And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.

EXODUS 27:12KJV
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Exodus 27:12 (KJV)

What does Exodus 27:12 mean?

Exodus 27:12 gives instructions for building the western side of the courtyard around the tabernacle, specifying that it should have hangings (curtains) fifty cubits long, supported by ten pillars and ten bases. This verse is part of a detailed description of how the sacred space was to be set up according to God's command.

In this passage, God is speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, giving him precise directions for constructing the tabernacle and its surrounding courtyard. The focus here is on the measurements and structure for the west side, showing the importance of order and symmetry in the tabernacle's design. These details helped create a defined and set-apart area for worship in the Israelite camp.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 27:12

  • The word for "breadth" is רֹחַב (roḥav), which means width. This highlights that the measurement given is for the width of the courtyard's west side, not its length.
  • "Court" uses חָצֵר (ḥatser), meaning an enclosed yard or courtyard, emphasizing that the tabernacle was surrounded by a designated, set-apart area.
  • "Hangings" is קְלָעִים (qela‘im), which refers to woven curtains or screens. These were not walls but fabric barriers, marking the boundary in a way that was both functional and symbolic.
  • "Pillars" is עַמּוּדִים (‘ammudim), meaning upright supports. These pillars held up the curtains, showing that the structure was both portable and orderly.

Why Exodus 27:12 matters

  • This verse shows the care and precision in how the Israelites were to approach worship, with every measurement and material chosen for a reason.
  • By describing the west side specifically, Exodus 27:12 helps the reader picture the tabernacle as a real, organized space, not just a spiritual idea.
  • The details about curtains and pillars remind us that the tabernacle was meant to be both accessible and set apart—a place where God could dwell among His people, yet with clear boundaries.

Where else these words appear

“hangings” Hebrew H7050 · used in 22 verses

  • Exodus 27:9 And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:
  • Exodus 38:14 The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
  • 1 Samuel 17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

“sockets” Hebrew H134 · used in 39 verses

  • Exodus 26:19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
  • Exodus 35:11 The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,
  • Exodus 38:19 And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.

“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.

“pillars” Hebrew H5982 · used in 84 verses

  • Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
  • Exodus 39:40 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
  • 2 Kings 25:13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.