaker]: "You shall understand this when the Lord (Yahweh) gives you meat to eat in the evening and bread in the morning to satisfy you, because the Lord has heard your complaint that you are complaining against him. As for us, who are we? Your complaint is not against us, but against the Lord (Yahweh)."
     ⁹Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the people of Israel to come near (gather for worship before) the Lord (Yahweh), for he has heard how you have complained."
     ¹⁰While Aaron was speaking to the Israelites, they all looked toward the desert, and then the glory (honor, splendor, tangible presence) of the Lord (Yahweh) appeared in a cloud.
     ¹¹The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and said: ¹²"I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them: 'At twilight (literally: 'between the two evenings') [Ex. 12:6] you shall have meat to eat, and in the morning you shall have bread to eat until you are satisfied (all your needs are met), then you shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim).'"
     ¹³That evening, quails came in such abundance that they covered the entire camp, and the next morning the desert around the camp was wet with dew. [The quail is a migratory bird; on another occasion, the Lord brought them to the camp with the help of a wind, see Num. 11:31.] ¹⁴When the dew was gone, there was something like grain (flaky), thin as frost on the ground. ¹⁵When the Israelites saw it, they asked each other, "What is this?" because they did not know what it was. ["What is this" is man hu in Hebrew, and the word later used for manna is man.]
    Moses said to them, "It is the food that the Lord gives you to eat. ¹⁶This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Gather what you need to be satisfied, one omer [about 3 liters] per person. Take it to all those who live in your tent. " [Per person is literally "per head" (Hebr. gul-golet), compare the word golgotha, see John 19:13. The omer measure, which was the daily requirement of manna for one person, is defined in verse 36 as one-tenth of an ephah.]

¹⁷The Israelites did so, and some gathered more, others less. ¹⁸When they measured it with an omer, those who had gathered much had nothing left over, and those who had gathered little had no shortage. Each one had gathered as much as he needed for food.
     ¹⁹Moses also said to them, "Let no one save any of it until morning." ²⁰Nevertheless, they did not listen (obey) Moses. Some of them saved it until the next morning, but it grew worms [in it] and rotted. And Moses became angry (Hebr. qatsaf) with them. ²¹So they gathered it morning by morning, each according to his own need, and when the sun grew hot (rose higher in the sky), it melted (away).
     ²²On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers [about 6 liters] for each person. And all the leaders of the people came and told Moses. ²³But he said to them, "This is what the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken. Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy Sabbath for the Lord (Yahweh). Bake whatever you want to bake and cook whatever you want to cook. Set aside for yourselves whatever is left over and save (preserve) it for tomorrow."
     ²⁴So they saved it until morning, just as Moses had instructed, and it did not rot, and no worms were in it. ²⁵Then Moses said, "Eat this today, for today is the Lord's Sabbath. Today you will find nothing on the ground. ²⁶You shall gather it for six days, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, there will be nothing. ²⁷Nevertheless, on the seventh day, some went out to gather, but they found nothing. ²⁸The Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my teachings (Hebr. Torah)? ²⁹Behold, the Lord (Yahweh) has given you the Sabbath, so on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Let everyone stay in his place and let no one go out on the seventh day. ³⁰Then the people rested on the seventh day. ³¹The house of Israel called it manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. ³²Then Moses said, "This is what the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded: Let a full omer [about 3 liters] of it be kept for future generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.
     ³³Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar and fill it with a full omer [about 3 liters] of manna. Save it before the Lord (Yahweh) so that it may be preserved for future generations. ³⁴Just as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses, Aaron saved it before the testimony, so that it was preserved. ³⁵The children (sons) of Israel ate manna for 40 years. They ate manna until they came to settle in the land, when they came to the border of the land of Canaan. [Josh. 5:11–12] ³⁶An omer [about 3 liters – the daily requirement of manna for one person, see verse 16] is one-tenth of an ephah. [Both the omer and the ephah were measures of volume. Quotes from various ancient texts show that the ephah measure ranged from 20 to 45 liters. A tenth of an ephah (one omer) is therefore equivalent to about 3 liters. The omer is only used as a measure in this chapter. The Hebrew word omer comes from amar, which means to gather and bind sheaves. The measure was probably unique to the desert journey and was not in use in later times, as Moses explains how many efa it corresponds to in this comment at the end of this paragraph, which is like a footnote. The omer measure should not be confused with the chomer measure used in Lev. 27:16; Num. 11:32; Ezek. 45:11, 13–14.]

Water from the rock

17¹The entire people of Israel broke camp from the wilderness of Sin [between Elim and Sinai, see Ex. 16:1] and wandered from campsite to campsite, following the Lord's instructions [they followed the pillar of cloud, see Num. 9:18, 19]. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. [This is a very dry area in the southern Sinai desert with no water sources. The Israelites are estimated to number about two million people, see Ex. 12:37.]
     ²Then the people began to quarrel with Moses (they brought him to trial and made a legal dispute out of this issue and wanted to depose him).
    They said, "Give us water to drink."
    Moses replied, "Why are you quarreling with me? Why are you tempting (testing) the Lord?"
     ³But the people were so parched and in desperate need of water that they continued to complain to Moses and muttered, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Was it so that we, our children, and our livestock would die of thirst?"
     ⁴Then Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me [to death]."
     ⁵The Lord answered Moses, "Go before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff in your hand that you used when you struck the Nile, and start walking. ⁶I will stand before you on the rock at Horeb (Hebr. Chorev) [Mount Sinai], and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷He named the place "Massa" and "Meriva," because the Israelites had quarreled [with Moses and God] and because they had tested (tried) the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord with us or not?" [The Hebrew word massa means to tempt and test. The word meriva means to quarrel, to provoke.]

Victory over the Amalekites

⁸Then the Amalekites came and fought against Israel at Rephidim [meaning: "place of rest"]. [The Amalekites were descendants of Abraham through Esau, see Gen. 36:15. They were a nomadic people who lived in the Negev and Sinai and made their living by plundering, see Judges 3:13. They had domesticated the camel and used it in their attacks. Camels can run at 70 km/h (much faster than a horse) and were well suited for surprise attacks by the Amalekite raiders, see Judges 6:3, 5. Rumors of the Israelites' journey and the possessions they carried with them had surely reached the Amalekites, who were now moving south to find easy prey. In Deut. 25:17–18, it is described how they cowardly attacked and isolated some of the most exhausted Israelites who were at the rear. They are also described as godless. The story that follows also indicates that they were better equipped militarily than the Israelites, and had God not intervened in a supernatural way when Moses, Aaron, and Hur prayed, they would have easily defeated the Israelites, see verse 11.
    The exact location of Rephidim is unknown. Since there was no water, it may not have been an oasis, as rest places usually were. The word Rephidim is plural and comes from Hebr. refida, which means back support and has to do with lying down and resting, but also support. The word refers to it being a "resting place" but also to Aaron and Hur "supporting" Moses' arms in prayer.] ⁹Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us, go out and fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with God's (Elohim's) staff in my hand." ¹⁰Joshua did as Moses had said and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron [Moses' brother], and Hur (Hebr. Chor) [a friend; the grandfather of the artist Bezalel, see Ex. 31:2] went up to the top of the hill (the height – Hebr. giva). ¹¹When Moses held up his hand, Israel had the upper hand, but when he let his hand fall (let it rest), the Amalekites had the upper hand. ¹²Moses' hand became heavy, so they took a stone and placed it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur (Hebr. Chor) held up his hands, one on one side and the other on the other side. And his hands were steady (stable; literally "true" – Hebr. emonah) until the sun went down. [This is the first time the Hebr. word emonah appears. It is a rich word meaning stability, faithfulness, and even truth. It comes from the word for truth (Hebr. emet), which literally also means to stand firm; see the introduction to Ps. 12. Emonah is used a total of 49 times, 22 of them in the Psalms.] ¹³Joshua weakened (struck down – Hebr. chalash) [unusual word, see Job 14:10; Isa. 14:12] Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword (literally "the mouth of the sword" – Hebr. peh cherev).
     ¹⁴The Lord said to Moses: "Write this down as a memorial in a book (scroll), and repeat it in Joshua's ears (read/tell it to him), for I will blot out [erase – like a manuscript that is cleaned of writing] the memory of Amalek from under heaven (literally: 'from under heaven')." [This is the first time it is implied that Joshua is the one who will succeed Moses. The scroll may refer to the Book of Exodus, or another separate scroll. In Deut. 25:17–19, this exhortation not to forget what the Amalekites did is repeated. The complete eradication of Amalek's memory from the earth is described from God's perspective – I will blot out from the heavens. In the Eccles. book, the perspectives "under the sun" (Eccles. 1:1) and "under the heavens" (Eccles. 3:1; 2 Cor. 12:2) are used, which are the highest and originate from God's throne room.] ¹⁵Then Moses built an altar and named it The Lord Is My Banner (Yahweh Nissi). ¹⁶He said, "The hand of the Lord (Yah) is on the throne of the Lord (Yahweh), and the Lord (Yahweh) will fight against Amalek from generation to generation (from family to family)." [This is the first enemy Israel fights after the exodus. The words here are prophetic; several battles are fought with Amalek over the years. Eventually, King Saul is given the task of fighting the Amalekites, and at that time the prophet Samuel says that everything must be destroyed, but Saul is disobedient (1 Sam. 15:1–3). Later, during the time of Queen Est, the enemy is named Haman, who is also an Amalekite (Est 3:1). Amalek is the origin of all hatred of Jews and anti-Semitism.]

Jethro visits Moses

18¹Now Jethro (Hebr. Jitro), the priest of Midian and Moses' father-in-law [Ex. 2:15], about all that God (Elohim) had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord (Yahweh) had brought Israel out of Egypt (Hebr. Mitsrajim – 'the land of confinement'). ²Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken care of Moses' wife Zipporah after Moses sent her away ³with her two sons [Ex. 4:24–26]. One [the firstborn] was named Gershom [in Hebrew it sounds like "stranger there", see Ex. 4:22], because he said, "I am a stranger in a foreign land", ⁴and the name of the other was Eliezer [Eliezer, in Hebrew it sounds like "God—my help"], because he said, "The God (Elohim) of my father is my help, and saved me from the sword of Pharaoh."
     ⁵So Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he had encamped on the mountain of God (Elohim).
     ⁶He said to Moses [via a messenger]: "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, and your wife and her two sons." [In verse 5, it literally says "his sons" and "his wife," but here it says "her children"; see also verse 3. For them to be their children, both parents need to be involved in raising them.]
     ⁷Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They asked each other how they were doing (each other's welfare) and they entered the tent. ⁸Moses recounted (listed – Hebr. safar) to his father-in-law all that the Lord (Yahweh) had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, as well as all the trials that had befallen them along the way and how the Lord (Yahweh) had helped them.
     ⁹Jethro rejoiced (was very happy) over all the goodness that the Lord (Yahweh) had shown toward Israel, because he had delivered them from the hand of Egypt. ¹⁰And Jethro said, "Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh) who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and has delivered the people from the hand of Egypt. ¹¹Now I know that the Lord (Yahweh) is greater than all [other] gods [Ex. 15:11], yes, because they [the Egyptian idols, Pharaoh, the Egyptians] have acted arrogantly toward them [the Israelites]. ¹²Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrificed it to God (Elohim). Aaron also came, together with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God (Elohim).

Jethro teaches Moses about delegation

¹³The next day, Moses sat and judged the people, and they stood around Moses from morning till evening. ¹⁴When Moses' father-in-law [Jethro] saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?" ¹⁵Moses answered his father-in-law, "It is because the people come to me to ask God (Elohim). ¹⁶When they have a problem, they come to me, and I judge between one man and his neighbor. In this way, I make them understand God's (Elohim's) statutes and teachings (Hebr. Torah) [the instructions in the five books of Moses]."
     ¹⁷But Moses' father-in-law [Jethro] said to him, "What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸You will wear yourself out, as well as the people who are with you, for the task is too great for you. You cannot do everything yourself, alone. ¹⁹Listen to my voice (to what I say), and I will give you advice, and God (Elohim) will be with you. You represent the people before God and bring their concerns to God (Elohim). ²⁰Teach them the statutes and the law, and show them the way they should go and the work they should do. ²¹But you shall seek out capable men from among all the people, men who fear (revere, respect) God (Elohim), men who are truthful (men who adhere to the truth), who hate bribes. Appoint them to rule over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. ²²Let them judge the people at all times. Then let all the big (complicated) cases be brought to you, but they can judge all the small cases themselves. In this way, they will share the burden with you (relieve you). ²³If you do this (in the way) that God (Elohim) has commanded you, you will be able to endure (cope with the workload) and all these people will go to their places in peace (shalom, satisfied with the solution to their problems). ²⁴Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. ²⁵Moses chose capable men from all over Israel and made them leaders over the people, leaders of 1,000, 100, 50, and 10. ²⁶They judged the people all the time. They brought the difficult (complicated) cases to Moses, but they judged all the minor cases themselves. ²⁷Then Moses let his father-in-law leave, and he went on his way to his own country.

The Covenant at Sinai (chapters 19-24)

19¹In the third month, after the children of Israel had left the land of Egypt—on that very day [at the new moon, the 1st of Sivan]—they came to the wilderness of Sinai. [The Israelites left Egypt at midnight on the 15th of Nisan (Ex. 12:31), traveled during the month of Iyar (April/May), and arrived at the Sinai desert 2.5 months later on the 1st of Sivan.] ²They left Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness. They camped in front of the mountain [Sinai/Horeb]. [The exact location of Mount Sinai (also called Mount Horeb) is not clear. According to early Christian tradition, it is Jebel Musa on the Sinai Peninsula (here is St. Catherine's Monastery, traditionally founded in 337 AD by Empress Helena). Another suggestion is Jabal al-lawz on the Arabian Peninsula. A third is Hashem el-Tarif, not far from Eilat. Other suggestions are Jebel Sinn Bishr (northern Sinai), Helal, Jebel Serbal (southern Sinai), and Karkom (Israel). The criteria specified in the Bible are:
• 11 days' journey from Kadesh Barnea (Deut. 1:2), which, if walking 15 km per day, corresponds to 160 km.
• 14 days' journey from Elim, since they arrived at Sinai 50 days after the exodus, see Ex. 16:1.
• No further than one could drive a flock of sheep from Midian, see Ex. 3:1–22.]

God's mighty presence at Sinai

³Moses went up to God (Elohim), and the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to him from the mountain:

"Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob (family) and tell the Israelites:

⁴'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. ⁵And now, if you listen carefully to me and keep my covenant, then you shall be my precious possession [with special privilege, but also great responsibility] above (out of) all other peoples, for the whole earth is mine. ⁶And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests (Hebr. kohanim) and a holy nation [set apart for a mission].' [Ex. 12:1–3]

This is what you shall say to the Israelites." [The expression "kingdom of priests" is unique here in the entire Old Testament (although the language is similar in Isa. 61:6). The word kingdom presupposes a king, which is the Lord himself. A priest (Hebr. kohen; plural kohanim) has the meaning of one who serves a superior. The Israelites have a mission to be God's representatives to the world, see Ex. 19:5. This interpretation is also supported by how the phrase is used in the New Testament, see 1 Pet. 2:9; Rev 1:6. The first priest (kohen) mentioned in the Old Testament is Melchizedek, see Gen. 14:18. The word is also used for priests, see Gen. 41:45; Ex. 3:1; 1 Kings 4:5.]

⁷When Moses returned, he summoned the elders of the people. He presented to them all the words that the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded him to say, ⁸and all the people answered together, "All that the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken we will do." Moses returned to the Lord (Yahweh) with the people's answer. ⁹The Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a thick cloud so that the people may hear when I speak with you and believe in you forever." Then Moses told the Lord (Yahweh) the word of the people. ¹⁰The Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes. ¹¹Be ready on the third day. For on the third day the Lord (Yahweh) will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of the people. ¹²You shall set boundaries for the people around it and say, 'Be careful not to go up the mountain or touch its boundary. Anyone who touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³Not a hand may touch it [touching a dead body made a person unclean, see Num. 5:2], but shall be stoned or pierced through, whether it is an animal or a human being, it shall not live. When the trumpet (ram's horn) [for the jubilee year, see Josh. 6:4–5] sounds, they shall come to the mountain." ¹⁴Then Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified them, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵He said to the people, "Be ready on the third day. Do not come near your wives (have no sexual relations)." [Lev. 15:16–18]
     ¹⁶On the morning of the third day, there was thunder (voices) and lightning (flashes of lightning), a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound (noise) of an extraordinarily sharp (loud, sonorous) shofar. All the people in the camp trembled. [There are some interesting comments on this passage in Jewish tradition. Rabbi Johanan writes: "God's voice was divided into 70 voices speaking in 70 languages so that all countries could understand. When each country heard the voice in its own native language, it filled them with fear." There are similarities here to what happened at Pentecost, see Acts 2:1–13.] ¹⁷Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God (Elohim), and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Now the whole of Mount Sinai was covered in smoke, because the Lord (Yahweh) had descended upon it in fire. The smoke rose like the smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain shook violently. ¹⁹As the sound of the shofar grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God (Elohim) answered him with a thunderous voice.
     ²⁰Then the Lord (Yahweh) came down to Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. The Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, so Moses went up. ²¹Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through (the boundary) and see the Lord (Yahweh) and many of them die. ²²Even the priests who come near the Lord (Yahweh) must sanctify themselves, lest the Lord (Yahweh) be angry with them."
     ²³Moses said to the Lord (Yahweh), "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai because you are the one (the only one) [referring to the Lord being one, as it says in Deut. 6:4] who has warned us and said, 'Set boundaries around the mountain and keep it holy.
     ²⁴Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to him, "Go down. You shall come back up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord (Yahweh), lest he be angry with them." ²⁵So Moses went down to the people and told them.

