SDMB Weekly Bible Study (SDMBWBS)-Week 54 Exodus 35-38

Welcome to the SDMB weekly Bible Study (SDMBWBS). This week we will be discussing Exodus 35-38, in which The Tabernacle Is Built. Since the discussion can turn into a very broad and hijackable thread, we would like the following rules to be adhered to:
[ol]
[li]These SDMBWBS threads are to deal with the books and stories in the Bible as literature. What we hope to achieve is an understanding of the stories, the time in which they were written, their context, and possibly their cultural relevance. [/li][li]While it is up to the individual to choose to believe or disbelieve any portion, that is not to be the discussion of the thread. If you must, please choose to witness/anti-witness in Great Debates. [/li][li]The intention is to go through the Bible from front to back in order. While different books are needed to be referred to in order to understand context, please try and keep the focus on the thread’s selected chapter(s)/verse(s).[/li][li]Since different religions have chosen which books to include or omit, the threads will use the Catholic version of 46 Old Testament Books and 27 New Testament Books. It’s encouraged to discuss why a book was included/omitted during the applicable threads only. BibleHub, as far as I know, is a good resource that compiles many different versions of the verses into one page. (The SDMB Staff Reports on “Who Wrote the Bible” are also a good overview). Please feel free to use whatever source you want, including–and even more helpfully–the original language.[/li][li]Hopefully, we can get through these threads with little to no moderation. As a gentle reminder, if a poster comes in and ignores these rules, please use the “report post” function instead of responding.[/li][/ol]

Links to previous threads:
[ul]
[li]Genesis Threads[/ul][/li]
[ul]
[li]Exodus 1[/li][li]Exodus 2[/li][li]Exodus 3[/li][li]Exodus 4[/li][li]Exodus 5-6[/li][li]Exodus 7-10[/li][li]Exodus 11-12[/li][li]Exodus 13[/li][li]Exodus 14-15[/li][li]Exodus 16-18[/li][li]Exodus 19-20[/li][li]Exodus 21-23[/li][li]Exodus 24[/li][li]Exodus 25-27[/li][li]Exodus 28-30[/li][li]Exodus 31[/li][li]Exodus 32[/li][li]Exodus 33[/li][li]Exodus 34[/li][/ul]

[Exodus 35 - 38](Exodus - The Israelites Oppressed - These are - Bible Gateway 35-38&version=NIV) – New International Version (NIV)

Sabbath Regulations

35 Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, “These are the things the LORD has commanded you to do: [SUP]2[/SUP]For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death. [SUP]3[/SUP]Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.”

**Materials for the Tabernacle **

[SUP]4[/SUP]Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the LORD has commanded: [SUP]5[/SUP]From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze; [SUP]6[/SUP]blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; [SUP]7[/SUP]ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather[SUP][a][/SUP] ; acacia wood; [SUP]8[/SUP]olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; [SUP]9[/SUP]and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.

[SUP]10[/SUP]“All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the LORD has commanded: [SUP]11[/SUP]the tabernacle with its tent and its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; [SUP]12[/SUP]the ark with its poles and the atonement cover and the curtain that shields it; [SUP]13[/SUP]the table with its poles and all its articles and the bread of the Presence; [SUP]14[/SUP]the lampstand that is for light with its accessories, lamps and oil for the light; [SUP]15[/SUP]the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; the curtain for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle; [SUP]16[/SUP]the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the bronze basin with its stand; [SUP]17[/SUP]the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; [SUP]18[/SUP]the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, and their ropes; [SUP]19[/SUP]the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary - both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests.”

[SUP]20[/SUP]Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence, [SUP]21[/SUP]and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. [SUP]22[/SUP]All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the LORD. [SUP]23[/SUP]Everyone who had blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen, or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or the other durable leather brought them. [SUP]24[/SUP]Those presenting an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the LORD, and everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the work brought it. [SUP]25[/SUP]Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun - blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen. [SUP]26[/SUP]And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goat hair. [SUP]27[/SUP]The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. [SUP]28[/SUP]They also brought spices and olive oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. [SUP]29[/SUP]All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do.

