Exodus 26:15 (KJV)

What does Exodus 26:15 mean?

Exodus 26:15 gives an instruction for building the tabernacle, a tent-like dwelling used for worship by the people of Israel. God tells Moses to make its wooden boards upright, giving the structure a supporting framework rather than leaving its coverings to stand alone.

The boards would stand side by side, forming walls beneath the coverings described earlier in the passage. “Standing up” describes how the boards were to be positioned: vertically, rather than laid flat.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 26:15

• “tabernacle” — מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan): The word means a dwelling place. Here it names the portable structure for which Moses is receiving building instructions.
• “shittim” — שִׁטִּים (shittim): This word refers to acacia trees. “Shittim wood” identifies the material used for the boards, rather than a place where they were made.

Why Exodus 26:15 matters

• The coverings and the framework belong to one structure. After describing the coverings, the instructions turn to the upright boards that support them.
• The boards were designed to be joined and held in place. The following verses describe sockets beneath the boards and bars connecting them, showing how the framework was assembled.