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Exodus 39

1

And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the Lord commanded Moses.

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And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

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And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.

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They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.

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And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the Lord commanded Moses.

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And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.

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And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses.

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And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

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It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.

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And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row.

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And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

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And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

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And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.

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And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.

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And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.

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And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.

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And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.

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And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it.

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And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward.

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And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.

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And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the Lord commanded Moses.

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And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.

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And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.

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And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.

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And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;

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A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the Lord commanded Moses.

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And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,

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And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen,

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And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the Lord commanded Moses.

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And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

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And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the Lord commanded Moses.

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Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.

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And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,

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And the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers’ skins, and the vail of the covering,

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The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat,

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The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread,

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The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,

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And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,

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The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,

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The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,

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The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister in the priest’s office.

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According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.

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And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

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Exodus 39

Exodus 39 records the making of the priestly garments exactly as God commanded Moses — a phrase that appears seven times in this chapter, like the seven days of creation, signaling completeness and covenant faithfulness. The ephod with its two onyx shoulder pieces, the breastpiece with its twelve precious stones bearing the names of the twelve tribes, the robe of the ephod with its golden bells and pomegranates at the hem, the tunics of fine linen for Aaron's sons, the turban with the gold plate engraved 'Holy to the Lord' — each is crafted according to precise specification. The repetition of 'as the Lord commanded Moses' is not literary laziness but theological insistence: this is what faithful obedience to a holy God looks like. When everything is complete, Moses inspects the work, sees that they have done it exactly as the Lord commanded, and blesses them. The word for 'inspect' here echoes God's evaluation of creation — and it is good. The parallel is deliberate: as creation was completed and blessed in Genesis 1–2, the tabernacle is completed and blessed here, a new creation where God's presence will dwell. Revelation 21:3 describes the ultimate fulfillment of this pattern: God's dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them.

Exodus 39:34

The coverings of ram skins dyed red and the other durable leather and the inner curtain. The outer coverings and the inner curtain — the blood-red exterior and the veil that guards the Most Holy Place — are presented to Moses. From the outermost layer to the most interior boundary, the coverings that define and protect the sacred space are complete. The blood-red ram skins and the cherubim-woven veil are brought together to Moses for his inspection.

Exodus 39:35

The ark of the covenant law with its poles and the atonement cover. The most sacred object — the ark with its carrying poles and the mercy seat — is presented to Moses. The ark that Bezalel built personally, that houses the stone tablets and will support the mercy seat where God will meet His servant — this is the centerpiece of the presentation. The completed ark and mercy seat represent the complete provision for atonement and divine meeting.

Exodus 39:36

The table with all its articles and the bread of the Presence. The table with its gold utensils and the bread of the Presence — the covenant meal brought before God perpetually — is presented to Moses. The bread baked for the first time to be placed on the first table of the Presence: the community's gift to the covenant fellowship with God, presented through Moses for placement in the sanctuary.

Exodus 39:37

The pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its accessories, and the oil for the light. The lampstand — pure gold, hammered from one talent, seven-branched — with its lamps and accessories and the oil for the first lighting is presented. The lampstand that Bezalel hammered from the community's gold awaits installation. The light that will burn perpetually in the Holy Place awaits the priest's hand to light it for the first time.

Exodus 39:38

The gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent. The golden altar of incense, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the entrance curtain are presented. The complete Holy Place equipment — lampstand, table, and incense altar with their associated materials — is ready for installation and service.

Exodus 39:39

The bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin with its stand. The courtyard furniture is presented to Moses. The bronze altar with its complete service equipment and the bronze basin with its stand complete the courtyard's provision. The complete service system from courtyard to Most Holy Place is ready: basin for washing, altar for sacrifice, table for fellowship, lampstand for light, incense altar for prayer, ark for the law and the meeting with God.

Exodus 39:40

The curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting. The courtyard enclosure with the ropes and tent pegs that will anchor it to the desert floor: everything needed to define and protect the sacred space is presented. The all the furnishings for the tabernacle is the comprehensive summary: nothing is missing, nothing is forgotten.

Exodus 39:41

And the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary — both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests. The priestly vestments — both the high priest's six garments and the priests' three garments — are presented to Moses. The community that built the sanctuary has also clothed its servants. The construction of the covenant worship system is complete: the place, the equipment, and the vestments are all finished and presented.