The Ten Proverbs

20¹[This passage is one of the most well-known in the Bible, and it is also repeated in Deut. 5:6–12 for a new generation. Although the passage is often titled "the Ten Commandments," the Hebrew text literally says "words" (Hebr. davar) and not "commandments" (Hebr. mitsvah). This reinforces the fact that they are instructions. Another name is the Decalogue, a term of Greek origin that also means "ten words." Jesus mentions all ten commandments and reinforces all of them except the Sabbath commandment, see Matt. 5:17–48; 19:18–19; 22:35–40. See also Rom. 13:9; Eph. 6:2–3; Rev 9:20–21. A little further on in Exodus, it is clear that this passage consists of ten points and was written on two stone tablets, see Ex. 34:1, 28. The Bible does not specify whether only the first word was written down, or how they were divided, but it is reasonable to believe that there are five on one and five on the other, just as we have five fingers on each hand.
    The Ten Commandments can be divided into two groups, the first dealing with reverence and respect for God and the second with reverence and respect for other people. Loving God and people sums up the whole teaching, see Matt. 22:36–40. It is worth noting that the first commandment is not a prohibition but a description of something the Lord has done (verse 2). It is God's word of love about how he has freed us from slavery. It lays the foundation for what follows. The second person singular is used (you, your), not the plural (cf. Ex. 19:15 where the plural form is used). God also addresses each of us personally.] Then God spoke these words:

1) I am the Lord

²I am the Lord your [personal] God (Yahweh Elohim), who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (slavery). [The Hebrew name for Egypt is Mitsrajim. That word was not used by the Egyptians themselves; they had the name Tavi, which means "two lands" and probably refers to Upper and Lower Egypt. The Hebrew word Mitsrajim derives from the name of Ham's (Hams) second son, Mitsrajim (Gen. 10:6). Mitsrajim is in the dual form, which may have to do with the connection to Upper and Lower Egypt. The meaning is not entirely known, but the word is similar to words such as siege, invaded, etc. By using this word, followed by "from slavery," God's work of deliverance becomes broader and does not only refer to the Israelites' captivity in Egypt, but can be applied to all possible situations and areas that can enslave and intrude on God's plan for a person. The second person singular (you) is used throughout—God is a personal savior.]

2) Have no other gods

³You shall have no other (foreign) [plural] gods (elohim) beside me (literally: "over my face"; competing with my place).
⁴You shall not make for yourself an idol [statue of wood or stone] or any image
    of anything in the heavens above
    or on the earth below
    or in the waters under the earth. ⁵You shall not worship (bow down to) them, nor serve them. [The word for serve (Hebr. avad) means both to serve something divine and to work. The same word is used in verse 9 to refer to "working" six days, see also Gen. 2:5; 15. For God, worship and work belong together and are not separated as in Greek thinking, where the sacred and the profane are distinguished.] I, the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim), am a jealous God [Hebr. El qana; a jealous God (in matters of idolatry and false worship) who demands undivided loyalty]. I will punish the children for the sins of their fathers to the third and fourth generations when they hate me, ⁶but I show my faithful love to thousands [in a thousand generations] when they love me and keep my commandments.

3) Do not misrepresent the name of the Lord

⁷You shall not represent (literally: "lift up," "carry") the name of the Lord (Yahweh) (his character) in an incorrect manner (thoughtlessly, in vain).

The Lord will not let those who misuse his name go unpunished. [This commandment has often been reduced to not mentioning God's name lightly or not swearing. To "bear" the Lord's name means not to blaspheme his name, but the emphasis is on not representing him and his character in a wrong way. This could be described as "religious evil" done in God's name. If an ungodly person commits evil deeds, it is bad. When someone who claims to believe in God does the same evil deed and says it is in God's name, they are not only committing evil but also damaging people's view of God. One does not need to have a Christian faith to commit this crime. An Islamist who shouts "Allahu akbar" ("God is greater" in Arabic) in the name of God and murders people makes it more difficult for people to believe that there can be a good God. One of the most common arguments against the Christian faith is precisely the violation of this commandment by the Crusaders in the past, or by Islamists today.]

4) Remember the day of rest

⁸[The following applies to you and your family:] Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy [set it aside as a special day dedicated to God]. ⁹Six days you shall labor and do all your work (everyday tasks), ¹⁰but the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim). Then you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor the stranger within your gates (in your cities). ¹¹For [in] six days the Lord (Yahweh) made (did, worked; – Hebr. asah) the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them. But on the seventh day He rested. That is why the Lord (Yahweh) has blessed the Sabbath day and made it a holy day (set it apart as a special day). [Gen. 2:2–3] [The introductory "for" is the Hebrew ki. It indicates the reason for the Sabbath. Hebr. asah has a broad meaning of doing, separating, arranging, organizing, appointing, and completing. In this case, it includes everything God did during the six days of creation. When specifically combined with the earth and the sea, the heavens refer to everything above the earth.]

The Sabbath – rabbinical interpretations
The Jewish people celebrate the Sabbath from Friday evening when the sun goes down until Saturday evening one hour after sunset. It is a day when people refrain from work and instead spend time with their families and go to synagogue. In Judaism today, there are "39 melachot". These are 39 activities that are forbidden on the Sabbath. Among these rules is that one must not write, erase, build, extinguish or start a fire, etc. This means that the Sabbath candles must be lit before the Sabbath begins on Friday evening. This must be done 18 minutes before sunset. Even pressing a light switch is considered by rabbis to be kindling a fire (because analog switches historically generated a spark). Orthodox Jews therefore leave the stove on at 80 degrees Celsius throughout the Sabbath so that food that has been cooked and prepared in advance can be heated. For the same reason, it is forbidden to drive a car, not because the car moves, but because the engine generates sparks. Elevators have a "Sabbath mode" and stop at every floor so that one does not have to violate the Orthodox Jews' interpretation of the Sabbath commandment by pressing a button.
    Today's Jewish rabbis teach that non-Jews do not need to observe the Sabbath in the same way that Jews do. Nowhere in the New Testament (or in the Old Testament for that matter) does it say that one should keep the Sabbath commandment in this way. When these issues are discussed at the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem, James says "do not make it difficult for the Gentiles," and the Sabbath is not included among the four points mentioned in the letter to the Gentiles, see Acts 15:19–20. The Sabbath commandment is a "sign" between the Lord and the Israelites, see Ex. 31:12–13. Jesus says that man is not made for the Sabbath, but that the Sabbath is made for man, see Mark 2:27. We need a day of rest, a day to seek God individually and worship together with our families. See also Col 2:17; Rom 14:5; 1 Cor 8:9.

5) Honor your father and your mother

¹²Honor (value highly, show reverence and respect for) your father and your mother. Then you will live long in the land that the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim) will give you. [This commandment has to do with both reverence for God and reverence for people. For small children, their parents are their "god." A child learns to revere God by revering his parents. Throughout life, the meaning of "revering one's parents" changes. For a small child, reverence means obedience; for an adult, it means having an equal relationship; and when parents grow old, it means taking care of them.]

6) Do not murder

¹³Thou shalt not murder (Hebr. lo ratsach). [There are different Hebr. words for killing. The Hebr. word ratsach used here refers to a premeditated act of killing another person, but also includes causing the death of another person. To determine whether it was an accident or murder, the person who caused another person's death had to go to one of the six cities of refuge and await trial, see Num. 35. Because the crime was serious, not only one witness was required, but two. If it was murder, the penalty was death. All this is described in Num. 35, which also gives various examples of how the law should be interpreted. The Western legal system is based on these principles, and in Sweden there are three degrees of crimes against life and health: murder, manslaughter, and causing the death of another person.
    The reason why murder is wrong is given in Gen. 9:6: Man is the image of God, and whoever takes another person's life attacks God himself and his image. The influential King James Bible used the English word "kill" instead of "murder," which has led to this commandment sometimes being interpreted as a prohibition against killing any living thing. Since plants are to be eaten and animals can be sacrificed, this cannot mean that no life may be taken. The next chapter also prescribes that a guilty murderer shall be sentenced to death after a fair trial (see, for example, Ex. 21:12, 14, 15), and another Hebr. word is used for "killing" (Hebr. mot) the perpetrator, which means that this commandment cannot be used to argue against the death penalty. Even in war, other Hebrew words are used for killing. Since the sum of God's word is truth, see Ps. 119:160, we must see what other passages in the Bible say about the death penalty and war. Two passages that provide guidance are found in Rom. 13:1–5 and Matt. 5:44. Medical advances have also led to new moral dilemmas regarding euthanasia, abortion, life-sustaining treatment, etc.]

7) Do not commit adultery

¹⁴You shall not commit adultery. [The law distinguishes between adultery (which involves sexual infidelity between married people) and fornication (which involves other sexual sins). Both are sins, but the consequences of them are different. Adultery was often referred to as "the great sin" because it breaks up families and destroys communities.]

8) Do not steal

¹⁵You shall not steal.

9) Do not bear false witness

¹⁶You shall not bear false (Hebr. sheqer) witness against your neighbor (Hebr. rea).
[Although it is morally wrong to lie (Prov 12:22; 15:5; Ps. 101:7), false testimony in court is the main meaning here.]

10) Do not covet

¹⁷You shall not covet (envy, desire)
    your neighbor's house (family and possessions).
You shall not covet
    his wife,
    his servant,
    his maid,
    his ox,
    his donkey,
    or anything else that belongs to your neighbor (acquaintance, friend, countryman). [This commandment goes deeper than the previous commandments because it concerns the mind and not the physical act. But why is it forbidden to fantasize about wanting your neighbor's ox? The reason is that it is desire that can lead to actions that are forbidden in the previous four commandments, see verses 13-16. Coveting other people and their possessions can lead to adultery, murder, theft, and false testimony. An example of the latter can be found in 1 Kings 21, where Ahab takes over Naboth's vineyard. Jesus' half-brother writes that where there is envy and selfishness, there is also disorder and all kinds of evil deeds, see James 3:16.
    The word "desire" appears twice in this verse, which has led to the commandment sometimes being divided into two different commandments. However, it is clear that the list after the second word is only a clarification when it describes what is in the house. A desire is a burning, unhealthy longing for something forbidden. At the same time, there is also a positive longing and feeling of wanting more, which the Bible encourages. Paul longs to know the Lord better, see Phil. 3:7–14, seek spiritual gifts, see 1 Cor. 12:31, etc.]

Different divisions
There are different divisions. In the Jewish tradition, the introductory phrase with the first commandment is included, which is not the case in the Lutheran, Catholic, or Reformed traditions. Another difference is the placement of the commandment to honor one's parents; depending on whether it is considered to belong to the first or second group, it becomes the 5th or 6th commandment (4th commandment in Luther's catechism)..
    The headings in the Core Bible follow the Jewish division. There is a thematic and clear structural structure that supports this, apart from the fact that it was the oldest and also applied among the early Christians. The first five points all consist of two sections, the first describing the commandment and the second providing an explanation or description. The first five also have the same text, "The Lord your God," in each point. The last five points, on the other hand, consist of shorter phrases with prohibitions. God's name is not mentioned here, nor is there any accompanying explanation.
    There is also a mirror-image pattern in both of these halves, which begins with the heart, is expressed in speech, and finally in actions. It is a chiastic pattern where the first and last points deal with an inner invisible quality; both the first point, which deals with faith in God, and the last, which deals with greed, have to do with the heart. The second theme is words; the prohibition against making false oaths and bearing false witness are related. What the heart is full of, the mouth speaks, and this leads to practical actions such as not respecting the day of rest, one's parents, human life, marriage, and the property of others.

God's mighty presence at Sinai

¹⁸All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning and the sound of the shofar and the smoke (the smoke that rose) on the mountain. When the people saw this, they were terrified and stood far away. ¹⁹They said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen, but do not let God (Elohim) speak to us, for then we will die."
     ²⁰Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid, do not be afraid, for God (Elohim) will test you, so that reverence for him may be in you, so that you may not sin."
     ²¹The people stood at a distance when Moses approached the thick darkness (a thick dark cloud) where God (Elohim) was.

Civil laws

²²The Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "This is what you shall say to the children (sons) of Israel: You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. ²³You shall not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold; you shall not do so. [In a chiastic pattern, the opening commandment not to have other gods beside God is repeated, see Ex. 20:3-5. It is not only this commandment that is referred to, but it becomes a title for the entire teaching above with the Ten Commandments. The Bible shows that there are things that should not be done and things that should be done when it comes to sacrifices. Now in verse 24, the positive commandments follow with what should be sacrificed.] ²⁴You shall make an altar of earth for me and offer burnt offerings [Lev. 1:3–16] on it and peace offerings [a fellowship offering that everyone in the family ate together, see Lev. 7:11–21], your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. ²⁵And if you make an altar of stone for me, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you touch it with a tool, you have defiled it. ²⁶You shall not go up by steps to my altar, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.

Provisions

[Chapters 21-22 describe various legal scenarios involving slavery, personal injury, and theft. Here are guidelines for how judges should render just judgments. The text is written according to the pattern: if this happens, then it shall be done this way.] 21¹These are the statutes (binding legal decisions) that you shall set before them [the Israelites].

Hebrew slaves/servants

[The Israelites themselves had been slaves in Egypt. It is this vulnerable group that is the first to receive legal protection. The ways in which a Hebrew could become a slave were payment for theft (Ex. 22:3) and indebtedness (Lev. 25:39). Laws concerning foreign slaves are dealt with in Lev. 25:45. On many occasions, workers and slaves were treated equally, see Ex. 20:10; 23:12; Lev. 25:6, 39, 43, 53; Deut. 12:18; 16:11.] ²If you buy a Hebr. slave (servant – Hebr. eved), he shall serve (Hebr. avad)you for 6 years, and in the 7th year he shall be free without compensating you [without having to pay for his freedom]. ³If he came alone [unmarried], he shall go (leave) alone [after six years]; if he was married [when he came], his wife shall go with him. [Hebr. gaf is used only here and in verse 4. The word can be translated as 'free' or 'only with his clothes'. He came with the clothes he wore, i.e., without a wife and children.] ⁴If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go (leave) alone (Hebr. gaf). [However, it would be very painful to leave one's family.] ⁵So if the servant clearly says, "I love my master, my wife, and my children, I do not want to go (leave) free," ⁶then his master shall bring him before God (Elohim) and bring him to the door or to the doorpost [a formal ceremony was required], and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.

Slavery
At this time, slavery was widespread throughout the world. It is noteworthy that there is no explicit prohibition of slavery in the Bible. Paul urges slaves to become free by legal means if the opportunity arises, see 1 Cor. 7:21–24. The gospel does not overturn social institutions through revolution, but slavery has been abolished in countries based on Judeo-Christian values. God changes people's hearts, which in turn changes society.

Rights of female servants

[In surrounding cultures, it was not uncommon for children to be sold as slaves/servants. In the hope of a better future, a poor daughter could be sold to a wealthy household. Among the Hebrews, such sales were comparatively rare, but they did occur occasionally as a result of extreme poverty (Neh. 5:5). Women sold in this way could demand their freedom after six years if they so desired (Deut. 15:17), but if they were bought to be wives, they received additional protection. The rules here protect the girl from being sold on to others and sexually exploited.] ⁷And if a man sells his daughter to be a servant (Hebr. amah), she shall not leave as the male servants do. ⁸If she does not please her master who has taken her as his wife [or concubine], then he shall allow her to be redeemed [by her father or a relative]. It is not in his power to sell her to a stranger, since he [then] has acted deceitfully toward her. ⁹And if he takes her as a wife for his son, he shall treat her as a daughter. ¹⁰If he takes another wife, her food, her clothing, and her marital rights shall not be diminished. ¹¹And if these three [obligations] are not offered (done) for her, then she shall go out without compensation and without payment. [The three obligations were to offer redemption (verse 8), marriage to one of the sons of the family (verse 9), or marriage to another Hebrew (verse 10).]

Death penalty
For certain serious crimes, such as murder, the death penalty is prescribed. Both the sentencing and the execution of the death penalty should have been extremely rare. Since two witnesses were required, it was difficult to obtain evidence. The court applied the principle of "better to acquit than convict." The Talmud discusses the legal requirements for the death penalty in great detail and established significant obstacles that made such a sentence extremely difficult to carry out. According to the Mishnah, death sentences must be decided by a Sanhedrin consisting of 23 judges.

Personal injury – murder

¹²Anyone who strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. ¹³But if a man does not lie in wait [it was not premeditated murder] and God (Elohim) lets it come to his hand,
    then I will appoint a place for you where he can flee. ¹⁴But if a man deliberately comes to his neighbor and strikes him with deceit, then he shall be taken from my altar so that he may die. [Cf. 1 Kings 1:50–51] [Verses 12-14 form a chiasm framed by murder, which must be punished severely. To determine whether it was an accident or murder, the person who caused another person's death would go to one of the six cities of refuge and await trial there, see Num. 35.]

