And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.

EXODUS 38:27KJV
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Exodus 38:27 (KJV)

What does Exodus 38:27 mean?

Exodus 38:27 explains that one hundred talents of silver were used to make the bases (or sockets) for the sanctuary and the veil, with each base made from one talent of silver. This verse details how the silver collected from the people was specifically allocated for the construction of these foundational parts of the tabernacle.

In context, Exodus 38 is describing how the materials given by the Israelites were used to build the tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where they would worship God during their journey through the wilderness. The verse is part of a careful accounting by the craftsmen, showing that every piece of silver was used purposefully, with a precise amount—one talent per socket—used for the bases that supported the sanctuary’s structure and the veil separating the holy spaces.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 38:27

  • סֶ֫כֶל (socket, transliteration: 'eden): This word refers to the base or foundation piece that held up the boards of the tabernacle and the veil. Understanding that each socket was a separate, heavy silver base helps visualize the weight and permanence given to the sanctuary’s structure.
  • כֶּ֫סֶף (silver, transliteration: kesef): The use of silver, rather than a cheaper material, highlights the value and sacredness of the sanctuary’s foundation.
  • כִּכָּר (talent, transliteration: kikkar): A talent was a large unit of weight, often estimated at about 75 pounds (34 kilograms). Knowing this helps the reader grasp the substantial amount of silver used for each socket.
  • מֵאָה (hundred, transliteration: me’ah): The repeated mention of “hundred” shows the exactness and orderliness in the tabernacle’s construction, emphasizing careful stewardship.

Why Exodus 38:27 matters

  • Exodus 38:27 clears up how the resources given by the people were used with precision and transparency, showing accountability in the building of the sanctuary.
  • The verse emphasizes the importance of every part of the tabernacle, even the hidden foundations, as worthy of valuable material and careful attention.
  • This detail connects to the larger theme in Exodus of obedience and faithfulness in following God’s instructions for worship, down to the smallest measurements and materials.

Where else these words appear

“vail” Hebrew H6532 · used in 23 verses

  • Exodus 26:31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
  • Exodus 39:34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering,
  • Leviticus 16:2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

“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 38:17 And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.

“cast” Hebrew H3332 · used in 51 verses

  • Genesis 28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
  • Leviticus 21:10 And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
  • 2 Kings 4:40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

“talents” Hebrew H3603 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
  • 2 Samuel 18:23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
  • 1 Chronicles 29:4 Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal: