Exodus 40:21
in Exodus 40Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle, put up the veil for the screen, and shielded off the ark of the Testimony, just as the LORD had commanded him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
KJV
And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the Lord commanded Moses.
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This verse in Exodus 40
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
put the testimony into the ark
on Exodus 40:20-21
The testimony placed in the ark is the second pair of tables, cut at Exodus 34:1 and written at 34:28 after Moses broke the first at 32:19. The mercy seat goes on above it, and the Greek word the Septuagint uses for that seat is hilasterion, which is the word Romans 3:25 applies to Christ. The vail is set up to cover the ark, and Matthew 27:51 reports that curtain torn from the top to the bottom.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), and that which was to be used he used immediately, for the instruction of the priests, that by seeing him do the several offices they might learn to do them the more dexterously. Though Moses was not properly a priest, yet he is numbered among the priests ( Ps. xcix.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And he brought the ark into the tabernacle,.... Into that part of it called the holy of holies: and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; the vail which divided between the and most holy place, and so kept out of sight the ark of the testimony within, from being seen by any, even by the priests in the holy place: as the Lord commanded Moses; Exo 26:33.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
The meaning of this is that he took the Tablets from the wooden ark in Moses’ tent which they were in, and brought them to the Tabernacle. 96 Verse.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֵ֣א | vaiyave' | and he brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָרֹן֮ | haaron | the ark | H727 → | 202 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמִּשְׁכָּן֒ | hamishkan | the tabernacle | H4908 → | 139 times |
| וַיָּ֗שֶׂם | vaiyasem | and he set up | H7760 → | 584 times |
| אֵ֚ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פָּרֹ֣כֶת | parokhet | [the] curtain of | H6532 → | 25 times |
| הַמָּסָ֔ךְ | hamasakh | the screen | H4539 → | 25 times |
| וַיָּ֕סֶךְ | vaiyasekh | and he covered | H5526 → | 24 times |
| עַ֖ל | ʾal | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֲר֣וֹן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| הָעֵד֑וּת | haedut | the testimony | H5715 → | 59 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֥ה | tzivah | he had commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֹשֶֽׁה׃ ס | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
וַיָּבֵ֣אand he brought
vaiyave'H935 →2568 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָרֹן֮the ark
haaronH727 →202 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמִּשְׁכָּן֒the tabernacle
hamishkanH4908 →139 times
וַיָּ֗שֶׂםand he set up
vaiyasemH7760 →584 times
אֵ֚ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
פָּרֹ֣כֶת[the] curtain of
parokhetH6532 →25 times
הַמָּסָ֔ךְthe screen
hamasakhH4539 →25 times
וַיָּ֕סֶךְand he covered
vaiyasekhH5526 →24 times
עַ֖לover
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
אֲר֣וֹן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
הָעֵד֑וּתthe testimony
haedutH5715 →59 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֛רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֥הhe had commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מֹשֶֽׁה׃ סMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 40:3Put the ark of the Testimony in it and screen off the ark with the veil.
it leads to
- Exodus 35:12
the ark with its poles and mercy seat, and the veil to shield it;
- Numbers 4:5
Whenever the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the veil of the curtain, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.
- Revelation 11:19
Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake,…
- Exodus 35:12
Through
Exodus 35:12the ark with its poles and mercy seat, and the veil to shield it;
it leads to
- Exodus 25:10–22
And they are to construct an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
- Exodus 26:31–33
Make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.
- Exodus 36:35–36
Next, he made the veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.
- Exodus 25:10–22
Through
Exodus 26:33And hang the veil from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the veil. So the veil will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:2–3
A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread. This was called the Holy Place.
- Leviticus 16:2
And the LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron not to enter freely into the Most Holy Place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark, or else he…
- Hebrews 9:2–3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
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About Exodus
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Sir Robert Anderson, Types in Hebrews.