The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: the curtains were all of one size.

EXODUS 36:9KJV
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Exodus 36:9 (KJV)

What does Exodus 36:9 mean?

Exodus 36:9 describes the measurements of each curtain used for the tabernacle, stating that each one was twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide, and that all the curtains were made the same size. This verse emphasizes the uniformity and precise dimensions required for the construction of the tabernacle coverings.

The verse is part of a section where Moses is overseeing the building of the tabernacle, following God’s instructions given earlier in Exodus. The people of Israel are making the tabernacle in the wilderness, and these curtains are a key part of its structure. The focus on exact measurements shows the care and order involved in creating a place for worship according to God’s design.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 36:9

  • The word "curtain" (יְרִיעָה, yeriah) refers to the large fabric panels that formed the covering of the tabernacle, highlighting their importance as both functional and symbolic barriers.
  • The word "cubit" (אַמָּה, ammah) was a standard unit of length in ancient Israel, roughly the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger (about 18 inches or 45 centimeters), which helps modern readers visualize the actual size of these curtains.
  • The word "size" (מִדָּה, middah) means "measure" or "dimension," underlining that every curtain was crafted to the same standard, reinforcing the theme of order and precision in the tabernacle’s construction.

Why Exodus 36:9 matters

  • This verse clears up any confusion about whether the tabernacle’s coverings were varied or improvised; instead, it shows that every curtain was made to exact specifications.
  • The emphasis on identical measurements connects to the larger biblical theme of obedience and careful attention to God’s instructions.
  • Understanding the size and uniformity of the curtains helps readers picture the scale and craftsmanship involved in building the tabernacle, making the narrative more concrete and vivid.

Where else these words appear

“curtain” Hebrew H3407 · used in 32 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 26:12 And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.
  • Exodus 36:17 And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.

“size” Hebrew H4060 · used in 53 verses

  • Exodus 26:2 The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.
  • Nehemiah 3:21 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib.
  • Ezekiel 40:28 And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;

“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.

“length” Hebrew H753 · used in 90 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 6:20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
  • Ezekiel 40:36 The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.