Personal injury – domestic violence

¹⁵And anyone who strikes their father or mother shall surely be put to death. ¹⁶And whoever steals [kidnaps, same word ganav as in Ex. 20:15] a person (Hebr. ish) and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death. ¹⁷And whoever curses his father or mother shall surely be put to death. [Verses 15 and 17 frame this passage and deal with honoring one's parents, see Ex. 20:12. Kidnapping someone is stealing from the family. Kidnapping someone for the purpose of selling them into slavery is also a serious crime punishable by death.]

Personal injury – fighting

¹⁸And if several men compete (fight, duel) and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and he does not die but becomes bedridden, ¹⁹if he gets up again and walks bent over his staff, then the one who struck him shall be silent. He shall compensate him for his lost time and shall ensure that he is fully restored. ²⁰And if a man strikes his servant or servant girl with a stick [inflicts corporal punishment], and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished. [A master cannot treat his slaves any way he wants; human dignity is highly valued, and if a slave dies, the slave owner has committed murder.] ²¹If he survives a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his silver (he is bought and belongs to him). [The punishment in verse 20 was not intended to kill, but only to correct.]

Personal injury – permanent

²²If men quarrel with each other and injure a pregnant woman, causing her to miscarry but no other harm, then he shall certainly be liable for damages, as the woman's husband imposes on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. ²³But if any injury occurs,

then life shall be given for life,
²⁴an eye for an eye,
a tooth for a tooth [Matt. 5:38],
a hand for a hand,
a foot for a foot,
²⁵burn for burn,
wound for wound,
bruise for bruise. [These laws limit the punishment to a reasonable level corresponding to the damage done. This principle, known in law as the right of retaliation (the principle of talion), limits the extent of revenge.]

²⁶And if a man strikes his servant in the eye or strikes his servant in the eye, and the eye is destroyed, he shall let him go free for the sake of the eye. ²⁷And if he knocks out his servant's tooth or his servant's tooth, he shall let him go free for the sake of the tooth.

Personal injury – caused by animals

²⁸And if an ox (bull – Hebr. shor) gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, and the owner of the ox shall remain silent.
[Hebr. shor can refer to a bull or an ox (which is a castrated bull). Since an ox is normally calmer than a bull, the text here seems to refer to an ox. The ox that killed a person shall be killed and the owner warned. He must not complain about what has happened to him. He must accept the loss of his bull/ox, which was a valuable and important asset at that time in a society where agriculture was central and the ox did much of the heavy work. An ancient clay tablet from Nuzi (modern-day Iraq, dated to 1500 BC) mentions a court case where an ox killed a person.] ²⁹But if the ox has gored before, and its owner has been warned but has not heeded the warning, and it kills a man or woman, then the ox shall be stoned and its owner shall also be put to death. ³⁰If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give everything that is imposed on him for his redemption. ³¹Whether it has gored a son or gored a daughter, according to this decree (binding legal decision) it shall be done to him. ³²If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give their master 30 shekels [345 grams] of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. ³³And if a man opens a well, or if a man digs a well, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, ³⁴then the owner of the well shall pay compensation; he shall give silver to their owner, and the dead animal shall be his. ³⁵And if a man's ox injures another man's ox so that it dies, then he shall sell the live ox and they shall divide the payment for it, and they shall divide the dead ox. ³⁶Or if it becomes known that an ox has been gored before and the owner has not cared about it, he shall surely pay (fully compensate/complete – Hebr. shalem shalem) ox for ox, and the dead body shall be his. [The Hebrew text has one more verse here (37), and one less verse in chapter 20, which then has only 30 verses.]

Property – theft

[Prosperity at this time consisted of livestock, see Gen. 47:17; 2 Sam. 12:2; Job 1:3. Theft of oxen and sheep is considered theft of property.] 22¹If a man steals an ox or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he shall make restitution (Hebr. shalem):
    5 oxen for 1 ox [fivefold] and
    4 sheep for 1 sheep [fourfold]. [Cf. 2 Sam. 12:4. The reason for the higher penalty for stealing an ox may be that it is a larger animal, requiring more audacity because it is easier to detect. In addition, the loss of an ox caused more damage to the owner than the loss of a sheep, see Prov 14:4.] ²If a thief is caught breaking in (digging through – Hebr. machteret) [the wall of the house to the stable when it is dark] and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him [the owner of the animals is not guilty of manslaughter]. ³But if the sun has risen on him [the thief was digging his way in when it was light], there shall be bloodguilt for him [the killer]. [The homeowner shall be prosecuted for murder.] He [the thief] shall make full restitution (Hebr. shalem shalem). If he has nothing [sufficient], then he shall be sold [as a slave] for his theft (stealing by stealth – Hebr. genevah). [If he could not pay, he had to pay by working, but not more than six years, see Ex. 21:2–4.] ⁴If the stolen goods [the animal he stole secretly] are found alive in his possession, whether it be an ox, a donkey, or a sheep, he shall pay double [again].

Property – damage due to negligence

⁵If a man causes a field or a vineyard to be eaten, because he has let his livestock loose, and it has eaten in another man's field, then he shall make restitution from his own field and from his own vineyard. ⁶If a fire breaks out and catches thorns, so that the grain stacks or the standing grain or the field are consumed, the one who started the fire shall make full restitution.

Property – dispute over responsibility

⁷If a man entrusts money or other belongings to his neighbor for safekeeping and it is stolen from that man's house, if the thief is found, he shall pay double compensation. ⁸If the thief is not found, then the owner of the house shall come before God (Elohim) to see if he has laid his hand on his neighbor's belongings. ⁹For every kind of transgression—whether it concerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, clothing, or anything that has been lost—if someone [finds it and] says, "This is [mine]," both parties shall bring their case before God (Elohim). The one whom God (Elohim) judges guilty [shows to have erred] shall make double restitution to his neighbor. [In the same way as in verse 4 and verse 7, because the stolen item is also recovered, not fourfold as in verse 1.] ¹⁰If a man gives his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any animal to keep (take care of) and it dies or is injured or is taken away and no one sees it, ¹¹then the oath of the Lord (Yahweh) shall be between them both to see that he has not laid his hand on his neighbor's property, and its owner shall accept it and not demand any compensation. ¹²But if it has been stolen from him, he shall compensate its owner. ¹³If it has been broken, he shall bring it forward as evidence; he shall not compensate for what is broken. ¹⁴And if a man borrows something from his neighbor and it is damaged or dies, and its owner is not there at that moment, he [who borrowed it] shall compensate for it in full. ¹⁵If the owner was present [when the animal was damaged or died], he [who borrowed it] shall not compensate for it. If the animal was rented, the rental fee shall constitute compensation.

Moral laws

¹⁶And if a man seduces a young woman who is not betrothed, and sleeps with her, he shall certainly pay her dowry so that she becomes his wife. ¹⁷If her father refuses to give her to him, he shall pay silver according to the dowry for a virgin. ¹⁸You shall not allow sorceresses (witches, those who practice the occult) to live. ¹⁹Anyone who lies (has sexual intercourse) with an animal shall surely be put to death. ²⁰Anyone who sacrifices to idols what has been set aside for the Lord (Yahweh) shall be utterly destroyed (Hebr. charam). ²¹You shall not oppress (treat unjustly, exploit) or crush (crush) a stranger (immigrant living in the land – Hebr. ger), for you yourselves were strangers in the land of Egypt. ²²You shall not oppress (torment, abuse – Hebr. anah) any widow or fatherless child. [Isa. 1:17; Job 31:16, 17, 21] ²³If you mistreat them in any way—for if they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry— ²⁴my anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wife will become a widow and your children fatherless. ²⁵If you lend money to any of my people, to the poor (Hebr. ani) who are with you, you shall not be like a creditor to him, nor shall you charge him interest. ²⁶If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you shall return it to him by sunset, ²⁷for it is his only covering, it is his cloak for his body, in which he sleeps. And it shall be when he cries out to me that I will hear, for I am gracious (undeserved love – Hebr. chanon). ²⁸You shall not revile God (Elohim) nor curse the ruler of your people. ²⁹You shall not delay in offering the fullness of your harvest and that which comes from your press. You shall give me the firstborn of your sons. ³⁰You shall do the same with your ox and with your sheep. It shall remain with its mother for seven days, and on the eighth day you shall give it to me. ³¹You shall be holy men to me, therefore you shall not eat any meat from an animal torn in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

Justice

[Israel's legal system is based on just laws, honest judges, and witnesses who speak the truth. Justice shall not be governed by public opinion, bribes, personal feelings, or social status. Being faithful to the truth is the only way for a society to survive.] 23¹You shall not spread (create or pass on) a false rumor. Do not join forces with the unrighteous (those guilty of a crime) by becoming a false (lawless, destructive) witness. [The word "false" is the Hebrew word chamas, which has a strong emphasis on violence and terror. Here, the meaning is "a legal terrorist" who breaks down the legal system from within.] ²Even if the majority of the people do evil, you should not do so. The same applies when you give your testimony in a legal dispute; do not let the people (the majority) pressure you to distort the truth. ³Similarly, you should not favor [the minority in the courtroom, who are often] the poor [just because they are poor].
     ⁴If you come across a stray ox or donkey belonging to your enemy [an enemy with whom you are in a legal dispute], you should do everything you can to return the animal to him. ⁵If you see that the donkey belonging to someone who hates you has buckled under its load, you should not ignore him but help him free the animal from its burden. [Animals should not suffer because their owner is in conflict with you.]
     ⁶You shall not pervert justice for the poor. ⁷Stay away from false accusations that could be the death of the innocent and the righteous, for I do not acquit the guilty.
     ⁸You shall not accept bribes, for bribes blind those who should see clearly (the wise) [so that they do not see the truth] and distort the words of those [who should be] righteous. ⁹Do not oppress (crush) a stranger (immigrant). [In this context, it probably refers to a legal process.] You know what it is like to be strangers, for you yourselves were strangers in Egypt.

The Sabbath

The land shall rest every seventh year

¹⁰For six years you shall sow your land and reap what it yields, ¹¹but in the seventh year you shall let the land rest and lie fallow. Then the poor (needy – Hebr. evion) among your people may eat from it, and what is left over may be eaten by the wild animals. You shall do the same with your vineyard and your olive trees.

The Sabbath – the seventh day

¹²You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest (keep the Sabbath). When you do this, your ox and your donkey will rest, and the day of rest will also give the son of the slave woman and the stranger (the guest worker) time to recover. [The word "recover" is a rich word that can be literally translated as "to breathe out" or "for someone to breathe on you." It shares the same Hebrew root as the word for soul and life, and brings to mind the creation in Gen. 2:7 where God breathed life into the first human. The day of rest is a day when we allow God to breathe on us again. Life is restored and recreated in humanity.] ¹³Pay close attention to everything I have said to you. Do not let the names of other gods be mentioned; do not let them be heard from your mouth (do not let the sound of idol names pass your lips).

Three annual feasts

¹⁴Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to me [in my honor].

The Feast of Unleavened Bread (matzot)

¹⁵You shall keep (observe; watch over – Hebr. shamar) the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hebr. chag matsah). For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread (Hebr. matsah) as I have commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Aviv [another name for the spring month of Nisan – corresponding to March/April], for in this month (literally; in it) you came out of Egypt. No one shall appear before me empty-handed [without a sacrifice].
[This is the first of the major pilgrimage festivals and begins on the 15th of Nisan (which is the Babylonian name for the first Hebrew month, Aviv – "the month when the ears of grain ripen", see Lev. 23:6–8). Two other feasts associated with the Feast of Unleavened Bread fall during these days – Passover, which is celebrated on the evening before (i.e., the 14th of Nisan, see Lev. 23:4–5) and the Feast of Firstfruits (bikkurim), which falls on the second or third day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, see Lev. 23:9–14.]

The Harvest Festival – the week-long festival (Shavuot)

¹⁶And the Feast of Harvest (Hebr. chag qatsir) [also called the week festival (shavuot) and Pentecost – a harvest festival in early summer you shall also keep], the first fruits (Hebr. bikorim) of your labor [in plural – barley and wheat] that you have sown in the fields. [This is the only time the name Harvest Festival is used for this festival. The most common name is Shavuot (Weekly Festival), see Ex. 34:22; Lev. 23:17–22; Deut. 16:10–12; Acts 2:1. Our English name Pentecost comes from the Greek pentekoste (fiftieth), see Lev. 23:16.]

The Feast of Ingathering – the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)

And the Feast of Ingathering (Hebr. chag asif) [also called the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) – a harvest festival in the fall] shall also be kept at the end of the year when you have gathered all the crops from your fields. [A joyful harvest festival in the fall in October, see Lev. 23:33–43; Deut. 16:13–17; Nehemiah 8:14–17; John 7:2. This festival has an explicit command to be joyful, see Lev. 23:40.]

¹⁷Three times a year your men shall appear before the Lord (Adon) your God (Yahweh). [During these three festivals, also known as the pilgrimage festivals, people gathered in Jerusalem for a whole week. Every family had to be represented by at least one male family member. Women and children were also welcome, but they did not have the same obligation to come to Jerusalem – the journey could be long and difficult, especially for women who were pregnant or had small children. Walking long distances was exhausting for small children. However, when a boy reached the age of twelve, he was expected to make his first pilgrimage. This was also the age Jesus was when he visited Jerusalem for the first time, see Luke 2:41.]

Four laws concerning the feasts

[Four laws prohibiting traditions of surrounding peoples.] ¹⁸Do not sacrifice the blood of my sacrifices with leavened or fermented bread. [Do not drink blood, see Lev. 17:14, nor mix it with bread.]

Nor shall the fat of my feasts remain outside, outdoors, all night until morning [Lev. 3:16–17].
¹⁹Bring (take with you) the chosen (first) fruits of your land to the house of the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim). [Mal. 1:14]

Do not cook a kid in its mother's milk. [Ex. 34:26; Deut. 14:21]

[This prohibition is probably mentioned here because goats give birth to their kids in the spring (in March/April), which coincides with the second major festival – the harvest festival (when the barley and wheat harvests are gathered, see Ex. 23:16). Canaanite texts mention occult rituals in which a kid is boiled in its mother's milk (which would promote the fertility of the goat herd). It could be tempting for the Israelites to also follow the customs and magical rites of the surrounding peoples during the festival. The prohibition is very specific regarding a kid and its mother's milk, but says nothing about boiling a kid in, for example, cow's milk. Despite this, rabbinical interpretations over the years have gradually expanded this commandment, leading to today's kosher laws of not mixing meat and dairy products in the same kitchen or meal—the reason being precisely the interpretation of this verse!]

God will help Israel

²⁰Behold, I send an angel, a messenger, before you, to watch over you on your ways and bring you to the place I have prepared (for you). ²¹Pay attention to him (literally: "watch from his face"), listen carefully to his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not excuse your transgressions, because my name is in him. [This angel or messenger is Jesus, though not yet in human form.] ²²But if you truly listen to his voice and do everything I say, then I will be your enemy's enemy and your adversary's adversary. ²³For my angel, my messenger, will go before you and bring you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I will destroy them.
     ²⁴You shall not bow down to their gods or serve them, or do as they do. On the contrary, you shall utterly destroy them and break their pillars into pieces. ²⁵You shall serve the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim), and he will bless your food and your water. Moreover, I will take sickness away from among you. [Literally: "from among/within you."] ²⁶No one shall miscarry, and no one shall be barren in your land [Job 21:10], and I will fill the number of your days (let you live a long life). [Ps. 90:12]
     ²⁷I will send my terror ahead of you and strike all the people you encounter with panic, causing all your enemies to turn their backs on you (so that they flee from you). ²⁸I will send hornets (terror, discouragement) before you, which will drive away the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you.
[Hornets (Hebr. tsira) can also mean torment, but also refer to terror, confusion, discouragement, and pestilence, see Josh. 24:12.] ²⁹I will not drive them out in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild animals of the field multiply against you. ³⁰Little by little (step by step, slowly) I will drive them out before you, until you have multiplied [are numerous enough] and can take over (possess) the land.
     ³¹I will set your borders from the Sea of Reeds (Red Sea) [in the southeast] to the Sea of the Philistines [the Mediterranean coast in the west] and from the desert [Negev or Sinai in the south] to the Euphrates River [in the northeast]. For I will leave the inhabitants of the land in your hand, and you shall drive them out from before you. ³²Make no covenant with them or their gods. ³³They shall not dwell in your land and cause you to sin against me, for if you worship their gods, they will become a snare to you.

