Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Exodus
Chapter 38: The Altar, the Laver, and the Court
Bezaleel moves out from the holy place to the things of the courtyard. He makes the great brazen altar of burnt offering, foursquare with horns at its corners, where the sacrifices would be consumed. He makes the laver of brass for washing, and its metal comes from a striking source: the polished looking glasses the women gave up at the door of the tabernacle. He builds the court, an enclosure of fine linen with a single gate of blue and purple and scarlet. And when the work is done, Moses records the sum of it all, the gold, silver, and brass that went into the sanctuary, noting that the silver came from the atonement money, a half shekel from every man who was numbered. Exodus 38 is a chapter of the courtyard and its accounting: the altar of sacrifice, the laver of cleansing, the one gate of entrance, and a house whose very foundation was laid on the ransom of redeemed souls.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Exodus chapter 38. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Chapter 38 records the making of the brazen altar, the laver from the women's mirrors, the court and its one gate, and the sum of the metals used, including the silver of the atonement money. It teaches the cross, cleansing, the one way of entrance in Christ, and redemption by a common ransom. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Where Sacrifice Burned
The great brazen altar at the entrance, where the burnt offering was consumed and the way to God began.
Made of Mirrors
The laver of brass for washing, cast from the polished looking glasses the women surrendered at the door.
One Gate to Enter
The linen court set apart the holy things from the world, with a single gate of colored needlework.
Built on the Ransom
The reckoning of the metals, whose silver came from the atonement money paid by every numbered man.
The Altar of Burnt Offering (Exodus 38:1-7)
Bezaleel makes the great brazen altar, foursquare and horned, that stood at the entrance to the court where every approach to God began with sacrifice.
The Brazen Altar of Sacrifice
"And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof. And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass. And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass. And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it. And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves. And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass. And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards."
Hebrew Study
The altar of burnt offering is made of boards, hollow, with a horn at each of the four corners and all overlaid with brass — the metal of endurance under judgment, made to bear the fire. It stands first inside the gate, for no one comes to God's house but by way of the altar; and its horns, gripped by both sacrifice and suppliant, speak of the mercy found at the place where blood is shed.
Explanation
The altar of burnt offering was the largest single piece of furniture and the first thing a worshipper met on entering the court. Made of shittim wood overlaid with brass, it was "foursquare," five cubits on a side, with "horns" on its four corners, all of one piece. Bezaleel made its pans, shovels, basons, fleshhooks, and firepans of brass, and a grate of brass network for the fire. Here the animals were slain and burned, the smoke of sacrifice rising continually. There was no way further into the tabernacle, no approach to the holy place or the presence of God, that did not begin at this altar. Before a man could draw near, blood had to be shed. The brazen altar stood at the door as an unmovable declaration: the way to God is through sacrifice.
Gospel Focus
The brazen altar, standing first at the entrance, preaches the cross. Just as no Israelite could come to God except by the altar of sacrifice, so no sinner can come to God except through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). The altar teaches that our approach to God does not begin with our good works or our worthiness but with a substitute slain in our place. The horns of the altar, to which men fled for refuge, speak of the mercy and saving power found there. And notice the brass, a metal that in Scripture endures the fire of judgment; the altar bore the fire so the sinner would not have to. At Calvary, the fire of God's judgment against sin fell on Christ, the true burnt offering, wholly given up to God for us. Before we can enjoy the light of the lampstand, the bread of the table, or the incense of prayer within, we must first come to the altar. There is no way past the cross into the presence of God; it is the door and the beginning of all true worship.
The Laver of the Women's Mirrors (Exodus 38:8)
Bezaleel makes the laver and its base of brass, and the metal comes from the looking glasses the women gave up at the door of the tabernacle.
Of the Lookingglasses of the Women
"And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits: Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 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. And for the east side eastward fifty cubits. The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen. 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."
Hebrew Study
A small, beautiful detail: the bronze laver was made "of the lookingglasses of the women assembling" at the tent door. The polished mirrors in which they once studied their own faces were surrendered and melted into the basin where priests would wash. Vanity laid down becomes the vessel of cleansing — the very thing that fed self-regard reforged into a means of purity before God.
