Exodus 27:21

the tent of meeting Heb. "ôhel mô-çd, i.e. the tent of appointed meeting(cf. Job 30:23 -the house of appointed meetingfor all living," of Sheol), the tent appointed by Jehovah as the place where He will -meet" Moses (see in P Exodus 25:22; Exodus 30:6; Exodus 30:36) and Israel (Exodus 29:42-43; Numbers 17:4), and communicate His will to them, or (OTJC.2 [205] 246) the -tent of tryst" (i.e. of appointment to meet). It is the oldest name of what we now commonly know as the -Tabernacle" (see on Exodus 25:9), being first found in E (Exodus 33:7: see the note), where it denotes the tent which Moses used to pitch outside the camp, to which everyone resorted who sought Jehovah, and whither Moses also used to repair in order that Jehovah might speak with him. It is mentioned besides in JE in Numbers 11:16; Numbers 12:4; Deuteronomy 31:14. The Tent of meeting, as described by P, is a much more elaborate structure than that can have been (see p. 257 f.). He mentions it some 130 times.

[205] W. R. Smith, Old Testament in the Jewish Church, ed. 2, 1892.

The rendering of AV. -tabernacle (i.e. tent: see on Exodus 25:9) of the congregation" is based on a mistaken interpretation of mô-çd, as though this word were a synonym of -çdâh, -congregation" (Exodus 12:3 &c.). The LXX. render the expression by ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου, -the tent of the testimony" (whence Vulg. tabernaculum testimonii), treating "ôhel mô-çdincorrectly as a synonym of "ôhel hâ-çdûth(Numbers 9:15; Numbers 17:7-8; 2 Chronicles 24:6 †), which does mean -the tent of the testimony" (see on Exodus 25:16): cf. Acts 7:44; Revelation 15:5.

outside the veil, &c. cf. Exodus 26:35; and on Exodus 25:21.

order an archaism for set in order, arrange; so often in EVV., as Leviticus 24:4; Judges 6:26; 1 Kings 20:14; Jeremiah 46:3: cf. in the Communion Service, -when the priest hath so orderedthe bread and wine," &c.; and in PBV. of Psalms 37:23; Psalms 40:2; Psalms 40:6 (cf. Job 13:18), Psalms 50:23. The meaning is, arrangethe lamps on the stand.

from evening to morning the lamps were to be removed every morning to be trimmed (Exodus 30:7), and to be lighted and replaced every evening to burn during the night (Exodus 30:8; 2 Chronicles 13:11). (The later usage was, however, different; see DB.iv. 664 a, and Schürer, as cited.)

a due for ever from] ḥuḳḳâhmay mean either a prescribed rule(i.e. a statute), or a prescribed portion(i.e. a due): so ḥôḳ, Exodus 29:28; Leviticus 7:34 b, Leviticus 7:36; Exodus 24:8 (AVm.); cf. Proverbs 30:8; Proverbs 31:15 (RVm.).