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Exodus 38 Commentary

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Exodus 38:1-7

The altar of burnt offering is built for the courtyard outside the tabernacle where worshippers would bring sacrifices to offer to the LORD.

Exodus 38:8

The bronze laver is constructed. The materials are derived from bronze mirrors donated by the Israelite women.

Exodus 38:9-20

The courtyard itself is constructed. It would surround the tabernacle and the outer court.

Exodus 38:21-31

Moses recounted the amount of material that was used to build the tabernacle. The emphasis here is on the amount of precious metals used to make the items for the tabernacle and in the tabernacle.

Additional Resources

The book of Exodus is the second book of the Torah (“law”). It continues the story of Genesis concerning the migration of the family of Jacob (the Israelites) to Egypt (Genesis 50). It describes the commissioning of Moses and Aaron as God’s representatives on earth to accomplish God’s deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land (the land of Canaan). It also relates the miraculous deliverance from Egypt beginning with the plagues on Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea. It then describes the journey to Mount Sinai and the establishment of the Mosaic covenant with the Israelites. The last part of the book involves the specifications and building of the tabernacle – the place where the Lord Himself dwelt amongst His people.

In the book of Exodus, the focus shifts to the deliverance of God’s people.

Chapter Context

Exodus 38 contains the description of the construction of items that would be placed in the courtyard that surrounded the tabernacle.
This chapter can be outlined as follows: