Deuteronomy 3, Conquest of the Transjordan

Moses is describing the past actions of the Israelites after they left Egypt. The Israelites have passed peacefully though the lands of the Edomites and Moabites and defeated the Amorite king, Sihon. The Israelites then turn north into the territory of Bashan, east of the Sea of Galilee. That area includes some of modern Syria and the Golan Heights.

Deuteronomy 3:1-7, Defeat of Og

Next we turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan with his whole army marched out to meet us in battle at Edrei. 

    

The LORD said to me, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon."

    

So the LORD our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army. We struck them down, leaving no survivors. At that time we took all his cities. There was not one of the sixty cities that we did not take from them--the whole region of Argob, Og's kingdom in Bashan. All these cities were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and there were also a great many unwalled villages. We completely destroyed them, as we had done with Sihon king of Heshbon, destroying every city--men, women and children.

    

But all the livestock and the plunder from their cities we carried off for ourselves.
 

The people of Og are destroyed (or assimilated) and the livestock captured. This battle is also described in Numbers 21:33-35.

The Hebrew of the Torah includes many rhythmic or poetic flourishes. There are, says Alter, wordplay on the same sounds (puns), along with parallelisms and climactic expansion (see the song of Moses for an example.)  Here, in verses 6 and 7, says Currid, is a simple ABBA chiasmus: 

    "we assimilated", 

        "men, women and children", 

        "livestock and plunder", 

    "we carried off."  

There are much more elaborate chiasmi in other places of the Torah. I will try to elaborate on Old Testament poetic flourishes in an upcoming Sunday essay.

Deuteronomy 3:8-11, Two kings down

So at that time we took from these two kings of the Amorites the territory east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge as far as Mount Hermon. (Hermon is called Sirion by the Sidonians; the Amorites call it Senir.) We took all the towns on the plateau, and all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, towns of Og's kingdom in Bashan. (Only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. It is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)

Once again we have a parenthetical comment on the fearful and giant Rephaites, who are no more. Commentators say that the "bed" of Og was probably a sarcophacus.

Deuteronomy 3:12-15, Two and a half tribes given Transjordan land

Of the land that we took over at that time, I gave the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory north of Aroer by the Arnon Gorge, including half the hill country of Gilead, together with its towns. The rest of Gilead and also all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half tribe of Manasseh. (The whole region of Argob in Bashan used to be known as a land of the Rephaites. Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites; it was named after him, so that to this day Bashan is called Havvoth Jair.)

    

And I gave Gilead to Makir.

 

The Reubenites, Gadites and half of the descendants of Manasseh will all settle east of the Jordan, unlike the other tribes. (The descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph, will be used to replace both Joseph and Levi, keeping the number of tribes at twelve.) From the point of view of most of Israel, west of the Jordan, these two-and-a-half tribes have settled in the Transjordan, across the Jordan from everyone else.

The region of Argob is not clear, say Currid. In some places it seems to merely be another term for Bashan; in other places (see I Kings 4:13) it is a subregion.

Jair was a judge in later Israel, briefly described in Judges 10:3-5.

Deuteronomy 3:16-20, Borders of the lands of Reuben and Gad

But to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory extending from Gilead down to the Arnon Gorge (the middle of the gorge being the border) and out to the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites. Its western border was the Jordan in the Arabah, from Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), below the slopes of Pisgah.

    

I commanded you at that time: "The LORD your God has given you this land to take possession of it. But all your able-bodied men, armed for battle, must cross over ahead of your brother Israelites. However, your wives, your children and your livestock (I know you have much livestock) may stay in the towns I have given you, until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they too have taken over the land that the LORD your God is giving them, across the Jordan. After that, each of you may go back to the possession I have given you."

The "Salt Sea" is the Dead Sea. The Transjordan tribes are to settle their land after they have helped conquer the land west of the Jordan.

The people of Gad, living in the Transjordan, are described in the Moabite Stone (Mesha Stele) during the later reign of Omri of Israel (c. 850 BC.)

The concept of "rest" (verse 20) will take on theological significance as the Israelites move into Canaan. (See Psalm 95:8-11 for an Old Testament example and Hebrews 4 for a New Testament example.)

