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 27:9KJV
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Exodus 27:9 (KJV)

What does Exodus 27:9 mean?

Exodus 27:9 gives instructions for making the outer courtyard of the tabernacle, specifying that the south side should have hangings made of fine, tightly woven linen, stretching one hundred cubits long. This verse is part of the detailed directions God gives to Moses about how to construct the sacred space where the Israelites will worship.

God is speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, laying out the design for the tabernacle, which is a portable sanctuary for the Israelites during their journey in the wilderness. The verse focuses on the southern boundary of the courtyard, describing the materials and the exact length for the linen hangings that form the enclosure. These details show the care and order involved in creating a place set apart for worship.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 27:9

  • "court" (חָצֵר, ḥatser): This word refers to an enclosed area or courtyard, highlighting that the tabernacle was surrounded by a defined, protected space, not just an open tent.
  • "hangings" (קְלָעִים, qela‘im): This term means woven curtains or screens, emphasizing that the enclosure was made of fabric panels, not solid walls.
  • "fine twined linen" (שֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר, shesh mashzar): This phrase points to high-quality linen, spun and twisted for strength and beauty, showing the importance of using the best materials for the tabernacle.
  • "hundred cubits" (מֵאָה בָּאַמָּה, me’ah ba’ammah): A cubit is roughly 18 inches (about 45 centimeters), so the south side would be about 150 feet (45 meters) long, giving a sense of the courtyard’s size.

Why Exodus 27:9 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the tabernacle was not just a tent but had a large, defined courtyard, setting it apart as a special, organized space for worship.
  • The focus on fine materials and exact measurements shows the value placed on reverence and care in creating a place for God’s presence.
  • Understanding the layout and materials helps readers picture the tabernacle as a real, physical place, not just a symbol or idea, grounding the rest of the instructions in something concrete.

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.

“southward” Hebrew H8486 · used in 22 verses

  • Exodus 26:18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.
  • Deuteronomy 3:27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
  • Song of Solomon 4:16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

“hangings” Hebrew H7050 · used in 22 verses

  • Exodus 27:11 And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
  • 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.

“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.