God makes a covenant with Israel

24¹Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the Lord (Yahweh), you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from a distance. ²and Moses alone shall come near the Lord (Yahweh), but the others shall not come near, nor shall the people go up with them." ³Moses came down [from the mountain he had ascended, see Ex. 20:21] and told the people all the words of the Lord (Yahweh) and all the commandments (binding legal decisions). The whole people answered with one voice and said, "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do." ⁴And Moses wrote down all the provisions of the Lord. Early the next morning, Moses built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stones, one for each tribe of Israel. ⁵He sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and slaughtered young bulls as peace offerings (Hebr. zevach shelamim) to the Lord (Yahweh). ⁶Moses took half of the blood and poured it into the basin, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. ⁷Then he took the covenant document [Hebr. sefer ha-brit – which had recently been written down, see Ex. 20-23] and read it to the people, and they said: "All that the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken we will do (act upon) [follow] and obey (hear, listen to)." [Here in verse 7, the verb hear/obey/listen (Hebr. shama) is now added, cf. verse 3. In Israel's creed Shema Yisrael ("Hear, Israel"), there is the same connection to heeding and obeying the actual content by responding, see Deut. 6:4–9; Mark 12:29.] ⁸Then Moses took the blood [the remaining half that had been poured into the basin] and sprinkled it on the people [those in the front ranks, or the elders, since there were about two million of them] and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words." [The people and God were now united in a blood covenant, which is the strongest form of contract there is. What now applied was that your battle is my battle, your enemies are my enemies, my assets are your assets, we are one, and I will protect you with my life.] ⁹Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders went up [the mountainside], ¹⁰and they saw the God of Israel (Elohim). Under his feet was something like a floor of sapphire [blue gemstone], and it was [in substance exactly] like the heavens themselves in clarity (purity, brilliance). ¹¹But he did not raise his hand against the [seventy] elders of Israel [to prevent them from seeing him, or to strike them down because no one can live and see the face of God, see Ex. 33:20]. They saw (as in a vision) God, and they ate and drank [in his presence]. [They probably saw a prophetic vision or a divine manifestation of God's presence, but not the fullness of his glory, since Moses later asks to see more of God, see Ex. 33:18.] ¹²The Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the teaching (Hebr. Torah) and the commandments (Hebr. mitzvot) that I have written to teach the people." [The Ten Commandments (literally "the words" – Hebr. davar) had already been spoken but were now to be given in written form.]
     ¹³Moses began to walk with his servant Joshua, and Moses went up Mount God. ¹⁴He said to the elders, "Wait for us at this place until we return. Aaron and Hur (Hebr. Chor) will remain here with you. Anyone who needs to have a matter decided [a legal dispute, literally "has many words" or "is a master of words"] may turn to them."
     ¹⁵Moses went [higher] up the mountain [with Joshua], and the cloud covered the mountain. ¹⁶The glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. [Moses keeps the promise to "stay there" that he received in verse 12.] On the seventh day, God called to Moses from within the cloud. ¹⁷The glory of the Lord appeared as a consuming fire before the Israelites, at the top of the mountain. ¹⁸Moses entered the center of the cloud and went up the mountain. There he remained for forty days and forty nights [in addition to the first six days that he and Joshua had waited further down the mountain].

Gifts for the tabernacle

25¹The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and said:

²Tell the sons of Israel (all Israelites) that they shall bring an offering to me (the Lord), from all the people whose hearts are willing, [2 Cor. 9:7–8] you shall take my offering. ³This is the offering you shall take from them:

[Metals:] Gold, silver, and bronze.

⁴

Remains of 3,000-year-old purple fabric were found in 2021 during excavations in Timnah in southern Israel. The purple pigments are referred to in the Bible as purple and are mentioned in Hebrew as argaman.

©Israel Antiquities Authority.

[Fabrics:] Blue, purple [Hebr. argaman], and scarlet [yarn], fine linen, and goat hair.

⁵[Skins:] Ram skins dyed red, skins. [Wood:] Acacia wood.

⁶[Oils:] Oil for the lampstand (candelabra), spices for the anointing oil [for anointing Ps. 133] and for the fragrant incense.

⁷[Precious stones:] Onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod [Ex. 28:6–14] and for the breastplate [for the high priest, see Ex. 28:15–30].

⁸Let them make a holy place (a sanctuary) for me so that I may dwell among them. [The tabernacle, to which this verse refers, is not a dwelling place for God but a place that enables fellowship between God and man.] ⁹In accordance with all that I have shown you, the design of the tabernacle (Hebr. miskan) and the designs of its furnishings (furniture), you shall make it exactly as it is. [All the models of the tabernacle would not be able to function as the teaching they are if any details had been "neglected." Furthermore, this verse shows that it is important that we do not mix in our own ideas when we do God's work on earth.]

The typologies of the tabernacle
The tabernacle in the desert has many typologies for our relationship with God, see Col. 2:17. Psalm 100 describes how we enter the gates of the Lord with thanksgiving, into his courts with praise, to ultimately worship in the inner court, see Ps. 100:4. Entering the tabernacle is a description of how we must act when we want to approach God, who dwells in the innermost part of the tabernacle on the mercy seat that covers the ark in the Holy of Holies. We need to pass the altar of sacrifice and the laver with gratitude, look at the menorah, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense with praise, and finally come close to the ark and the mercy seat with worship. God is careful that everything must be done exactly according to the instructions. When you see what all these patterns/typologies mean throughout the Bible's history of salvation, you understand why this instruction is so important. There are many examples on our path to salvation:

1. The tabernacle area – The first step is to enter the area; we must approach God and come within earshot of the word and salvation.
2. The altar of burnt offering shows that atonement is required for our sins, and the laver shows the need to wash away our old life.
3. Then we enter the Holy Place, where the table of showbread shows us the importance of eating God's word every day so that we are kept in the faith.
4. The menorah shows us that Jesus is our source of light through the Holy Spirit who helps us.
5. The altar of incense shows how prayer is our personal conversation with God. This room equips us for our walk with God here on earth.
7. The Ark and the Mercy Seat – Finally, we enter the Holy of Holies, which is the model of heaven and the New Jerusalem where God Himself dwells and where we will dwell with Him for eternity.

Another general typology is found in the parallel between the tabernacle and the pilgrimage feasts.

Passover teaches us about redemption and purification, which are found in the courtyard of the tabernacle. In the altar – redeemed through blood and the laver – purified from impurity.

Pentecost teaches us about our sustenance, which is found in the holy place of the tabernacle. The table of showbread—physical provision, the menorah—the Holy Spirit, incense—access to God through prayer.

The Feast of Tabernacles teaches us about God's glory and being in His presence. In the tabernacle, this is the most holy place with the ark and the mercy seat where God manifests His glory.

The furniture for the tabernacle

The design of the ark and the mercy seat

[The first thing God gives the blueprint for is not the tent itself, but its most important furnishings. The ark and the mercy seat are the furnishings God has chosen for his personal presence, and by giving the first instruction about the ark and the mercy seat, God shows that it is he who comes to us. We cannot approach God unless he first makes it possible for us to approach him by coming to meet us. Furthermore, this is an image of God being both first and last and always having to be at the center. The unit of measurement used here is the cubit, which corresponded to 45 cm. The measurement comes from the length of a man's forearm (the distance between the elbow and the middle finger).] ¹⁰They shall make an ark of acacia wood, its length shall be 2.5 cubits [1.1 meters], its width 1.5 cubits [0.7 meters], and its height 1.5 cubits [0.7 meters]. [The ark is an open box; its contents must be visible.] ¹¹You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside you shall overlay it, and you shall make a crown of gold around it. [The ark is a picture of Jesus, true God (the gold) and true man (the acacia wood). It is also a picture of Jesus as king, the crown of gold around it.] ¹²You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on top of the four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. ¹³You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, and you shall carry the ark with them. [The rings are a picture of the nails on the cross that show that Jesus was crucified, see Rev 5:6. We must carry our cross-marked Jesus with us and also out to everyone around us.] ¹⁵The poles shall remain in the rings on the ark; you shall not remove them from there. [Just as the poles are needed to carry the ark, we are carried by Jesus when we remain in him as the branches on the vine, see John 15:5.] ¹⁶In the ark you shall put the testimony that I will give you. [The two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. The fact that the commandments are in Jesus shows that he is our prophet. Jesus did not come to abolish but to fulfill these commandments. Jesus was subject to the law, see Gal 4:4, and fulfilled it. The law is holy, righteous, and good, and teaches us God's will. My food is to do the will of him who sent me, says Jesus in John 4:34.] ¹⁷You shall make a cover for the ark (mercy seat, a place of atonement – Hebr. kapporet) of pure gold. Its length shall be 2.5 cubits [1.1 meters], its width shall be 1.5 cubits [0.7 meters]. [The cover has the same dimensions as the ark, see verse 10. This cover is also called the mercy seat.] ¹⁸You shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them, on the two ends of the cover of the ark. ¹⁹Make one cherub on one side and one cherub on the other side; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the cover of the ark on the two short sides of the cover. ²⁰The cherubim shall spread their wings upward, covering the ark with their wings, and they shall face each other, facing the ark. ²¹You shall put the lid on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I will give you. ²²I will meet with you there, above the lid of the ark, between the two cherubim that are on top of the ark of the testimony. There I will speak with you about everything I want to instruct the Israelites to do.

The mercy seat, or lid of the ark, is a separate object that is nevertheless closely connected to the ark. The ark was an open box without a lid, but the mercy seat, which is made to the same dimensions as the ark, is placed on top of it and thus becomes a lid for the ark. Note that the mercy seat is not attached to the ark in any way but lies loosely on top of it. Another detail in this context is the fact that if you count the different objects in the tabernacle, there are six, if you consider the ark and the mercy seat as one object, but seven if they are treated as the separate objects they actually are.

The design of the table for the showbread

²³You shall make a table of acacia wood, its length shall be two cubits [0.9 meters], its width one cubit [0.45 meters], and its height one and a half cubits [0.7 meters]. ²⁴You shall overlay it with pure gold, and you shall make a crown of gold around it. [Just as with the ark, this is also an image of Jesus, true God, the gold, and true man, the acacia wood. It is also an image of Jesus as king, the crown of gold around it. Here we also have an image of what Jesus says about himself: I am the bread of life, see John 6:35.] ²⁵You shall make a handbreadth [8-9 cm wide] molding around it, and you shall make a crown of gold for the molding around it. ²⁶You shall make four rings of gold for it and put the rings in the four corners that are on its four feet. ²⁷The rings shall be close to the molding; they are for the poles with which the table is to be carried. [The fact that the rings are close to the molding shows us that what Jesus did on the cross, the rings symbolizing the nails, is intimately connected with his kingship, the molding with its decoration being the crown. When we carry the bread of Jesus to the people, we must proclaim him both as the slain lamb and as the king that he is.] ²⁸You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold so that the table may be carried with them. [It is we who are to carry the table of showbread, see 1 Pet. 2:9. Jesus, true God and true man, both gives and sustains life. Jesus urges us to ask for our daily bread, see Matt. 6:11. It is necessary to feed the spirit within us every day, just as we eat for the well-being of our bodies.] ²⁹You shall also make dishes, pots, jars, and bowls for pouring out drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. [The drink offering consists of wine, and every Sabbath the priests gather to eat the bread and drink the wine, thus symbolizing the Lord's Supper.] ³⁰There shall always be bread on the table before me. [The bread is a picture of God's provision, and the fact that there should always be bread on the table teaches us the importance of always "eating" the words, that is, having a good daily habit of always reading God's Word and meditating on it. That it is before God's face/eyes means that we should never look away from the Word, but instead let the Bible be our "glasses" that we use as a filter in front of everything else we look at so that we can determine what is pure, true, good, and God's will in every situation.]

The design of the menorah

³¹You shall make a menorah [seven-branched candlestick] of pure gold; the menorah shall be made of hammered work, its base and its shaft. Its cups, its buds, and its flowers shall be made of one piece with it. [In order to make hammered gold work, the metal must be heated to high temperatures. This means that the gold is not only processed but also purified and refined during the manufacturing process. It is an image of how God wants to shape us so that only what is valuable in us remains. The menorah is also an image of Jesus who says that he is the light of the world, see John 8:12. Another image that the menorah shows us is the Holy Spirit. The lamps require oil to shine. In the same way, we need the Holy Spirit to be able to be a light to our fellow human beings. The menorah is made like a tree with branches, pointing to what Jesus says in John 15 that he is the trunk and we are the branches. Just as the menorah must be made in one piece, we must be in Jesus—one with him. Paul also speaks of this when he describes the church as the body of Christ, 1 Cor. 12:27]. ³²There should be six branches extending from its sides, three branches of the menorah extending from one side and three branches of the menorah extending from the other side. ³³Three cups shaped like almond blossoms on one branch, a ball and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the other branches, a ball and a flower, and the same on the six branches extending from the menorah. [Almond blossom and vigilance have the same root in Hebrew shin–kof–dalet. Jeremiah alludes to this in Jer. 1:11–12. For us, the image is therefore also that we need light to be vigilant, see Ps. 119:105.] ³⁴And in the menorah, four bowls like almond blossoms, its balls and its flowers. [The balls can also be flower buds, in which case it is an image of how we mature in our faith over time. The bud is our first time as saved, the flower when we have grown up, and the almond when we are mature enough to bear fruit.] ³⁵And a ball under two branches in one piece with it, and a ball under two branches in one piece with it, and a ball under two branches in one piece with it, for the six branches that go out from the menorah. ³⁶Its balls and its branches shall be of one piece with it, of one piece of hammered work of pure gold. ³⁷And you shall also make seven lamps for it, and they shall give light over what is before it. [The verse is probably interpreted as meaning that the menorah should be the light source in the room, the holy place in the tabernacle.] ³⁸Its tongs and its wick trimmers shall be of pure gold. [The tools used to care for the menorah are images of how God must purify and care for a believer in various ways. The old and bad must be removed so that the flame can shine brightly (see also John 15:2). Jesus says that we should be a light to the world around us, see Matt. 5:16.] ³⁹It shall be made of one talent (Hebr. kikar) [34 kilograms] of pure gold, with all its tools. [One talent was equivalent to 3,000 shekels (Ex. 38:25). Archaeological finds have shown that the shekel was 11.5 grams, which means that we know that a talent weighed about 34 kg. The word talent means something round or circular. A talent of gold corresponds to:
• A sphere with a diameter of 15 cm.
• 2.8 gold bars (a gold bar weighs 12.5 kg and is 272 mm long, 95 mm wide, and 52 mm high).] ⁴⁰Make sure you make it exactly according to the design I showed you on the mountain. [Mount Sinai, where Moses stayed for 40 days when he received the stone tablets with the commandments and all other instructions from God. Here, as in verse 9, it is important not to do anything your own way, but exactly as God wants it done.]

The tabernacle

26¹You shall make the tabernacle with 10 curtains of fine twisted linen, and blue and purple and scarlet, with cherubim. You shall have a skilled craftsman make them.

²The length of each sheet shall be 28 cubits [12.5 meters]
and the width of each sheet shall be 4 cubits [1.8 meters].
All the sheets shall be of one size (be the same, identical).

³Five curtains shall be joined together, and another five curtains shall be joined together. ⁴You shall make loops of blue [yarn] along the edge of the cloth that is outermost in the first [joined piece] and in the same way you shall make loops along the edge of the cloth that is outermost in the second [joined piece].
     ⁵You shall make 50 loops on one panel and 50 loops on the other panel in the second [joined piece], with the loops facing each other. ⁶And you shall make 50 clasps of gold and connect the panels to each other with the clasps so that the tabernacle becomes a whole. ⁷And you shall make curtains of goat hair, for a tent over the tabernacle; you shall make 11 curtains of them.

⁸The length of each panel shall be 30 cubits [13.2 m]
and the width of each panel shall be 4 cubits [1.8 m].
The 11 panels shall be of one and the same size (be the same, identical).

