Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 26:7
And thou shalt make curtains [of] goats’ [hair] to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.
Exodus 7-13 (cf. Exo 36:14-18). The Tent over the Dwelling, consisting of eleven curtains of cloth made of goats’ hair, each 30 cubits long, and 4 cubits wide, fastened together so as to form a single large curtain, 30 cubits broad, and 44 cubits long. The Bedawin still make their tents of goats’ hair in the same way: breadths of goats’ hair cloth, it may be yd. broad, and as long as the breadth of the tent, are stitched together, and form a covering capable of keeping out the heaviest rain (Burckh. Bedouins, i. 37; cf. DB. iv. 717): comp. Son 1:5, where their dark colour is alluded to.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 7. Curtains of goats‘ hair] Stuff made of goats’ hair. See Clarke on Ex 25:4. This was the second covering.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Of goats hair, spun, Exo 35:26, and woven into a stuff, like our camlet.
To be a covering; to be put next above the curtains.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7-13. curtains of goats’ hairThesecoarse curtains were to be one more in number than the others, and toextend a yard lower on each side, the use of them being to protectand conceal the richer curtains.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair,…. Jarchi calls it the flower or down of goats, the softer and finer part of their hair, which was spun by women, as appears from Ex 35:26, and was made up into a stuff somewhat like our camelot; these curtains were coarser than the former, and were made to be put over them, to preserve them from the weather, as it follows:
to be a covering upon the tabernacle: which, by the curtains of linen coupled together, became one tabernacle, as in the preceding verse: and these curtains were to be a tent or covering over them: they were somewhat like, being made of the same matter, with the coverings with which the ancient Arabs covered their tents, which were made of goats’ hair, as were the tents of Kedar alluded to in So 1:5, these curtains of goats’ hair denote the outward appearance of Christ in human nature, who, attended with all human infirmities, excepting sin, was in the form of a servant, in great meanness and poverty, covered with reproach, and had in the greatest contempt, and especially at the time of his sufferings and death; though all rich and glorious within, full of grace, and of all the blessings of grace, of righteousness and life, of light, joy, peace, and comfort for his people; and may also denote the mean appearance of the church and people of God outwardly; being, generally speaking, a poor and an afflicted people, subject to the scorn, reproach, and persecutions of men, but all glorious within, enriched with the grace of God and righteousness of Christ; and so, in one respect, like these curtains of goats’ hair, and, in another respect, like the curtains of fine linen:
eleven curtains shalt thou make; one more than the other; the reason of which was, that there might be one at the entrance of the tabernacle, there being no linen curtain there, see Ex 26:9.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The outer tent-cloth, “for the tent over the dwelling,” was to consist of eleven lengths of goats’ hair, i.e., of cloth made of goats’ hair;
(Note: The coverings of the tents of the Bedouin Arabs are still made of cloth woven from black goats’ hair, which the women spin and weave (see Lynch’s Expedition of the United States to the Jordan and Dead Sea).)
each piece being thirty cubits long and four broad.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
7 And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make. 8 The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure. 9 And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle. 10 And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second. 11 And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one. 12 And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle. 13 And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it. 14 And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins.
Moses is here ordered to make a double covering for the tabernacle, that it might not rain in, and that the beauty of those fine curtains might not be damaged. 1. There was to be a covering of hair camlet curtains, which were somewhat larger every way than the inner curtains, because they were to enclose them, and probably were stretched out at some little distance from them, v. 7, c. These were coupled together with brass clasps. The stuff being less valuable, the tacks were so but the brass tacks would answer the intention as effectually as the golden ones. The bonds of unity may be as strong between curtains of goats’ hair as between those of purple and scarlet. 2. Over this there was to be another covering, and that a double one (v. 14), one of rams’ skins dyed red, probably dressed with the wool on; another of badgers’ skins, so we translate it, but it should rather seem to have been some strong sort of leather (but very fine), for we read of the best sort of shoes being made of it, Ezek. xvi. 10. Now observe here, (1.) That the outside of the tabernacle was coarse and rough, the beauty of it was in the inner curtains. Those in whom God dwells must labour to be better than they seem to be. Hypocrites put the best side outwards, like whited sepulchres; but the king’s daughter is all glorious within (Ps. xlv. 13); in the eye of the world black as the tents of Kedar, but, in the eye of God, comely as the curtains of Solomon, Cant. i. 5. Let our adorning be that of the hidden man of the heart, which God values, 1 Pet. iii. 4. (2.) That where God places his glory he will create a defence upon it; even upon the habitations of the righteous there shall be a covert, Isa 6:5; Isa 6:6. The protection of Providence shall always be upon the beauty of holiness. God’s tent will be a pavilion, Ps. xxvii. 5.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Verses 7-14:
Curtains of goats’ hair formed the tent which covered the linen curtain that was the inner ceiling of the tabernacle. There were eleven of these curtains, each 30 cubits (45′) by 4 cubits (6′). Five were sewn together to form one section, six were sewn together to form another. They were joined in the same manner as the linen curtains (vv. 4-6), except with copper (“brass”) taches or pins (clasps). The larger size of the goats’ hair tent-cloth enabled it to overlap the linen curtains, as a means of protection.
