26:36 “You are to make a hanging 1 for the entrance of the tent of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer. 2
29:42 “This will be a regular 3 burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet 4 with you to speak to you there.
38:8 He made the large basin of bronze and its pedestal of bronze from the mirrors of the women who served 7 at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
1 sn This was another curtain, serving as a screen in the entrance way. Since it was far away from the special curtain screening the Most Holy Place, it was less elaborate. It was not the work of the master designer, but of the “embroiderer,” and it did not have the cherubim on it.
2 tn The word רֹקֵם (roqem) refers to someone who made cloth with colors. It is not certain, however, whether the colors were woven into the fabric on the loom or applied with a needle; so “embroiderer” should be understood as an approximation (cf. HALOT 1290-91 s.v. רקם).
3 tn The translation has “regular” instead of “continually,” because they will be preparing this twice a day.
4 tn The relative clause identifies the place in front of the Tent as the place that Yahweh would meet Moses. The main verb of the clause is אִוָּעֵד (’ivva’ed), a Niphal imperfect of the verb יָעַד (ya’ad), the verb that is cognate to the name “tent of meeting” – hence the name. This clause leads into the next four verses.
5 tn “come” is not in the text, but has been supplied.
6 tn S. R. Driver suggests that the command was tersely put: “Who is for Yahweh? To me!” (Exodus, 354).
7 sn The word for “serve” is not the ordinary one. It means “to serve in a host,” especially in a war. It appears that women were organized into bands and served at the tent of meeting. S. R. Driver thinks that this meant “no doubt” washing, cleaning, or repairing (Exodus, 391). But there is no hint of that (see 1 Sam 2:22; and see Ps 68:11 [12 Hebrew text]). They seem to have had more to do than what Driver said.