⁹And you shall join five curtains together, and six curtains you shall join together, and the sixth curtain shall be folded double at the front of the tent.
     ¹⁰And you shall make 50 loops on the edge of the one cloth that is at the end of the first [joined piece] and 50 loops on the edge of the cloth that is at the end of the second [joined piece]. ¹¹And you shall make 50 clasps of bronze and put the clasps in the loops and connect the pieces of cloth to each other so that the tent becomes one whole.
     ¹²And for the overhanging part of the tent's panels, the half panel that remains shall hang over the rear part of the tabernacle. ¹³And the cubit on one side and the cubit on the other side of the extra length of the tent's curtains shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on one side and the other, to cover it. ¹⁴And you shall make a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red, and a covering of skins above. ¹⁵And you shall make the frame (walls) of the tabernacle of acacia wood, upright boards. ¹⁶Each board shall be 10 cubits [4.5 m] long and 0.5 cubits [23 cm] wide. [The number 10 represents perfection. The length of the boards indicates that we are perfect in Jesus.] ¹⁷There shall be two tenons on each board so that they can be joined together; you shall do this on all the boards of the tabernacle. ¹⁸And you shall make the boards for the tabernacle, 20 boards for the south side facing south, ¹⁹and you shall make 40 silver bases under the 20 boards; two bases under one board for its two tenons, and two bases under the next board for its tenons. [The silver bases symbolize the foundation, see Eph. 2:20–22. The fact that there are two foot pieces under each board indicates that we need both the Old Testament (the prophets) and the New Testament (the apostles). The entire Bible is the foundation. In total, there are 100 foot pieces of silver, see Ex. 38:27. In Ps. 12:7, the Lord's speech is likened to silver. Jesus is the Word, see John 1:1. The number 100 is a number of perfection, and in Col. 2:9 it says that Jesus is perfect in everything.] ²⁰And for the other side of the tabernacle, the north side, 20 boards ²¹and their 40 silver bases, two bases under one board and two bases under the next board. ²²And for the rear of the tabernacle, facing west, you shall make 6 boards. ²³And you shall make 2 boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear. [The description of the two boards for the corners is extremely brief and difficult to interpret in Hebrew. There are many suggestions as to what this construction should look like. What can be said with certainty, however, is that there are two boards in addition to the six that belong to the west side.] ²⁴They shall be double at the bottom and also double at the top, up to the first ring. So shall it be with both of them. They shall be placed in both corners. ²⁵There shall be eight boards and their bases of silver, sixteen bases, two bases under one board and two bases under the next board.
     ²⁶And you shall make crossbars of acacia wood, 5 for the boards on one side of the tabernacle, ²⁷and 5 crossbars for the boards on the other side of the tabernacle, and 5 bars for the boards on the side of the tabernacle, on the back side toward the west, ²⁸and the middle crossbar in the middle of (inside – Hebr. tavech) the boards, which shall go through from one end to the other. ²⁹And you shall overlay the boards with gold and make their rings of gold as holders for the crossbars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold. [The boards can symbolize the believers and how they are held together in the congregation. Four bars bind the boards together on the outside, five and five, symbolizing how we belong together in the local congregation. The fifth bar binds all the boards together on the inside, symbolizing how Jesus' love holds together his entire body on earth. The fact that they are made of acacia wood symbolizes human (sinful) nature. At the same time, they are covered with gold, symbolizing the righteousness of Jesus. The pins that attach to the footpiece are the throne.] ³⁰And you shall set up the tabernacle according to its design, as I have shown you on the mountain. [The planks can be seen as individuals in the congregation. Then we are turned inward, so each of us stands with our gaze fixed on the objects inside the tabernacle that symbolize Jesus and God Himself. At the same time, we stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in faith, turning our backs on the world. This is the position every believer needs to have in order to have the right focus in their lives.] ³¹[The veil of the Holy of Holies:] And you shall make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet [fabric or yarn in these colors] and fine twisted [white] linen, with cherubim. This work shall be done by a skilled craftsman. [The colors of the veil represent the anointed offices of prophet: blue, king: purple, and priest: scarlet (sacrificial service) and white (intercessory service).]
     ³²And you shall hang it on four pillars (columns – Hebr. amod) of acacia wood overlaid with gold, their hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. ³³And you shall hang the curtain under the clasps [which join the roof panels together, see verse 6], and inside the curtain you shall place the ark of the testimony, and the curtain shall separate the holy place from the most holy place [literally: 'the holy of holies' – Hebr. qodesh ha-qodesh]. ³⁴And you shall place the mercy seat on top of the ark of the testimony in the Holy of Holies. ³⁵And you shall place the table outside the curtain and the menorah opposite the table on one side of the tabernacle toward the south, and you shall place the table on the north side. ³⁶[The curtain for the entrance to the tabernacle:] And you shall make a curtain for the opening of the tent of blue and purple and scarlet [fabric or yarn in these colors] and fine twisted [white] linen, a variegated work of a weaver. [This curtain had no cherubim motifs, see verse 31.] ³⁷And you shall make five poles of acacia wood for the curtain and overlay them with gold, their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall make five bases of bronze for them. [Five is the number of grace in the Bible. The fact that the outer door of the tabernacle is to be attached to five posts (pillars – Hebr. amod) tells us that it is God's grace that enables us to enter and have fellowship with Jesus and God Himself. As with the inner curtain, the colors symbolize the three anointed offices. See verse 31.]

The design of the altar of burnt offering

27¹And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, 5 cubits long and 5 cubits wide [2.25 x 2.25 meters]—the altar shall be square—and its height shall be 3 cubits [1.35 meters]. ²And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; the horns shall be made of one piece with the altar, and you shall overlay it with bronze (copper alloy). [The numbers used have a symbolic meaning. The number 5 is God's grace, and the altar as a symbol of Jesus' sacrifice of atonement on the cross is the fulfillment of all kinds of grace that exist. The number 3 points to God in his full Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit. The number 4 often stands for the world and all creation (there are four cardinal directions). Acacia wood points to Jesus' human nature and bronze to Jesus' divine nature, in the form of humility, as opposed to gold, which is Jesus' divine nature in the form of glory. Note that the word for bronze (Hebr. nechoshet) is similar to the word for snake, see Num. 21:9.] ³And you shall make its buckets to carry away the ashes, its shovels, its basins, and its meat hooks and its firepans; all its utensils you shall make of bronze. ⁴You shall also make a bronze grating for it, and on the grating you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. ⁵You shall place it under the ledge around the altar, so that it reaches halfway up the altar. ⁶And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. ⁷The poles shall be inserted into the rings, and the poles shall be on both sides of the altar when you carry it. [It was important that the ark and the table could be carried without direct human contact.] ⁸They shall make them of planks so that they are hollow. Just as I have shown you on the mountain (Sinai), so shall it be made. [Here God is again careful that we follow his instructions exactly.]

The design of the courtyard of the tabernacle

⁹You shall also make a courtyard for the tabernacle.

On the south side there shall be hangings for the courtyard of fine twisted linen, 100 cubits [45 meters] long on one side. ¹⁰And there shall be twenty pillars and twenty bases of bronze, and the hooks (hooks) on the pillars and their bands (wreaths) shall be of silver.
     ¹¹The same shall be done on the north side. The length of the curtains shall be 100 cubits [45 meters], and there shall be 20 posts and 20 bronze bases, and the hooks on the posts and their bands shall be of silver.
     ¹²And for the width of the courtyard on the west side, the curtain shall be 50 cubits [22.5 meters], its posts 10, and its bases 10.
     ¹³And the width of the curtain on the east side shall be 50 cubits [22.5 meters]. ¹⁴The curtain on one side (of the gate) shall be 15 cubits [7 meters], its posts three, and its bases three. ¹⁵And for the other side (of the gate), the curtain shall be 15 cubits [7 meters], its posts three, and its bases three. ¹⁶And the gate of the court shall be a curtain of 20 cubits [9 meters] of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen, a work of embroidery in colors; its posts shall be four, and its bases four. ¹⁷All the posts around the entire courtyard shall be covered with silver, its hooks of silver and its bases of bronze. ¹⁸The length of the courtyard shall be 100 cubits [45 meters], and its width 50 cubits [22.5 meters], and its height 5 cubits [2.25 meters], of fine twisted linen, and its bases of bronze. ¹⁹All the accessories of the tabernacle, for all its service, and all its tent pegs, together with all the tent pegs of the courtyard, shall be made of bronze.

Instructions for the care of the menorah

²⁰You shall command the children of Israel to bring you pure olive oil, pressed for the lampstand, so that the lamps [the lights in the menorah] may burn continuously. ²¹In the tent of meeting, outside the curtain that hangs before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall arrange it to burn from evening to morning before the Lord (Yahweh). It shall be a perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons (children) of Israel.

Pattern for the priestly garments

28¹Take Aaron, your [elder] brother, to be close to you, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to serve me as priests: Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu [who offered strange fire, see Lev. 10], Elazar [who took over the priesthood after Aaron, see Num. 20:24–29] and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron. ²And you shall make holy garments for Aaron, your brother, for splendor (glory, dignity – Hebr. kavod) and beauty (ornamentation, something resplendent – Hebr. tifarah). [The concluding phrase recurs in verse 40 and frames this passage. Aaron's garments are intended to sanctify him, to set him apart for service, but they also reflect something of God's beauty. Above all, however, they are a teaching aid, every detail of which reminds Aaron of his priestly duties and also serves as a model in the new covenant.] ³And you shall speak to all who have wise hearts, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to sanctify (set apart) him, that he may minister to me in the priesthood. ⁴These are the garments they shall make:

a breastplate
an ephod
a robe
a tunic of checkered work
a headdress, and
a sash

They shall make a holy vestment for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that he may serve me in the priesthood. ⁵And they shall take [fabrics in the colors] gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine [white] linen. [The Hebr. text only mentions the colors, but it is clear that these colors refer to fine yarns or fabrics in the respective colors. Fine is Hebr. shesh, which comes from an Egyptian word describing high-quality linen imported from Egypt. The linen is white.]

Pattern for the ephod

⁶They shall make an ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twisted [white] linen, made by a skilled craftsman. ⁷It shall have two shoulder pieces, joined together at the ends so that it is held together. ⁸The skillfully woven bands on it, with which it is to be fastened, shall be like the rest of the work and in one piece with it, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet [fabric or yarn], and fine twisted [white] linen. ⁹You shall take two onyx stones (Hebr. even shoham) and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, ¹⁰Six of the names on the first stone [Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, and Naphtali] and the six remaining names on the second stone [Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin], in the order of their birth [from the eldest to the youngest]. ¹¹With the work of a stone engraver, engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall make them with gold settings. ¹²And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, to be memorial stones for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord (Yahweh) on his two shoulders as a memorial. ¹³And you shall make settings of gold, ¹⁴and two chains of pure gold, of twisted thread you shall make them, a wreath work, and you shall put the wreath chains on the setting.

Pattern for the breastplate

¹⁵And you shall make a breastplate of judgment (Hebr. choshen mishpat), the work of a skilled craftsman, as the work of the ephod you shall make it, of gold and purple and scarlet and fine twisted linen you shall make it. ¹⁶It shall be square and double, 1 span shall be its length and 1 span shall be its width [23 x 23 cm]. ¹⁷And you shall make settings for stones, four rows of stones.

One row of

[1] carnelian [red – Hebr. odem, from adam meaning reddish; it is likely that it is the eldest (first) son Reuben who is engraved on this stone (even though ruby in English refers to a harder stone, there is an older linguistic connection between ruby, red, and the name Reuben); the stone is also used to describe God in the throne room, see Rev 4:3; the Greek translation Septuagint translates the sixth foundation stone (centrally located) as sardion, see Rev 21:20], [2] topaz [olive green, yellowish; Hebr. pitda, origin unknown; the Greek translation Septuagint translates it as topazion, which is the ninth foundation stone, see Rev 21:20]
    and
[3] emerald [transparent green; Hebr. bareqet (from baraq to sparkle, reflect); used only in the OT for the third stone in the breastplate; the Greek translation Septuagint translates with smaragdos, which is the fourth foundation stone, see Rev 21:19],

the first row.

¹⁸And the second row,

[4] carbuncle [Hebr. nofesh, from a word meaning to sparkle], [5] sapphire [Hebr. sapir – "a blue stone"; sky blue. In ancient times, all blue gemstones were called sapphires, and it is more likely that the blue rock lapis lazuli is meant here than the blue corundum called sapphire today. The Roman natural philosopher Pliny (23-79 AD) describes how sapphiros also has traces of gold flecks (which lapis can have). The first time the stone is mentioned is in Ex. 24:10, where it is described as being like the heavens themselves in clarity. The second foundation stone, see Rev 21:19]
    and
[6] chalcedony [smoky, whitish or light blue – Hebr. jahalom comes from halam, which means to strike down, break apart; it can describe a harder stone, perhaps diamond. The third foundation stone, see Rev 21:19].

¹⁹And the third row,

[7] hyacinth [dark red, purple – Hebr. leshem, used only in the Old Testament for the seventh stone in the breastplate; the eleventh foundation stone, see Rev 21:20], [8] agate [Hebr. shevo, used only in the Old Testament for the seventh stone in the breastplate]
    and
[9] amethyst [purple and violet – Hebr. achlama, used only in the OT for the ninth stone in the breastplate; the twelfth foundation stone, see Rev 21:20].

²⁰And the fourth row,

[10] chrysolite [Hebr. tarsis, probably from the city of Tarshish, perhaps imported from distant lands],
    and
[11] onyx [Hebr. shoham; probably from the word to bleach, the same stone as in verse 9]
    and
[12] jasper [green stone – Hebr. jashfe; from the word to polish; in ancient times, the word was mainly used for green (partially transparent) stones, but today the term is also used for other colors; this stone is the foundation of the wall of the new Jerusalem, see Rev 21:12–19.].

They were set in gold settings. ²¹And the stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve [in number], according to their names, engraved like a signet ring, each with its name for the twelve tribes. [Exactly which name corresponds to each stone is not defined. It is likely that Reuben comes first. In Ezek. 48:30–34, the location of the tribes is listed. It is likely that each tribe's flag had elements of the stone's color, see Num. 2:2. These twelve stones are also found in the description of the new Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation, see Rev 21:19–20.] ²²And on the breastplate you shall make braided chains, a wreath of pure gold. ²³And on the breastplate you shall make two rings of gold and put the two rings on the two sides of the breastplate. ²⁴And you shall put the two twisted chains of gold on the two rings on the sides of the breastplate. ²⁵And the other two ends of the two twisted chains you shall put on the two settings and put them on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on its front.
     ²⁶And you shall make two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge that is toward the inside of the ephod. ²⁷And you shall make two rings of gold and put them on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod underneath, on its front edge, near its connection above the skillfully woven bands of the ephod. ²⁸And they shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord (braided thread) [from the colored threads in Num. 25:4], so that it shall be on the skillfully woven bands of the ephod, so that the breastplate shall not come loose from the ephod.
     ²⁹And Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment (Hebr. choshen mishpat) over his heart when he goes into the holy place, as a constant (uninterrupted) reminder before the Lord (Yahweh). ³⁰And you shall put the Urim (light) and the Thummim in the breastplate of judgment (Hebr. choshen mishpat), and they shall be on Aaron's heart when he goes before the Lord (Yahweh). And Aaron shall bear the justice (Hebr. mishpat) of the sons of Israel before the Lord (Yahweh) always (all the time, uninterrupted, continuously). [The Hebrew word mishpat means decree and binding legal decision. It has to do with right and justice, and here it is God who responds with his right and just judgment when Aaron uses the Urim and Thummim to know God's will in individual matters. In Ex. 39, where Moses gives instructions for the breastplate, the Urim and Thummim are never mentioned, but in Deut. 33:8 it is said that they belong to God. The Urim and Thummim are two objects (probably two small stones or rods) that the priest carried in his breastplate and which were probably used to cast lots, see Num. 27:21; 1 Sam. 14:42; 28:6. Since Urim comes from the word for light, one theory is that it was a white stone. The word Tummim comes from the word for truth.]

Patterns for other priestly garments

³¹And you shall make the robe of the ephod (official garment) entirely of blue. ³²And it shall have a hole for the head in the middle of it, and it shall have a lace around its hole, like the hole in a coat of mail, so that it cannot be torn. [The robe is made in one piece and therefore has no fastening.] ³³And on the hem [at the bottom of the blue garment, see verse 31] you shall make pomegranates [according to tradition, 72] of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn around the hem, and bells of gold between them all around, ³⁴a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe (official garment). ³⁵And Aaron shall wear it when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he enters the holy place before the Lord (Yahweh), and when he comes out, so that he shall not die. [The exact connection between the bells and the phrase "he shall not die" is not clear. Most likely, it refers to the high priest wearing the entire official robe (over the white linen garments, see Lev. 16:4) and performing the tasks according to the Lord's instructions, see verse 31. The sound of the bells meant that the priests who had accompanied him into the holy place could also hear when the high priest was moving in the Most Holy Place. Even those who were praying outside could follow along in their prayers. The sound also constantly reminded the high priest of his special mission and to follow all instructions, which could otherwise result in his death, cf. 2 Sam. 6:7.] ³⁶And you shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as one engraves a signet ring: "Consecrated to the Lord (Yahweh)." ³⁷And you shall put a blue cord in it to attach it to the turban, and it shall be on the front of the turban. ³⁸And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts, and it shall always be upon his forehead, that they may have mercy (conditional mercy – Hebr. ratson) before the Lord (Yahweh). ³⁹And you shall weave tunics of checkered work in fine linen. And you shall make a turban of fine linen. And you shall make a sash, the work of a weaver in colors. ⁴⁰And for Aaron's sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them, and you shall make headdresses for them, for splendor (glory, majesty – Hebr. kavod) and beauty (ornamentation, something resplendent – Hebr. tifarah). [Same concluding phrase as in verse 2.] ⁴¹And you shall put them on Aaron your brother and his sons with him, and you shall anoint them and separate (consecrate) them and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priesthood. ⁴²And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover the nakedness of their flesh (bodies), reaching from the loins (hips) to the thighs (at the knees). ⁴³And they shall be on Aaron and his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not bear sin and die. It shall be a statute (literally, "things engraved") forever for him and his seed after him.

