Exodus 38:18
And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.
Original Language Analysis
הֶֽחָצֵֽר׃
of the court
H2691
הֶֽחָצֵֽר׃
of the court
Strong's:
H2691
Word #:
3 of 21
a yard (as inclosed by a fence); also a hamlet (as similarly surrounded with walls)
מַֽעֲשֵׂ֣ה
H4639
מַֽעֲשֵׂ֣ה
Strong's:
H4639
Word #:
4 of 21
an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property
רֹקֵ֔ם
was needlework
H7551
רֹקֵ֔ם
was needlework
Strong's:
H7551
Word #:
5 of 21
to variegate color, i.e., embroider; by implication, to fabricate
תְּכֵ֧לֶת
of blue
H8504
תְּכֵ֧לֶת
of blue
Strong's:
H8504
Word #:
6 of 21
the cerulean mussel, i.e., the color (violet) obtained therefrom or stuff dyed therewith
וְתוֹלַ֥עַת
H8438
וְתוֹלַ֥עַת
Strong's:
H8438
Word #:
8 of 21
a maggot (as voracious); specifically (often with ellipsis of h8144) the crimson-grub, but used only (in this connection) of the color from it, and cl
שָׁנִ֖י
and scarlet
H8144
שָׁנִ֖י
and scarlet
Strong's:
H8144
Word #:
9 of 21
crimson, properly, the insect or its color, also stuff dyed with it
וְשֵׁ֣שׁ
linen
H8336
וְשֵׁ֣שׁ
linen
Strong's:
H8336
Word #:
10 of 21
bleached stuff, i.e., white linen or (by analogy) marble
אַמּ֔וֹת
cubits
H520
אַמּ֔וֹת
cubits
Strong's:
H520
Word #:
13 of 21
properly, a mother (i.e., unit of measure, or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e., a cubit; also a door-base (as a bond of the entrance)
אַמּ֔וֹת
cubits
H520
אַמּ֔וֹת
cubits
Strong's:
H520
Word #:
18 of 21
properly, a mother (i.e., unit of measure, or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e., a cubit; also a door-base (as a bond of the entrance)
לְעֻמַּ֖ת
answerable
H5980
לְעֻמַּ֖ת
answerable
Strong's:
H5980
Word #:
19 of 21
conjunction, i.e., society; mostly adverb or preposition (with prepositional prefix), near, beside, along with
Historical Context
The 7,500 square-foot courtyard provided ample room for the bronze altar, laver, and worshiper traffic. The five-cubit height protected privacy for sacrificial rituals while allowing tabernacle visibility above curtains. Bronze sockets throughout (versus silver in tabernacle proper) demonstrated the courtyard's intermediate holiness—separated from common space but not equal to tabernacle interior.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the relatively low curtain height (allowing visibility above) teach about separation without isolation in God's witness?
- How does the generous courtyard size illustrate God's desire for accessible worship space?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The courtyard's total dimensions—hundred cubits by fifty cubits (approximately 150' × 75'), enclosed by five-cubit-high hangings (7.5 feet) of fine linen with bronze sockets—creates substantial but not overwhelming boundaries. The relatively low height (five cubits) allows seeing over curtains, teaching that holiness boundaries separate without completely isolating God's dwelling from the world. The visibility of tabernacle top and smoke from sacrifices maintained witness to surrounding peoples while protecting sacred space from intrusion. The size (larger than most ancient temples' courtyards) demonstrates God's generous provision of access space.