And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:

EXODUS 26:31KJV
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Exodus 26:31 (KJV)

What does Exodus 26:31 mean?

Exodus 26:31 describes God’s instructions to Moses for making a special curtain, called a veil, for the tabernacle. This veil was to be made from blue, purple, and scarlet yarns, and fine linen, skillfully crafted with images of cherubim (angelic beings) woven into it.

In this verse, God is speaking directly to Moses on Mount Sinai, giving detailed directions for building the tabernacle, which was the portable sanctuary for Israel’s worship. The veil would later separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place inside the tabernacle, marking a boundary between where priests could go and the innermost area where God’s presence was believed to dwell.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 26:31

  • וילאה (parokhet; transliterated as "vail" or "veil"): This word refers specifically to a curtain or screen that serves as a divider, not just any fabric covering. Its use here highlights the veil’s role as a barrier between sacred spaces.
  • תכלת (tekelet; "blue"), ארגמן (argaman; "purple"), שני (shani; "scarlet"): These colors were rare and costly, often associated with royalty or holiness, showing the importance and honor of the space being divided.
  • כרבים (keruvim; "cherubims"): The cherubim are angelic figures, and their inclusion in the design emphasizes the holiness and heavenly nature of the area behind the veil.
  • חשב (chashav; "cunning work"): This phrase means skillful or artistic craftsmanship, indicating that the veil was not just functional but also beautifully and thoughtfully made.

Why Exodus 26:31 matters

  • Exodus 26:31 clarifies that the veil was not a simple curtain but a richly decorated, meaningful barrier, marking the separation between God’s presence and the people.
  • The verse highlights the care and reverence required in approaching God, as seen in the specific materials and skilled work commanded for the veil.
  • Understanding this verse helps explain later references to the veil in the Bible, including its significance in Israel’s worship and its symbolic meaning in later Jewish and Christian traditions.

Where else these words appear

“twined” Hebrew H7806 · used in 21 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 28:8 And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
  • Exodus 38:18 And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.

“vail” Hebrew H6532 · used in 23 verses

  • Exodus 26:33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
  • Exodus 39:34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering,
  • Leviticus 16:2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

“linen” Hebrew H8336 · used in 37 verses

  • Genesis 41:42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
  • Exodus 35:6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
  • Exodus 39:3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.

“purple” Hebrew H713 · used in 38 verses

  • Exodus 25:4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
  • Exodus 35:35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
  • Exodus 39:29 And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.