The priests shall be consecrated

29¹And these are the things you shall do with them to consecrate them to serve me in the priesthood. Take a bull and two unblemished (Hebr. tamim) rams, ²and unleavened bread and unleavened cakes mixed with oil and unleavened cakes twisted with oil, you shall make them from fine wheat. ³And you shall put them in a basket and bring them in the basket with the bull and the two rams. ⁴And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and you shall wash them with water. ⁵And you shall take the garments and put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the skillfully woven bands of the ephod. ⁶And you shall put the turban on him and place the holy crown on the turban. ⁷Then you shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. ⁸And you shall bring his sons forward and put tunics on them. ⁹And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and bind headdresses upon them, and they shall be holders of the priesthood as an everlasting ordinance (literally, "things engraved"), and you shall separate (consecrate) Aaron and his sons. ¹⁰And you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. ¹¹And you shall slaughter the bull before the Lord (Yahweh) at the entrance of the tent of meeting. ¹²And you shall take the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and you shall pour out all the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. ¹³And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails and the membranes over the liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and let it be a smoke on top of the altar. ¹⁴But the flesh of the bull and its skin and its offal (slaughter remains; the entrails that are removed when the animal is slaughtered) you shall burn in the fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.
     ¹⁵You shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. ¹⁶Then you shall slaughter the ram, and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it around the altar. ¹⁷And you shall divide the ram into its parts, and wash its entrails and its legs, and lay them with its parts and with its head. ¹⁸And you shall make the whole ram into a smoke offering on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the Lord (Yahweh), it is a sweet aroma, a fire offering to the Lord (Yahweh).
     ¹⁹And you shall take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. ²⁰Then you shall slaughter the ram and take its blood and put it on the right ear lobe of Aaron and on the right ear lobe of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hands, and on the big toe of their right feet, and sprinkle the blood on the altar all around. ²¹And you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garments and on his sons and on their garments with him. And he and his garments shall be consecrated, and his sons and his sons' garments with him.
     ²²And you shall remove the fat from the ram, and the fat tail, and the fat that covers the entrails, and the membranes that are over the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and the right thigh, for this is a ram of consecration, ²³and take a round loaf of bread and a loaf of oiled bread and a thin loaf of bread from the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord (Yahweh).
     ²⁴And you shall place all of it on the hands of Aaron and on the hands of his sons, and wave them as a wave offering before the Lord (Yahweh).
     ²⁵And you shall take it from their hands and make it into smoke on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a sweet aroma before the Lord (Yahweh), it is a fire offering to the Lord (Yahweh). ²⁶And you shall take the breast from Aaron's consecration ram and wave it as a wave offering before the Lord (Yahweh), and it shall be their portion.
     ²⁷And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering, which are waved and lifted up from the ram of ordination, that which is Aaron's and that which is his sons'. ²⁸And it shall be for Aaron and his sons as their due portion forever from the sons of Israel, for it is a heave offering (Hebr. teromah), and it shall be a heave offering from the sons of Israel of their peace offerings (communal offerings – Hebr. zevach shelamim), their heave offerings to the Lord (Yahweh).
     ²⁹And Aaron's holy garments shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them and to be consecrated (set apart) in them. ³⁰For seven days the son who becomes a priest in his place shall wear them, he who enters the tent of meeting to minister in the holy place.
     ³¹And you shall take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place. ³²Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket at the entrance of the tent of meeting. ³³And they shall eat these things with which atonement has been made to consecrate (separate) and sanctify them, but a stranger shall not eat of it because it is holy. ³⁴And if any of the consecration meat or bread remains until morning, then the remainder shall be burned with fire; it shall not be eaten, for it is holy.
     ³⁵And you shall do with Aaron and his sons according to all that I have commanded you; seven days you shall consecrate (separate) them.
     ³⁶And every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering, in addition to the other offerings for atonement, and you shall make atonement on the altar when you bring atonement for it, and you shall anoint it and consecrate it. ³⁷For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it, and the altar shall be most holy; whatever touches the altar shall be holy.

Daily sacrifices

³⁸This is what you shall offer on the altar every day for all time:

Two yearling lambs. ³⁹You shall offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight (literally: 'between the two evenings') [Ex. 12:6]. ⁴⁰With the first lamb, you shall offer a tenth of an ephah [3.5 liters] of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin [0.9 liters] of oil from crushed olives and a quarter of a hin [0.9 liters] of wine as a drink offering. ⁴¹You shall offer the second lamb at twilight, and do with it as you did with the morning offering and its drink offering, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord (Yahweh).
     ⁴²It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord (Yahweh), where I will meet with you to speak with you. ⁴³And there [in the tent of meeting] I will meet with the sons of Israel, and it shall be sanctified in my glory. [The tabernacle, as well as the priest and the altar, are sanctified in the presence of the Lord, see Ex. 40:34–35.]

Consecration of the tent of meeting

⁴⁴Thus I will sanctify the tent of meeting and the altar. I will also sanctify Aaron and his sons to minister before me as priests. ⁴⁵Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God (Elohim). ⁴⁶Then they will know that I am the Lord their God (Yahweh Elohim), who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, so that I may dwell (reside, live) among them. I am the Lord their God (Yahweh Elohim).

Further instructions

Drawing of the altar of incense

30¹And you shall make an altar to burn incense on, of acacia wood you shall make it. ²Its length shall be one cubit and its width one cubit [45 x 45 cm], square shall it be, and two cubits [90 cm] shall be its height, its horns shall be of one piece with it. ³And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around and its horns. And you shall make a crown of gold all around it. ⁴And you shall make two gold rings for it, under its crown on its two legs, on the two sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for the poles with which it shall be carried. ⁵And you shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

The location of the altar

⁶And you shall place it in front of the curtain (veil) that is at the ark of the testimony, in front of the cover that covers the testimony, where I will meet (encounter, associate with) you.

Rules for burning sacrifices

⁷And Aaron shall burn incense on it of sweet spices every morning when he tends the lamps (trims the wicks), he shall burn it. ⁸And when Aaron has lit the lamps at dusk (literally: 'between the two evenings') [Ex. 12:6], he shall burn it as a perpetual incense before the Lord (Yahweh) throughout your generations. ⁹You shall not offer strange incense on it, nor a burnt offering, nor a grain offering, and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it.

Atonement

¹⁰And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year, with the blood of the sin offering for atonement once a year he shall make atonement for it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord (Yahweh). [This is part of the work that the high priest does on Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement, see Lev. 16.]

The sum for redemption

¹¹The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and said: ¹²"When you count the sons of Israel according to their number, then they shall give, each man a ransom for his soul to the Lord (Yahweh), when you count them, so that no plague will come among them when you count them. ¹³This is what they shall give, each one of them who passes by and is counted, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary—the shekel is 20 gerahs—half a shekel as an offering to the Lord (Yahweh). [A shekel is a unit of weight equal to 11.5 grams. A gerah is 1/20 of a shekel, which is 0.6 grams.] ¹⁴Everyone who passes among them who is counted, from 20 years old and upward, shall give the offering to the Lord (Yahweh). ¹⁵The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give the offering to the Lord (Yahweh), to make atonement for their souls. ¹⁶And you shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and consecrate it for the work of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord (Yahweh), for atonement for your lives.

Design for the water basin

¹⁷The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and said: ¹⁸"You shall make a basin of bronze and its base of bronze, for washing, and you shall place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall pour water into it. ¹⁹And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet in it, ²⁰when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they will not die; or when they come near the altar to minister, when they offer a burnt offering by fire to the Lord (Yahweh), ²¹they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This shall be a statute (literally, 'things engraved') forever for them, for him and for his descendants throughout their generations."

Recipe for the anointing oil

²²The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and said: ²³"Take the finest (best, most excellent) spices: 500 shekels [6 kg] of liquid myrrh, half as much [250 kg] of sweet cinnamon, 250 kg of sweet (aromatic) cane, ²⁴and of cassia 500 [6 kg], according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil one hin [3.5 liters]. ²⁵And you shall make of it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded with the skill of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. ²⁶And with it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, ²⁷and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, ²⁸and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base. ²⁹And you shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy. ³⁰And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them, that they may minister to me as priests. ³¹And you shall speak to the sons of Israel and say: 'This is a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations. ³²It shall not be poured on the body of any man, nor shall anyone make anything after its recipe; it is holy, and it shall be (remain) holy to you. ³³Whoever makes anything like it or whoever uses any of it on a stranger shall be cut off from his people.'" [The rabbinical interpretation of this punishment is that God shortens his life and that the person dies childless.]

Recipe for incense

³⁴And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Take sweet spices, liquid myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, and cassia, sweet spices with pure incense resin, of each (kind) you shall take the same weight. [Incense is an image of prayer (Ps. 14:2; Rev 5:8). The different ingredients symbolize different types of prayer. Sweet spices are a picture of when we pray and confess. The second ingredient, myrrh, is the shell of a mussel from the depths of the sea and a picture of prayer for our needs (Ps. 130:1–2; 50:15). The third ingredient, galbanum, is a resin with a strong fragrance. It is a symbol of thanksgiving. Finally, we have pure incense resin, which is a symbol of worship. In addition, this mixture should be seasoned with salt. It is a symbol of purity and holiness. Salt protects against decay, and in Lev. 2:13 God says that salt is a covenant salt. Therefore, it should be included everywhere as a sign of the covenant between us and God.] ³⁵And you shall make incense from it, a perfume with the skill of a perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. ³⁶And you shall grind some of it very finely and place it before the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. ³⁷And the incense that you shall make according to its recipe, you shall not make for yourself; it shall be holy to you for the Lord (Yahweh). ³⁸The man who makes it for his own pleasure shall be cut off from his people."

The craftsmanship of Bezalel and Oholiab

31¹The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and said:

²See, I have called by name Bezalel [meaning: "in the shadow of God" – i.e., under his protection],
    son of Uri [meaning: "my light," his full name was probably Oriel or Oriah],
    son of Hur (Hebr. Chor) [Ex. 17:10; 24:14], of the tribe of Judah. ³I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom (the ability to distinguish between right and wrong), understanding (the ability to build and construct), and knowledge (a personal experience of) to perform the task, and in all kinds of crafts, ⁴to devise (plan, create, be creative in) artistic works and to execute them in gold, silver, and bronze, ⁵to cut stones for setting, and to carve wood, and to do all kinds of work. [Betsalel is the first person in the Bible to be filled with the Spirit of God. He is a craftsman. Here is a prophecy that Jesus fulfills when he is called "the craftsman's son," see Matt. 13:55. The numerical value of the name Bezalel is 153, see John 21:11. The tabernacle with all its furnishings was made of wood and metal (gold, silver, bronze, precious stones) and fabric, see Ex. 25–30. The Hebrew word nechoshet can be translated as copper or any of its alloys that make the material harder. In the Old Testament, the word is used to describe bronze, which is an alloy of about 90% copper and 10% tin.] ⁶And I, behold, I have given him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And in the heart of all who are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you [in chapters 25-30]:

⁷the tent of meeting,
the ark of the testimony,
the mercy seat (the cover, literally "that which covers") that is on top
and all the furnishings of the tent.
⁸the table and its utensils,
the pure menorah with all its utensils
and the altar of incense,
⁹and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils,
and the laver on its base,
¹⁰and the embroidered garments
    and the holy garments for Aaron the priest
    and the garments for his sons to serve as priests,
¹¹and the anointing oil,
and the incense of sweet spices for the holy place.

They shall do everything according to all that I have commanded you. [According to the pattern the Lord instructed Moses, see Ex. 25:9, 40; 26:30; 27:8.]

No work on the Sabbath

¹²The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and said: ¹³Speak to the sons of Israel and say: "Be careful to keep (guard, protect, preserve) my Sabbaths, for they are a sign between me and your sons' sons for generations, so that you may know (be intimately acquainted with) that I am the Lord (Yahweh) who sanctifies you (sets you apart). ¹⁴Therefore, you shall keep (guard, protect, preserve) the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Anyone who profanes it shall be put to death, for anyone who does any work, that person (soul) shall be cut off (cut off) from his people. ¹⁵Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest (Hebr. shabbat shabbaton), holy to the Lord (Yahweh). Anyone who does any work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death. ¹⁶Therefore, the sons of Israel shall keep (guard, protect, preserve) the Sabbath and celebrate the Sabbath throughout the generations as an everlasting covenant. ¹⁷It is a sign between me and the sons of Israel forever, for in six days the Lord (Yahweh) created the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested (literally, sabbath) from his work." [Gen. 2:1–3]

Conclusion

¹⁸And he gave Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony written with the finger of God (Elohim).

The golden calf

32¹The people noticed that Moses was delaying on the mountain (they became impatient and disappointed and ashamed of him because he was staying longer than expected). They gathered around Aaron and said to him, "Do something (don't just sit there), make gods for us that can go before us! We don't know where that Moses has gone, the one who brought us out of Egypt."
     ²So Aaron said to them, "Take the gold earrings from the ears of your wives, sons, and daughters and bring them to me." [The gold was intended to be used for God's temple, see Ex. 35:20–29. Perhaps Aaron thought he could buy some time and keep the people calm by keeping them busy until Moses returned.] ³Everyone did this; they took off the gold earrings they were wearing and brought them to Aaron.
     ⁴He received the gold from them. Using tools, he shaped the image that was to be made. [Either a wooden frame that was then covered with gold, or a wooden mold that was then cast.] He used the molten gold and shaped a calf (an image of a young bull). Then they [the leaders of the people who initiated the making of their own gods] said, "This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of Egypt." [The golden calf is a frightening symbol. In Egypt, they worshipped the bull god Apis. The god Baal, who was worshipped in the land of Canaan, was also often embodied and depicted as a young bull. Aaron had been involved in causing the people to break the first three commandments. They worshipped another God, they had made an image and dishonored the name of the Lord in idolatry.] ⁵And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron cried out and said, "A feast to the Lord (Yahweh) tomorrow." ⁶And they rose early the next morning and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down and ate and drank and rose up and rejoiced.
     ⁷Then the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses, saying, "Go down [in Deut. 9:12 it is emphasized that it is urgent], for your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have acted deceitfully. ⁸They have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them; they have made themselves a molten calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
     ⁹And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰Now therefore, let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and I may consume them, and I will make of you a great nation (a great nation)."
     ¹¹But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God (Yahweh Elohim) and said, "Lord (Yahweh), why do you let your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong (firm, sure, brave) hand? ¹²Why should the Egyptians speak and say, 'He brought them out for evil, to slaughter them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth (surface)?' Turn from your burning anger and repent (mourn-comfort – Hebr. nacham) of this evil against your people. ¹³Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you promised (swore, gave your oath) by yourself and said to them, 'I will multiply your seed (so that it becomes) like the stars of heaven and all this land that I have said I will give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.
     ¹⁴And the Lord (Yahweh) relented (sorrow-comforted – Hebr. nacham) from the evil that he had spoken of doing to his people. [Hebr. nacham in verses 12 and 14 is sometimes translated as "repent," but the word means both to feel sorrow and to comfort, and also the "change" in the actual event when one goes from sorrow to giving comfort. The name of the prophet Nahum, which means comfort, has the same Hebrew root (nhm), see also Nah. 3:7; Ps. 23:4; 71:21. God feels sorrow over how quickly the people fell into sin, but now begins the process of comforting them and not destroying them.] ¹⁵And Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, on one side and on the other. ¹⁶And the tablets were made by God (Elohim), and the writing was written by God (Elohim), engraved on the tablets.
     ¹⁷And when Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is a sound of war in the camp."
     ¹⁸And he answered, "It is not the voices of those who cry for dominion (victory), nor the voices of those who cry to be overcome, but the sound of those who sing is what I hear." ¹⁹When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he became very angry (his anger burned fiercely). He threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. ²⁰He took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.
     ²¹And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you, that you have brought such a great sin upon them?"
     ²²And Aaron answered, "Let not the wrath of my lord burn hot, for you know the people (are intimately acquainted with them) that they are set on (turning to) evil. ²³So they said to me, 'Make us a god who can go before us, for we do not know what has become of that man Moses who brought us out of Egypt. ²⁴And I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let him break it off, and they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came a calf.
     ²⁵And when Moses saw that the people were unruly, for Aaron had let them become unruly because of the mockery of their enemies, ²⁶Moses stood at the gate of the camp and said, 'Whoever is on the Lord's (Yahweh's) side, let him come to me.' And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.
     ²⁷And he said to them, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel: 'Let every man put his sword on his hip and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp and strike every man his brother and every man his friend and every man his neighbor.'" ²⁸And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and 3,000 men fell that day. ²⁹And Moses said, "Consecrate yourselves to the Lord (Yahweh) today, for every man has been against his son and against his brother, so that he may give you a blessing today." ³⁰The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a grave sin, but I will go to the Lord (Yahweh) now—perhaps I can obtain atonement for your sin."
     ³¹So Moses went back to the Lord (Yahweh) and said, "This people has committed a grave sin; they have made gods of gold for themselves. ³²If you would forgive their sin... but if you do not, blot me out of the book you are writing." [The first part of the sentence is incomplete; it does not end. It is an "aposiopesis," which reinforces the emotionally charged silence. It seems as if Moses begins to wonder what the people could give back to God if he forgives their sin? Since there is nothing we can do to earn forgiveness, Moses instead continues with the second option – blot me out of your book.] ³³The Lord (Yahweh) replied to Moses: "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. ³⁴Now go back and lead the people to the place I have told you about. My angel will go before you. But the day will come when I will punish them for their sin."
     ³⁵The Lord (Yahweh) punished (sent a plague, trial) the people because of the calf they had made—the one Aaron had made. [The word punishment is the same word used for the ten plagues against Egypt earlier. The goal of these plagues was repentance. It is unclear whether this punishment in this verse refers to the three thousand men who chose not to side with God and paid with their lives, see verses 26-28, or whether it refers to future plagues and trials that will come upon the Israelites in their continued journey if they refuse to obey God. In the next chapter, the Israelites are faced with a choice to remove all their jewelry as a clear sign of genuine repentance from their idolatry.] 33¹The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses: "Go up, you and the people you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land that I promised (swore, gave my oath) to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants,' ²and I will send an angel (messenger) before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, ³into a land flowing with milk and honey, for I will not go up among you, because you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way."
     ⁴And when the people heard these evil words, they mourned, and no man put on his ornaments. ⁵And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Tell the sons of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I go up among you for a moment, I will consume you. Therefore, take off your ornaments now, so that I may know what to do with you. ⁶So from Mount Horeb (Hebr. Chorev) [Mount Sinai and further on in the journey], the sons of Israel took off (freed themselves from) all their jewelry.

