40:1 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens :
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
40:2 Mense primo, prima die mensis, eriges tabernaculum testimonii,
*H The first month, the first day of the month, thou shalt set up the tabernacle of the testimony,
Ver. 2. Month of the second year, v. 15. The first day of every month was kept with some degree of solemnity, though it was not a day of rest. Num. xxxiii. 11. 1 K. xx. 5. &c. C.
40:3 et pones in eo arcam, dimittesque ante illam velum :
And shalt put the ark in it, and shalt let down the veil before it:
40:4 et illata mensa, pones super eam quae rite praecepta sunt. Candelabrum stabit cum lucernis suis,
And thou shalt bring in the table, and set upon it the things that are commanded according to the rite. The candlestick shall stand with its lamps,
40:5 et altare aureum, in quo adoletur incensum, coram arca testimonii. Tentorium in introitu tabernaculi pones,
And the altar of gold, whereon the incense is burnt before the ark of the testimony. Thou shalt put the hanging in the entry of the tabernacle,
40:6 et ante illud altare holocausti :
And before it the altar of holocaust.
40:7 labrum inter altare et tabernaculum, quod implebis aqua.
The laver between the altar and the tabernacle, and thou shalt fill it with water.
40:8 Circumdabisque atrium tentoriis, et ingressum ejus.
And thou shalt encompass the court with hangings, and the entry thereof.
40:9 Et assumpto unctionis oleo unges tabernaculum cum vasis suis, ut sanctificentur :
And thou shalt take the oil of unction and anoint the tabernacle with its vessels, that they may be sanctified:
40:10 altare holocausti et omnia vasa ejus,
The altar of holocaust and all its vessels:
40:11 labrum cum basi sua : omnia unctionis oleo consecrabis, ut sint Sancta sanctorum.
The laver with its foot: thou shalt consecrate all with the oil of unction, that they may be most holy.
40:12 Applicabisque Aaron et filios ejus ad fores tabernaculi testimonii, et lotos aqua
And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and having washed them with water,
40:13 indues sanctis vestibus, ut ministrent mihi, et unctio eorum in sacerdotium sempiternum proficiat.
*H Thou shalt put on them the holy vestments, that they may minister to me, and that the unction of them may prosper to an everlasting priesthood.
Ver. 13. Priesthood. Heb. "And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may serve me in the priest's office: (14) and thou shalt bring his sons, and put on them their tunics; (15) and thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may perform the office of priests to me for ever, in their generations." As the priesthood was hereditary in Aaron's family, this first unction might suffice for all. Yet, the new high priests were always anointed till the days of our Saviour. C. xxix. 7.
* Footnote * Leviticus 8 : 2
Take Aaron with his sons, their vestments, and the oil of unction: a calf for sin, two rams, a basket with unleavened bread.
40:14 Fecitque Moyses omnia quae praeceperat Dominus.
And Moses did all that the Lord had commanded.
40:15 Igitur mense primo anni secundi, prima die mensis, collocatum est tabernaculum.
So in the first month of the second year, the first day of the month, the tabernacle was set up.
A.M. 2514.
40:16 Erexitque Moyses illud, et posuit tabulas ac bases et vectes, statuitque columnas,
And Moses reared it up, and placed the boards and the sockets and the bars, and set up the pillars,
* Footnote * Numbers 7 : 1
And it came to pass in the day that Moses had finished the tabernacle, and set it up, and had anointed and sanctified it with all its vessels, the altar likewise and all the vessels thereof,
40:17 et expandit tectum super tabernaculum, imposito desuper operimento, sicut Dominus imperaverat.
*H And spread the roof over the tabernacle, putting over it a cover, as the Lord had commanded.
Ver. 17. Cover of purple, goat skins, &c.
40:18 Posuit et testimonium in arca, subditis infra vectibus, et oraculum desuper.
*H And he put the testimony in the ark, thrusting bars underneath, and the oracle above.
Ver. 18. Testimony, or tables of the law. The pagans enclosed various symbolical figures, cakes, &c. in their mystic arks. Clem. Alex. But how different were they from the sacred records of religion! C.
40:19 Cumque intulisset arcam in tabernaculum, appendit ante eam velum ut expleret Domini jussionem.