**Bezalel and Oholiab **

[SUP]30[/SUP]Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, [SUP]31[/SUP]and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills - [SUP]32[/SUP]to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, [SUP]33[/SUP]to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. [SUP]34[/SUP]And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. [SUP]35[/SUP]He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers - all of them skilled workers and designers. 36 [SUP]1[/SUP]So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the LORD has commanded.”

[SUP]2[/SUP]Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. [SUP]3[/SUP]They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. [SUP]4[/SUP]So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing [SUP]5[/SUP]and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.”

[SUP]6[/SUP]Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, [SUP]7[/SUP]because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

**The Tabernacle **

[SUP]8[/SUP]All those who were skilled among the workers made the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by expert hands. [SUP]9[/SUP]All the curtains were the same size - twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide.[SUP]**[/SUP] [SUP]10[/SUP]They joined five of the curtains together and did the same with the other five. [SUP]11[/SUP]Then they made loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and the same was done with the end curtain in the other set. [SUP]12[/SUP]They also made fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. [SUP]13[/SUP]Then they made fifty gold clasps and used them to fasten the two sets of curtains together so that the tabernacle was a unit.

[SUP]14[/SUP]They made curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle - eleven altogether. [SUP]15[/SUP]All eleven curtains were the same size - thirty cubits long and four cubits wide.[SUP][c][/SUP] [SUP]16[/SUP]They joined five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another set. [SUP]17[/SUP]Then they made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. [SUP]18[/SUP]They made fifty bronze clasps to fasten the tent together as a unit. [SUP]19[/SUP]Then they made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of the other durable leather.[SUP][d][/SUP]

[SUP]20[/SUP]They made upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. [SUP]21[/SUP]Each frame was ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide,[SUP][e][/SUP] [SUP]22[/SUP]with two projections set parallel to each other. They made all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. [SUP]23[/SUP]They made twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle [SUP]24[/SUP]and made forty silver bases to go under them - two bases for each frame, one under each projection. [SUP]25[/SUP]For the other side, the north side of the tabernacle, they made twenty frames [SUP]26[/SUP]and forty silver bases - two under each frame. [SUP]27[/SUP]They made six frames for the far end, that is, the west end of the tabernacle, [SUP]28[/SUP]and two frames were made for the corners of the tabernacle at the far end. [SUP]29[/SUP]At these two corners the frames were double from the bottom all the way to the top and fitted into a single ring; both were made alike. [SUP]30[/SUP]So there were eight frames and sixteen silver bases - two under each frame.

[SUP]31[/SUP]They also made crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, [SUP]32[/SUP]five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. [SUP]33[/SUP]They made the center crossbar so that it extended from end to end at the middle of the frames. [SUP]34[/SUP]They overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. They also overlaid the crossbars with gold.

[SUP]35[/SUP]They made the curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker. [SUP]36[/SUP]They made four posts of acacia wood for it and overlaid them with gold. They made gold hooks for them and cast their four silver bases. [SUP]37[/SUP]For the entrance to the tent they made a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen - the work of an embroiderer; [SUP]38[/SUP]and they made five posts with hooks for them. They overlaid the tops of the posts and their bands with gold and made their five bases of bronze.

**The Ark **

37 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood - two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.[SUP][f][/SUP] [SUP]2[/SUP]He overlaid it with pure gold, both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it. [SUP]3[/SUP]He cast four gold rings for it and fastened them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. [SUP]4[/SUP]Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. [SUP]5[/SUP]And he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it.

[SUP]6[/SUP]He made the atonement cover of pure gold - two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. [SUP]7[/SUP]Then he made two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. [SUP]8[/SUP]He made one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; at the two ends he made them of one piece with the cover. [SUP]9[/SUP]The cherubim had their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the cover.

**The Table **

[SUP]10[/SUP]They[SUP][g][/SUP] made the table of acacia wood - two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.[SUP][h][/SUP] [SUP]11[/SUP]Then they overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it. [SUP]12[/SUP]They also made around it a rim a handbreadth[SUP]*[/SUP] wide and put a gold molding on the rim. [SUP]13[/SUP]They cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners, where the four legs were. [SUP]14[/SUP]The rings were put close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. [SUP]15[/SUP]The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold. [SUP]16[/SUP]And they made from pure gold the articles for the table - its plates and dishes and bowls and its pitchers for the pouring out of drink offerings.