 

Deuteronomy 3:21-22, Instructions to Joshua

At that time I commanded Joshua: "You have seen with your own eyes all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. The LORD will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you."

    

Moses is preparing Joshua for leadership.

Deuteronomy 3:23-29, Plea to see the land

At that time I pleaded with the LORD: "O Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan--that fine hill country and Lebanon."

    

But because of you the LORD was angry with me and would not listen to me. "That is enough," the LORD said. "Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see."

    

So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.

Currid sees verses 26-27 as an example of Hebrew rhythm: both "cross over" and "angry" have abar (עָבַר) as the root.

Sadly, our hero, Moses, must stay east of the Jordan.

First published April 19, 2023; updated April 18, 2026

Deuteronomy 2, Battles in the Desert

Moses is describing the past actions of the Israelites after they left Egypt.

Deuteronomy 2:1, The hill country of Seir

Then we turned back and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea, as the LORD had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.

The phrase "long time" summarizes some 38 years of wandering!

Deuteronomy 2:2-7, Now turn north

Then the LORD said to me, "You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north. Give the people these orders: `You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful.

    

Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.'" 

The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

As the Israelites head north, towards Canaan, they are to pass peacefully through Edom. The Israelites are descendants of Jacob/Israel; the Edomites are descendants of Jacob's brother Esau.

Deuteronomy 2:8, Moab

So we went on past our brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber, and traveled along the desert road of Moab.

Moab is closer to Canaan.

Deuteronomy 2:9-12, The people of Moab

Then the LORD said to me, "Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession." (The Emites used to live there--a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the Moabites called them Emites. Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land the LORD gave them as their possession.)
 

We have here a brief history of the region of Moab and Seir. (Ar is apparently a region or town in Moab.)

Deuteronomy 2:13-15, Zered Valley

And the LORD said, "Now get up and cross the Zered Valley." So we crossed the valley.

Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. The LORD's hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp.

The promised delay of almost 40 years has occurred. This incident and delay is described in Numbers 13.  The Zered Valley (Wadi Zered) apparently represents the end of the journey.  After this the Israelites prepare to enter Canaan.

Deuteronomy 2:16-23, Ammonites

Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, the LORD said to me, "Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar. When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot." 

(That too was considered a land of the Rephaites, who used to live there; but the Ammonites called them Zamzummites. They were a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. The LORD destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place. The LORD had done the same for the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day. And as for the Avvites who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorites coming out from Caphtor destroyed them and settled in their place.)

This passage has the second of two parenthetical comments. The term "Rephaites" is unclear, as is "Zamzummites". John Currid's commentary identifies the Zamzummites with the Zuzites of Genesis 14:5, which also includes a statement about Rephaites. The Hebrew word for Rephaim (says Currid) may be related to rapha, a Hebrew word for shades, ghosts, departed spirits. If so, it may be represent an extinct tribe that, once feared, is no longer frightening.

(NIV footnotes: Caphtor in verse 23 is possibly Crete.)

Deuteronomy 2:24-29, Entering the land of the Amorites

"Set out now and cross the Arnon Gorge. See, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to take possession of it and engage him in battle. This very day I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble and be in anguish because of you."

    

From the desert of Kedemoth I sent messengers to Sihon king of Heshbon offering peace and saying, "Let us pass through your country. We will stay on the main road; we will not turn aside to the right or to the left. Sell us food to eat and water to drink for their price in silver. Only let us pass through on foot-- as the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, did for us--until we cross the Jordan into the land the LORD our God is giving us."

 

Peace is offered to Sihon, just as it was offered earlier to Moab. Moses stresses that the Israelites will stay on the main road, turning neither left nor right, but moving straight through. And they will pay for supplies. They do not intend to be a threat.

Deuteronomy 2:30-37, Defeat of Sihon

But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done. The LORD said to me, "See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land."

    

When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz, the LORD our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army. At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed them--men, women and children. We left no survivors. But the livestock and the plunder from the towns we had captured we carried off for ourselves. From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the gorge, even as far as Gilead, not one town was too strong for us. The LORD our God gave us all of them.

    

But in accordance with the command of the LORD our God, you did not encroach on any of the land of the Ammonites, neither the land along the course of the Jabbok nor that around the towns in the hills.

