And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass.

EXODUS 36:38KJV
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Exodus 36:38 (KJV)

What does Exodus 36:38 mean?

Exodus 36:38 describes how the craftsmen made five pillars for the entrance of the tabernacle, attaching hooks to them, covering the tops and connecting rods with gold, and setting the bases in bronze. This verse details the materials and appearance of the entrance structure for the sacred tent.

Moses is overseeing the construction of the tabernacle, and skilled workers are following God’s instructions for every detail. Exodus 36:38 focuses on the entrance to the tent, showing careful attention to both beauty and durability by using gold for decorative parts and bronze for the bases that touch the ground.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 36:38

  • The word for "pillars" (עַמּוּדִים, ‘ammudim) refers to upright supports, highlighting the structural importance of these five posts at the entrance.
  • "Chapiters" (רֹאשׁ, rosh) means "heads" or "capitals," referring to the decorative tops of the pillars, which were overlaid with gold to show honor and value.
  • "Fillets" (חָשׁוּק, chashuq) are connecting rods or bands, also covered in gold, which likely helped tie the pillars together and added to the visual unity of the entrance.
  • "Sockets" (אֶדֶן, eden) means bases or foundations, and these were made of bronze (נְחשֶׁת, nechoshet), a strong metal, to support the weight and contact with the ground.

Why Exodus 36:38 matters

  • This verse shows the mix of materials—gold for decoration and bronze for strength—emphasizing both the beauty and the practicality of God’s instructions for worship spaces.
  • The detailed description connects to the larger theme in Exodus of obedience and craftsmanship, as the people carefully follow the pattern given to Moses.
  • Understanding the specific parts (pillars, chapiters, fillets, sockets) helps readers picture the tabernacle’s entrance, making the ancient text more concrete and vivid.

Where else these words appear

“fillets” Hebrew H2838 · used in 8 verses

  • Exodus 27:10 And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
  • Exodus 38:10 Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were 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.

“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 27:17 All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.
  • 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.

“overlaid” Hebrew H6823 · used in 39 verses

  • Exodus 25:11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
  • 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.
  • 1 Kings 6:22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.

“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 27:18 The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.
  • 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.