**The Lampstand **

[SUP]17[/SUP]They made the lampstand of pure gold. They hammered out its base and shaft, and made its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. [SUP]18[/SUP]Six branches extended from the sides of the lampstand - three on one side and three on the other. [SUP]19[/SUP]Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on one branch, three on the next branch and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. [SUP]20[/SUP]And on the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. [SUP]21[/SUP]One bud was under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair - six branches in all. [SUP]22[/SUP]The buds and the branches were all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.

[SUP]23[/SUP]They made its seven lamps, as well as its wick trimmers and trays, of pure gold. [SUP]24[/SUP]They made the lampstand and all its accessories from one talent[SUP][j][/SUP] of pure gold.

**The Altar of Incense **

[SUP]25[/SUP]They made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long and a cubit wide and two cubits high[SUP][k][/SUP] - its horns of one piece with it. [SUP]26[/SUP]They overlaid the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. [SUP]27[/SUP]They made two gold rings below the molding - two on each of the opposite sides - to hold the poles used to carry it. [SUP]28[/SUP]They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

[SUP]29[/SUP]They also made the sacred anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense - the work of a perfumer.

**The Altar of Burnt Offering **

38 They[SUP][l][/SUP] built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits[SUP][m][/SUP] high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.[SUP][n][/SUP] [SUP]2[/SUP]They made a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar were of one piece, and they overlaid the altar with bronze. [SUP]3[/SUP]They made all its utensils of bronze - its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. [SUP]4[/SUP]They made a grating for the altar, a bronze network, to be under its ledge, halfway up the altar. [SUP]5[/SUP]They cast bronze rings to hold the poles for the four corners of the bronze grating. [SUP]6[/SUP]They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. [SUP]7[/SUP]They inserted the poles into the rings so they would be on the sides of the altar for carrying it. They made it hollow, out of boards.

The Basin for Washing

[SUP]8[/SUP]They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

**The Courtyard **

[SUP]9[/SUP]Next they made the courtyard. The south side was a hundred cubits[SUP][o][/SUP] long and had curtains of finely twisted linen, [SUP]10[/SUP]with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. [SUP]11[/SUP]The north side was also a hundred cubits long and had twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

[SUP]12[/SUP]The west end was fifty cubits[SUP][p][/SUP] wide and had curtains, with ten posts and ten bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts. [SUP]13[/SUP]The east end, toward the sunrise, was also fifty cubits wide. [SUP]14[/SUP]Curtains fifteen cubits[SUP][q][/SUP] long were on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, [SUP]15[/SUP]and curtains fifteen cubits long were on the other side of the entrance to the courtyard, with three posts and three bases. [SUP]16[/SUP]All the curtains around the courtyard were of finely twisted linen. [SUP]17[/SUP]The bases for the posts were bronze. The hooks and bands on the posts were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver; so all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.

[SUP]18[/SUP]The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen - the work of an embroiderer. It was twenty cubits[SUP][r][/SUP] long and, like the curtains of the courtyard, five cubits[SUP][s][/SUP] high, [SUP]19[/SUP]with four posts and four bronze bases. Their hooks and bands were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver. [SUP]20[/SUP]All the tent pegs of the tabernacle and of the surrounding courtyard were bronze.

The Materials Used

[SUP]21[/SUP]These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the covenant law, which were recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. [SUP]22[/SUP](Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything the LORD commanded Moses; [SUP]23[/SUP]with him was Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan - an engraver and designer, and an embroiderer in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen.) [SUP]24[/SUP]The total amount of the gold from the wave offering used for all the work on the sanctuary was 29 talents and 730 shekels,[SUP][t][/SUP] according to the sanctuary shekel.