The Tent of Meeting

⁷And Moses took the tent and pitched it far outside the camp, and he called it "the tent of meeting" (Hebr. ohel moed). Anyone who wanted to consult (seek) the Lord (Yahweh) had to go out to the tent of meeting outside the camp. [Here the Hebrew phrase ohel moed (in English "tent of meeting") is used, also called "tent of revelation". Another word is mishkan (translated as "tabernacle"), which Moses had previously been instructed to build in the middle of the camp (Ex. 25). At this point, it has not yet been built, see also Ex. 27:21; Lev. 1:1. This meeting tent, which belonged to Moses, served as a temporary sanctuary.] ⁸And when Moses went out (every time he went) to the tent, everyone stood up [in respect] and watched (studied carefully) Moses until he entered the tent. [The people's contempt for Moses had now disappeared, see Ex. 32:1, and their respect for him had returned.] ⁹Every time Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud (pillar of smoke/cloud) [Ex. 13:21–22; 14:19, 24] descended and stood at the entrance (opening), and he [the Lord] spoke with Moses. ¹⁰When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the temple, they all fell down and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent. ¹¹The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to a friend [Num. 12:6–8]. Then Moses returned to the camp, but his servant (assistant) Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent.
[Moses was now over 80 years old, see Ex. 7:7. Joshua, who is Moses' right-hand man and successor, is now probably in his 40s, see Josh. 1:1; Ex. 17:9–14; 24:13; 32:17.]

Moses and the glory of God

¹²And Moses said to the Lord (Yahweh), "Behold, you have said to me, 'Bring up this people,' and you have not let me know whom you will send with me. And you have said, 'I know you by name, and I have also found favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your sight. ¹³Therefore, I pray (appeal) to you: If I have found favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your sight, show me now your ways, that I may know (be intimately acquainted with) you to the end (forever, all the way, completely) and find favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your eyes, and remember that this people (this nation – Hebr. goj) is your people (Hebr. am)."
     ¹⁴And he said, "My face (my presence) shall go with you, and I will give you rest (silence, peace, also meaning to come down)." [Jesus quotes this verse, see Matt. 11:28.]
     ¹⁵And he said to him, "If your face (your presence) does not go with us, do not bring us up there. ¹⁶For how will it be known that I have found favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your eyes, I and your people? Is it not by your going with us, so that we are set apart, I and your people, from all other peoples on the face of the earth?
     ¹⁷And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "I will do these things that you have spoken, for you have found favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in my sight, and I know you by name.
     ¹⁸Then Moses said, "Let me see your glory (presence, mighty majesty)."
     ¹⁹He replied, "I will make all my goodness (beauty) pass before you, and I will proclaim before you my name, the Lord (Yahweh). I will be gracious (give undeserved favor) to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy (show motherly tenderness) to whom I will show mercy."
     ²⁰He continued, "But you cannot see my face, for no man can see me and live."
     ²¹Then the Lord said, "Here is a place near me; stand there on the rock. ²²When my glory (mighty presence) passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand while I pass by. ²³Then I will take my hand away, and you will see the remnants of my presence [literally "my backs," a metaphorical image of the afterglow of his presence], but no one can see my face."

The new stone tablets

34¹The Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Cut out two stone tablets for yourself, like the first ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets that you broke. ²Be ready in the morning and come up to Mount Sinai in the morning and stand at the top of the mountain (literally "above the head of the mountain"). ³And no man shall come up with you; let no man be seen on the whole mountain; neither let any flocks or herds graze on the mountain."
     ⁴And he carved two stone tablets, like the first ones, and Moses rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded him, and took the two stone tablets in his hands. ⁵And the Lord (Yahweh) descended in a cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord (Yahweh). ⁶The Lord (Yahweh) passed before him and proclaimed:

"The Lord (Yahweh), the Lord (Yahweh) is a merciful and gracious God (El),
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (caring love) and faithfulness (stability, steadfastness, faithfulness),
⁷keeping mercy (loving kindness) to thousands [in all future generations, forever],
    forgiving (lifting up) iniquity and transgression and sin. [The word mercy (Hebr. chesed) describes God's mercy and faithful love. The word appears in both verses 6 and 7. The first occurrence describes God's grace and mercy toward Israel when he renews the covenant and gives them the Torah for the second time. Verse 7 refers to grace for thousands. It refers to future generations and also to peoples other than Israel. A parallel can be found in God's promise to Abraham in Gen. 12:3, where God promises his blessing both to him and to future generations. The same idea is found in John 1:17. Grace and truth, Hebr. chesed ve emet, are inseparably linked. They are always presented in the same order (Gen. 24:27; Ps. 40:12; Prov 3:3; Prov 16:6; Isaiah 16:5). Grace without truth becomes meaningless, while truth without grace becomes merciless.] At the same time, he does not let the guilty go unpunished,
    but lets the punishment for the sins of the fathers befall their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations." [God does not punish children and grandchildren for something their fathers did, but rather describes God's just punishment for a particular sin in each generation. God reminds us that one generation cannot escape God's punishment because God punished a previous generation. God is just, and His nature is both mercy and truth, see verse 6.]

⁸And Moses hurried and bowed his head to the ground and worshiped. ⁹And he said, "If I have found favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your sight, Lord (Adonai), I pray (I implore), let my Lord (Adonai) go in our midst, for it is a stiff-necked people, and forgive our transgressions and sins, and take us as your inheritance."
     ¹⁰And he said, "Behold, I make a covenant, before all your people I will do wonders, such as have not been done in all the world, nor in any nation. And all the nations among whom you dwell shall see the works of the Lord (Yahweh) that I will do with you, that they are wonderful (amazing, tremendous). ¹¹Keep (guard, protect, preserve) what I command you today. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ¹²Take care (protect, preserve) yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest they become a snare in your midst. ¹³But you shall tear down their altars and smash their obelisks and cut down their Asherah poles [poles for idol worship]. ¹⁴You shall not bow down to any other god (Hebr. el), for I, the Lord (Yahweh), whose name is Jealous (a strong emotional expression of wanting full ownership of something – Hebr. qana), am a jealous God (El), ¹⁵lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go after other gods and sacrifice to their gods, and they call upon you, and you eat of their sacrifices, ¹⁶and you take their daughters for your sons, and their daughters go after their gods and cause your sons to go after their gods. ¹⁷You shall not make for yourselves any cast gods. [A warning against the sin of the golden calf they had just committed, see Ex. 32:4] ¹⁸You shall keep (guard, protect, preserve) the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hebr. chag matsah). For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Aviv [Also called Nisan. Aviv means spring and indicates that it is the first month of spring.] ¹⁹Everything that opens the womb is mine, and of all your livestock you shall consecrate the males, the firstborn of your oxen and sheep. ²⁰You shall redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you shall break its neck. You shall redeem all the firstborn of your sons. And no one shall come before me empty-handed. ²¹Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest, both when it is time to plow and when it is time to harvest, you shall rest. [The Sabbath commandment therefore also applies when spring and autumn farming are at their most intense.] ²²And you shall keep (guard, protect, preserve) the week-long festival (Shavuot, Pentecost) [in the spring, see Ex. 23:16] – the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and [also] the harvest festival (the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot) [in the fall, see Ex. 23:17] when the year turns (when it becomes a new year). [The Jewish New Year occurs on Rosh Hashanah (the first day of the month of Tishri), just before the Feast of Tabernacles, which begins on the 15th of Tishri.] ²³Three times a year all your men shall appear before the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim). ²⁴For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up to the Lord (Adonai) your God (Elohim) three times a year. [This is God's promise of protection that no enemy shall attack when celebrating the feasts of the Lord (Yahweh)!] ²⁵You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifices with leavened bread.
Nor shall any of the sacrifices belonging to the Passover be left until morning. [Prophetic of Jesus being taken down from the cross on the same day.] ²⁶You shall bring the first fruits of your land to the house of the Lord (Adonai) your God (Elohim).
You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk." [The phrase is repeated from Ex. 23:19 and reappears in Deut. 14:21. Rabbinical interpretations of this commandment have led to today's kosher laws for food.] ²⁷The Lord said to Moses, "Write down these words (commandments), for according to them I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."
     ²⁸Moses remained with the Lord for forty days and forty nights, without eating or drinking. He wrote the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments, on the stone tablets.

Moses' face shines

²⁹When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two stone tablets of the testimony in his hand, he did not know that his face was radiant (that light shone forth like horns) because he had spoken with the Lord (Yahweh). ³⁰When Aaron and all the Israelites saw the radiance of Moses' face, they did not dare to come near him.
     ³¹But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the people returned to him, and Moses spoke to them. ³²Then all the Israelites came to him, and he commanded them all that the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken on Mount Sinai.
     ³³When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. ³⁴But when Moses went before the Lord to speak with him, he took off the veil until he came out. When he came out, he told the Israelites what he had been commanded. ³⁵The Israelites saw the radiance of Moses' face, so Moses put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord (Yahweh).

The tabernacle is built

Sabbath rules

35¹And Moses gathered the whole assembly of the sons of Israel and said to them, "These are the words that the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded you to do. ²Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of complete rest (Hebr. shabbat shabbaton) to the Lord (Yahweh). Anyone who does any work (on that day) shall be put to death. ³You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day."

Materials

⁴And Moses spoke to the whole assembly of the sons of Israel and said, "These are the words that the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded and says: ⁵Take from among you an offering to the Lord (Yahweh), all who are willing-hearted, let him bring it, an offering to the Lord (Yahweh), gold and silver and bronze, ⁶and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goat hair, ⁷and tanned goatskins, and sea skins, and acacia wood, ⁸and oil for the lamp, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense, ⁹and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastplate.
     ¹⁰And let every man whose heart is willing among you come and make all that the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded, ¹¹the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its clasps and its boards, its crossbars, its pillars and its bases, ¹²the ark and its poles, the mercy seat (the cover of the ark), and the curtain (the veil) for the screen, ¹³the table and its poles and all its accessories and the showbread, ¹⁴the menorah—the lampstand [the seven-branched candlestick, see Ex. 25:31–40] and its utensils and its lamps and oil for the lampstand, ¹⁵and the altar of incense and its poles and the anointing oil and the sweet incense and the curtain (the veil) for the opening, for the opening of the tabernacle, ¹⁶the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its base, ¹⁷the curtains of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the curtain (veil) for the opening of the court, ¹⁸the tent pegs of the tabernacle and the tent pegs of the courtyard and its ropes, ¹⁹the embroidered garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to minister as priests." [In verse 14, it literally says: "the light bearer menorah." This may be a way of emphasizing that it is this specific light holder that has seven arms. The word light holder (Hebr. maor) is a general term for a light bearer that can be anything that carries and spreads light, used for example for the sun and moon, see Gen. 1:14–16.] ²⁰And the whole assembly, the sons of Israel, left (literally: "went away from before") Moses. ²¹And they came, all whose hearts were encouraged, and all whose spirits were willing, and brought the Lord's (Yahweh's) offerings for the work of the tabernacle and for all its service and for the holy garments. ²²And they came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought nose rings, earrings, signet rings, and bracelets, all (kinds of) jewels of gold, and all men brought an offering of gold to the Lord (Yahweh). ²³And all the men who had blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, fine linen, goat hair, tanned goat skins, and seal skins brought them. ²⁴All who could contribute an offering of silver or bronze brought the Lord's (Yahweh's) offering, and all the men who had acacia wood for any of the work brought it. ²⁵And all the women who were wise of heart spun with their hands and brought what they had spun, blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen. [The original text does not mention fabric or yarn, but these colors refer to the yarn that can be used for weaving.]+E11150 ²⁶And all the women whose hearts were encouraged with wisdom spun goat hair. ²⁷And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones for setting in the ephod and the breastplate, ²⁸and spices and oil for the lampstand (candelabra) and for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense. ²⁹The children (sons) of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord (Yahweh), every man and woman whose heart made them willing to contribute to all the work that the Lord (Yahweh) commanded to be done through Moses' hand.

Betzalel and Oholiab

³⁰And Moses said to the sons of Israel, "See, the Lord (Yahweh) has called by nameBezalel, the son of Uri, the sonof Hur (Hebr. Chor) of the tribe of Judah, ³¹and he has filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, ³²and to perform artistic work, to work in (with) gold and in (with) silver and in (with) bronze, ³³and to cut stones for setting, and to carve wood, to work in all kinds of artistic techniques. ³⁴And he has put in his heart that he should teach, both him and Oholiav, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. ³⁵He has filled them with the wisdom of the heart to perform all kinds of crafts, engraving and braiding and weaving with colors, in blue and purple, in scarlet and fine linen and weaving, to do all kinds of artistic crafts." 36¹[Moses continued:] "And Bezalel and Oholiab shall work, and every man whose heart the Lord (Yahweh) has filled with wisdom, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded."
     ²And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and all the men with a wise heart, in whose hearts the Lord (Yahweh) had put wisdom, all whose hearts moved them to come to the work and do it. ³And they received from Moses the whole offering that the sons of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, the (material) from which it was to be made. And they still brought voluntary gifts to him every morning. ⁴And all the wise men who did all the work on the sanctuary came from their work that they were doing, ⁵and they spoke to Moses and said, "The people are bringing much more than is needed for the work that the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded to be done."
     ⁶And Moses commanded that it be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, "Neither man nor woman shall do any more work for the sacrifice to the sanctuary." So the people were prevented from bringing any more. ⁷For the materials they had were sufficient for all the work of making it, and even too much.

The work is done

The tabernacle

⁸And every man whose heart moved him among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with cherubim, the work of a skilled craftsman.

⁹The length of each sheet was 28 cubits [12.6 meters]
and the width of each sheet was 4 cubits [1.8 meters]. All the sheets had the same dimensions.

¹⁰And he [Bezalel] joined five pieces together, and the other five pieces he joined together. [The verbs are in the masculine singular, which may refer to Bezalel, see verse 1. Another interpretation is that it is "every man".] ¹¹And he made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost sheet in the first [joinedpiece], and he did the same on the outermost sheet in the second [joinedpiece]. ¹²He made 50 loops on one curtain and 50 loops on the edge of the curtain that was on the other [joinedpiece], the loops facing each other. ¹³And he made 50 clasps of gold and joined the curtains together with the clasps so that the tabernacle became one unit.
     ¹⁴And he made curtains of goat hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made 11 curtains.

¹⁵The length of each curtain was 30 cubits [13.5 meters],
and 4 cubits [1.8 meters] was the width of each curtain,
the 11 curtains had the same dimensions. ¹⁶And he [Bezalel] joined five curtains together and six curtains together.

¹⁷And he made 50 loops on the edge of the outermost sheet of the first [joined piece] and he made 50 loops on the edge of the outermost sheet of the second [joined piece]. ¹⁸And he made 50 bronze hooks to connect the tent so that it became one unit. ¹⁹And he made a covering for the tent of red goat hair and a covering of seal skin on top.
     ²⁰And he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, which stood upright. ²¹Each board was 10 cubits [4.5 meters] long and 1.5 cubits [0.7 meters] wide. ²²Each board had two tenons joined together. He made all the boards for the tabernacle in this way. ²³And he made the boards for the tabernacle, 20 boards for the south side toward the south. ²⁴And he made 40 sockets of silver under the 20 boards. Two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under the next board for its two tenons. ²⁵And for the other side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made 20 boards, ²⁶and their 40 bases of silver, two bases under one board and two bases under the next board. ²⁷And for the rear of the tabernacle, on the west side, he made 6 boards. ²⁸And he made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear, ²⁹so that they were double at the bottom, and in the same way they were to be all the way up to the top, to the first ring. So he did with both of them at the two corners. ³⁰And there were eight boards and their bases of silver, sixteen bases, two bases under each board.
     ³¹And he made crossbars of acacia wood, five for the boards on one side of the tabernacle, ³²and 5 crossbars for the boards on the other side of the tabernacle, and 5 bars for the boards of the tabernacle at the rear, on the west side. ³³And he made the middle crossbar to pass through the middle of the boards from one side to the other. ³⁴And he overlaid the boards with gold and made their rings of gold as holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
     ³⁵And he made the curtain (veil) of blue and purple and scarlet and fine twisted linen, the work of a skilled craftsman, with cherubim. ³⁶And he made for it four pillars of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, their hooks were made of gold, and he cast four bases for them of silver. ³⁷And he made a curtain for the opening of the tent of blue and purple and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver in colors, ³⁸and the five pillars for it with their hooks, and he overlaid the tops of the boards and their decorations with gold, and their five bases were of bronze.

