Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
The construction of the tabernacle is prescribed: namely first, its four coverings, that is, the first of ten embroidered curtains; the second, verse 7, of eleven coverings of goat's hair; the third of rams' skins dyed red; the fourth of violet-colored skins. Second, verse 15, the boards of the tabernacle with their bases are described; and verse 26, the bars securing these boards. Finally, verse 31, the veil hung before the Holy of Holies is described, and verse 36, the veil hung before the Holy Place.
Vulgate Text: Exodus 26:1-37
1. And the tabernacle you shall make thus: You shall make ten curtains of twisted fine linen, and violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, varied with embroidery work. 2. The length of one curtain shall have twenty-eight cubits: the breadth shall be of four cubits. All the hangings shall be of one measure. 3. Five curtains shall be joined one to another, and the other five shall be coupled together in like manner. 4. You shall make loops of violet in the sides and tops of the curtains, that they may be coupled together. 5. Each curtain shall have fifty loops on each side, so set on that one loop may be opposite the other, and one may be fitted to the other. 6. You shall make also fifty rings of gold, with which the veils of the curtains are to be joined, that one tabernacle may be made. 7. You shall make also eleven coverings of goat's hair, to cover the top of the tabernacle. 8. The length of one covering shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth four: the measure of all the coverings shall be equal. 9. Five of which you shall join apart, and six you shall couple one to another, so that you double the sixth covering in the front of the roof. 10. You shall make also fifty loops on the edge of one covering, that it may be joined to the other; and fifty loops on the edge of the other covering, that it may be coupled to its mate. 11. You shall make also fifty buckles of brass, with which the loops may be joined, that one covering may be made of all. 12. And whatever shall remain of the coverings that are prepared for the roof, that is, one covering that is over and above, with the half thereof you shall cover the back of the tabernacle. 13. And there shall hang down a cubit on one side, and another on the other side, which is over in the length of the coverings, protecting each side of the tabernacle. 14. You shall make also another covering for the roof, of rams' skins dyed red; and over that again another covering of violet-colored skins. 15. You shall make also the boards of the tabernacle standing upright of setim wood, 16. which shall each be ten cubits in length, and one and a half in breadth. 17. In the sides of the boards, two mortises shall be made, by which one board may be connected to another board; and in this manner all the boards shall be prepared. 18. Of which twenty shall be on the south side that faces toward the south. 19. For which you shall cast forty bases of silver, that two bases may be placed under each board at the two corners. 20. On the second side also of the tabernacle, that faces toward the north, there shall be twenty boards, 21. having forty bases of silver. Two bases shall be placed under each board. 22. But for the western side of the tabernacle you shall make six boards, 23. and again two others that shall be erected at the corners at the back of the tabernacle. 24. And they shall be joined together from beneath unto the top, and one joint shall hold them all. The same shall be observed for the two boards that are to be placed at the corners. 25. And there shall be together eight boards, their bases of silver sixteen, two bases being reckoned for each board. 26. You shall make also bars of setim wood, five to hold together the boards on one side of the tabernacle, 27. and five others on the other side, and of the same number for the western side: 28. which shall be put through the middle of the boards from top to top. 29. The boards also themselves you shall overlay with gold, and shall cast rings of gold to be set upon them, for places for the bars to hold the boards together: and the bars you shall cover with plates of gold. 30. And you shall set up the tabernacle according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain. 31. You shall make also a veil of violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine twisted linen, wrought with embroidered work and goodly variety: 32. which you shall hang before four pillars of setim wood, which themselves indeed shall be overlaid with gold, and shall have golden capitals, but silver bases. 33. And the veil shall be hung up with rings, and within it you shall place the ark of the testimony, and the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies shall be divided thereby. 34. And you shall set the propitiatory upon the ark of the testimony in the Holy of Holies, 35. and the table outside the veil; and opposite the table the candelabrum on the south side of the tabernacle: for the table shall stand on the north side. 36. You shall make also a hanging in the entrance of the tabernacle of violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine twisted linen, with embroidered work. 37. And you shall overlay with gold five pillars of setim wood, before which the hanging shall be drawn: their capitals shall be of gold, and their bases of brass.
Overview of the Tabernacle, Court, and Vessels
Receive here a brief synopsis of the entire tabernacle, and of the court, and of the vessels of both. The tabernacle was 30 cubits long, 10 wide, and 10 high. It was divided into two parts, namely the Holy Place, which had 20 cubits in length, and the Holy of Holies, which contained the remaining ten cubits of the tabernacle's length: therefore the Holy Place was rectangular, because it was 20 long and 10 cubits wide; but the Holy of Holies was square, because it was 10 cubits wide and the same in length. The Holy Place was divided from the Holy of Holies by a veil, about which see verse 31.
Second, this tabernacle was made of 20 boards of gold-plated acacia wood, extending lengthwise to the south, and the same number to the north; on the western side, which was the width of the tabernacle connecting both parts of the length, namely the southern and northern, it had 8 boards; on the eastern side it was open, and had only 5 columns of gold-plated acacia wood, which were covered by a curtain at verse 37: for on this side was the entrance into the tabernacle when the curtain was raised. Each board had two silver bases: furthermore through these boards on each of its three sides, 5 bars were inserted to hold the boards together.
Third, this tabernacle was covered both above and on the sides. First, by ten curtains made of scarlet, purple, violet and linen, each of which was 28 cubits in length and 4 in width. Hence these curtains are called here "hangings," because they were stretched and extended in the manner of a tent. Second, it was covered by 11 cloths, or goat-hair coverings, each of which was 30 cubits long and 4 cubits wide. Third, it was covered with red-dyed ram skins. Fourth, with violet-blue skins against rain and storms. Hence these skins are called here "the roof," that is, the covering that covers the tabernacle, about which see verse 14. From this it follows that the tabernacle was covered and veiled on every side, and had no window, but admitted light from the front through the entrance, as I shall say at the end of the chapter.
Fourth, before the tabernacle there was a court 100 cubits long and 50 wide, which was likewise surrounded on the sides by its own boards and curtains; but above it was open and was under the sky.
Fifth, this court was like the temple of the laity; for the laity could never approach the tabernacle or enter it. Again, this court was divided into the outer court of the laity, about which I have already spoken, and the inner court of the priests, in which were both the bronze laver and the altar of burnt offerings: for this had to be in the court under the open sky because of the fire, smoke and evaporation, and the stench of the victims that were burned on this altar.
Furthermore, this court of the priests was distinguished from the court of the laity by a small partition or wall three cubits in height, so that the laity from their court could look over the wall into the court of the priests, and there see the holocausts and victims that were offered on the altar of burnt offerings.
Sixth, in the front part of the tabernacle, namely in the Holy Place, was the altar of incense, facing the Holy of Holies and the propitiatory: so that through a gap left in the wall or in the dividing veil, the smoke of incense, which was burned to God on this altar, might ascend; on the right side of this altar was the lampstand, on the left the table of the showbread. In the Holy of Holies there was the ark, having within it the tablets of the law, above it the propitiatory, which two Cherubim veiled. Again, in the Holy of Holies there was a jar with manna, and the rod of Aaron which had budded. In the court, however, as I said, there was the altar of burnt offerings and the bronze laver, from which both the priests and the victims were washed.
Seventh, the Holy of Holies, that is, the most holy part of the tabernacle, was like a sanctuary, into which the high priest alone could enter, and that only once a year, namely on the feast of expiation, Leviticus chapter 16. Into the Holy Place, however, priests entered daily morning and evening, to burn incense, and to light the lamps in the evening and extinguish them in the morning. The court, however, was the place of the people. In a similar way Solomon later divided his temple into three parts: for the first part, corresponding to this court, was under the open sky, and was called the ulam, that is, the portico of Solomon, and was the place and temple of the people; the second part was properly called the temple, in Hebrew hechal, corresponding to the Holy Place, in which was the altar of incense, with the table and lampstand; the third part, the innermost of all, was debir, that is, the oracle, or Holy of Holies. See the description of the entire tabernacle in Josephus, Book III, chapter 5, and Abulensis here on chapter 27, and Ribera, Book I On the Temple, last chapter.
Tropological Interpretation of the Tabernacle
Now receive the fitting and connected tropological interpretation of the entire tabernacle and of each of its parts and vessels. This tabernacle with its court signified the Church and the faithful of Christ, 1 Timothy chapter 3, verse 15, who through the veil of faith contemplate God on earth: in this Aaron, that is Christ the Lord, is the supreme Pontiff; and so first, the court signified the rudiments of beginners, and the common life of Christians: hence in it was the altar of burnt offerings, which signified the killing and mortification of vices in the service of God; likewise the bronze laver or washing basin, that is, the Sacrament of penance, which common Christians most need.
Second, the Holy Place signified more perfect Christians; hence in it was the altar of incense signifying continual prayer, praise and contemplation of God; and the lampstand signifying teachers who shine forth in the Church by their holy life and doctrine; and the table of showbread signifying those who are devoted to works of mercy. And for this reason the lampstand was on the right, the table on the left, because doctrine surpasses almsgiving, and teachers surpass almoners. Wisdom therefore, being spiritual, pertains to the right; but the temporal nourishment of the table, to the left, according to that saying of Proverbs 3: "In her left hand are riches and glory." The altar was in the middle, both because contemplation directs doctrine and almsgiving; and because the priest, whose is the altar, is a mediator between God and the people; and because priestly power is midway between temporal and spiritual wisdom, since through it both spiritual wisdom and temporal things are dispensed, says St. Thomas, I-II, Question 102, article 4, reply 6. Where he also adds a physical, or rather mathematical reason, namely that the lampstand having seven branches represented the seven planets by which the whole world is illuminated, and therefore it was placed on the southern side, because from that direction is the course of the planets for us; for the southern part is the right side of the world, the northern the left, as is said in Book II of On the Heavens, text 13.
Again, others by the Holy Place understand the state of perfection and the Religious life, and the three vows of Religion, namely by the altar obedience, by the table poverty, by the lampstand chastity. Third, the Holy of Holies signifies heaven, or the Church Triumphant: hence in it was the ark of the covenant, that is, the assembly of the Blessed; and the golden propitiatory, that is, the glorious humanity of Christ; and finally the Cherubim, that is, the holy angels over whom the glorious God stands out, sits and presides, and exhibits Himself to all the Blessed, both angels and human beings, to be clearly seen in heaven, and thus makes them blessed. Again, in the Holy of Holies is the jar with manna, because in heaven there is an abundance of divine sweetness, satisfaction and consolation. Finally there is the rod of Aaron, which although dry came back to life and brought forth leaves, flowers and fruit, because in the resurrection and heavenly glory the body will rise, and glory will be bestowed together with the soul, and it will bring forth four gifts, namely agility, subtlety, clarity, and impassibility. So Bede here on chapter 25 and others.
All these things can be proportionally applied to any Christian and holy soul, which through penance, charity and other virtues becomes and is a tabernacle and temple of God. 1 Corinthians 3:16: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?" Similar is Ephesians 3:17; Romans 8:9, on which see Origen, Homily 9.
Relevant here is that passage of Philo in his book On the Cherubim: "Even if, he says, the whole earth were to suddenly become gold, or something more precious than gold, and were soon to be spent through the arts of craftsmen on porticoes, vestibules, halls, courts and sacred buildings, it could not even make a footstool for the feet of God: yet a worthy dwelling for Him is the soul, provided it be suitable."
Wherefore St. Bernard praises Count Theobald, because he built monasteries and churches for his Religious, in which the living and immortal temples of God, namely religious men, might dwell and serve God: witness is the author of his Life, Book II, chapter 8.
But Isidore the monk says: "It is more excellent, he says, to restore with fitting care the bodies of the sick faithful, which we can more truly consider temples of God, and for which money is sought, than to build temples of stone." So Sozomenus, Book VIII, chapter 12.
Moved by a similar reason, Acacius, Bishop of Amida, sold the gold and silver vessels of the Church, in order to ransom and feed needy poor captives. So Socrates, Book VII, chapter 21.