Sihon refuses the peace offer and so we have one of the major battles of the wilderness wanderings. This battle is foreshadowed in YHWH's covenant with Abraham; in Genesis 15:16, YHWH tells Abram/Abraham that his descendants will return later when the sin of the Amorites has "reached its full measure."

In many places the Hebrew term charam (חָרַם), translated in verse 34 as "completely destroyed", is ambiguous. The Strong's concordance entry (link above) says it can mean "to ban, devote, destroy utterly, exterminate." At times it means "exterminate" while in other places it seems to mean "devoting" or "submitting" something to God, and so it could indicate that a people were assimilated or converted.

First published April 18, 2023; updated April 17, 2026

Deuteronomy 1, Review of the Wilderness Wanderings

For the moment we will move from the second book of the Torah, Exodus, to the fifth, Deuteronomy, skipping over the third and fourth books of the Torah, Leviticus and Numbers. If you are following with me from the very beginning of Genesis, you may be eager to move onto the history books, which we will do after we finish Deuteronomy. We will return to Leviticus and Numbers at a later date.

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At the beginning of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses gives his final address to the people of Israel. In this speech he reviews the past forty years.

Deuteronomy 1:1-4, Proclamation to Israel

These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the desert east of the Jordan--that is, in the Arabah--opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)  

    

In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them. This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

At the edge of the Promised Land, Moses gathers the people and begins to summarize the last forty years. According to the commentary by Peter Craigie, we struggle today to identify many of these ancient sites.  Horeb is the region of Mount Sinai, on the Sinai Peninsula, where Moses received the Law. Mount Seir is most likely a mountainous region south of Jerusalem in modern Jordan. Kadesh Barnea was a place of defeat and discouragement for the Israelites. It was there (Numbers 13:26-29) that they first sent spies into the land and then balked at conquest.

This preamble sets the stage for the delivery and review of the Law, that is, the covenant between YHWH and the Israelites. The earlier version of the covenant law was given at Sinai/Horeb.  Now the Israelites are in Moab and Moses will review both the history and the law, as the Israelites prepare to enter Canaan.

Deuteronomy 1:5-8, It is time to take the land

East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law, saying: 

    

The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates.

    

See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers--to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--and to their descendants after them."

The Israelites are about to enter, as a large tribe, the land promised them forty years before -- and promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob long before that.

Deuteronomy 1:9-18, A need for judges

At that time I said to you, "You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. The LORD your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as many as the stars in the sky. May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised!

    

But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself? Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you."
    

You answered me, "What you propose to do is good."

    

So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you--as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials.  And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien.

    

Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.

    

And at that time I told you everything you were to do.

Moses quickly summarizes the decision to create judges for the people. (See Exodus 18.)  The integrity of the Law and the government of Israel will be a witness to the nations around them. 

In the culture of the Ancient Near East the emphasis on impartiality in judging is unusual and sets a unique precedent. This emphasis will run throughout the history of the nation of Israel; a thousand years later prophets will remind rulers and wealthy leaders of this requirement..

Deuteronomy 1:19-22, The earlier attempt to spy out the land

Then, as the LORD our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful desert that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea.

    

Then I said to you, "You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

    

Then all of you came to me and said, "Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to."

Early in the Exodus the Israelites moved from Mt. Sinai (Horeb) to the entrance to Canaan. They decided to send spies into the new land. (See Numbers 13.)

Deuteronomy 1: 23-28, Twelve spies report

The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe. They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and explored it. Taking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported, "It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us."

    

But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You grumbled in your tents and said, "The LORD hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. Where can we go? Our brothers have made us lose heart. They say, `The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.'"

The people reacted in fear to the report by the spies (covered in more detail in Numbers 13.) They lost heart and decided this was not something they wanted to do.

Deuteronomy 1:28-31, Moses responds

Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."

Moses attempted to reassure the people. Their miraculous adventure was planned by God!

Deuteronomy 1:32-36, Frustration and anger

In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.

    

When the LORD heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore: "Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers, except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly."

 

The people were disobedient, unwilling to enter the land, and so YHWH would not allow that generation to continue into the promised land.  Only Caleb (and Joshua) stood up to this fear.

Deuteronomy 1:37-40, Only the next generation will be allowed to go in

Because of you the LORD became angry with me also and said, "You shall not enter it, either. But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it. 

