Exodus 26 33

Exodus 26:33 kjv

And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

Exodus 26:33 nkjv

And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy.

Exodus 26:33 niv

Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

Exodus 26:33 esv

And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.

Exodus 26:33 nlt

Hang the inner curtain from clasps, and put the Ark of the Covenant in the room behind it. This curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

Exodus 26 verses

Exodus 26 33 Meaning

Exodus 26:33 describes a crucial aspect of the Tabernacle's design: the hanging of the veil (the parokhet) to create a strict physical and symbolic separation. This veil delineated the Most Holy Place, where the Ark of the Testimony was housed and God's presence manifested, from the Holy Place, accessible to priests for daily ministry. The verse establishes the foundational principle of a holy God requiring consecrated access, with the Ark—containing the tablets of the covenant—at the very heart of the divine presence, veiled from common sight.

Exodus 26 33 Context

Exodus chapter 26 is part of the extensive divine instructions given to Moses on Mount Sinai regarding the construction of the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where God would dwell among His people. Preceding verses detail the structure of the curtains, boards, bars, and pillars for the Tabernacle's dwelling place. Verse 33 specifically focuses on the interior arrangements, establishing the parokhet, a thick, elaborate curtain, as the boundary between the Tabernacle's two main compartments. This command immediately follows the description of the Ark and its contents (Exo 25:10-22) and precedes the instructions for other sanctuary furniture, emphasizing the Ark's central importance and the absolute holiness of the space it would occupy. Historically, the Tabernacle's design served as a tangible expression of God's holy presence in the midst of Israel and their unique covenant relationship with Him, distinguishing Him from pagan deities whose temples might allow greater, less regulated access.

Exodus 26 33 Word analysis

• You shall hang: Indicative of a divine command, precise instruction for Moses and the craftsmen. This is not optional but essential for the sanctuary's function.
• the veil (הַפָּרֹכֶת - ha'parokhet): This specific, ornate curtain. Distinct from masakh (מָסָךְ), the screen at the Tabernacle entrance. The parokhet signifies strict separation, only allowing priestly access. Its elaborate craftsmanship (blue, purple, scarlet material, fine twined linen, with cherubim – Exo 26:31) highlights its sacred function and God's glory.
• from the clasps (הַקְּרָסִים - ha'kerasim): Specific fasteners, likely hooks or rings, demonstrating the precise and engineered nature of the Tabernacle's construction. This detail underscores divine attention to order and meticulous execution.
• and bring (וְהֵבֵאתָ - vehevetah): A directive for placing something specific, indicating movement into a designated area.
• the ark (הָאָרוֹן - ha'aron): Refers to the Ark of the Covenant, the most sacred object in the Tabernacle. It symbolized God's throne, presence, and His covenant with Israel.
• of the testimony (הָעֵדֻת - ha'edut): The tablets of the Law, placed within the Ark, serving as a permanent witness to God's covenant and His requirements for His people. This highlights the foundational role of divine law.
• in there (שָׁם - sham): Indicates the specific interior location.
• behind the veil (אַחַר הַפָּרֹכֶת - achar ha'parokhet): Spatially defining the Most Holy Place. This preposition emphasizes its hidden and inaccessible nature for the common person.
• and the veil (וְהַפָּרֹכֶת - ve'ha'parokhet): Reiteration of the parokhet emphasizing its function.
• shall serve for you (וְהָיְתָה לָכֶם - vehayetah lakhem): The veil's purpose for humanity, acting as a functional element in human-divine interaction.
• as a partition (לְהַבְדִּיל - lehavdil): From the root badal (בָדַל), meaning "to separate," "to divide." This concept of division is foundational in Scripture, starting from Creation (Gen 1:4). Here, it denotes the absolute division between the realm of the holy and the most holy, and by extension, between God's perfect holiness and humanity's inherent sinfulness.
• between the holy place (בֵּין הַקֹּדֶשׁ - bein ha'kodesh): The first, larger compartment of the Tabernacle, accessible daily to the priests, containing the golden lampstand, table of showbread, and altar of incense.
• and the most holy place (וּבֵין קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים - u'vein kodesh ha'qodashim): Literally "the Holy of Holies." This innermost sanctum was the focal point of God's dwelling, a place of profound reverence and restricted access, emphasizing God's supreme transcendence.

Exodus 26 33 Bonus section

The cherubim embroidered on the parokhet (Exo 26:31) serve as a potent symbol. Cherubim were first introduced in Gen 3:24, guarding the way to the tree of life after humanity's expulsion from Eden, symbolizing blocked access due to sin. Their presence on the Tabernacle veil reinforces this idea: God's presence in the Most Holy Place, like Eden, was inaccessible to fallen humanity. Thus, the veil, with its embroidered guardians, communicated both the awe-inspiring holiness of God and the tragic reality of human sin's isolating power, pointing forward to a divine intervention that would once again grant access.

Exodus 26 33 Commentary

Exodus 26:33 is pivotal for understanding the theology of the Tabernacle and, by extension, God's nature and humanity's relationship with Him. The command to hang the parokhet establishes a clear and profound separation: a visible barrier between the general priestly access of the Holy Place and the sacred, restricted domain of the Most Holy Place. Within this innermost sanctuary, behind the veil, God promised to meet with Israel from above the mercy seat of the Ark of the Testimony (Exo 25:22).

This division vividly portrayed God's absolute holiness and justice, where direct, unauthorized human approach was impossible and would result in death (Num 1:51). The veil served as a constant reminder of the profound gap created by sin between a perfectly holy God and imperfect humanity. Only one individual, the High Priest, could penetrate this barrier, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), with specific rituals, propitiatory blood, and reverence (Lev 16). This elaborate process underscored that even priestly access was not due to personal merit but by God's provision for reconciliation.

Ultimately, this physical partition foreshadowed the spiritual realities later revealed in the New Testament. The tearing of the Temple veil "from top to bottom" at Christ's death (Matt 27:51) signifies the abolition of this physical barrier and the opening of a "new and living way" to God's presence through Christ's shed blood (Heb 10:19-20). Jesus' flesh is depicted as the true parokhet that was "torn," allowing believers direct access to God's throne of grace, eliminating the need for a human high priest to mediate access on our behalf. The physical veil was a temporary testament to humanity's separation; its destruction heralded God's complete provision for reconciliation through His Son.