Exodus 39:42

The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. The comprehensive confirmation: all the work, just as the Lord commanded Moses. The entire construction narrative is summarized in this sentence. The community called to willing-hearted giving and Spirit-filled craftsmanship has fulfilled its commission completely. What God specified, the community built. What the Spirit enabled, the craftsmen executed. What Moses commissioned, the Israelites completed.

Exodus 39:1

From the blue, purple and scarlet yarn they made woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary. They also made sacred garments for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses. The construction of the priestly garments begins with the first of seven appearances of as the Lord commanded Moses in this chapter — echoing the seven days of creation and signaling the completion of the covenant's earthly copy. The garments made from the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn are made from the same materials as the innermost curtains and the veil: the priest who enters the tabernacle is visually continuous with the sanctuary he enters.

Exodus 39:2

They made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. The ephod — the most distinctive garment of the high priest — is constructed exactly as Exodus 28:6–8 specified. Gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen: the five covenant materials woven into the garment that will carry the names of the twelve tribes on its shoulder stones. The craftsmen who built the sanctuary now clothe the priest who will serve in it. The continuity of material between the sanctuary and the vestment is the continuity of the priestly identity with the priestly service.

Exodus 39:3

They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut strands to be worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen — the work of skilled hands. The hammering of gold into thin sheets cut into strands and woven with colored yarns is the specific technique for incorporating gold into fabric. The gold strands woven through the colored yarns create a shimmering garment that reflects the lampstand's light as the high priest moves through the Holy Place. The skilled hands that accomplish this — the most technically demanding textile work in the construction — are the hands that received the Spirit's gift of all kinds of skills.

Exodus 39:4

They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, which were attached to two of its corners, so it could be fastened. The shoulder pieces that attach the ephod at its top corners are constructed exactly as Exodus 28:7 specified. The two shoulder pieces that will hold the onyx stones engraved with the twelve tribal names are the structural connection points of the garment that carries the community before God. The high priest who will wear this garment enters God's presence with Israel literally on his shoulders.

Exodus 39:5

Its skillfully woven waistband was like it — of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen, as the Lord commanded Moses. The waistband of one piece with the ephod — exactly as Exodus 28:8 specified. The first as the Lord commanded Moses of the priestly garment section confirms the fidelity of the construction. The integration of the garment — waistband of one piece — communicates the integration of the priestly identity: the high priest enters God's presence in a unified garment that has no loose ends.

Exodus 39:6

They mounted the onyx stones in gold filigree settings and engraved on them the names of the sons of Israel as on a seal. Then they fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses. The onyx stones with the twelve engraved names — exactly as Exodus 28:9–12 specified. The memorial stones for the sons of Israel are completed: twelve tribal names engraved like seals on precious stones, carried on the high priest's shoulders as he enters God's presence. The community funds its own intercession — the stones they provided carry their names before God.

Exodus 39:7

They fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses. The confirmation that the shoulder stones are memorial stones for the sons of Israel closes the shoulder stone construction with the obedience formula. The repetition is liturgical: each element of the priestly vestment is completed and confirmed. Romans 8:34 says Christ is at the right hand of God interceding for us — the community's names perpetually before the Father through the high priest's shoulders is the type of Christ's permanent intercession.

Exodus 39:8

They fashioned the breastpiece — the work of skilled hands. They made it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. The breastpiece — the decision-making garment that carries the Urim and Thummim and the twelve precious stones — is fashioned exactly as Exodus 28:15–16 specified. The same five materials as the ephod: the garment of bearing and the garment of discernment are made from the same materials because both functions — carrying the community and discerning God's will for them — are aspects of one priestly vocation.

Exodus 39:9

It was square — a span long and a span wide — and folded double. The breastpiece folded double creates the pocket for the Urim and Thummim. The square form — approximately nine inches per side — is the same perfect geometric form as the Most Holy Place. What lies over the priest's heart has the same geometric perfection as the room where God's presence dwells. The depth of the folded construction corresponds to the depth of the judgment the breastpiece mediates.

Exodus 39:10

Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. The first row was carnelian, chrysolite and beryl. The twelve precious stones of the breastpiece mounted in four rows of three are constructed exactly as Exodus 28:17 specified. Carnelian, chrysolite, and beryl in the first row: the spectrum of tribal representation begins. Each stone is the name and character of a tribe, brought before God in the most precious form available. The diversity of colors communicates the diversity within the covenant community.

