And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.

EXODUS 26:36KJV
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Exodus 26:36 (KJV)

What does Exodus 26:36 mean?

Exodus 26:36 gives instructions for making a special curtain, called a "hanging," to cover the entrance of the tabernacle. This curtain was to be made from blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, along with finely twisted linen, and decorated with needlework.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses, giving detailed directions for constructing the tabernacle, which was the portable sanctuary for Israel during their journey in the wilderness. The focus here is on the entrance curtain, which separated the holy space from the outside, using specific colors and materials to show its importance and beauty.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 26:36

  • "Hanging" (מָסָךְ, masakh): This word refers to a screen or curtain, not just a simple cloth but something designed to act as a barrier or covering for the entrance, emphasizing separation and protection.
  • "Blue" (תְּכֵלֶת, tekhelet), "purple" (אַרְגָּמָן, argaman), "scarlet" (תּוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי, tola‘at shani): These colors were expensive and symbolized wealth and significance, setting the entrance apart as special.
  • "Twined" (שָׁזַר, shazar) and "linen" (שֵׁשׁ, shesh): The linen was to be finely twisted, indicating high-quality craftsmanship and durability.
  • "Wrought" (מַעֲשֶׂה, ma‘aseh) "needlework" (רֹקֵם, roqem): This points to skilled embroidery, not just weaving, suggesting that the curtain was beautifully decorated with patterns or images.

Why Exodus 26:36 matters

  • The verse highlights the care and artistry involved in making the tabernacle, showing that worship spaces were meant to be both functional and beautiful.
  • By specifying the materials and colors, the verse emphasizes the holiness and distinctiveness of the tabernacle entrance, marking it as a threshold between ordinary life and sacred space.
  • This detailed instruction connects to the wider passage by showing that every part of the tabernacle had a purpose and was made according to God’s specific design, reflecting order and intentionality in worship.

Where else these words appear

“needlework” Hebrew H7551 · used in 9 verses

  • Exodus 27:16 And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.
  • 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 38:23 And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.

“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.

“hanging” Hebrew H4539 · used in 25 verses

  • Exodus 26:37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.
  • Exodus 39:38 And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
  • Numbers 3:26 And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.

“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.