The ark

37¹And Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood, 2.5 cubits [1.1 meters] was its length, and 1.5 cubits [0.7 meters] was its width, and 1.5 cubits [0.7 meters] was its height. ²And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a crown of gold for it all around. ³And he cast four rings of gold for it, for its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. ⁴And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ⁵And he put the poles in the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark.
     ⁶And he made a cover of pure gold, 2.5 cubits [1.1 meters] was its length and 1.5 cubits [0.7 meters] was its width. ⁷And he made two cherubim of gold; of hammered work he made them at the two ends of the cover, ⁸one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. He made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. ⁹And the cherubim spread their wings upward, covering the cover with their wings. With their faces toward each other, the faces of the cherubim were also toward the cover.

The table

¹⁰And he made the table of acacia wood, two cubits was its length, and one cubit was its width, and one and a half cubits was its height. ¹¹And he overlaid it with pure gold and made a crown of gold for it all around. ¹²And he made a handbreadth [8-9 cm wide] rim for it all around and made a crown of gold on the rim all around. ¹³And he cast four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that were on its four feet. ¹⁴The rings were close to the table, holders for the bars to carry the table. ¹⁵And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold to carry the table. ¹⁶And he made the utensils that were on the table, its dishes, its pots, its bowls, and its pitchers used for pouring out (pouring), of pure gold.

The menorah

¹⁷And he made the menorah [the seven-branched candlestick] of pure gold. He made the menorah with its base and its stem, its bowls, its buds, and its flowers, all of one piece. ¹⁸And 6 branches went out from its sides, 3 of the branches of the menorah went out on one side and 3 of the branches of the menorah went out on the other side. ¹⁹Three bowls shaped like almond blossoms on one branch, a bud and a flower, and three bowls shaped like almond blossoms on the other branch, a bud and a flower. So it was on the six branches that extended from the menorah. ²⁰And on the menorah were four bowls made like an almond blossom, its buds, and its flowers, ²¹and a bud under two branches in one piece with it, and a bud under two branches in one piece with it, and a bud under two branches in one piece with it, on the six branches that went out from it. ²²Its buds and its branches were made in one piece with it. It was made in one piece, hammered work in pure gold.
     ²³And he made its lamps, seven in number, and its tongs and its wick trimmers of pure gold. ²⁴He made it and all its utensils from one talent (Hebr. kikar) [34 kilograms, see Ex. 25:39] of pure gold.

The altar of incense

²⁵And he made the altar of incense of acacia wood, 1 cubit was its length and 1 cubit was its width [45 x 45 cm], square, and 2 cubits [90 cm] was its height, its horns were made in one piece with it. ²⁶And he overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around and its horns. And he made a crown of gold around it. ²⁷And he made for it two gold rings under its crown, on its two sides, as holders for the poles with which it is to be carried. ²⁸And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
     ²⁹And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, the work of a perfumer.

The altar of burnt offering and the laver

38¹And he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits was its length and five cubits was its width [2.25 x 2.25 meters], square, and three cubits [1.35 meters] was its height. ²And he made its horns on its four corners; its horns were made of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. ³And he made all the utensils of the altar, the pots and the shovels and the basins and the meat hooks and the fire pans; all its utensils he made of bronze. ⁴And for the altar he made a bronze grating under the ledge all around, reaching halfway up. ⁵And he made four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating, as holders for the bars. ⁶And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. ⁷And he put the poles in the rings on the sides of the altar, to carry it; he made it hollow with boards.
     ⁸And he made the basin of bronze and its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

The courtyard

⁹And he made the court. For the south side, facing south, the curtains of the court were made of fine twisted linen, 100 cubits [45 meters]. ¹⁰And the pillars were 20, and their bases were 20 of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their sockets were of silver. ¹¹And for the north side, 100 cubits [45 meters], its pillars 20 [pieces], and its bases 20 [pieces] of bronze, the hooks and its sockets were of silver.
     ¹²And for the west side, the length was 50 cubits [22.5 meters], its pillars 10, and its bases 10, the hooks of the pillars and their sockets were of silver. ¹³And for the east side, 50 cubits [22.5 meters]. ¹⁴The curtains on one side were 15 cubits [7 meters], its 3 posts and its 3 bases. ¹⁵And on the other side it was the same, on one side and on the other side of the gate the curtains were 15 cubits [7 meters], its 3 posts and its 3 bases. ¹⁶All the curtains around the courtyard were of fine twisted linen. ¹⁷And the bases of the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their sockets were of silver, and the tops of the pillars were of silver, and all the pillars of the courtyard were decorated with silver.
     ¹⁸And the curtain for the gate of the courtyard was the work of a weaver in colors, of blue and purple and scarlet and finely twisted linen. And its length was 20 cubits [9 meters], and its height was 5 cubits [2.25 meters], the same size as the curtains of the courtyard. ¹⁹And its pillars were 4 [pieces] and its bases 4 [pieces], of bronze. Its hooks were of silver, and the covering of the capitals and the decorations were of silver. ²⁰And all the tent pegs of the tabernacle and the courtyard around it were of bronze.

Inventory of materials and work

[This is the central passage in chapters 34-40.] ²¹This is the account (inventory, reckoning – Hebr. pekodim) [a summary, inspection, and list of all the materials used] for the tabernacle – the tabernacle of testimony [the tabernacle where the tablets of testimony (the Ten Commandments) were kept, see Ex. 20]. Moses gave the Levites this task (commandment) to make this account under the supervision (under the hand) of Itamar, the son of Aaron the priest. ²²Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, did all that the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses [according to the instructions, see Ex. 25–30]. ²³And with him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a craftsman and a skilled artisan and a weaver with colors, in blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen.
[It was the Levites who were responsible for setting up, taking down, and transporting the tabernacle during the desert journey, see Num. 3–4. By mentioning Bezalel again (Ex. 31:2; 35:30; 36:1–2; 37:1) and Oholiab (Ex. 31:6; 35:34; 36:1–2) and that they were from the tribes of Judah and Dan, it serves as a reminder that the tabernacle was a project that involved the entire people. In the following verses, it also becomes clear that craftsmen from different tribes had worked together.]

1 ton of gold

²⁴All the gold used in the entire work of the sanctuary, including the gold for the sacrifice, was 29 talents and 730 shekels [equivalent to 1/4 talent], according to the weight of the sanctuary [equivalent to 1 ton – 80 gold bars weighing 12.5 kg]. [The expression "weight of the sanctuary" was probably a standard weight used in the measuring scale. The talent (Hebr. kikar) was the largest unit of weight at that time. One talent was equal to 3,000 shekels (Hebr. sheqel), which was a unit of weight of 11.5 grams. The total amount of gold here was therefore (29 x 3000 + 730) 87,730 shekels – equivalent to 1009 kg.]

3.5 tons of silver

²⁵And the silver from those who were counted in the congregation was 100 talents [3.45 tons] and 1,775 shekels [20 kg], according to the weight of the sanctuary [a total of 301,775 shekels – equivalent to 3.5 tons]. ²⁶One beka [silver coin weighing 5.8 grams] per head, that is, half a shekel according to the sanctuary weight, for each one who passed over to those who were counted, from 20 years old and upward, 603,550 men. [The number is exactly the same as in the census in Num. 1:46.] ²⁷The 100 talents of silver [the largest part] were used to cast the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the curtain (the veil), 100 bases from 100 talents, 1 talent [34 kg] for each base. ²⁸From the [remaining] 1,775 shekels [20 kg] of silver, he made hooks for the posts and plated rings for their heads and their decorations.

2.4 tons of bronze

²⁹And the bronze from the wave offering (that which had been donated at the wave offering – Hebr. tenofah) was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels [212,400 shekels – equivalent to 2.4 tons]. ³⁰With it he made the bases for the opening of the meeting tent and the bronze altar and its bronze grating and all the altar utensils, ³¹and the bases for the surrounding courtyard, and all the tent pegs for the tabernacle and all the tent pegs for the surrounding courtyard.

The work is done

[Now the priest's garments are described. The passage appears to be divided into seven sections.] 39¹And from the blue and purple and scarlet, they made embroidered garments for service in the holy place, and made holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses.

The ephod

²And he [Bezalel, see Ex. 38:22] made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine twisted linen. ³And they [the craftsmen, or specifically Bezalel and Oholiab, see Ex. 36:1–2; 38:23] hammered the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads (thin gold threads – Hebr. patil) to work it into the blue [yarn] and the purple [yarn] and the scarlet [yarn] and the fine linen, the work of a skilled craftsman. ⁴They made shoulder pieces for it, joined together, at both ends it was joined together. ⁵And the skillfully woven bands that were on it, with which it was fastened, were of the same piece and of the same workmanship, of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet and fine twisted linen, as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses.
     ⁶And they worked the onyx stones and set them in gold and engraved them as one engraves a signet ring, according to the names of the sons of Israel. ⁷And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, to be memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses.

The breastplate

[Verses 8-21 are a repetition of Ex. 28:15–28 almost word for word, except for a few verb forms and verse 16 (cf. Ex. 28:23), which mentions the two settings of gold, and the conclusion in verse 21, which mentions "as the Lord commanded Moses."] ⁸And he made the breastplate, the work of a skilled craftsman, in the same way as the work of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine twisted linen. ⁹It was square; they made the breastplate double, 1 span was its length and 1 span was its width [23 x 23 cm] – double. ¹⁰And they set in it four rows of stones.

One row of
    [1] carnelian [red stone – Hebr. odem],
    [2] topaz [olive green, yellowish]
    [3] and emerald [Hebr. bareqet (from baraq to sparkle, reflect); the word is only used here and in Ex. 28:17],
the first row.

¹¹And the second row,
    [4] a carbuncle,
    [5] a sapphire ["a blue stone"; sky blue]
    [6] and a chalcedony.

¹²And the third row,
    [7] a hyacinth [dark red, purple – Hebr. leshem occurs only here and in Ex. 28:19],
    [8] an agate [Hebr. shevo occurs only here and in Ex. 28:19]
    [9] and an amethyst [purple and violet – Hebr. achlama occurs only here and in Ex. 28:19].

¹³And the fourth row,
    [10] a chrysolite [Hebr. tarsis, probably from the city of Tarshish, perhaps imported from afar],
    [11] an onyx [Hebr. shoham; probably from the word to bleach]
    [12] and a jasper [Hebr. jashfe; from the word to polish; in ancient times, the word was mainly used for green (partially transparent) stones, but today the term is also used for other colors]. [In John's vision, he sees the last and first gemstones in the high priest's breastplate, see Rev 4:3. Jasper, the last stone, is also the first foundation stone in the wall of the new Jerusalem, see Rev 21:18–20.]

They were set in gold settings. ¹⁴And the stones were twelve [in number], according to the names of the sons of Israel, engraved like a signet ring, each with its name for the twelve tribes.

Gold chains and rings

¹⁵And they made on the breastplate braided chains, a wreath work of pure gold. ¹⁶And they made two settings of gold and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two sides of the breastplate. ¹⁷And they put the two twisted chains of gold on the two rings on the sides of the breastplate. ¹⁸And they put the other two ends of the two twisted chains on the two settings and put them on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on its front. ¹⁹And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge that was facing the side of the inside of the ephod. ²⁰And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod underneath, on its front edge, near its connection above the skillfully woven bands of the ephod. ²¹And they fastened the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord (braided thread), so that it would be on the skillfully woven bands of the ephod, so that the breastplate would not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses.

The robe

²²And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. ²³And the opening in the middle of the robe was like the opening in a coat of mail, with a lace around its opening, so that it could not be torn. [The opening is intended to allow it to be pulled over the head when taking it on and off. It is made in one piece and therefore has no fastening. It is like a full-length poncho.] ²⁴And on the hem [at the bottom of the blue garment, see verse 22] they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen. ²⁵And they made bells of pure gold and placed the bells between the pomegranates around the hem of the robe [at the bottom], between the pomegranates, ²⁶a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe, for official wear, as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses.

Tunics

²⁷And they made tunics of fine linen, of woven work, for Aaron and his sons.

Turban, undergarments

²⁸And turbans of fine linen, and comfortable headdresses of fine linen, and trousers of fine twisted linen, ²⁹and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, the work of a weaver in colors, as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses.

Diadem for the turban

³⁰And they made the holy plate, a crown of pure gold, and wrote on it as one engraves a signet ring: "Consecrated to the Lord (Yahweh)." ³¹And they tied a blue cord (braided thread) in it to fasten it on top of the turban, as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses.

Dedication

³²Thus all the work of the tabernacle of meeting was finished, and the sons of Israel did everything according to what the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses, so they did.

Moses inspects the work

³³And they brought the tabernacle to Moses:

the tent and all its furnishings,
    its clasps, its boards, its crossbars,
    its posts, and its bases,
³⁴and the covering of red goat hair
    and the covering of seal skin
    and the screen (curtain),
³⁵the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat,
³⁶the table and all its utensils and the showbread,
³⁷the pure menorah [refers both to the seven-branched candlestick being ritually pure – Hebr. tahar, but also to it being made of pure gold],
    its lamps, the lamps to be arranged and the oil for the light bearer (candlestick)
³⁸and the golden altar
    and the anointing oil
    and the sweet incense
and the curtain for the opening of the tent,
³⁹the bronze altar
    and its bronze grating,
    its poles and all its utensils, the basin and its base,
⁴⁰the curtains of the courtyard,
    its posts and its bases
    and the curtain for the opening of the courtyard,
    its cords and its tent pegs
    and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle of meeting,
⁴¹the embroidered garments for ministering in the holy place,
    the holy garments for Aaron the priest
    and the garments for his sons to minister as priests.

⁴²In accordance with all that the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses, the sons of Israel did all the work. ⁴³And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded, just as they had done it. And Moses blessed them. [The Lord was very careful that everything should be done exactly according to the designs and patterns that Moses had received when he was on Mount Sinai, see Ex. 25:9, 40 et al.]

Instructions for setting up

40¹The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and said:

²"On the first day of the first month [Aviv/Nisan], you shall set up the tabernacle of the meeting tent. ³There you shall place the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen (hide) the ark with the curtain (drapery). ⁴You shall bring in the table and set the bread on it, and you shall bring in the menorah [the seven-branched candlestick] and light its lamps. ⁵You shall place the altar of gold for incense before the ark of the testimony and hang the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
     ⁶You shall place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle of meeting. ⁷You shall place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and pour water into it. ⁸You shall set up the enclosure around it and hang the curtain at the gate of the enclosure.
     ⁹You shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it, and you shall consecrate (set apart) it and all its furnishings, and it shall be holy. ¹⁰You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy. ¹¹You shall anoint the basin and its base and consecrate it.
     ¹²You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. ¹³You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to me as priest. ¹⁴You shall bring his sons forward and put priestly garments on them. ¹⁵You shall anoint them as you anointed their father, so that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall be for them an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations." ¹⁶And Moses did according to all that the Lord (Yahweh) commanded him, so he did.

Moses sets up the tabernacle

¹⁷And it came to pass in the first month [Aviv], in the second year [after the exodus from Egypt], on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was erected. [It is on the 14th day of this month that Passover is celebrated, followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the 15th day and for seven days.] ¹⁸Moses erected the tabernacle, laid its bases, set up its boards, inserted its crossbars, and raised its pillars. ¹⁹He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses.
     ²⁰He took and placed the testimony in the ark, put the poles on the ark, and placed the covering (mercy seat, lid) on top of the ark. ²¹Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the curtain (drapery) and screened off the ark of the testimony, as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses.
     ²²He set the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain ²³and arranged a row of bread on it before the Lord (Yahweh), as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses.
     ²⁴He [Moses] placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle ²⁵and lit the lamps before the Lord (Yahweh), as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses.
     ²⁶He placed the golden altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain (drapery) ²⁷and burned incense of sweet spices on it, as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses. ²⁸Then he hung the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
     ²⁹He placed the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of meeting and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on it, as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses.
     ³⁰He placed the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and poured water into it for washing, ³¹so that Moses and Aaron and his sons could wash their hands and feet in it. ³²When they entered the tent of meeting and when they approached the altar, they would wash themselves, as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses.
     ³³Then he erected the enclosure around the tabernacle and the altar and hung the curtain at the entrance to the enclosure. Thus Moses completed the work.

The glory of God

[Now comes the finale—the glory of the Lord comes and fills the place with a strong divine presence.] ³⁴Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁵Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested over it and the glory of the Lord (honor, weight, dignity; saturated divine presence) filled the tabernacle. ³⁶Every time the cloud rose from the tabernacle, the Israelites broke camp and continued their journey. ³⁷But if the cloud did not rise, they did not set out; they did not travel until the day it rose. ³⁸The Lord's cloud rested over the tabernacle during the day, and at night a fire burned in the cloud before the eyes of the Israelites during all their wanderings. [Regardless of light or darkness, day or night, the cloud, which is God's presence, was always there, visible to God's people. The word "journeys" (verses 36 and 38) is plural and describes "departures and stages." A total of 42 places are named where the Israelites camped during their journey to the land of Canaan.]