Likewise St. Augustine, following St. Ambrose, "ordered the vessels of the Lord to be broken and melted down for the sake of captives and very many needy people, and distributed to the poor," says Possidius in the Life of St. Augustine, chapter 24.
Therefore this tabernacle of the soul has at its entrance the washing basin of penance, and the altar of mortification. In the Holy Place it has three precious vessels: the lampstand, the table, the altar of incense. For there are three evils in our appetite that need these vessels: the darkness of ignorance, the hunger and want of wholesome food, the pestilent vapors of sordid thinking and desire. The lampstand, that is wisdom, dispels these shadows; the table of bread, namely the table of the Eucharist, of grace and of the influx of God, satisfies this hunger; the altar of incense, namely pious thought and prayer, consumes these pestilent vapors: and so from the Holy Place, that is from the Church, we go into the Holy of Holies, that is into heaven.
And for this reason, namely because of the tropological interpretation given shortly before, the churches of Christians were formerly built so as to have the greatest resemblance to the tabernacle of Moses and the temple of Solomon: for they contained a portico, a court, the Holy Place, and finally the Holy of Holies; in the portico were those expelled from the church and unbelievers; in the court were penitents; in the Holy Place the people; in the Holy of Holies the priests, and there they offered sacrifices to God.
Again, just as in the temple of Solomon, so also in the ancient churches the place of women was separated from the place of men, and a deaconess presided over the former. Finally, just as there was a laver in the tabernacle and temple, so also in churches there was a washing basin before the doors, in which all the people about to enter the temple would wash their hands. So Baronius, volume I, year of Christ 57, pp. 533 and 540.
It can, second, allegorically signify the body of Christ. For Christ and the Church are as it were one, because Christ is as it were the head and soul of the Church. So Nyssen and Hugh, and it is gathered from John chapter 2, verses 19 and 21, which St. Cyril beautifully pursues, Book IV on John, chapter 28, where he applies both the tabernacle and all the things that were in the tabernacle to Christ. For although Christ is one, He nevertheless works and is conceived in many ways. Christ, says Cyril, is the tabernacle because of the covering of flesh: Christ is the ark having the law of God hidden within, insofar as He is the Word of the Father: Christ is the table, because He is food and life for us in the Eucharist: Christ is the lampstand, because He is the spiritual light of the soul: Christ is the altar of incense, because He is the odor of sweetness in sanctification: Christ is the altar of holocaust, because He is the victim immolated on the cross for the life of the whole world: again He is the altar, because upon Christ and the merits of Christ we offer to God our prayers, vows and sacrifices. The tabernacle therefore represented the body of Christ, both natural, namely the humanity of Christ, and mystical, which is the Church. Now let us go through and explain the text.
Verse 1: The Tabernacle You Shall Make Thus
AND THE TABERNACLE YOU SHALL MAKE THUS. — The tabernacle was made for this purpose, says Josephus, that it might be like a mobile and portable temple, traveling with the Hebrews through the desert, and it was like a military tent, which could be taken apart in pieces and packed up when the camp had to be moved. The tabernacle therefore was like a house of God, in which the Hebrews worshiped God, and God in turn signified that He was their shelter and protector, Psalm 26, verse 5.
TEN CURTAINS OF TWISTED LINEN. — "Twisted," that is, doubled by twisting: the threads of which are twisted two at a time, and thus doubled; and this in order that it might be stronger: for this linen was the warp of the entire weave, into which the scarlet, purple and violet had to be woven as the weft.
YOU SHALL MAKE THEM VARIED WITH EMBROIDERED WORK. — In Hebrew, you shall make them with cherubim, the work of a skilled designer; "cherubim," that is, figured, and varied with multiple threads and images.
Hence the Rabbis think, and among them Pagninus, Ribera and others, that cherubim in Hebrew is the same as painted, figured, just as the Cherubim above the ark were painted and fashioned in effigy. Hence St. Jerome, or whoever is the author, in the book On Hebrew Names, says that cherubim sometimes signifies nothing other than vermiculated painting. But in the preceding chapter, verse 18, Question 5, I taught from the common consensus of the Doctors that cherubim signifies a multitude of knowledge, art and skill: therefore the work of cherubim is a work of great art, talent and skill, such as are the works of embroiderers, painters, sculptors, etc.
Note: "The work of a skilled designer" in Hebrew is what in Greek is called polymitos, that is, ingenious, of much thought, skill and care: such as what the Hebrews call the work of cherubim, the Greeks polymitos, that is, multilix (of many threads), from many and various threads and colors, which is also called Phrygian from its inventors, and is the same whether it is painted with a needle or woven through by various insertion, as is done in our tapestries: for the Phrygians among the Gentiles invented this mode of weaving and variegation, and were the first to paint with a needle and weave garments with gold. For thus in these curtains of the tabernacle, upon the linen as the warp they wove various threads, namely violet, purple and scarlet. The same work is called plumarium (feather-work), as if painted with a feather, or because it was varied and multicolored, as are the plumes of birds: although St. Augustine thinks plumarium is said from pluma, that is, the needle, he says, by which golden threads are inserted into cloth. These six terms therefore are the same thing, namely the work of machosheb, that is of a skilled designer, polymitos, cherubim, polymitos, Phrygian or Phrygian-style, plumarium, which in Hebrew is called rekem, whence also the Italians call it recamato. And so plumarium work is not topiary work, as some thought; but it is work variously painted or woven with a needle, which imitates pictures made from the multicolored plumes of birds. For thus the Mexicans most elegantly weave garments, caps, shields, images, etc., from the tiny feathers of parrots and flamingos and other multicolored birds.
Nevertheless, our Translator sometimes distinguishes the polymitarius from the plumarius or embroiderer, and calls the polymitarius the one who works by weaving; the plumarius or embroiderer the one who paints and fashions various things with a needle, as is clear from chapter 38, verse 23, and chapter 35, verse 35.