    

And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad--they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it.

    

But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea."

This cowardliness is also blamed on Moses.  (This is a little bit different from the earlier reason, given in Numbers 20, for Moses' absence from the future conquest.) Here we also have Joshua exempted from this punishment.

Deuteronomy 1:41-46, Let's go anyway!

Then you replied, "We have sinned against the LORD. We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God commanded us." So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.

     

But the LORD said to me, "Tell them, `Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.'" 

So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the LORD's command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country. The Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees and beat you down from Seir all the way to Hormah. You came back and wept before the LORD, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you.

    

And so you stayed in Kadesh many days--all the time you spent there.

The people changed their minds (!) but that was too little, too late. When they attempted to go into the land on their own, they simply received the result that they had feared earlier. 

First published April 17, 2023; updated April 16, 2026

Exodus 40, The Tabernacle is Completed

The tabernacle has been finished.

Exodus 40:1-5, Set up the tabernacle and the ark

Then the LORD said to Moses: "Set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the first month. Place the ark of the Testimony in it and shield the ark with the curtain. Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle."

 

Mose has the tabernacle set up and everything placed in its required position.

Exodus 40:6-11, Consecrate the tent

"Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it.

Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.

    

"Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them."

The tabernacle is to be anointed.

Exodus 40:12-16, Bring in Aaron and his sons and anoint them

"Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics.

    

"Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come."

    

Moses did everything just as the LORD commanded him.

The priests are also consecrated.

Exodus 40:17-25, Setting up the tabernacle

So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the LORD commanded him. He took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it.  

    

Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the Testimony, as the LORD commanded him. 

    

Moses placed the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain  and set out the bread on it before the LORD, as the LORD commanded him. He placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle and set up the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD commanded him.

The work of Moses in setting up the tabernacle is described in detail. We have enough of a description to draw an image of the tabernacle and outer courtyard. In addition to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, where Moses had previously met with YHWH, is set up on the north side of the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:26-33, The altar is set up

Moses placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the curtain and burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD commanded him. Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the LORD commanded him.  

    

He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. They washed whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar, as the LORD commanded Moses.

    

Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

The tabernacle is finished. Now it is time to invite YHWH to physically join the Israelites.

Exodus 40:34-35, The Glory fills the temple

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.  

    

Moses cannot enter the tent because YHWH has taken residence. The solution to this problem is given in the next book, the book of Leviticus, which describes the additional actions priests must take in order to appear before YHWH.

Exodus 40:36-38, Cloud by day, fire by night

In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out--until the day it lifted. 

    

So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.

This is the end of the book of Exodus. YHWH is present among His people as they move toward Canaan.  Some of the history of that travel is given in the book of Numbers but in this blog we will move next to the book of Deuteronomy, which repeats some of the history as given in a series of speeches by Moses.

We will return to Leviticus and Numbers towards the end of our three-year cycle of posts.

First published April 15, 2023; updated April 15, 2026

Exodus 39, Garments for Aaron

The ark and altar and inner workings of the tabernacle have been constructed. The courtyard has been built. Now it is time to make sure that the priests are properly adorned. Much of this chapter echoes the instructions given in Exodus 28.

Exodus 39:1-6, Garments for the priests

From the blue, purple and scarlet yarn they made woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary. They also made sacred garments for Aaron, as the LORD commanded Moses.

    

They made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut strands to be worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen--the work of a skilled craftsman. They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, which were attached to two of its corners, so it could be fastened. Its skillfully woven waistband was like it--of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen, as the LORD commanded Moses. They mounted the onyx stones in gold filigree settings and engraved them like a seal with the names of the sons of Israel.

 

The garments for Aaron are elegant and beautiful. The ephod that the priest wears will play an important part in the history of the nation to come.

Exodus 39:7-14, Stones on Aaron's shoulder

Then they fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses. They fashioned the breastpiece--the work of a skilled craftsman. They made it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. It was square--a span long and a span wide--and folded double.

    

Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row there was a ruby, a topaz and a beryl; in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald; in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; in the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper. They were mounted in gold filigree settings.

There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.  

The twelve stones that Aaron wears represent the twelve tribes of Israel, the people for whom he advocates when he enters the temple.

