Trusting in the Details: Seeing Faith in the Tabernacle's Curtains

As for the tabernacle, refers here specifically to the lowest of the covers of the Tabernacle, and so its rendering is not capitalized. make it of ten strips of cloth; make these of fine twisted linen, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, with a design of cherubim worked into them. The length of each cloth shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each cloth shall be four cubits, all the cloths to have the same measurements. Five of the cloths shall be joined to one another, and the other five cloths shall be joined to one another. Make loops of blue wool on the edge of the outermost cloth of the one set; and do likewise on the edge of the outermost cloth of the other set: make fifty loops on the one cloth, and fifty loops on the edge of the end cloth of the other set, the loops to be opposite one another. And make fifty gold clasps, and couple the cloths to one another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle becomes one whole. You shall then make cloths of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; make the cloths eleven in number. The length of each cloth shall be thirty cubits, and the width of each cloth shall be four cubits, the eleven cloths to have the same measurements. Join five of the cloths by themselves, and the other six cloths by themselves; and fold over the sixth cloth at the front of the tent. Make fifty loops on the edge of the outermost cloth of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the cloth of the other set. Make fifty copper clasps, and fit the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together so that it becomes one whole. As for the overlapping excess of the cloths of the tent, the extra half-cloth shall overlap the back of the tabernacle, while the extra cubit at either end of each length of tent cloth shall hang down to the bottom of the two sides of the tabernacle and cover it. And make for the tent a covering of tanned ram skins, and a covering of dolphin skins above. You shall make the planks for the Tabernacle of acacia wood, upright. The length of each plank shall be ten cubits and the width of each plank a cubit and a half. Each plank shall have two tenons, parallel uncertain. to each other; do the same with all the planks of the Tabernacle. Of the planks of the Tabernacle, make twenty planks on the south side: making forty silver sockets under the twenty planks, two sockets under the one plank for its two tenons and two sockets under each following plank for its two tenons; and for the other side wall of the Tabernacle, on the north side, twenty planks, with their forty silver sockets, two sockets under the one plank and two sockets under each following plank. And for the rear of the Tabernacle, to the west, make six planks; and make two planks for the corners of the Tabernacle at the rear. They shall match at the bottom, and terminate alike at the top inside one ring; thus shall it be with both of them: they shall form the two corners. Thus there shall be eight planks with their sockets of silver: sixteen sockets, two sockets under the first plank, and two sockets under each of the other planks. You shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the planks of the one side wall of the Tabernacle, five bars for the planks of the other side wall of the Tabernacle, and five bars for the planks of the wall of the Tabernacle at the rear to the west. The center bar halfway up the planks shall run from end to end. Overlay the planks with gold, and make their rings of gold, as holders for the bars; and overlay the bars with gold. Then set up the Tabernacle according to the manner of it that you were shown on the mountain. You shall make a curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine twisted linen; it shall have a design of cherubim worked into it. Hang it upon four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and having hooks of gold, [set] in four sockets of silver. Hang the curtain under the clasps, and carry the Ark of the Pact there, behind the curtain, so that the curtain shall serve you as a partition between the Holy and the Holy of Holies. Place the cover upon the Ark of the Pact in the Holy of Holies. Place the table outside the curtain, and the lampstand by the south wall of the Tabernacle opposite the table, which is to be placed by the north wall. You shall make a screen for the entrance of the Tent, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine twisted linen, done in embroidery. Make five posts of acacia wood for the screen and overlay them with gold—their hooks being of gold—and cast for them five sockets of copper.

Exodus 26 details the precise measurements, materials, and loops-and-clasps construction of the tabernacle's coverings. Even where the text seems like mere architectural instruction, each specification is an invitation to trust the Architect. The Hebrew word 'ohel' (tent) here is rendered with lowercase 'tabernacle' to distinguish this inner layer from the whole structure.