Prado and Alcazar add, Apocalypse chapter 4, page 318, at the beginning (where admitting no other meaning of the word cherubim than this admits), this work is called cherubim, because truly images of Cherubim painted in various colors and woven into these curtains, just as the same were painted on the veil and walls of the temple, as is clear from 2 Chronicles chapter 3, verses 7 and 13, and this for the purpose of signifying the trophies of victory which God the Bridegroom had won from the Egyptian war when Pharaoh was drowned, for the sake of freeing His bride, namely the Synagogue; so that the bride might wear them both on the many-colored vestment of the priests and in the tabernacle, as insignia of His kingdom and priesthood, so that by gazing upon her garment and her tabernacle with these emblems, she might be inflamed to wonder and love for so valiant a leader and so loving a spouse, namely God most high and most great. Josephus, however, says that in these curtains the images woven in were not of men or animals, but of herbs, trees and other things.
Verse 2: Hangings
HANGINGS, — that is, curtains stretched in the manner of a tent.
Verse 3: Five Curtains Shall Be Joined to One Another
FIVE CURTAINS SHALL BE JOINED TO ONE ANOTHER, — as if to say: Of the ten curtains you shall join five and five either by sewing or by another method, so that they may be like two large curtains, which in turn will be coupled into one very large curtain by 50 loops; the result being that while the length of all the curtains remains the same, namely 28 cubits, the width along which they are connected will be 40 cubits: for four times ten makes 40: for each of the ten curtains was 4 cubits wide and 28 long.
From this it is easy to see how these 10 curtains were proportioned to the tabernacle, and covered the whole of it, except the eastern side where the entrance was open, both above and on the three remaining sides. To see this clearly, note first that the tabernacle (namely the boards of the tabernacle) was 30 cubits long from east to west, and 10 cubits wide from south to north; second, that the boards of the tabernacle were 10 cubits high on every side; third, that these connected curtains had 28 cubits in length and 40 in width, as I said.
I say first: This veil of 10 curtains was arranged transversely along its length, that is, it was extended from the northern side to the southern side, so that it covered and roofed both of these sides, and at the same time the upper part, or opening, by which these boards were separated from each other in width above, like a roof. That this was so is clear: for these two sides, namely the northern and southern, each had ten cubits of height, which joined together made 20 cubits, and the upper width, like the lower, was 10 cubits. Therefore the whole space of these three sides, namely the height of the boards on both sides and the upper width, was 30 cubits, which the curtains, being 28 cubits long, so covered that on each side they were one cubit short of the ground, which they would have reached if they had been not 28 but 30 cubits, as was the actual space of the tabernacle.
I say second: This veil of ten curtains was spread according to its width from east to west. This is clear: for the length of the tabernacle, which was measured from east to west, was thirty cubits; but the height of the western side, as also of the others, was 10 cubits, which joined to the 30 cubits of the length already mentioned make 40 cubits, which is the number of the width of this veil: for this veil of 10 joined curtains was 40 cubits wide, as I said. So therefore all sides of the tabernacle were covered by this veil, except the eastern side, where the entrance was open. So Abulensis, Question 4.
The goat-hair cloth was arranged in a similar manner, about which see verse 7; but because it consisted not of 10 but of 11 curtains, each of which had not 28 like the previous ones, but 30 cubits in length, the result was that this cloth, on account of these 30 cubits, reached to the ground on both sides; and on account of the eleventh curtain, the width of one curtain in front, and the width of another curtain in back, had to be folded in half.
Tropologically, in the tabernacle, that is the Church, the ten curtains are the 10 precepts of charity, or of the Decalogue: they are five and five, because each agrees with both the New and Old Testament; they are 4 cubits wide: for charity extends to the 4 cardinal virtues; they are 28 cubits long, which number arises from four multiplied by seven (which is the number of the sabbath), and is a perfect composite number: for it alone is composed and completed by all its prime factors, for if you add 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, you will produce 28, because the charity of the divine law begets for us the longest and most perfect eternity; hence also the 50 projecting violet loops, that is, of heavenly color, signify hope of heavenly things and the heavenly jubilee, in which we shall have the fullest liberty and joy; the golden rings signify perpetual brightness and the clear charity of the Saints, or mutual love. See Bede, Book II On the Tabernacle, chapter 2.
St. Gregory says otherwise, Homily 19 on Ezekiel: "The curtains, he says, of the tabernacle are all the Saints, who advance in the ornament of the holy Church from the various colors of virtues. They both veil the interior things and adorn the exterior in every way; because their life, insofar as it is seen, is an ornament, and their understanding, hidden within, while they cannot express the heavenly things they keep in their mind, is in some way veiled in them. Rightly there are ten curtains, because through zeal for the Decalogue the very hearts of the Saints advanced. The violet loops of the curtains were commanded to be made fifty in number. Violet has the appearance of the sky. The loops of the curtains therefore are the heavenly precepts, in which souls are bound, so that lifted up from lower things they may hang above. These loops also have golden rings, namely the understanding shining with true wisdom. Which understanding, because it must be circumspect in all things and fortified with the watchfulness of so great solicitude, is rightly designated by rings. And it should be noted that loops or rings are commanded to be made on the side and top of the curtains, because the heavenly precepts and spiritual understanding must not only suspend us upward in the love of God, but also unite us to our neighbor in charity. For insofar as we love our Creator, we hang in the air as it were by the upper loops; but insofar as we love our neighbors as ourselves, we have loops and rings on the side, so that the curtains of the tabernacle, that is, the souls of the faithful, may be joined through charity, and not divided through discord."
Verse 6: You Shall Also Make Fifty Rings
YOU SHALL ALSO MAKE FIFTY RINGS, — namely circular clasps, so that these two panels of five curtains each may be joined through them, and again loosened and separated when it is time to set out; hence our Translator calls these rings "clasps" at verse 11, and the Hebrew karse signifies a ring and a circular clasp, from curvature.
Verse 7: You Shall Also Make Eleven Goat-Hair Cloths
YOU SHALL ALSO MAKE ELEVEN GOAT-HAIR CLOTHS. — In Hebrew, you shall also make curtains of goat hair, eleven: for garments woven from goat hair were called cilicine (of cilice), about which see chapter 25, verse 4. These cloths or hangings were joined in the same manner, and spread over the tabernacle, as the 10 curtains, as I said at verse 3.