Exodus 39:11

The second row was turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald. The second row continues the spectrum. The lapis lazuli that appeared in the heavenly pavement beneath God's feet in Exodus 24:10 appears in the breastpiece over the high priest's heart: the earth beneath God's feet at Sinai is the stone carried by the priest into God's presence. The heavenly and the earthly, the divine and the human, meet in the stones on the breastpiece as they meet in the covenant relationship itself.

Exodus 39:12

The third row was jacinth, agate and amethyst. The third row — jacinth, agate, amethyst — brings the breastpiece's spectrum to three quarters of its full expression. The variety of stone types, colors, and geological origins mirrors the variety within the covenant community. No two stones are the same; no two tribes are identical. The God who chose twelve distinct peoples as one covenant community chose twelve distinct stones to represent them before His throne.

Exodus 39:13

The fourth row was chrysolite, onyx and jasper. They were mounted in gold filigree settings. The fourth row completes the twelve: chrysolite, onyx, and jasper in gold filigree. The gold filigree settings that hold all twelve stones are the most delicate goldwork in the entire construction — the names of Israel are held in the most precious and most careful mounting available.

Exodus 39:14

The stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve in all, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes. The twelve stones, one per tribe, each engraved with the tribal name like a seal — exactly as Exodus 28:21 specified. The high priest who enters the Holy Place carries twelve individually identified tribes on his chest: not merely all Israel as a collective, but each tribe by name, in its own precious stone. The God who knows Israel by name receives the twelve names carried on the heart of His servant.

Exodus 39:15

For the breastpiece they made braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. The braided gold chains for the breastpiece — pure gold, rope-like braiding — connect the breastpiece's top corners to the shoulder piece settings. The golden connection between the heart and the shoulders communicates the unity of the priestly intercession: bearing the people and interceding for them are one continuous act.

Exodus 39:16

They made two gold rings and two gold settings and fastened the settings to the two corners of the breastpiece. The two gold rings at the top corners of the breastpiece — exactly as Exodus 28:23 specified — are the attachment points for the gold chains. The construction of the breastpiece's connecting mechanism is as precise as the construction of the breastpiece itself. Nothing about the priestly vestment is casual.

Exodus 39:17

They fastened the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece. The attachment of the gold chains to the breastpiece's corner rings completes the upper connection. The names of Israel that rest on the priest's heart are connected to the names on his shoulders by chains of pure gold that represent the covenant's binding commitment.

Exodus 39:18

And the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. The gold chains are attached to the shoulder piece settings at the front of the ephod — completing the upper connection. The priest who enters the holy place wearing this garment carries the twelve tribes from shoulder to heart, connected by the gold of covenant commitment.

Exodus 39:19

They made two gold rings and attached them to the other two corners of the breastpiece, on the inside edge next to the ephod. The lower connection mechanism — two gold rings at the bottom corners, on the inside edge — exactly as Exodus 28:26 specified. The inside placement makes the lower connection invisible from the front. The visible upper connections (gold chains) and the hidden lower connections (blue cords) together create a secure attachment. The covenant is secured by what is visible and what is invisible.

Exodus 39:20

They made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. The four connection rings total — two on the breastpiece, two on the ephod — create the complete fastening system exactly as Exodus 28:27 specified. The precise location of the ephod's rings ensures that the breastpiece lies flat against the priest's chest. The engineering precision of the attachment points is the engineering precision of the covenant itself.

Exodus 39:21

They tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece would not swing out from the ephod — as the Lord commanded Moses. The blue cord connecting the breastpiece's lower rings to the ephod's lower rings is the final securing mechanism. The breastpiece cannot swing away from the priest's body: the twelve names over his heart are secured at four points. The as the Lord commanded Moses formula confirms the fidelity of even this detail. The community before God is held in place with every mechanism the specification provided.

Exodus 39:22

They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue — the work of a weaver. The all-blue robe — exactly as Exodus 28:31 specified — is woven entirely from the covenant color representing heaven. The robe beneath the ephod covers the priest from shoulders to feet in the color of the sky. The priest who wears this robe is clothed in heaven's color beneath the covenant's colors. The layered garments communicate layered theology: the heavenly beneath, the covenant over it.

Exodus 39:23

With an opening in the center of the robe like the opening of a collar, and a band around this opening, so that it would not tear. The bound head opening — exactly as Exodus 28:32 specified — prevents tearing. The robe of the high priest must not tear during ministry. Matthew 26:65 records Caiaphas tearing his robes — a violation of the prohibition that this construction addresses. The robe of an office that must not be rent by human drama is built to prevent the tearing.

