Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 26:14
And thou shalt make a covering for the tent [of] rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above [of] badgers’ skins.
14. (cf. Exo 36:19). Two outer coverings of stronger and stouter materials, to be laid over the Tent, for protection against rain. Kn. reminds us that on military expeditions the Romans used in winter to cover their tents with skins ( sub pellibus hiemare).
rams’ skins dyed red ] i.e. leather, dyed, not with the costly Phoenician ‘scarlet’ (Exo 25:4), but probably (Kennedy), as LXX. suggests, with madder ( ).
sealskins ] dugong skins (Exo 25:5). The Dwelling, with the coverings above it, was kept in its place by cords connecting it with pins driven into the ground, in the manner of a tent: see Exo 27:19, Exo 35:18, Exo 38:20; Exo 38:31.
15 30 (cf. Exo 36:20-34). The ‘boards,’ or, perhaps, frames, for the Dwelling. There is great difficulty in some of the details: but the general sense is clear. The ‘boards’ were to be of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, each 10 cubits (15 ft.) long, and 1 cubits (2 ft. 3 in.) broad: they were to be placed upright, so as to form the sides and back of the Dwelling, each resting in two sockets of silver: there were to be twenty forming each side, six to form the back, and two, of special construction, at the corners, where the back and sides met: five bars, attached to the boards by rings, were to run horizontally along the two sides and the back, respectively, to hold them firmly in their place.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 14. Rams’ skins dyed red] See Clarke on Ex 25:5. This was the third covering; and what is called the badgers’ skins was the fourth. See Clarke on Ex 25:5. Why there should have been four coverings does not appear. They might have been designed partly for respect; and partly to keep off dust and dirt, and the extremely fine sand which in that desert rises as it were on every breeze; and partly to keep off the intense heat of the sun, which would otherwise have destroyed the poles, bars, boards, and the whole of the wood work. As to the conjecture of some that “the four coverings were intended the better to keep off the rain,” it must appear unfounded to those who know that in that desert rain was rarely ever seen.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To preserve the rest from the injury of the weather.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. a covering . . . of rams’ skinsdyed redthat is, of Turkey red leather. [See on Ex39:34.]
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red,…. This was a covering that was put over the curtains of goats’ skin; but whether it went all over them, or only upon the roof of the tabernacle they covered, to keep out the rains from soaking through, is not certain, nor very evident; Jarchi thinks the roof was only covered with this covering of rams’ skins; but others think it more reasonable that the whole was covered with them to preserve from dust and rain:
and a covering above of badgers’ skins; of these skins
[See comments on Ex 25:5], this was a fourth covering of the tabernacle; the first was of linen curtains, the second of goats’ hair, the third of rams’ skins, and the fourth of badgers’ skins, which seems to have been thicker and courser, since shoes were made of them, Eze 16:10, R. Judah, as quoted by Jarchi, thinks the two last were but one covering, half of it consisting of rams’ skins and half of it of badgers’ skins; but the text is express that the latter was a covering above and over the former: these several coverings of the tabernacle show the care that God takes of his church and people, and how sufficiently they are provided for, that they may be in safety from all their enemies, being clothed with Christ’s righteousness, and under the purple covering of his blood, and surrounded by his almighty power, see Isa 4:5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“ The other coverings were placed on the top of this tent: one made of rams’ skins dyed red, “as a covering for the tent,” and another upon the top of this, made of the skins of the sea-cow ( , see at Exo 25:5).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
3. THE TWO OUTER COVERINGS.
(14) As the object of the two outer coverings must have been to keep out rain, we must suppose them to have protected not only the ridge of the roof, but, at any rate, the whole of the mishkn. Their length must, therefore, have been at least thirty cubits, and their breadth fourteen.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. A covering To be placed still above the goats’ hair tent-cloth, as an additional protection .
Rams’ skins badgers’ skins See note on Exo 25:5. Whether these extra coverings of skins were coextensive with the entire roof, we are nowhere told, but in the absence of specific information we are hardly justified in the conclusion that one or both of them served only for a coping. No doubt the common customs of adjusting tent cloths among a nomadic people were presupposed, and definite information on some matters of detail was considered unnecessary.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 26:14. Thou shalt make a coveringof rams’ skins, &c. The third covering, of a still coarser kind, was to be made of rams’ skins dyed red; over which, as a fourth covering, and a perfect security from the weather, skins of a purple colour were to be thrown: see what has been said respecting the word rendered badgers’ skins, on ch. Exo 25:5. Perhaps this might be intended to describe one covering only, which went over the whole; for the verse might be rendered, And thou shalt make a covering for the tent, of rams’ skins dyed red, and of purple skins, even a covering for the whole. Note; 1. A coarse garment covers often a precious soul. 2. A true christian is best within, whilst a hypocrite seeks only outward show. 3. They who take refuge in God’s true sanctuary, Jesus Christ, have a safe and glorious covert from all the storms of wrath and the tempests of sin.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Exo 26:14 And thou shalt make a covering for the tent [of] rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above [of] badgers’ skins.
Ver. 14. A covering for the tent. ] Shadowing out God’s protecting his people, Isa 4:6 ; Isa 25:4 Psa 27:5 as these rams’ skins covered the ark from the violence of wind and weather.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
a covering: Exo 36:19, Num 4:5, Psa 27:5, Psa 121:4, Psa 121:5, Isa 4:6, Isa 25:4
rams’ skins dyed red: Oroth ailim meoddamim, literally, the skins of red rams. It is a fact, attested by many respectable travellers, that in the Levant, sheep are often met with having red or violet coloured fleeces. Almost all ancient writers speak of the same thing. Exo 25:5, Exo 35:7, Exo 35:23, Exo 39:34, Num 4:10, Eze 16:10
badgers’ skins: Oroth techashim, which nearly all the ancient versions have taken to be the name of a colour, though they differ very much with regard to the particular colour intended: the LXX, Vulgate, and Coptic, have skins dyed of a violet colour; the Syriac, azure; and the Arabic, black; and Bochart contends for the hysginus, a very deep blue. It may, however, denote an animal; for Dr. Geddes remarks, had the sacred writer meant to express only a variety of colour, he would hardly have repeated oroth, skins, after meoddamim, red, in Exo 25:5.
Reciprocal: Exo 26:7 – a Num 4:25 – the covering
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 26:14. Badgers skins So we translate it: but it seems rather to have been some strong sort of leather, but very fine, for we read of the best sort of shoes made of it, Eze 16:10. This was the fourth covering of the tabernacle. The first was of linen, the second of goats hair, and the third of rams skins.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
26:14 And thou shalt make a {g} covering for the tent [of] rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above [of] {h} badgers’ skins.
(g) To be put on the covering that was made of goats hair.
(h) This was the third covering of the tabernacle.