Tropologically, St. Augustine, Sermon 45 on Matthew: Eleven, he says, is a symbol of sin, because it transgresses the number ten of the Decalogue, which here is mourned with cilice, or goat-hair cloth: this cloth therefore was a symbol of penance. "Penance, says Isidore, Book III of On the Highest Good, is the medicine of the wound, the hope of salvation, through which one is moved to mercy, which is measured not by time, but by the depth of mourning and tears, by which all flesh is tortured and mortified." And Hugh of St. Victor, Book III of On the Mysteries of the Church: "Penance, he says, is called as it were 'punishing' (or rather 'holding punishment'), because the person himself in repenting punishes in himself what he wrongly committed. For the three things that are in the striking of the breast, namely the breast, the sound and the hand, signify that penance is for those things in which we have sinned by thought, word and deed."
TO COVER THE ROOF OF THE TABERNACLE, — he calls the covering "roof," namely the veil of ten curtains, already mentioned, which covered the tabernacle like a roof.
Mystically, these cloths signify holy preachers; hence they have three times ten, that is 30 cubits, which number is perfect: yet they are humble, and since, like the number eleven, they confess that they sometimes transgress the Decalogue, and therefore they embrace the cilice and the mournful state of penance, and even the habit from time to time, after the manner of St. John the Baptist, so as thus to move the people to penance. So Bede.
Verse 12: With Half of It You Shall Cover the Back of the Tabernacle
WITH HALF OF IT YOU SHALL COVER THE BACK OF THE TABERNACLE, — as if to say: "You shall cover," that is, you shall fold back one curtain to the height of two cubits, so that thus a doubled covering may be made, which covers the back part of the tabernacle to the height of two cubits. So Abulensis.
Verse 14: Another Covering of Ram Skins and Violet-Blue Skins
YOU SHALL ALSO MAKE ANOTHER COVERING FOR THE ROOF OF RED-DYED RAM SKINS; AND OVER THIS AGAIN ANOTHER COVERING OF VIOLET-BLUE SKINS. — The "roof" here again refers to the first covering of the tabernacle, namely the veil of ten curtains, which in Hebrew is called ohel, that is, tabernacle, because it was the closest covering of the entire tabernacle.
Note: There were four coverings or roofings of the tabernacle. The first was the veil of ten curtains of linen, purple, scarlet and violet, about which see verse 1. The second was the covering of eleven goat-hair cloths, about which see verse 7. The third was of red-dyed ram skins. The fourth was of violet-blue skins. Whether these last two covered only the roof of the tabernacle, as Bede, Cajetan and Lipomanus hold, or also the sides of the tabernacle, is uncertain; for the fact that verse 14 says they covered the roof proves nothing for Bede: for there "roof" is the same as "tabernacle": for this was covered on every side, and the same reason that applied for covering the roof properly so called with these two coverings applies equally for the whole tabernacle, namely lest it be damaged by rains, lest the more delicate curtains and the gilded boards be soiled or ruined.
Hence Josephus also says the tabernacle was so beautiful externally in color, appearance and beauty, that those who looked upon it marveled and thought it was the sky, which seems to be taken especially of the fourth violet-blue covering surrounding and covering the sides; for the roof of the tabernacle, being flat and high, could not be seen. Similarly the ten embroidered curtains, being the innermost and covered on every side by the goat-hair cloth, could not be seen in any part. So Abulensis, Question 10.
Tropologically, the covering of red-dyed ram skins signifies Apostolic men, who covered the Church with their blood and established its faith against all the assailing storms of unbelievers. They therefore are reddened, because with their blood they purchased the blessed life, both their own and the Church's. Roman histories tell of Gaius Marius, that he pitched camp against the Cimbri and Teutons in a dry place, and to his thirsty soldiers asking for water, pointing out a river near the enemy's rampart, said: "From there drink can be obtained by you, purchasable with blood"; soon the soldiers begged him to lead them there. Christ said the same to the Martyrs and to the Church. The violet-blue covering signifies virgins, who with heavenly color, dead to the flesh and to the world, carry with them only mortal skin, their minds fixed on heaven: these are eminent in the Church, and protect it with their merits and prayers.
Hence virgins are called as it were distinguished by virtue, and celibates as it were heavenly dwellers, and blessed by heaven, that is, of heaven, imitating the life of citizens in the land, says Bede, book II On the Tabernacle, chapters III and IV. "How great," says St. Ambrose, book I On Duties, "is the grace of virginity, which merited to be chosen by Christ, to be the bodily temple of God, in which the fullness of divinity corporally dwelt? A Virgin brought forth the salvation of the world, a Virgin gave birth to the life of all."
And St. Gregory: "Virginity is a flower, martyrdom a flower, a good action a flower. Virginity in the garden, martyrdom in the field, good works in the bridal chamber."
And St. Cyprian, book On Virginity: "Virginity is the sister of angels, the victory over lusts, the queen of virtues, the possession of all goods; it is the flower of the Church's seedbed, the glory and ornament of spiritual grace, the more illustrious portion of the flock of Christ." And St. Jerome: "To be an angel belongs to felicity; but to be a virgin belongs to virtue: for a virgin strives to obtain by grace what an angel has by nature."
Verse 15: You Shall Also Make the Boards of the Tabernacle
YOU SHALL ALSO MAKE THE BOARDS OF THE TABERNACLE STANDING UPRIGHT. — These boards were like the walls of the tabernacle, erected on three of its sides. Second, these boards on the south side numbered 20, and the same number on the north side, which two sides were the sides of the tabernacle's length; hence it follows that the tabernacle was 30 cubits long: for each board was a cubit and a half wide; therefore 20 boards made 30 cubits; the north boards were separated from the south boards by ten cubits, which was the width of the tabernacle; they were 10 cubits high. Third, on the west there were six full boards and two half boards, so that all eight joined together made 10 cubits (which was again the width of the tabernacle); for these boards joined the south side and the north side of the tabernacle. Fourth, each of these boards had two bases, like two pivots, which were received in two sockets of the two silver bases, and this so that the boards would rest upon these silver bases and stand more firmly.
