Exodus 40:22 kjv
And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail.
Exodus 40:22 nkjv
He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil;
Exodus 40:22 niv
Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain
Exodus 40:22 esv
He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil,
Exodus 40:22 nlt
Next Moses placed the table in the Tabernacle, along the north side of the Holy Place, just outside the inner curtain.
Exodus 40 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 25:23-30 | "You shall make a table of acacia wood... make plates and dishes..." | Design and materials of the Table of Showbread. |
| Exod 26:35 | "And you shall put the table on the north side, and the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle..." | Confirms the exact placement command for the table and lampstand. |
| Exod 40:4 | "And you shall bring in the table, and arrange the things that are on it..." | Prior instruction to Moses regarding the table's contents. |
| Exod 40:16 | "Thus did Moses; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he." | General principle of Moses' perfect obedience to God's commands. |
| Lev 24:5-9 | "You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves... setting them in two rows, six in each row, on the pure gold table..." | Details about the bread placed on the table, its meaning, and weekly replacement. |
| Num 3:31 | "And their duty to have charge of the ark, the table, the lampstand..." | Responsibility of the Kohathites regarding the sacred articles, including the table. |
| Deut 8:3 | "that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." | Broader spiritual principle of God's provision beyond physical food, related to the bread of presence. |
| 1 Sam 21:6 | "So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence..." | David and his men eating the showbread, showing the table's function and holiness. |
| 1 Kgs 7:48 | "So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the LORD... the table for the bread of the Presence of gold..." | Solomon's Temple also featured a Table of Showbread, emphasizing continuity. |
| Ezek 41:22 | "The altar of wood, three cubits high... saying, ‘This is the table that is before the LORD.’" | Prophetic reference to a "table" or altar in the Temple, symbolic of God's presence and communion. |
| Matt 4:4 | "But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”" | Jesus quoting Deut 8:3, aligning the spiritual sustenance with physical provision, echoing the meaning of the showbread. |
| John 6:35 | "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'" | Jesus as the ultimate spiritual "bread," fulfilling the symbolism of the showbread as sustenance from God. |
| John 6:48-51 | "I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died... If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever..." | Connects physical sustenance (manna, implied showbread) with the eternal life offered by Christ. |
| Heb 8:5 | "They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, 'See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.'" | Emphasizes the divine blueprint and typological nature of the Tabernacle elements, including the table. |
| Heb 9:1-2 | "Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the showbread; this is called the Holy Place." | NT explanation of the Holy Place contents, confirming the table's placement. |
| Heb 9:3 | "Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place..." | Explains the veil's separation, confirming the table's position "outside the veil." |
| Heb 9:23-24 | "Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices..." | Highlights the Tabernacle and its items (like the table) as earthly copies of heavenly realities. |
| Rev 3:20 | "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." | Foreshadows intimate fellowship and communion, echoing the communal aspect of a shared meal symbolized by the showbread. |
| Col 2:16-17 | "Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink... These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ." | Connects Old Testament rituals, including those around food (like showbread), to their fulfillment in Christ. |
| 1 Cor 10:16-17 | "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread." | Lord's Supper as the New Covenant communal meal, spiritually fulfilling the concept of the bread of presence and shared sustenance from God. |
Exodus 40 verses
Exodus 40 22 Meaning
Exodus 40:22 describes Moses' exact placement of the Table of Showbread within the Tabernacle, specifically in the Holy Place. This act, meticulously following divine instructions, marked the installation of a crucial furnishing symbolizing God's perpetual provision and presence among His people. The Table's precise location on the north side, outside the veil, signified both order in worship and a clear distinction between accessible sacred space and the Most Holy Place, reserved for the direct presence of God.
Exodus 40 22 Context
Exodus 40 culminates the narrative of the Tabernacle's construction and anointing, marking the fulfillment of God's detailed instructions given from chapter 25 onwards. The preceding chapters have described the intricate design of the Tabernacle itself, its curtains, and all its furnishings, including the Ark, the Table of Showbread, the Lampstand, and the altars. Exodus 40 focuses on the erection and arrangement of all these components. Verses 17-33 systematically describe Moses setting up each element in its divinely appointed place. Verse 22 specifically addresses the placement of the Table of Showbread. This precise act of placement is part of Moses' complete obedience to the LORD's commands (Exod 40:16, 40:33), signifying the establishment of God's dwelling place among Israel and preparing the way for the inauguration of regular worship as outlined in the Book of Leviticus. Historically, this act formally concluded the Israelites' journey from Sinai and prepared them for their subsequent wilderness wanderings with God's presence at their center.