The goats’ hair tent-cloth was protected with a covering made of rams’ skins dyed red. The size of this covering is not given. This in turn was protected and made water-proof by the covering of seals’ (badgers) skins, likewise of unspecified size.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(7) To be a covering.Literally, to be a tent. (See the first Note on the chapter.)
Eleven curtainsi.e., eleven breadths. (See Note 2 on Exo. 26:1.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. THE GOATS-HAIR TENT-CLOTH.
(7-13) An awning such as that described in Exo. 26:1-6 would have neither kept out sun nor rain. For this purpose an ordinary cloth of goats-hair was requisite, and accordingly Moses was instructed to make a second covering, which was to be of this material, and to extend over the whole of the first, thus externally concealing it. This second covering was, like the first, to be in two portions (Exo. 26:9-11), each of them made up of several breadths, but the two portions were not to be of the same size. Both were to be thirty cubits in length, but the hinder portion was to contain five breadths, while the portion in front was to contain six. Thus the outer covering was six feet broader than the inner one. The object was the protection of the inner covering, which was overlapped at both ends by the outer one (Exo. 26:9; Exo. 26:12).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Curtains of goats’ hair For the use of this material for tents see Exo 25:4, note .
Covering upon the tabernacle Literally, for a tent ( ) over the tabernacle, ( . ) This then was to form a regular tent cover, while the one just previously described was to serve more for interior ornamentation .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 26:7. And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair The second covering for the tabernacle was to be made of stuff, spun or wove from goats hair; the form and dimensions of which are evident from the accurate description in the following verses.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Was not the roughness of the covering intended to show, that the Church, like her beloved, hath no outward attractions, though all lovely within? Psa 45:13 . And was not this covering designed also to intimate, that upon all the assemblies of God’s people there is a defense? Isa 4:5-6 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 26:7 And thou shalt make curtains [of] goats’ [hair] to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.
Ver. 7. Of goats’ hair.] The tabernacle was goats’ hair without, and gold within. God hid his Son under the carpenter’s son. “The king’s daughter is all glorious within.” Psa 45:13 And all her sons are princes in all lands. Psa 45:16 Howbeit, they must be content to pass to heaven as Christ their Head did, as concealed men. “Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew not him.” Joh 1:10 “Our life is hid with Christ,” Col 3:4 as the life of flowers in winter is hid in the root.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
curtains. These were for the upper covering forming the tent.
covering = Hebrew. ‘ohel, tent (App-40).
tabernacle. Hebrew. mishkan = dwelling place (App-40).
make. Hebrew adds “them”, as being distinct from the former.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
goats’ hair CF. Lev 16:5; Lev 16:7-10. The reference seems to be to the result of the ordinance of the two goats as “covering” (See Scofield “Lev 16:5”) thus speaking of Christ in atonement See Scofield “Gen 3:21”. This thought is intensified in the colour of the rams’ skins, Exo 26:14.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
curtains: Exo 35:26, Exo 36:14-18, Num 4:25, Psa 45:13, 1Pe 3:4, 1Pe 5:5
goats’ hair: Izzim, goats, but used here elliptically for goats’ hair. In different parts of Asia Minor, Syria, Cilicia, and Phrygia, the goats have long, fine, and beautiful hair; in some cases, almost as fine as silk, which is shorn at proper times, and manufactured into garments. Exo 25:4, Exo 35:6, Exo 35:23, Num 31:20
a: Exo 26:14, Isa 4:5
eleven: Exo 26:1, Exo 26:9, Exo 26:12
Reciprocal: Exo 26:2 – curtain Exo 35:12 – the veil Exo 40:2 – tabernacle
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
26:7 And thou shalt make curtains [of] goats’ [hair] to be a {d} covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.
(d) Lest rain and weather should mar it.