All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.

EXODUS 27:17KJV
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Exodus 27:17 (KJV)

What does Exodus 27:17 mean?

Exodus 27:17 describes how every pillar surrounding the courtyard of the tabernacle should be decorated with silver bands, have silver hooks, and stand in bases made of bronze. This verse gives specific instructions for the materials and appearance of the pillars that formed the outer boundary of the sacred space.

In this part of Exodus, God is giving Moses detailed directions for building the tabernacle, which was the portable sanctuary for the Israelites during their journey in the wilderness. The instructions focus on the courtyard’s structure, emphasizing the use of precious materials—silver and bronze—to mark the area as special and set apart for worship. These details show the care and value placed on every part of the tabernacle, even its outer boundaries.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 27:17

  • The word for "pillars" (עַמּוּדִים, ʿammudim) refers to the vertical posts that supported the courtyard’s fence, highlighting the importance of structure and order in the tabernacle’s design.
  • "Filleted" (חָשַׁק, chashaq) is often understood as being bound or decorated with bands, here made of silver (כֶּסֶף, kesef), which would have made the pillars visually striking and signified value.
  • The "hooks" (וָו, vav) of silver were practical pieces for hanging curtains or coverings, but their material also added to the sense of dignity and beauty.
  • The "sockets" (אֶדֶן, eden) refer to the bases or foundations of the pillars, made of bronze (נְחֹשֶׁת, nechoshet), a strong and durable metal, showing that the structure was meant to last and be stable.

Why Exodus 27:17 matters

  • This verse shows that even the outermost parts of the tabernacle were made with care and valuable materials, not just the inner sanctuary, reflecting the overall holiness of the space.
  • The specific mention of silver and bronze highlights a pattern of using different metals for different purposes, which continues throughout the tabernacle instructions and helps the reader understand the organization and symbolism of the whole structure.
  • By giving such detailed directions, the text emphasizes obedience and attention to God’s instructions, which is a recurring theme in the building of the tabernacle.

Where else these words appear

“filleted” Hebrew H2836 · used in 11 verses

  • Genesis 34:8 And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.
  • Deuteronomy 7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
  • 1 Kings 9:19 And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

“hooks” Hebrew H2053 · used in 13 verses

  • Exodus 26:32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
  • Exodus 36:36 And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
  • Exodus 38:12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

“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.

“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.