In verses 11 and 13, the identification of some Hebrew words for jewels are uncertain.

Exodus 39:15-26, Elegant breastpieces

For the breastpiece they made braided chains of pure gold, like a rope.

    

They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and fastened the rings to two of the corners of the breastpiece. They fastened the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front.

    

They made two gold rings and attached them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. Then they made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. They tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband so that the breastpiece would not swing out from the ephod--as the LORD commanded Moses.

    

They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth--the work of a weaver-- with an opening in the center of the robe like the opening of a collar, and a band around this opening, so that it would not tear.

     

They made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen around the hem of the robe. And they made bells of pure gold and attached them around the hem between the pomegranates. The bells and pomegranates alternated around the hem of the robe to be worn for ministering, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

In addition to the precious metals, such as gold and various gems, one should note the colorfully dyed fabrics which would also be rare, elegant and expensive.

In verse 23 there is a strange Hebrew word tachra (תַּחֲרָא) which only appears twice in the Old Testament. (The other occurrence was earlier in Exodus 28:32.) The word apparently describes some type of clothing and has been translated in a variety of ways in the various English translations, including "a coat of mail" (NAS), "a habergeon" (KJV) and "a coat" (INT); the NIV translates it as "collar" and notes that the translation is uncertain.

Exodus 39:27-31, Tunics of the priests

For Aaron and his sons, they made tunics of fine linen--the work of a weaver-- and the turban of fine linen, the linen headbands and the undergarments of finely twisted linen. The sash was of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn--the work of an embroiderer--as the LORD commanded Moses. 

    

They made the plate, the sacred diadem, out of pure gold and engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: 

HOLY TO THE LORD.

Then they fastened a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

Aaron and his sons wear garments with reminders of Whom they serve.

Exodus 39:32-41, The work is shown to Moses

So all the work on the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD commanded Moses. 

Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of hides of sea cows and the shielding curtain; the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the atonement cover; the table with all its articles and the bread of the Presence; the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its accessories, and the oil for the light; the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; and the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests.

The construction, all the work on furniture and tapestry, all the work is brought to Moses.

Exodus 39:42-43, Work completed!

The Israelites had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them.

Moses approves of all the work.  It is good!

First published April 14, 2023; updated April 14, 2026

Exodus 38, Altar, Courtyard, Entrance

The artisans are building the Tabernacle. They have completed the ark, the table of shewbread and the lampstand. Now they work on the altar that will sit in the courtyard.

Exodus 38:1-8, The altar

They built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide. 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.

     

They made all its utensils of bronze--its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. They made a grating for the altar, a bronze network, to be under its ledge, halfway up the altar. They cast bronze rings to hold the poles for the four corners of the bronze grating. They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 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. 

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 altar is built out of acacia wood. It is to hold the burnt offerings. The top square of the altar has four corners, each shaped as the horn of an animal. The utensils are made out of bronze. This altar sits in the courtyard where everyone can see it.

The instructions of Exodus 27:1-8 on the altar of incense are carried out here. The bronze basin is presumably the basin described in Exodus 30:17-21.

Exodus 38:9-20, The courtyard

Next they made the courtyard. The south side was a hundred cubits long and had curtains of finely twisted linen, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

    

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. The west end was fifty cubits wide and had curtains, with ten posts and ten bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts. The east end, toward the sunrise, was also fifty cubits wide.

    

Curtains fifteen cubits long were on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, and curtains fifteen cubits long were on the other side of the entrance to the courtyard, with three posts and three bases.  All the curtains around the courtyard were of finely twisted linen.

    

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.

    

The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen--the work of an embroiderer. It was twenty cubits long and, like the curtains of the courtyard, five cubits high, with four posts and four bronze bases. Their hooks and bands were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver.

    

All the tent pegs of the tabernacle and of the surrounding courtyard were bronze.

The courtyard is large, elegant, with tent pegs of bronze.

The instructions of Exodus 27:9-18 are carried out here.

Exodus 38:21-31, A ton of gold

These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, which were recorded at Moses' command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. (Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything the LORD commanded Moses; with him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan--a craftsman and designer, and an embroiderer in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen.)