Allegorically, these boards signify the spread of the Gospel through the Apostles and their successors throughout the whole world; the bases were the oracles of the Prophets, on which the preaching of the Gospel rested. So Bede and Isidore. But Gregory of Nyssa understands by the boards and bases the multitude of angels who guard the Saints and the elect.
Verse 17: Two Mortises Shall Be Made
ON THE SIDES OF THE BOARDS TWO MORTISES SHALL BE MADE, BY WHICH ONE BOARD MAY BE CONNECTED TO ANOTHER, — that is, each board will be hollowed out in two of its parts, so that the neighboring board may enter into them through its projecting part, as if through a hand, as the Hebrew has it, and thus be connected to it. These mortises, or joints of the boards, signify the humble charity by which the Apostles and the Saints who followed them were mutually joined and bound together. So Bede.
Verses 22 and 23: Six Boards for the Western Side
ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE TABERNACLE YOU SHALL MAKE SIX BOARDS, AND AGAIN TWO OTHERS, WHICH SHALL BE ERECTED IN THE CORNERS BEHIND THE TABERNACLE, — that is, the tabernacle on the west will have eight boards, as is said at verse 25, yet so that six are full-sized, namely a cubit and a half each, while the remaining two are only half a cubit: for since the width of the tabernacle had to be 10 cubits, and six boards would only give 9 cubits, therefore two other smaller boards were added to those six, namely one on each side measuring half a cubit, so that the tenth cubit of the tabernacle's width would be completed by them; which are accordingly said to have been erected in the corners, because one touched the south side and the other the north side: and finally these, together with the other six, are said to have been behind the tabernacle, that is, on the western side of the tabernacle, which covered the Holy of Holies: for the front and eastern part of the tabernacle had no boards, but was open, because there was the entrance to the tabernacle.
Anagogically, these eight boards behind the Holy of Holies signify the eight beatitudes, which after this life will succeed and come to those who merit them and pursue them here. So Rupertus.
Truly St. Augustine in his Sermon on the Apostles Peter and Paul says: "Peter," he says, "poor in the world, was made rich in Christ, to whom kings and nations pay homage in this age. Paul, indeed, while he pressed the saints with swords, took up the yoke of faith, and was made a teacher of the Gentiles, a model for Martyrs, the terror of demons, the pardoner of sins, and the font of virtues." And St. Chrysostom, homily 4 On the Praise of St. Paul: "Paul, traversing land and sea alike, Greece and Barbarian lands alike, and absolutely every region under the sun, as if on wings, going around offering sacrifice; not traveling on his journeys with simple labor as if to no purpose, but at the same time uprooting the thorns of sins, sowing the word of piety everywhere, putting errors to flight, bringing back truth, making angels out of men, and indeed raising men from being, as it were, demons into angels." And again: "Paul, citizen of heaven, pillar of the Churches, earthly angel, heavenly man. For just as iron cast into fire becomes entirely fire, so Paul, set ablaze with charity, became entirely charity." The same author again: "Christ sent the Apostles, as the sun its rays, as the rose the sweetness of its fragrance, as fire its sparks: for just as the sun appears in its rays, as the rose is perceived in its fragrances, as fire is seen in its sparks, so in their virtues the power of Christ was recognized."
Verse 24: They Shall Be Joined Together
AND THEY SHALL BE JOINED TOGETHER, — that is, the six equal boards, and like twin sisters: for he speaks of the other two smaller ones shortly after.
AND ONE JOINING SHALL HOLD THEM ALL. — In Hebrew, they shall all be perfect, that is, entirely equally joined at the top, that is, upward to one ring, that is, as if they were held by one ring; for they were not truly bound by a ring, but by mortises, as I said at verse 17, as if by rings they were fastened together, which our Translator clearly renders, "one joining shall hold them all."
Verse 26: You Shall Also Make Bars
YOU SHALL ALSO MAKE BARS OF ACACIA WOOD, FIVE TO HOLD THE BOARDS TOGETHER. — Here he treats of the bars, which on every side, that is, on each of three sides, were five in number, to bind and hold the boards together; hence it follows that these bars were in all 15: for three times five makes 15: fifteen, I say, complete bars measured to the length or width of the boards; but each complete bar was made up of several partial ones, especially on each of the two sides of the tabernacle's length: for since the length was 30 cubits, a bar of a single piece of wood would have had to be likewise thirty cubits long, and bars or timbers of such length are scarcely found. Therefore one complete bar here was made up of many partial sections, namely those which were on each side of the length, which was 30 cubits; each of these was completed by six partial sections: for each partial section was 5 cubits, says Josephus. These partial sections were therefore joined to each other and inserted, the head of one into the socket of another, just as bones in the human body are interlocked with each other in the manner of a box joint, says Josephus.
Verse 28: Through the Middle of the Boards
WHICH SHALL BE PUT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE BOARDS (not through the very thickness of the boards, but across their backs crosswise; for on their backs there were rings, through which these bars were inserted) FROM TOP TO TOP, — that is, from one end to the other. So the Hebrew, which reads thus: And each middle bar, shall pass in the middle of the boards, passing from one end to the other; which our Translator clearly renders, "which shall be put through the middle of the boards from one end to the other." The Septuagint, the Chaldean, Vatablus, and others understand this as referring to another middle bar passing through the very thickness of the boards: and so our Translator understood it, chapter xxxvi, verse 33, where in the Hebrew nearly the same words appear as here, about which I shall speak there.
Allegorically, these five bars, made not for carrying but for holding and binding the boards together, signified the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses, by which both the Jews of old and Christians now in the present life are inflamed to faith and virtue, and toward the hope of future recompense. So Bede, book II, chapter VII.
