The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.

EXODUS 26:2KJV
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Exodus 26:2 (KJV)

What does Exodus 26:2 mean?

Exodus 26:2 gives the specific measurements for each curtain used in constructing the tabernacle, stating that each curtain should be 28 cubits long and 4 cubits wide, and that all the curtains must be the same size. This instruction ensures uniformity in the materials used for the tabernacle’s covering.

God is speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, giving detailed instructions for building the tabernacle—a special tent where God’s presence would dwell among the Israelites. The verse focuses on the precision and consistency required for the curtains, which formed the inner covering of the tabernacle, showing the importance of order and exactness in its construction.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 26:2

  • "Curtain" (יְרִיעָה, yeriah): This word refers to a large piece of fabric, not just a small drape, emphasizing the scale and importance of these coverings in the tabernacle.
  • "Cubit" (אַמָּה, ammah): A cubit was an ancient unit of length, roughly the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger (about 18 inches or 45 centimeters), helping the reader picture the actual size of each curtain.
  • "Measure" (מִדָּה, middah): This word means a set measurement or standard, highlighting that every curtain had to match exactly, not just approximately.

Why Exodus 26:2 matters

  • Exodus 26:2 clears up any confusion about the size or shape of the tabernacle’s curtains by giving exact measurements, showing that the design was not left to personal preference.
  • The verse emphasizes that every curtain must be identical, which points to the importance of unity and order in the tabernacle’s construction.
  • This detail connects to the wider passage by showing that every part of the tabernacle, even the fabric coverings, was carefully planned and held to a standard, reflecting the seriousness of building a place for God’s presence.

Where else these words appear

“curtain” Hebrew H3407 · used in 32 verses

  • Exodus 26:1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.
  • Exodus 26:13 And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.
  • Exodus 36:17 And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.

“measure” Hebrew H4060 · used in 53 verses

  • Exodus 26:8 The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure.
  • Nehemiah 3:21 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib.
  • Ezekiel 40:28 And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;

“breadth” Hebrew H7341 · used in 89 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 7:2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.
  • Ezekiel 41:3 Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits.

“length” Hebrew H753 · used in 90 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 6:20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
  • Ezekiel 40:36 The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.