Exodus 40 22 Word analysis
And he put (וַיָּשֶׂם - vayyāsem): This phrase emphasizes direct, decisive action. "He" refers to Moses. This is part of a repeated refrain in Exodus 40 (vv. 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30, 32), underscoring Moses' unwavering and precise obedience to God's detailed instructions for the Tabernacle's setup.
the table (אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָן - ʾet-haššulḥān): Refers specifically to the Table of Showbread (also called the Bread of Presence). This table, made of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold, was designed to hold twelve loaves of bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel in God's presence. It symbolized God's faithful provision for His people.
in the tent of meeting (בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד - bəʾōhel môʿēḏ): The ohel mo'ed, or "Tent of Meeting," was the mobile sanctuary where God communed with Israel. It served as the central hub of their spiritual life and God's earthly dwelling place among them.
on the north side (עַל־צֶלַע הַצָּפוֹן - ʿal-ṣelaʿ haṣṣāfôn): This specifies the exact orientation. Within the Holy Place, the Table was placed on the north, opposite the Lampstand on the south. Such precision in placement highlights the divine order and sanctity of the Tabernacle's design, indicating a divinely mandated orientation rather than arbitrary human arrangement. Some traditions associate the North with divine majesty or location of God's heavenly dwelling (Ps 48:2), adding symbolic weight to the placement of sacred items.
of the tabernacle (No distinct Hebrew word corresponding directly to "of the tabernacle" in this phrase, rather it is understood in the context of "in the tent of meeting"). This reconfirms the general structure.
outside the veil (מִחוּץ לַפָּרֹכֶת - miḥûṣ lappārōḵeṯ): This is a crucial spatial qualifier. "The veil" (parochet) separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies), where the Ark of the Covenant resided. Being "outside the veil" means the Table was in the Holy Place, accessible to the priests for daily ministry, as opposed to the Most Holy Place, which only the High Priest could enter once a year. This barrier signified humanity's limited access to God's immediate, full presence under the Old Covenant, which would later be broken through Christ (Matt 27:51, Heb 10:19-20).
Words-group Analysis:
- "And he put the table in the tent of meeting": This entire clause conveys the execution of divine command. The table, representing sustenance and fellowship, is placed centrally within the divinely appointed space of communion with God. This act marks a step in establishing an ordered worship environment.
- "on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil": This detailed geographical and spatial specification is vital. It underscores the precision demanded by God for His dwelling place, emphasizing that every item had its exact, pre-ordained position. It differentiates between the two chambers of the Tabernacle, showing that while priests could access the Holy Place (where the table was), the veil reserved the inner sanctuary for the presence of God symbolized by the Ark.
Exodus 40 22 Bonus section
The consistent command to Moses throughout the Tabernacle construction and setup was "as the LORD commanded him" (e.g., Exod 40:16, 40:19, 40:21, 40:23, 40:25, 40:27, 40:29, 40:32). This repetitive phrase signifies the crucial importance of perfect adherence to God's blueprint for worship and life, serving as a template for Israel's relationship with Yahweh. The Tabernacle, with items like the Table of Showbread, functioned as an educational model. It taught the Israelites about God's holiness, His desire for fellowship, His faithful provision, and the necessary separation between God's perfect glory and humanity's fallen state, even while God chose to dwell among them. The direction "north" in ancient Near Eastern cosmology was sometimes associated with the dwelling place of deities or heavenly powers (cf. Ps 48:2 referencing Mount Zion as "the uttermost parts of the north"). While Exodus emphasizes literal obedience to design specifications, the precise direction chosen for sacred items could subtly connect the earthly Tabernacle to broader cosmic understanding, affirming the LORD as the true and sole Divine Ruler whose design ordered the universe itself.
Exodus 40 22 Commentary
Exodus 40:22 marks a foundational act in the establishment of God's physical dwelling among Israel. Moses' precise placement of the Table of Showbread highlights perfect obedience to divine command, a recurring theme in the Tabernacle's construction. The Table itself was not merely a piece of furniture; it was a powerful symbol. The showbread placed upon it weekly (Lev 24:5-9) signified God's constant sustenance for the twelve tribes, emphasizing His commitment to His covenant people. It represents provision for life, both physical and spiritual, ensuring that Israel would "live before the LORD always" (Lev 24:8). Its position "outside the veil" meant it was in the Holy Place, accessible to priests. This highlights an ordered worship: priests could minister here daily, eating of the holy bread and drawing near. Yet, the veil symbolized that full access to God's immediate presence was restricted. This verse, therefore, quietly anticipates the future; while the showbread points to God's abundant life and presence, the veil pointed to the need for a greater High Priest to provide full and eternal access to God.