Exodus 39:24

On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen. The pomegranates on the hem — exactly as Exodus 28:33 specified — alternate with the golden bells. The pomegranates in the three covenant colors and fine linen carry the promise of the land with every step of the priest. The fruit that the spies will carry from Canaan in Numbers 13:23 decorates the hem of the priest's robe — the promised land's abundance is woven into the garment of priestly service.

Exodus 39:25

And they made bells of pure gold and attached them between the pomegranates along the hem of the robe, all around between the pomegranates. The gold bells alternating with the pomegranates — exactly as Exodus 28:33–34 specified — create the sound that announces the priest's movement in the sanctuary. The community outside hears the bells and knows their representative is in the presence of God, bearing their names. The sound of the bells is the sound of the covenant's most intimate moments.

Exodus 39:26

A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe, to be worn for ministering, as the Lord commanded Moses. The alternating pattern is confirmed exactly as specified, and the as the Lord commanded Moses formula closes the robe construction. The bell and pomegranate pattern that runs around the hem is the covenant rhythm of sound and beauty: the bells announce the presence of the one who carries the community's names, and the pomegranates declare the abundance that awaits those he represents.

Exodus 39:27

For Aaron and his sons, they made tunics of fine linen — the work of a weaver. The tunics for Aaron and his sons — the innermost garment of the priestly vestment for all the priests — are constructed exactly as Exodus 28:39 specified. The most basic priestly garment requires the same quality of material and skill as the most elaborate. The priest is clothed from innermost to outermost in garments that are carefully specified, carefully made, and fully appropriate to their function.

Exodus 39:28

The turban of fine linen and the headbands of fine linen, the linen undergarments of finely twisted linen. The turban, headbands, and undergarments — all fine linen — complete the basic priestly vestment. The head covering and the modest undergarments are as carefully specified and executed as the golden breastpiece and the embroidered robe. Every garment from head to thigh is part of the coordinated vestment system. Nothing is casual, improvised, or beneath the specification's attention.

Exodus 39:29

The sash was of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn — the work of an embroiderer — as the Lord commanded Moses. The embroidered sash — exactly as Exodus 28:39 specified — is the final garment of the priestly vestment construction. The sash that secures the tunic around the priest's waist bears the same covenant colors as the entire sanctuary. The as the Lord commanded Moses formula closes the construction of the priestly vestments.

Exodus 39:30

They made the plate, the sacred emblem, out of pure gold and engraved on it like an inscription on a seal: holy to the Lord. The gold plate engraved holy to the Lord — exactly as Exodus 28:36 specified — is the final element of the high priestly vestment. The most concentrated theological statement in the vestment — holy to the Lord — is engraved on pure gold with the precision of a seal's inscription. Revelation 22:4 says his name will be on their foreheads — the holy to the Lord on the high priest's forehead is the type of the divine name on the foreheads of the redeemed.

Exodus 39:31

Then they fastened a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban, as the Lord commanded Moses. The blue cord that attaches the gold plate to the turban — exactly as Exodus 28:37 specified — is the final construction element of the high priestly vestment. Blue cord, gold plate, turban: the visible declaration of complete consecration is secured by the covenant color to the head covering of the covenant's chief servant. The as the Lord commanded Moses formula appears for the seventh time in this chapter — like the seven days of creation, signaling the completion of the holy work.

Exodus 39:32

So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses. The completion statement: all the work, finished. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses — the comprehensive execution of the divine specification is confirmed. From the ark in Exodus 37:1 to the blue cord on the gold plate in Exodus 39:31, every component has been built, every material used, every dimension honored. The just as the Lord commanded formula applied to the complete project. The tabernacle that was to be a copy of the heavenly pattern is complete.

Exodus 39:33

Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases. The completed tabernacle is brought to Moses for inspection. The presentation begins with the structural elements. The bringing of the work to Moses mirrors the bringing of the materials to Moses in Exodus 35: the community that gave the materials now presents the finished construction. The completion of the work returns to the mediator who commissioned it.

Exodus 39:43

Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them. Moses inspects and the inspection confirms: just as the Lord commanded. The inspection echoes God's evaluation of creation in Genesis 1 — and it is good. The tabernacle that Moses inspects matches the heavenly pattern shown on the mountain. The blessing that follows the inspection is the blessing of completed work. Matthew 25:21 records the master saying well done, good and faithful servant — Moses' blessing of the community for faithful execution is the Old Testament version of the master's commendation.