Exodus 40

AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

On the first day of the first month To wit, Of the second year after their coming out of Egypt, as is evident. shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the... nt of the congregation.

And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.

And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it The vessels belonging to it, and the show-bread, E... od. 25. 29, 30., and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.

And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incease before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.

And thou shalt set the altar of the burntoffering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent (i. e.) The Tabernacle which is covered with a Tent. See Exod. 35. 11. Though elsewhere the words, Tabernacle and Tent are promiscuously used. of the congregation.

And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.

And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court-gate.

And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.

And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt-offering, and all his vessels, and sanctifie the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.

And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctifie it.

And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.

And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctifie him, that he may minister unto me in the priestsoffice.

And thou shalt bring his sons, and cloath them with coats.

And thous shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priests office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priest-hood (i. e.) A sign or seal that their Priesthood shall continue as long as their policy lasts, till the coming of the Messias. He signifies that this unction should be sufficient for all succeeding Priests, they should not need to be anointed again, except the successive High-priests. See Exod. 29. 7, 29. Levit. 4. 3. and 16. 32. and 21. 10., throughout their generations.

Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.

And it came to pass in the first month, in the second year After their coming out of Egypt Numb. 7. 1., on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.

And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastned his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.

And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it, as the LORD commanded Moses.

And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy-seat above upon the ark.

And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the... ail of the covering, and covered the a... k of the as the LORD commanded Moses.

And he put the table in the tent of the congregation upon the side of the tabernacle, northward without the vail.

And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD: as the LORD had commanded Moses.

And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.

And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.

And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail.

And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses This is wisely and seasonably added, because this was a work peculiar to the Priest, and not to be done by Moses without Gods express command..

And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.

And he put the altar of burnt-offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burntoffering, and the meat-offering For the consecration of the Altar, this being the first sacrifice.; as the LORD commanded Moses.

And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal.

And Moses, and Aaron and his sons, washed their hands and their feet thereat.

When they went in to the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.

And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle, and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court-gate, so Moses finished the work.

Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD (i. e.) The glorious presence of God, which having been forfeited and lost, was now returned to them and took its habitation among them. filled the tabernacle.

And Moses was not able to enter into the tent Partly because of the extraordinary thickness and brightness of the Cloud, which both dazzled his eyes and struck him with horrour, as 1 King. 8. 11. and partly because of his great reverence and dread of that eminent and glorious appearance of God, and partly because he was not called to it, as he was not able to go up into the mount till he was called, Exod. 24. 16. of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys.

But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not, till the day that it was taken up.

For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire The same pillar which in the day time was like a cloud in the night time had the appearance of fire. See Exod. 13. 21. was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.