One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle.

EXODUS 36:22KJV
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Exodus 36:22 (KJV)

What does Exodus 36:22 mean?

Exodus 36:22 describes how each board used in the construction of the tabernacle had two tenons (projections or pegs) that were spaced evenly apart, and this design was followed for all the boards. This detail shows the careful and consistent craftsmanship involved in building the tabernacle according to specific instructions.

In this part of Exodus, skilled workers are building the tabernacle as Moses instructed, following the plans given by God. The verse highlights the practical details of how the boards were made to fit together securely, ensuring the structure would be stable and uniform throughout.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 36:22

  • The word for "tenons" is יָד (yad, meaning "hand"), which here refers to the projecting parts of the boards that fit into sockets, much like a hand fits into a glove. This image helps readers picture how the boards were joined together.
  • The word for "equally distant" is מְשֻׁלָּבוֹת (meshullavot), which carries the sense of being paired or matched, emphasizing that the tenons were set at regular intervals for a precise and stable fit.

Why Exodus 36:22 matters

  • This verse clears up how the boards of the tabernacle were not just stacked or placed randomly but were carefully crafted to interlock, showing the importance of order and precision in the tabernacle’s construction.
  • The attention to detail in the building process reflects the seriousness with which the Israelites approached the task of creating a dwelling place for God among them.
  • Understanding these construction details helps readers appreciate the broader narrative of Exodus, where following God's instructions exactly was a key theme.

Where else these words appear

“distant” Hebrew H7947 · used in 2 verses

  • Exodus 26:17 Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.

“board” Hebrew H7175 · used in 34 verses

  • Exodus 26:15 And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.
  • Exodus 26:27 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.
  • Exodus 36:28 And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.

“from” Hebrew H413 · used in 37 verses

  • Genesis 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
  • Exodus 8:25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.
  • 1 Samuel 4:21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.

“tabernacle” Hebrew H4908 · used in 129 verses

  • Exodus 25:9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
  • Exodus 40:18 And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.
  • Numbers 16:9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?