Exodus - 26:9



9 You shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shall double over the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tent.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Exodus 26:9.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.
Five of which thou shalt couple by themselves, and the six others thou shalt couple one to another, so as to double the sixth curtain in the front of the roof.
And thou shalt couple five of the curtains by themselves, and six of the curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the front of the tent.
And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the front of the tabernacle.
and thou hast joined the five curtains apart, and the six curtains apart, and hast doubled the six curtains over-against the front of the tent.
Five of these curtains are to be joined together, and the other six are to be joined together, the sixth being folded over to make a hanging in front of the tent.
Five of these you shall join by themselves, and six of these you shall couple to one another, in such a manner as to double the sixth canopy at the front of the roof.
Et conjunges quinque cortinas seorsum: et sex cortinas seorsum: et conduplicabis cortinam sextam e regione faciei tentorii.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

tabernacle - tent, not tabernacle. The passage might be rendered, "thou shalt equally divide the sixth breadth at the front of the tent." In this way, half a breadth would overhang at the front and half at the back.

And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the (e) sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.
(e) That is, five on the one side, and five on the other, and the sixth should hang over the door of the tabernacle.

And thou shall couple five curtains by themselves,.... And make one large curtain of them, as was ordered with respect to the linen curtains:
and six curtains by themselves; as there were eleven of them, such a division was made of five into one large curtain, and six into another; and as that which had six in it would reach further than the other, provision is made for the disposal and use of that as follows:
and shall double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle; at the entrance of it, in the east end of it; the sixth curtain reaching to that, and hanging down, was turned up, and so doubled, opposite the door or entrance; and was, as Jarchi says, like a modest bride that covers her face with a vail, which before this had no covering; for thus it was, as Dr. Lightfoot (m) describes it, the holy place was ten yards long, and the five curtains sewed together were just so broad, and so they covered only the top and the sides, but hung not down at the end, which was eastward--but the six (goat hair curtains) that lay east reached to the end, covered the pillars whereon that vail hung, and they hung half a curtain's breadth or a yard over the entrance.
(m) Works, vol. 1. p. 718.

Five of these were to be connected (sewed together) by themselves (לבד), and the other six in the same manner; and the sixth piece was to be made double, i.e., folded together, towards the front of the tent, so as to form a kind of gable, as Josephus has also explained the passage (Ant. iii. 6, 4).

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