And when he had brought the ark into the tabernacle, he drew the veil before it to fulfil the commandment of the Lord.
40:20 Posuit et mensam in tabernaculo testimonii ad plagam septentrionalem extra velum,
And he set the table in the tabernacle of the testimony, at the north side, without the veil,
40:21 ordinatis coram propositionis panibus, sicut praeceperat Dominus Moysi.
Setting there in order the loaves of proposition, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
40:22 Posuit et candelabrum in tabernaculo testimonii e regione mensae in parte australi,
He set the candlestick also in the tabernacle of the testimony, over against the table on the south side,
40:23 locatis per ordinem lucernis, juxta praeceptum Domini.
Placing the lamps in order, according to the precept of the Lord.
40:24 Posuit et altare aureum sub tecto testimonii contra velum,
*H He set also the altar of gold under the roof of the testimony, over against the veil,
Ver. 24. Roof, covering both the holy of holies and the sanctuary. M.
40:25 et adolevit super eo incensum aromatum, sicut jusserat Dominus Moysi.
And burnt upon it the incense of spices, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
40:26 Posuit et tentorium in introitu tabernaculi testimonii,
And he put also the hanging in the entry of the tabernacle of the testimony,
40:27 et altare holocausti in vestibulo testimonii, offerens in eo holocaustum, et sacrificia, ut Dominus imperaverat.
And the altar of holocaust in the entry of the testimony, offering the holocaust, and the sacrifices upon it, as the Lord had commanded.
40:28 Labrum quoque statuit inter tabernaculum testimonii et altare, implens illud aqua.
*H And he set the laver between the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar, filling it with water.
Ver. 28. Laver. This is a repetition of v. 7, (C.) shewing that the command was fulfilled. H.
40:29 Laveruntque Moyses et Aaron ac filii ejus manus suas et pedes,
And Moses and Aaron, and his sons, washed their hands and feet,
40:30 cum ingrederentur tectum foederis, et accederent ad altare, sicut praeceperat Dominus Moysi.
When they went into the tabernacle of the covenant, and went to the altar, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
40:31 Erexit et atrium per gyrum tabernaculi et altaris, ducto in introitu ejus tentorio. Postquam omnia perfecta sunt,
He set up also the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, drawing the hanging in the entry thereof. After all things were perfected,
40:32 operuit nubes tabernaculum testimonii, et gloria Domini implevit illud.
*H The cloud covered the tabernacle of the testimony, and the glory of the Lord filled it.
Ver. 32. Glory. The cloud which had rested over the tent, appointed for prayer, came now to the grand tabernacle, in the midst of the camp. C. — By its superior lustre, it signified that the glory of God was there. S. Aug. q. 173.
* Footnote * Numbers 9 : 15
Now on the day that the tabernacle was reared up, a cloud covered it. But from the evening there was over the tabernacle, as it were, the appearance of fire until the morning.* Footnote * 3_Kings 8 : 10
And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the sanctuary, that a cloud filled the house of the Lord,
40:33 Nec poterat Moyses ingredi tectum foederis, nube operiente omnia, et majestate Domini coruscante, quia cuncta nubes operuerat.
*H Neither could Moses go into the tabernacle of the covenant, the cloud covering all things, and the majesty of the Lord shining, for the cloud had covered all.
Ver. 33. Moses, out of respect, abstained from entering that day. C. — The cloud of legal observances, though designed to prefigure Christ and the gospel, seems however to hinder the Jews from recognizing them. S. Aug. T.
40:34 Siquando nubes tabernaculum deserebat, proficiscebantur filii Israel per turmas suas :
If at any time the cloud removed from the tabernacle, the children of Israel went forward by their troops:
40:35 si pendebat desuper, manebant in eodem loco.
If it hung over, they remained in the same place.
40:36 Nubes quippe Domini incubabat per diem tabernaculo, et ignis in nocte, videntibus cunctis populis Israel per cunctas mansiones suas.
*HFor the cloud of the Lord hung over the tabernacle by day, and a fire by night, in the sight of all the children of Israel throughout all their mansions.
Ver. 36. A fire. The same cloud overshadowed the camp by day, and enlightened it by night. Chal. C. xiii. 22.