Exodus 38:1-20

A Bronze Altar and the Court

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1Bezalel constructed the altar of burnt offering from acacia wood. It was square, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high.

2He made a horn at each of its four corners, so that the horns and altar were of one piece, and he overlaid the altar with bronze.

3He made all the altar’s utensils of bronze—its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks, and firepans.

4He made a grate of bronze mesh for the altar under its ledge, halfway up from the bottom.

5At the four corners of the bronze grate he cast four rings as holders for the poles.

6And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.

7Then he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar for carrying it. He made the altar with boards so that it was hollow.

8Next he made the bronze basin and its stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

9Then he constructed the courtyard. The south side of the courtyard was a hundred cubits long and had curtains of finely spun linen,

10with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

11The north side was also a hundred cubits long, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases. The hooks and bands of the posts were silver.

12The west side was fifty cubits long and had curtains, with ten posts and ten bases. The hooks and bands of the posts were silver.

13And the east side, toward the sunrise, was also fifty cubits long.

14The curtains on one side of the entrance were fifteen cubits long, with three posts and three bases.

15And the curtains on the other side were also fifteen cubits long, with three posts and three bases as well.

16All the curtains around the courtyard were made of finely spun linen.

17The bases for the posts were bronze, the hooks and bands were silver, and the plating for the tops of the posts was silver. So all the posts of the courtyard were banded with silver.

18The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It was twenty cubits long and, like the curtains of the courtyard, five cubits high,

19with four posts and four bronze bases. Their hooks were silver, as well as the bands and the plating of their tops.

20All the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the surrounding courtyard were bronze.

Berean Standard Bible

Read aloud

Bezalel builds the bronze-covered altar with its horns, grate, utensils, and carrying poles. He also makes a bronze basin and stand from the mirrors of women who serve at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The account names these women without telling us more about their work or their reasons for contributing the mirrors.

Then he constructs the courtyard, a hundred cubits long and fifty wide. Linen curtains surround it, with a colored entrance curtain on the east. The posts have bronze bases, silver hooks and bands, and silver-covered tops. Even the tent pegs are recorded.

Together, the altar, basin, and courtyard prepare an ordered place for Israel's worship. Sacrifice, washing, and the approach to the dwelling each have a place. These are provisions God commanded for His people, built from the materials and work they bring.

The mention of the mirrors gives a small glimpse of personal possessions becoming part of shared service. We need not turn that into a story about the women's vanity or motives. The text honors their place in the work by recording where the basin's bronze came from.

Questions

1 What are the altar and its utensils made from?

AnswerThe altar is acacia wood covered with bronze. Its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, forks, firepans, and grate are also bronze.

2 What does the text tell us about the basin's material?

AnswerIt comes from the mirrors of the women who serve at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The passage records their contribution without explaining their individual motives.

3 How is the courtyard's entrance distinguished?

AnswerIts curtain is embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen. It is twenty cubits long and stands on the east side of the courtyard.

4 Is there something we own that could become useful to others?

AnswerWe can ask whether an item is genuinely needed and suitable before offering it. Giving well means considering the receiver's use, not just clearing something out of our own space.

What This Means for Us

The basin's material has a history: it came from the mirrors of women serving at the tent entrance. A finished object can hide the people and gifts behind it, but this account preserves their contribution.

When you use a shared space, remember someone who helped provide or maintain it. Thank them for that specific contribution, and take care of what they helped make possible. Gratitude includes how we treat what another person has entrusted to common use.

Prayer

Holy God, receive the work of hands, minds, and hearts offered to you. Make us careful stewards of shared resources, grateful for hidden labor, and faithful in the details that help your people gather. Amen.

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