Exodus 40:1-38

XL. P s. The Erection of the Tent. After a further summary of instructions mostly given before (Exodus 40:1), and involving the very latest developments (cf. the anointing of the assistant priests in Exodus 40:15), the actual erection is described in Exodus 40:16, Moses himself inaugurating the ceremonial of worship (Exodus 40:23; Exodus 40:25; Exodus 40:27; Exodus 40:29). Both in this section and in Exodus 39:1 a studied parallel with the Divine work of creation in Genesis 1 is produced by the refrain, seven times repeated, as Yahweh commanded Moses. The present book fitly closes (Exodus 40:34; cf. Exodus 13:21 f.*) with the description of the descent of the Divine glory, its unearthly light visible by night and day within the cloud, which yet shrouded its insufferable brilliance from mortal eyes. By this symbolic representation the sublime conception of the perpetual presence of the invisible God was reconciled with His unapproachable majesty. Observe that Leviticus 8 f., describing the preparation of the priesthood, must originally have immediately followed. Possibly the account of the descent of the glory in Leviticus 9:23 has been anticipated in Exodus 40:34, which belongs to a later stratum of P.

(See also Supplement)