Exodus 26:7

And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

2. THE GOATS’-HAIR TENT-CLOTH.

(7-13) An awning such as that described in Exodus 26:1-6 would have neither kept out sun nor rain. For this purpose an ordinary cloth of goats’-hair was requisite, and accordingly Moses was instructed to make a second covering, which was to be of this material, and to extend over the whole of the first, thus externally concealing it. This second covering was, like the first, to be in two portions (Exodus 26:9-11), each of them made up of several “breadths,” but the two portions were not to be of the same size. Both were to be thirty cubits in length, but the hinder portion was to contain five “breadths,” while the portion in front was to contain six. Thus the outer covering was six feet broader than the inner one. The object was the protection of the inner covering, which was overlapped at both ends by the outer one (Exodus 26:9; Exodus 26:12).

(7) To be a covering.—Literally, to be a tent. (See the first Note on the chapter.)

Eleven curtains—i.e., eleven breadths. (See Note 2 on Exodus 26:1.)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

26:7-14 The curtains of meaner materials, being made both longer and broader, covered the others, and were defended by coverings of skins. The whole represents the person and doctrine of Christ, and the church of true Christians, and all heavenly things, which outwardly are mean, but inwardly, and in the sight of God, are glorious and precious.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A covering upon the tabernacle - A tent over the tabernacle. The Hebrew word here used, is the regular one for a tent of skins or cloth of any sort.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7-13. curtains of goats' hair—These coarse curtains were to be one more in number than the others, and to extend a yard lower on each side, the use of them being to protect and conceal the richer curtains.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Of goats’ hair, spun, Exodus 35:26, and woven into a stuff, like our camlet.

To be a covering; to be put next above the curtains.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair,.... Jarchi calls it the flower or down of goats, the softer and finer part of their hair, which was spun by women, as appears from Exodus 35:26, and was made up into a stuff somewhat like our camelot; these curtains were coarser than the former, and were made to be put over them, to preserve them from the weather, as it follows:

to be a covering upon the tabernacle: which, by the curtains of linen coupled together, became one tabernacle, as in the preceding verse: and these curtains were to be a tent or covering over them: they were somewhat like, being made of the same matter, with the coverings with which the ancient Arabs covered their tents, which were made of goats' hair, as were the tents of Kedar alluded to in Sol 1:5, these curtains of goats' hair denote the outward appearance of Christ in human nature, who, attended with all human infirmities, excepting sin, was in the form of a servant, in great meanness and poverty, covered with reproach, and had in the greatest contempt, and especially at the time of his sufferings and death; though all rich and glorious within, full of grace, and of all the blessings of grace, of righteousness and life, of light, joy, peace, and comfort for his people; and may also denote the mean appearance of the church and people of God outwardly; being, generally speaking, a poor and an afflicted people, subject to the scorn, reproach, and persecutions of men, but all glorious within, enriched with the grace of God and righteousness of Christ; and so, in one respect, like these curtains of goats' hair, and, in another respect, like the curtains of fine linen:

eleven curtains shalt thou make; one more than the other; the reason of which was, that there might be one at the entrance of the tabernacle, there being no linen curtain there, see Exodus 26:9.

Geneva Study Bible

And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a {d} covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.

(d) Lest rain and weather should mar it.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Exodus 7-13 (cf. Exodus 36:14-18). The Tent over the Dwelling, consisting of eleven curtains of cloth made of goats’ hair, each 30 cubits long, and 4 cubits wide, fastened together so as to form a single large curtain, 30 cubits broad, and 44 cubits long. The Bedawin still make their tents of goats’ hair in the same way: breadths of goats’ hair cloth, it may be ¾ yd. broad, and as long as the breadth of the tent, are stitched together, and form a covering capable of keeping out the heaviest rain (Burckh. Bedouins, i. 37; cf. DB. iv. 717): comp. Song of Solomon 1:5, where their dark colour is alluded to.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. - From the inner covering of the tabernacle the directions proceed to the external covering, or rather coverings, which constituted the real strength of the structure, and its protection from wet or stormy weather. Curtains of goats' hair, such as the Arabs still use, as the ordinary covering of their tents (Layard, Nin. and Bab., p. 171), were to form a true "tent" (ohel) above the tabernacle, being supported by tent-poles, and kept taut by means of cords and pegs (Exodus 27:19; Exodus 35:18). See the representation in Dr. W. Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 3. p. 1454, which is reproduced in the Speaker's Commentary, vol. 1. p. 376. To be a covering. In Exodus 36:14, we have - "he made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle," which is far better. The word used in both places is the same (ohel). Eleven curtains - i.e., "eleven breadths." Compare ver. 1. Exodus 26:7

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The outer tent-cloth, "for the tent over the dwelling," was to consist of eleven lengths of goats' hair, i.e., of cloth made of goats' hair;

(Note: The coverings of the tents of the Bedouin Arabs are still made of cloth woven from black goats' hair, which the women spin and weave (see Lynch's Expedition of the United States to the Jordan and Dead Sea).)

each piece being thirty cubits long and four broad.