Explanation
The laver stood between the altar and the holy place, filled with water for the priests to wash their hands and feet before they ministered. What makes it remarkable is where its brass came from: "the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle." In that day mirrors were made of polished brass, and they were among a woman's most personal and prized possessions, the very means by which she looked upon herself. These devoted women gave up their mirrors, the instruments of looking at self, so that the instrument of cleansing before God could be made. What had once served vanity was melted down to serve holiness. From the surrendered mirrors of self came the basin where priests were washed clean to serve the living God.
Gospel Focus
The laver speaks of cleansing, and its story carries a beautiful lesson. The priests, already brought past the altar of blood, still had to wash at the laver before they could serve; so we, though redeemed by the blood of Jesus, still need the daily washing of the water of the word. Paul writes that Christ cleanses the church "with the washing of water by the word" (Ephesians 5:26). But do not miss the wonder of where the laver came from. The women gave up their mirrors, the very things they used to gaze on themselves, so that a place of cleansing could be built. There is a quiet gospel in that exchange. As long as we are absorbed in looking at ourselves, we cannot be clean; but when we surrender the mirror of self and turn instead to the water of God's word, we are washed. The word of God is a better mirror; it shows us not our vanity but our need, and then it cleanses what it reveals. Lay down the mirror of self, and let the word of God wash you day by day, that you may draw near to serve Him clean.
The Court and Its One Gate (Exodus 38:9-20)
Bezaleel encloses the court with hangings of fine linen, and sets a single gate of blue, purple, and scarlet needlework as the one way in.
The Hanging for the Gate
"And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court. 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. And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass. This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest. And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen. All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:"
Hebrew Study
The court is enclosed with hangings of fine twined linen, its pillars set in sockets with hooks and "fillets of silver." Silver — the redemption-money paid by every counted Israelite (30:12-16) — runs through the whole framework, binding the pillars and crowning them. The house of God is held together, quite literally, by redemption; every soul numbered and ransomed has a place in the structure.
Explanation
Bezaleel enclosed the courtyard with "hangings of fine twined linen," a hundred cubits on the long sides, hung on pillars of brass with hooks and fillets of silver. This white linen wall set the sanctuary apart from the camp and the world, and its height barred any casual entry. But in the wall there was one opening, "the gate of the court," a hanging twenty cubits wide of blue, purple, and scarlet needlework. There was not a gate on every side, nor many doors to choose from; there was one gate, and only one, and it faced the east. Anyone who would come to the altar, the laver, or the presence of God had to enter by that single gate. The white walls said, "keep out"; the one gate said, "here is the way in."
Gospel Focus
The court had one gate, and one only, and in that single door is a picture of Christ. The white linen walls declared the righteousness of God, a standard no sinner could climb over or break through; but God did not leave the sinner shut out. He set one gate in the wall, one appointed way of entrance. So the Lord Jesus said, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved" (John 10:9). There are not many ways to God, one for each nation or preference; there is one way, and He is a Person. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). The one gate was wide, twenty cubits across, wide enough for whosoever will; yet it was still only one gate. So the door of salvation stands open to all people, but it opens in only one place, in Jesus Christ. Do not try to climb the white wall of your own righteousness; come by the gate that God has appointed, and enter in.
The Silver of the Ransomed (Exodus 38:21-31)
Moses records the sum of the metals used, and the silver that formed the very foundation of the sanctuary came from the atonement money, a half shekel from every man numbered.
A Bekah for Every Man
"A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men. 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. And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them. And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels. And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar, And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about."
Explanation
Moses gives a careful accounting of all the metal used: the gold of the offering, the brass, and the silver. The silver had a special origin. It was "the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation," the atonement money commanded earlier, "a bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel," paid by every man twenty years old and upward, all six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty of them. The half shekel was the same for all; the rich did not pay more, nor the poor less, for it was the price of a soul, and every soul was reckoned at the same value. From this silver were "cast the sockets of the sanctuary," a talent to each socket, one hundred sockets in all. The redemption money of the people became the literal foundation on which the whole tabernacle stood. Every board of the dwelling rested in a silver socket paid for by a ransomed life.
