Keluaran 4:26

4:26 So the Lord ¹  let him alone. (At that time ²  she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” referring to ³  the circumcision.)

Keluaran 17:16

17:16 for he said, “For a hand was lifted up to the throne of the Lord ⁴  – that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” ⁵ 

Keluaran 23:3

23:3 and you must not show partiality ⁶  to a poor man in his lawsuit.

Keluaran 25:3-7

25:3 This is the offering you ⁷  are to accept from them: gold, silver, bronze, 25:4 blue, ⁸  purple, ⁹  scarlet, ¹⁰  fine linen, ¹¹  goat’s hair, ¹²  25:5 ram skins dyed red, ¹³  fine leather, ¹⁴  acacia ¹⁵  wood, 25:6 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for fragrant incense, 25:7 onyx stones, and other gems to be set in the ephod and in the breastpiece.

Keluaran 26:16

26:16 Each ¹⁶  frame is to be fifteen feet long, and each frame is to be two feet three inches wide,

Keluaran 27:15

27:15 On the second side ¹⁷  there are to be ¹⁸  hangings twenty-two and a half feet long, with their three posts and their three bases.

Keluaran 28:31

28:31 “You are to make the robe ¹⁹  of the ephod completely blue.

Keluaran 28:34

28:34 The pattern is to be ²⁰  a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe.

Keluaran 29:16

29:16 and you are to kill the ram and take its blood and splash it all around on the altar.

Keluaran 30:27

30:27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense,

Keluaran 35:6-9

35:6 blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, fine linen, goat’s hair, 35:7 ram skins dyed red, fine leather, ²¹  acacia wood, 35:8 olive oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 35:9 onyx stones, and other gems ²²  for mounting ²³  on the ephod and the breastpiece.

Keluaran 35:12-14

35:12 the ark, with its poles, the atonement lid, and the special curtain that conceals it; 35:13 the table with its poles and all its vessels, and the Bread of the Presence; 35:14 the lampstand for ²⁴  the light and its accessories, its lamps, and oil for the light;

Keluaran 35:17

35:17 the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and its bases, and the curtain for the gateway to the courtyard;

Keluaran 36:7

36:7 Now the materials were more than enough ²⁵  for them to do all the work. ²⁶ 

Keluaran 37:24

37:24 He made the lampstand ²⁷  and all its accessories with seventy-five pounds of pure gold.

Keluaran 39:35

39:35 the ark of the testimony and its poles, and the atonement lid;

[4:26]  ¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:26]  ² tn Or “Therefore.” The particle אָז (’az) here is not introducing the next item in a series of events. It points back to the past (“at that time,” see Gen 4:26) or to a logical connection (“therefore, consequently”).

[4:26]  ³ tn The Hebrew simply has לַמּוּלֹת (lammulot, “to the circumcision[s]”). The phrase explains that the saying was in reference to the act of circumcision. Some scholars speculate that there was a ritual prior to marriage from which this event and its meaning derived. But it appears rather that if there was some ancient ritual, it would have had to come from this event. The difficulty is that the son is circumcised, not Moses, making the comparative mythological view untenable. Moses had apparently not circumcised Eliezer. Since Moses was taking his family with him, God had to make sure the sign of the covenant was kept. It may be that here Moses sent them all back to Jethro (18:2) because of the difficulties that lay ahead.

[17:16]  ⁴ tn The line here is very difficult. The Hebrew text has כִּי־יָד עַל־כֵּס יָהּ (ki yad ’al kes yah, “for a hand on the throne of Yah”). If the word is “throne” (and it is not usually spelled like this), then it would mean Moses’ hand was extended to the throne of God, showing either intercession or source of power. It could not be turned to mean that the hand of Yah was taking an oath to destroy the Amalekites. The LXX took the same letters, but apparently saw the last four (כסיה) as a verbal form; it reads “with a secret hand.” Most scholars have simply assumed that the text is wrong, and כֵּס should be emended to נֵס (nes) to fit the name, for this is the pattern of naming in the OT with popular etymologies – some motif of the name must be found in the sentiment. This would then read, “My hand on the banner of Yah.” It would be an expression signifying that the banner, the staff of God, should ever be ready at hand when the Israelites fight the Amalekites again.