[SUP]25[/SUP]The silver obtained from those of the community who were counted in the census was 100 talents[SUP][/SUP] and 1,775 shekels,[SUP][v][/SUP] according to the sanctuary shekel - [SUP]26[/SUP]one beka per person, that is, half a shekel,[SUP][w][/SUP] according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone who had crossed over to those counted, twenty years old or more, a total of 603,550 men. [SUP]27[/SUP]The 100 talents of silver were used to cast the bases for the sanctuary and for the curtain - 100 bases from the 100 talents, one talent for each base. [SUP]28[/SUP]They used the 1,775 shekels to make the hooks for the posts, to overlay the tops of the posts, and to make their bands.

[SUP]29[/SUP]The bronze from the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels.[SUP][/SUP] [SUP]30[/SUP]They used it to make the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar with its bronze grating and all its utensils, [SUP]31[/SUP]the bases for the surrounding courtyard and those for its entrance and all the tent pegs for the tabernacle and those for the surrounding courtyard.

Footnotes:

[LIST=a]
[li]Exodus 35:7 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals; also in verse 23[/li][li]Exodus 36:9 That is, about 42 feet long and 6 feet wide or about 13 meters long and 1.8 meters wide[/li][li]Exodus 36:15 That is, about 45 feet long and 6 feet wide or about 14 meters long and 1.8 meters wide[/li][li]Exodus 36:19 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals (see 35:7)[/li][li]Exodus 36:21 That is, about 15 feet long and 2 1/4 feet wide or about 4.5 meters long and 68 centimeters wide[/li][li]Exodus 37:1 That is, about 3 3/4 feet long and 2 1/4 feet wide and high or about 1.1 meters long and 68 centimeters wide and high; similarly in verse 6[/li][li]Exodus 37:10 Or He; also in verses 11-29[/li][li]Exodus 37:10 That is, about 3 feet long, 1 1/2 feet wide and 2 1/4 feet high or about 90 centimeters long, 45 centimeters wide and 68 centimeters high[/li][li]Exodus 37:12 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters[/li][li]Exodus 37:24 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms[/li][li]Exodus 37:25 That is, about 1 1/2 feet long and wide and 3 feet high or about 45 centimeters long and wide and 90 centimeters high[/li][li]Exodus 38:1 Or He; also in verses 2-9[/li][li]Exodus 38:1 That is, about 4 1/2 feet or about 1.4 meters[/li][li]Exodus 38:1 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters long and wide[/li][li]Exodus 38:9 That is, about 150 feet or about 45 meters[/li][li]Exodus 38:12 That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters[/li][li]Exodus 38:14 That is, about 22 feet or about 6.8 meters[/li][li]Exodus 38:18 That is, about 30 feet or about 9 meters[/li][li]Exodus 38:18 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters[/li][li]Exodus 38:24 The weight of the gold was a little over a ton or about 1 metric ton.[/li][li]Exodus 38:25 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons; also in verse 27[/li][li]Exodus 38:25 That is, about 44 pounds or about 20 kilograms; also in verse 28[/li][li]Exodus 38:26 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.7 grams[/li][li]Exodus 38:29 The weight of the bronze was about 2 1/2 tons or about 2.4 metric tons.[/li][/LIST]

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Dex’s Notes

CH 35

Remember the symmetrical structure of this whole section, that I’ve mentioned several times:
Ch 24:12 – 18 - Revelation
Ch 25 – 31:11 – Blue Prints for the Tabernacle
31:12 – 17 – Laws of Sabbath (Heb: Shabbat)
31:18 – 34:55 – The Golden Calf incident and Moses’ Theophany
35:1 – 3 – Laws of Sabbath
35:4 – 40:33 – Construction of the Tabernacle
40:34 – 38 Revelation

So, here we have three verses on the laws of Sabbath, followed by construction of the Tabernacle. I mentioned one link back in Ch 31 that the construction must stop for Sabbath. Here’s another link: The three main verbs of creation were to make, to complete, and to bless. These are also verbs used in the Tabernacle construction.

The purpose of Creation is to provide a residence (the universe) for mankind. The purpose of the Tabernacle is to provide a residence for God, among mankind. At Eden, God lost his partners (Adam and Eve) in completing creation, and lost his residence in Eden due to Adam’s sin. At Sinai, God regains a partner (the whole people of Israel) and building the Tabernacle will give him a residence on earth.