Hebrew Study
The half shekel was the atonement money, from the Hebrew kaphar, to cover or ransom; earlier God had called it "the atonement money" and "a ransom for his soul" (Exodus 30:12-16). The word kopher, a ransom, is the price paid to redeem a life that is forfeit. This silver was not a temple tax in the ordinary sense but redemption money, the token that each soul had been ransomed. And it was this ransom silver, and no other, that God chose to become the foundation of His house.
Gospel Focus
There is a rich gospel in this silver foundation. The house of God rested upon the atonement money, the ransom paid for each soul, so that the whole sanctuary literally stood on redemption. So it is with the church of God: it is built upon the ransom paid for us, who were "not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold ... but with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19). And notice that the price was the same for every man, a half shekel, no more from the rich and no less from the poor. At the foot of redemption all souls are equal, for all are ransomed at one price, the blood of Jesus. The successful and the struggling, the strong and the weak, stand on the same silver foundation. No one buys a larger share of salvation, and no one is given a smaller one. Every board in the house of God rested in a socket of ransom silver, and every believer rests today on the one ransom Christ has paid. You are not part of God's house because of what you brought, but because of what was paid for you. Rest, then, on that sure foundation, for the price of your soul has been paid in full.
Chapter 38 in Review
Exodus 38 records the making of the courtyard furnishings and the accounting of the whole work. Bezaleel makes the great brazen altar of burnt offering, foursquare and horned, standing first at the entrance where every approach to God began with sacrifice. He makes the laver of brass from the surrendered looking glasses of the devoted women. He encloses the court with white linen and sets in it one gate of blue, purple, and scarlet, the single way in. And Moses records the sum of the gold, silver, and brass, noting that the silver came from the atonement money, a half shekel from every numbered man, cast into the very sockets that formed the foundation of the sanctuary.
For the Apostolic reader, the courtyard preaches the gospel in order. The brazen altar is the cross, the one sacrifice through which alone we come to God. The laver is cleansing by the washing of the water of the word, made from mirrors of self laid down. The one gate is Christ, the single door of salvation set in the wall of God's righteousness, wide enough for whosoever will yet the only way in. And the silver foundation is redemption itself, the house of God resting on the ransom paid for every soul, the same price for all, a shadow of the precious blood of Christ on which the whole church is built. From the door of the court to the sockets under the boards, everything says the same thing: we come to God only by sacrifice, cleansing, the appointed way, and a ransom paid.
- The brazen altar stood first at the entrance: the way to God begins with sacrifice, fulfilled in the cross (38:1; John 14:6).
- The laver was made from the women's mirrors; cleansing comes as we lay down self and take the washing of the word (38:8; Ephesians 5:26).
- The court had one gate only, a picture of Christ the one door of salvation (38:18; John 10:9; Acts 4:12).
- The tabernacle's foundation was cast from the atonement money, so the house of God rested on redemption (38:26-27; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
- The ransom was the same half shekel for every man; all souls are redeemed at one price in Christ (38:26).
Questions for Reflection
- Have you come to God by the altar, the cross of Jesus, the only way of approach?
- Are you laying down the mirror of self and letting the word of God wash you daily?
- Do you rest on the ransom Christ paid, knowing the price of your soul is paid in full?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). The half shekel is the atonement money (Hebrew kaphar, to cover or ransom, giving kopher, a ransom for a soul), and the laver was cast from the "lookingglasses," the polished brass mirrors of the women, as any Bible reference confirms. Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The brazen altar and the cross: Exodus 38:1-7; John 14:6.
- The laver and cleansing by the word: Exodus 38:8; Ephesians 5:26.
- The one gate of the court and Christ the door: Exodus 38:9-20; John 10:9; Acts 4:12.
- The ransom silver as foundation: Exodus 38:21-31; Exodus 30:12-16; 1 Peter 1:18-19.