Verse 31: You Shall Also Make a Veil
YOU SHALL ALSO MAKE A VEIL. — Here is described the veil dividing the Sanctuary and the Sanctuary of sanctuaries, that is, dividing the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies; this veil was hung before the Holy of Holies, made of fine linen, scarlet, purple, and hyacinth, and was suspended from four columns made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, which columns had golden capitals and silver bases. Second, Scripture is silent here about at what point this veil was placed; but if we may conjecture from the veil of the temple, which was built after the pattern of the tabernacle, the Holy of Holies occupied a third part of the tabernacle, so that this veil separated this third part from the rest; therefore the Holy of Holies was square on every side: for it had ten cubits in both length and width. Alluding to this, St. John, Apocalypse xxi, 16, speaking of the empyrean heaven signified by the Holy of Holies, says: "That city is set foursquare."
Mystically, this veil signified that we, who are here in the court and the Holy Place, that is, in the Church Militant, behold God and future goods, which are in the Holy of Holies, that is, in heaven, through faith and enigmatic knowledge. Hence at Christ's passion this veil was torn: because Christ by His death opened for us access to heaven and the clear vision of God.
St. Augustine, sermon 18 on John: "Walk," he says, "by faith, that you may arrive at hope; hope will not build up in the fatherland one whom faith does not console on the way." The same again: "What is faith, but to believe what you do not see? Whence and how is the Trinity grasped? Rightly, O man, you ask; therefore it is rightly believed, because it is not quickly grasped: for if it were quickly grasped, there would be no need for it to be believed, because it would be seen." This is what the Apostle says, Hebrews xi, 1: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hence again St. Augustine, in the book On the Trinity: "Remove," he says, "arguments, where faith is sought; in their very gymnasiums let Dialectic now be silent: they believe the fishermen, not the dialecticians." And St. Bernard in the Canticle: "What," he says, "may faith not discover? It reaches what is inaccessible, finds out what is unknown, comprehends what is immense, grasps what is ultimate, and finally in a certain way encompasses eternity itself in its own vast bosom."
Hence again the Apostle at Hebrews x, 20, understands by the veil the flesh of Christ, which concealed His divinity, and which, torn like the veil at His passion, opened the way into heaven. This veil was made of hyacinth, purple, fine linen, and scarlet twice dyed, in embroidered work, because the flesh of Christ was composed from the purple blood of the Virgin Mother of God, by the work of the Holy Spirit, with the most beautiful variety of members.
Hence at Psalm cxxxviii, 15, where we have: "My substance in the lower parts of the earth," the Hebrew is, "I was embroidered with a needle," that is, as Pagninus explains, "I was formed with various members," namely like a garment of Phrygian embroidery; "in the lower parts of the earth," that is, in the womb of a mother, as in a hidden and underground place. Campensis explains it, "I was woven like a tapestry from sinews and veins in the womb of my mother." The Psalmist speaks of the formation of every human being, or of the embryo in the mother's womb. If the body of any man is embroidered with a needle like a Phrygian garment, what shall we say of the body of Christ, whose embroiderer was the Holy Spirit? And what of His soul? What of His entire humanity? How beautiful it shines, woven with the variety of heavenly gifts, like a garment of pure silk or gold! For the supreme Craftsman painted in it, first, all knowledge and truths: for the soul of Christ had a threefold knowledge, namely beatific, infused, and acquired; second, all prudence and wisdom; third, all virtues, natural, supernatural, and theological; fourth, all graces freely given; fifth, every variety of glory, and all the endowments of blessed beatitude.
Verse 33: The Veil Shall Divide the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies
AND THE VEIL SHALL BE INSERTED, etc., BY WHICH BOTH THE SANCTUARY AND THE SANCTUARY OF SANCTUARIES SHALL BE DIVIDED, — that is, this veil will divide the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, the furnishings of which he proceeds to describe. The Holy of Holies was an express symbol of the empyrean heaven and of eternal life, which Vigilantius beautifully describes in the Life of the priest Epictetus and the monk Astion, Martyrs, to Astion's mother who was still a Gentile. For when the mother said: "What is the name of that region to which my most beloved and only son Astion has gone?" Vigilantius replied: "The region of the strong, or of valiant men." And the mother: "Are there any people dwelling there?" Vigilantius replied: "There are many and very noble ones, whose possession is called paradise, whose tents are constructed of light, whose life is God, and whose manner of living is immortal; whose garments are sprinkled with blood, and on whose heads are crowns fashioned of the purest gold with various gems. And there is also a most powerful and fearsome King in that same region, whose name is called God of gods and Lord of lords; whose messengers are called Angels of justice, whose garment is one and the same for all, and whose touch resembles burning fire. And the senate of this Emperor is also considered very illustrious; and half of it is called Prophets, while the others are proclaimed Apostles." Then he describes the city itself thus: "And the city of this King is also very magnificent, and its name is proclaimed by the followers of Christ, whose wall is constructed of the purest gold, having twelve gates, and in each of them hang individual pearls, and individual senators sit at each gate without ceasing. And the first gate is called Peter's, the second Paul's, the third Andrew's, the fourth John's, the fifth James's, the sixth Philip's, the seventh Bartholomew's, the eighth Thomas's, the ninth Matthew's, the tenth Thaddaeus's, the eleventh Simon's, the twelfth Matthias's." Finally he depicts its temple and Holy of Holies thus: "And there is also a wondrous temple in it, having a Holy of Holies and a golden altar, before which stands a wondrous man holding a psaltery of ten strings, and he continually exhorts those dwelling there to praise that King, saying: Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him all His angels; praise Him all His powers. And the name of this man is proclaimed as David, son of Jesse. And the streets of this city are paved with the purest gold; its river pours forth eternal life, its fruit trees yield their fruits every month, and their leaves serve for the healing of souls; its light is indescribable, and its gates are never closed, because there will never be night there, nor are any shadows found there; but joy always, and perpetual gladness, continually dwell therein."
