And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.

EXODUS 26:18KJV
Know the Bible

Exodus 26:18 (KJV)

What does Exodus 26:18 mean?

Exodus 26:18 gives instructions for building the tabernacle, telling Moses to make twenty wooden boards for the south side. This is a specific part of the detailed directions God gives for constructing the portable sanctuary where the Israelites will worship during their journey in the wilderness.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, providing exact measurements and materials for the tabernacle’s structure. The focus here is on the south side, showing that the tabernacle was carefully planned with clear orientation and symmetry, reflecting the importance of order and precision in Israel’s worship space.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 26:18

  • "boards" (קֶרֶשׁ, qeresh): This word refers to the upright wooden planks that form the walls of the tabernacle. The use of this term highlights that the structure was sturdy and portable, made to be assembled and disassembled as the Israelites traveled.
  • "tabernacle" (מִשְׁכָּן, mishkan): This word means "dwelling place" and emphasizes that the tabernacle was where God’s presence would reside among the people.
  • "south" (תֵּימָן, teiman) and "southward" (נֶגֶב, negev): Both words point to direction, but negev often refers to the region or direction toward the desert, while teiman is more specifically "south." The repetition underlines the exact placement of the boards on the southern side.

Why Exodus 26:18 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the tabernacle was not a random tent but a carefully designed structure with precise instructions, showing the seriousness with which worship space was treated.
  • The focus on the south side and the number of boards helps readers picture the tabernacle’s layout, making the instructions more concrete and understandable.
  • By specifying the materials and orientation, the verse connects to the wider passage, where every detail is given significance, reflecting the orderliness and intentionality of Israel’s worship practices.

Where else these words appear

“southward” Hebrew H8486 · used in 22 verses

  • Exodus 26:35 And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
  • Deuteronomy 3:27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
  • Song of Solomon 4:16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

“boards” Hebrew H7175 · used in 34 verses

  • Exodus 26:15 And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.
  • Exodus 26:28 And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.
  • Exodus 36:28 And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.

“side” Hebrew H6285 · used in 59 verses

  • Exodus 25:26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.
  • Numbers 34:3 Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward:
  • Ezekiel 48:1 Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazarenan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan.

“south” Hebrew H5045 · used in 98 verses

  • Genesis 12:9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
  • Joshua 15:21 And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,
  • Isaiah 30:6 The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.