And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.

EXODUS 27:13KJV
Know the Bible

Exodus 27:13 (KJV)

What does Exodus 27:13 mean?

Exodus 27:13 states that the width of the courtyard for the tabernacle, specifically on its east side, should be fifty cubits. This verse gives a specific measurement for one side of the sacred enclosure described in the instructions for building the tabernacle.

In this passage, God is giving Moses detailed directions for constructing the tabernacle’s outer court while the Israelites are in the wilderness. The east side is highlighted here, which is significant because it was the main entrance to the courtyard. The measurement—fifty cubits—shows the careful planning and order in the tabernacle’s design, emphasizing the importance of every detail in Israel’s worship space.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 27:13

  • "breadth" (רֹחַב, rochav): This word means "width" or "broadness." Its use here points to the horizontal measurement of the courtyard, clarifying that the verse is about the side-to-side span, not the length.
  • "east" (קֶדֶם, qedem) and "eastward" (מִזְרָח, mizrach): Both words relate to direction, but "mizrach" often refers to the rising of the sun, emphasizing orientation. The double mention underscores the importance of the east as the entrance and a symbolically significant direction in biblical thought.
  • "cubit" (אַמָּה, ammah): A cubit is an ancient unit of length, roughly the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger (about 18 inches or 45 centimeters). Knowing this helps modern readers picture the actual size being described.

Why Exodus 27:13 matters

  • This verse clarifies the exact dimensions of the tabernacle’s courtyard, which helps readers understand the scale and layout of Israel’s central place of worship.
  • The focus on the east side highlights the importance of orientation and entrance in biblical worship spaces, a detail that recurs throughout the Bible.
  • By specifying measurements, the verse shows the care and precision expected in following God’s instructions, reflecting a broader theme of obedience and reverence in the construction of sacred spaces.

Where else these words appear

“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.

“eastward” Hebrew H4217 · used in 71 verses

  • Exodus 38:13 And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.
  • Joshua 16:6 And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;
  • 2 Chronicles 4:4 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

“east” Hebrew H6924 · used in 83 verses

  • Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
  • Joshua 19:12 And turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chislothtabor, and then goeth out to Daberath, and goeth up to Japhia,
  • Psalms 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

“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.