The last part of Exodus, from 25:15 the cloud/presence is at the top of the mountain; at the end, in 40:38 (we’ll get there yet) the cloud comes down to the Tabernacle.

The task of mankind is to complete creation, but on Shabbat, we stop that task and give creation back to God.

Verse 4ff. We now go through the whole construction of the Tabernacle, exactly parallel to the instructions but in reverse. The instructions started with the outside and worked in; we now start with the inside and work out. The entire excruciating detail will be repeated in mind-numbing detail in this and the next chapters. The verbs are now expressed as completed action, and the items are listed in different order.

Verse 22 (and 36:6) are interesting in saying “men and women.” Usually, the masculine includes the feminine, so that “men” would mean “men and women,” but this is a rare exception.

The people take the gold (verse 22ff) that was used for the rebellion and now use it properly. I actually find these couple of paragraphs inspiring: the people have fallen, but they can work themselves back up. Most Christianity, I think, rejects the notion of salvation by good works, but Judaism accepts it.

MULTIPLE AUTHORS (Documentary Theory)
Those who believe in multiple authors, almost all of this section (Chapters 24 – 31 and 35 – 40) is attributed to the P-source, concerned with Priestly things (building of the Tabernacle, vestements, etc.)

Dex told me he didn’t bother with notes for 36-38 due to the repetition of what we’ve seen before. That’s also why I combined it with 35.

Also, for those who don’t want to check the footnotes, all the times where it uses “they,” it could also be “he.”

Wow. Some interesting details.

I’m sorry I don’t know more about Judaism, especially when I was younger, as I liked what I heard in terms of right actions. In contrast, bought up as a Christian, I was told right thoughts at all times, even though other things contradict that and recognize that’s tough, if not impossible, to do.

I also like that, if i understand correctly, before it was work to be done, and now it is done and they are just reporting on what was created.

Thanks!

vislor

I am surprised that the footnote suggests the “other durable leather” might be from a large aquatic mammal. Aquatic mammals aren’t kosher, and I wouldn’t have thought their hides would be used to create the tabernacle.

It’s not just the NIV. It’s actually nice not including it in the text itself. Checking it out on BibleHub, the NASB has “porpose skins,” the ISV has it as “dolphin skins,” the ASV has it as “sealskins,” and the WEB and HCSB have it as “manatee skins.”

The NLT and ESV have it as “goatskins,” though, and Douey-raims has it as “violet colored skins.” The older translations, the KJV, Darby, Websters, and Young’s Literal, have it as “badger skins.” It seems that whatever word is used is just really hard to translate.

Looking into it a little more, the word is “tÿkhashim” and is thought to be of foreign derivation, which is why it is hard to translate. Many believe it connected to the Arabic “tuhas,” which means dolphin, suggesting it is some sort of sea creature. Others think it’s derived from the Egyptian word for leather, which likely was of goatskin origin. Still others think it is a term for a color.

Rabbis have even given multiple interpretations. Rabbi Yehuda thinks it’s a blue or violet goatskin, while Rabbi Nechemya connects it to a type of weasel (probably where badger comes from.) Rabbi Avin think it is something he calls a “karesh,” an exotic animal that some people think may be a giraffe. Whatever it is, it is some sort of skin that seems refined and looks good, and is possibly pretty.

The NIV is actually being more conservative now. It used to say they were “hides of sea cows.” And I can find source after source saying that the “badgers” of the KJV are actually dugongs from the Red Sea.

The term that is under debate is (in Hebrew) “Oros Techashim”. “Oros” definitely means skins, and many have taken that to imply that “Techashim” is the plural of the animal from whence the skins come, and the exact identity of said animal is a subject of great debate. However, Rabbi Nathan Slifkin, in his book “Sacred Monsters,” advances a very convincing theory that “Techashim” is not a plural noun, but is an adjective meaning “beaded”, describing a style of bead-work that was used on leather - and particularly red-dyed leather (as in the associated ram skins being dyed red) - in the ancient Middle East.

And this is why I like having real experts, instead of me just trying to figure it out from other sources. Beaded fits what I read, as it talks about it being ornate in some form, but Rabbi Slifkin was not mentioned. And everything I read treated it as “techash” with a plural “im” prefix.

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