    

The total amount of the gold from the wave offering used for all the work on the sanctuary was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. The silver obtained from those of the community who were counted in the census was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel-- one beka per person, that is, half a shekel, 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.

    

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.

    

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. The bronze from the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels.

    

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, 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.

The Tabernacle has been built with an emphasis on elegance and beauty. This includes copious amounts of precious metals such as silver and gold. The amount of gold involved was apparently more than a ton!

The Tabernacle is almost completed.  It is time to prepare the priests.  That will occur in the next chapter.

First published April 13, 2023; updated April 13, 2026

The Role of the Law in Israel (Then and Today)

The ancient law, given to Moses in Exodus 20-23, and expanded in Deuteronomy, is a strange thing to a modern culture.  Why was it given? Does it have any role for Christians and Jews today?  Are we to obey all aspects of it? (For example, do we pay a fine in shekels for lying about a woman's virginity – see Deuteronomy 22:19?)

A witness to the nations

The answer to this is deeper than one might first recognize. There were several purposes for the Law. As explained by both Imes (in her Exodus BibleProject course) and Fretheim (in his commentary), one of the purposes of the Law was as a witness to the other nations. (See Exodus 34:10; also Exodus 19:4-6.) If practiced well, as both a civil code and a religious code of conduct, the Law would make Israel a place of peace and prosperity within the Ancient Near East culture. The other nations would look at Israel and their citizens would say, "Oh, I'd like to live there!"

The Law was given at a time and place, in the midst of a certain culture, and was a witness to that culture. Although certain principles extend into our modern culture(s), we cannot fit every extension of the Law into modern practice. 

The people of Israel were a people who were to bear the Name of God. Their actions were supposed to glorify YHWH and make Him known. The third commandment of the Ten forbade dragging His name into the mud by acting as if they were not his people. Their actions were to be a witness to that ancient culture. This is especially obvious in the first four commandments of the Ten.

Underlying principles of life

In the Ten Commandments, the last five commandments, those dealing with our relationships to others, are simpler than the previous commandments. They are expressed negatively, as "You shall not...", but commentators argue that these commands set an outer limit on one's actions and thoughts. Furthermore, the tenth commandment, describing internal thoughts, suggests that these commandments are more than a set of rules but are instead examples of some underlying principles. Those who meditate on these commandments (see Deuteronomy 6:6-10, for example) should realize that avoidance of murder, stealing, adultery, false testimony and covetousness require positive, constructive steps with one's neighbor.

The leaders and prophets of Israel will emphasis the beauty of this "Law". The Psalms (see Psalm 1:2) encourage us to delight and meditate in YHWH's Law; one entire psalm, Psalm 119, has 22 stanzas meditating on God's "Word" or Law. If we are to meditate on the Law, this must mean that there are deeper concepts within it, that the Law is not just a set of Rules. Jesus will elaborate further on this in his Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7.)

Our culture is built on cultures that went before it; some of those cultures were built on the Old Testament Law and Judeo-Christian traditions. Because of that we may miss a remarkable part of the Law -- class equality. That is, there was no distinction between the rich and poor. Indeed, it is a capital offense to buy or sell anyone; one cannot kidnap or capture slaves; embedded in the commandments around giving false testimony are clear commandments against bribing someone to give false testimony.  There was no special place for the rich or powerful.  In contrast, the Code of Hammurabi, written three or four centuries earlier, makes it a capital offense to kidnap the son of an aristocrat (Currid, A Study Commentary on Deuteronomy, p. 25.)

Throughout the Old Testament we will see the Law cited in calls for justice, in prophetic invectives against the wealthy and powerful, against those who abuse the poor.

Return to Eden!

Towards the end of the first giving of the Law, in Exodus 23: 25-26, YHWH makes some promises to Israel conditioned on their obedience to the Covenant at Sinai. The promises are quite strong and the blessings point back to Eden. If Israel is truly committed to YHWH, the effects of the Fall will be greatly reduced, they will be healthy and live long lives.

Of course, we know the story. At every turn the Israelites rebelled and went their own way, thus also, sadly, harkening back to the story of Adam and Eve. But the suggestion that it might be possible to return to Eden in some way is a thread through both Old and New Testaments, ending with explicit statements about the New Heaven and Earth in Revelation 21.

First published March 19, 2023; updated April 12, 2026