[17:16]  ⁵ sn The message of this short narrative, then, concerns the power of God to protect his people. The account includes the difficulty, the victory, and the commemoration. The victory must be retained in memory by the commemoration. So the expositional idea could focus on that: The people of God must recognize (both for engaging in warfare and for praise afterward) that victory comes only with the power of God. In the NT the issue is even more urgent, because the warfare is spiritual – believers do not wrestle against flesh and blood. So only God’s power will bring victory.

[23:3]  ⁶ tn The point here is one of false sympathy and honor, the bad sense of the word הָדַר (hadar; see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 237).

[25:3]  ⁷ tn The pronoun is plural.

[25:4]  ⁸ sn The blue refers to dye made from shellfish. It has a dark blue or purple-blue, almost violet color. No significance for the color is attached.

[25:4]  ⁹ sn Likewise this color dye was imported from Phoenicia, where it was harvested from the shellfish or snail. It is a deep purple-red color.

[25:4]  ¹⁰ sn This color is made from the eggs and bodies of the worm coccus ilicus, which is found with the holly plant – so Heb “worm of brilliance.” The powder made from the dried maggots produces a bright red-yellow color (W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:452). B. Jacob takes the view that these are not simply colors that are being introduced here, but fabrics dyed with these colors (Exodus, 765). At any rate, the sequence would then be metals, fabrics, and leathers (v. 5).

[25:4]  ¹¹ sn This is generally viewed as a fine Egyptian linen that had many more delicate strands than ordinary linen.

[25:4]  ¹² sn Goat’s hair was spun into yarn (35:26) and used to make the material for the first tent over the dwelling. It is ideal for tenting, since it is loosely woven and allows breezes to pass through, but with rain the fibers expand and prevent water from seeping through.

[25:5]  ¹³ sn W. C. Kaiser compares this to morocco leather (“Exodus,” EBC 2:453); it was skin that had all the wool removed and then was prepared as leather and dyed red. N. M. Sarna, on the other hand, comments, “The technique of leather production is never described [in ancient Hebrew texts]. Hence, it is unclear whether Hebrew me’oddamim (מְאָדָּמִים), literally ‘made red,’ refers to the tanning or dyeing process” (Exodus [JPSTC], 157).

[25:5]  ¹⁴ tn The meaning of the word תְּחָשִׁים (tÿkhashim) is debated. The Arabic tuhas or duhas is a dolphin, and so some think a sea animal is meant – something like a dolphin or porpoise (cf. NASB; ASV “sealskins”; NIV “hides of sea cows”). Porpoises are common in the Red Sea; their skins are used for clothing by the bedouin. The word has also been connected to an Egyptian word for “leather” (ths); see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 265. Some variation of this is followed by NRSV (“fine leather”) and NLT (“fine goatskin leather”). Another suggestion connects this word to an Akkadian one that describes a precious stone that is yellow or ornge and also leather died with the color of this stone (N. M. Sarna, Exodus [JPSTC], 157-58).

[25:5]  ¹⁵ sn The wood of the acacia is darker and harder than oak, and so very durable.

[26:16]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the frame.”

[27:15]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “shoulder.”

[27:15]  ¹⁸ tn Here the phrase “there will be” has been supplied.

[28:31]  ¹⁹ tn The מְעִיל (mÿ’il), according to S. R. Driver (Exodus, 307), is a long robe worn over the ephod, perhaps open down the front, with sleeves. It is made of finer material than ordinary cloaks because it was to be worn by people in positions of rank.

[28:34]  ²⁰ tn The words “the pattern is to be” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[35:7]  ²¹ tn See the note on this phrase in Exod 25:5.

[35:9]  ²² tn Heb “and stones.”

[35:9]  ²³ tn Heb “filling.”

[35:14]  ²⁴ tn “for” has been supplied.

[36:7]  ²⁵ tn This part of the sentence comes from the final verb, the Hiphil infinitive – leave over, meaning, have more than enough (see BDB 451 s.v. יָתַר).

[36:7]  ²⁶ tn Heb “for all the work, to do it.”

[36:7]  sn This lengthy section (35:1-36:7) forms one of the most remarkable sections in the book. Here there is a mixture of God’s preparation of people to do the work and their willingness to give and to serve. It not only provides insight into this renewed community of believers, but it also provides a timeless message for the church. The point is clear enough: In response to God’s commission, and inspired by God’s Spirit, the faithful and willing people rally to support and participate in the Lord’s work.

[37:24]  ²⁷ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the lampstand) has been specified in the translation for clarity.