Therefore St. Anthony rightly exhorted his followers, saying: "But let this be the first commandment common to all, that no one grow weary in the vigor of the purpose they have undertaken, but that, as one just beginning, they should always increase what they have begun, especially since the span of human life, compared to eternity, is very brief and small." Having thus begun, he was silent for a little while, and marveling at the exceeding generosity of God, he added again, saying: "In this present life, exchanges are equal in the trading of goods, and the seller receives no more from the buyer; but the promise of eternal life is purchased at a cheap price. For it is written: The days of our life are seventy years; and if we are strong, eighty: and whatever is beyond is labor and sorrow. When therefore we have lived laboring in God's work for eighty, or at most a hundred years, we shall not reign for an equal period in the future; but in return for those years mentioned, the kingdoms of all ages will be given to us. We shall not inherit earth, but heaven: and leaving behind our corruptible body, we shall receive it back again with incorruption. Therefore, little children, let neither weariness exhaust you, nor the pursuit of vain glory delight you. For the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, which shall be revealed in us."
St. Mary of Oignies, as Cardinal Vitriaco attests in her Life, having lived an angelic life, received a revelation of her salvation and glory in these words: "You shall go into the Holy of Holies." And since she understood the meaning but not the words, since they were Latin, she kept saying joyfully to her maidservant: "We shall go into the Holy of Holies, dearest Clementia (this was the maidservant's name). And what is the Holy of Holies?" Nor could she say anything else, drunk with joy, night and day, neither eating nor drinking.
Hence monasteries of old, in which monks lived, withdrawn from earthly things, living a heavenly life and yearning for heaven, were called Sanctuaries, as is clear from the Life of St. Euphraxia. So St. Arsenius kept a cloth in his bosom to wipe away the continual tears which flowed from his eyes on account of his desire for eternal life.
Hence St. Jerome, having recounted the wondrous and heavenly virtues of St. Paula, the foundress of five monasteries in Palestine, and indeed a nun and leader of nuns, pursues her thus even into heaven: "Moreover, she has finished her course, and kept the faith, and now enjoys the crown of justice, and follows the Lamb wherever He goes. She is satisfied, because she hungered, and joyfully she sings: As we have heard, so have we seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God. O blessed exchange of things! She wept, that she might always laugh. She despised the broken cisterns, that she might find the Lord who is the fountain. She was clothed in sackcloth, that she might now wear white garments, and say: You have torn my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness. She ate ashes like bread, and mingled her drink with weeping, saying: My tears have been my bread day and night, that she might feed forever on the bread of angels, and sing: Taste and see that the Lord is good," and: "My heart has uttered a good word; I speak my works to the King."
So St. Euphraxia, in the time of Emperor Theodosius, born of imperial blood, having spurned the world and embraced monastic life, and having lived therein with wondrous humility, obedience, and holiness, at age thirty was called to this Holy of Holies. For the Abbess saw two men saying to her: "Taking Euphraxia with you, lead her before the Lord"; and immediately, she says, taking her, I hastened with them. "And when we came to a certain gate, whose glory I cannot describe, it opened to us of its own accord. And we entered, and we saw there an indescribable heavenly palace, in which there is a bridal throne not made by human hands. I indeed could not approach further within; but taking Euphraxia they presented her to the Lord, and falling down she kissed His immaculate feet. I saw there ten thousands of angels, and an innumerable multitude of Saints, and all stood looking on: and I saw, and behold, the Mother of the Lord, taking Euphraxia, led her to the bridal chamber, in which she was preparing a crown of beauty; and I heard a voice saying to Euphraxia: Behold your reward. Now therefore proceed, coming after ten days, and enjoy these things for infinite ages; and because today is the ninth day since I saw the vision, tomorrow Euphraxia will die." On the following day, therefore, Euphraxia, together with the Abbess, departed this life and went into the Holy of Holies. So her Life records.
To this place Christ went before us and preceded us through the cross, He who "by His own blood entered once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption," as St. Paul says at Hebrews IX, 12.
Verse 36: A Hanging for the Entrance of the Tabernacle
YOU SHALL ALSO MAKE A HANGING FOR THE ENTRANCE OF THE TABERNACLE. — Here is described the second veil, which hung before the Holy Place, just as the first, at verse 31, hung before the Holy of Holies. This veil is called a hanging, because it was spread out like a tapestry and military tent for the fourth, namely the eastern, side of the tabernacle, or for its entrance, and it was like a door of the tabernacle divided by five columns, so that by four passageways intercepted between the five columns, entry was available. For just as the eight boards, at verse 22, closed the opposite western side of the tabernacle, so these five columns with their veil closed the eastern side, where entry was available.
Note first: This veil was made just like the previous one, at verse 31, of fine linen, scarlet, purple, and hyacinth, and was suspended from five columns made of acacia wood overlaid with gold.
Second, this veil which was at the entrance of the tabernacle, as also the veil which was at the entrance of the court, about which see chapter xxvii, verse 16, was moveable, while the remaining curtains of the court itself were immoveable, and were made of fine linen only, whereas these at the entrance of the tabernacle and the court were of embroidered work, as I have just said.
Third, Josephus states that this veil at the entrance of the tabernacle hung from the top not all the way down to the ground, but only to the middle of the columns, and was there sustained and held in place by rings, and this so as to give access and entry to the priests, who entered the tabernacle by passing under it, and so that the light of the sun would be admitted into the tabernacle through this empty and open part; for in the tabernacle there were no windows: for it was entirely covered on all sides, both by the ten curtains and by the goat-hair covering.
Fourth, the same Josephus adds that close to this veil there was another veil, equal in size, but woven of linen, hanging by rings from a cord stretched across, which was sometimes drawn forward, and sometimes, especially on feast days, drawn back, so that the people could look into the tabernacle; for when the veil was drawn back, the gilded boards of the tabernacle lay open to view, says Lipomanus on chapter xxxvi. But on other days, and especially when it rained, snowed, or hailed, this outermost linen veil by its being placed in front protected the other inner and decorated veil from storms and injuries of the weather.
Verse 37: Five Columns Overlaid with Gold
AND YOU SHALL OVERLAY THE FIVE COLUMNS WITH GOLD. — That is, you shall adorn them with golden, not plates, but rings, as is clear from chapter xxxvi, the last verse, in the Hebrew.