Exodus 40:23 kjv
And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Exodus 40:23 nkjv
and he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Exodus 40:23 niv
and set out the bread on it before the LORD, as the LORD commanded him.
Exodus 40:23 esv
and arranged the bread on it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Exodus 40:23 nlt
And he arranged the Bread of the Presence on the table before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.
Exodus 40 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 25:30 | You shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me always. | The original command for the showbread. |
| Lev 24:5-8 | You shall take fine flour... and set them in two rows, six in a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. Every Sabbath day he shall arrange it... | Detailed instructions for the arrangement and weekly replacement of the showbread. |
| Num 4:7 | Over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall spread a cloth... | Description of how the table with its bread was to be handled during transport. |
| Ex 40:16 | Thus did Moses; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did. | A summary statement emphasizing Moses' perfect obedience throughout the Tabernacle's construction. |
| Ex 40:19 | And he spread the tent over the tabernacle... as the Lord had commanded Moses. | Example of precise execution of divine command in Tabernacle setup. |
| Ex 40:21 | And he brought the ark into the tabernacle... as the Lord had commanded Moses. | Example of precise execution for the Ark. |
| Ex 40:25 | And he lit the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. | Example of precise execution for the lampstand. |
| Ex 40:27 | And he burned fragrant incense on it... as the Lord had commanded Moses. | Example of precise execution for the incense altar. |
| Ex 40:32 | They washed... as the Lord had commanded Moses. | Example of precise execution for the laver and the priests. |
| Ex 39:32 | Thus all the work of the tabernacle... was finished. And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did. | General statement of Israel's collective obedience in the construction. |
| Deut 6:25 | And it will be righteousness for us if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, just as He commanded us. | Emphasizes the blessedness and righteousness found in precise obedience to God's commands. |
| Heb 11:8 | By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called... | An example of obedience being a hallmark of faith, connecting to Moses' obedience. |
| Ex 29:43 | There I will meet with the children of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by My glory. | God's promise to dwell and meet His people in the Tabernacle when set up according to His word. |
| Jn 1:14 | And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us... | The ultimate fulfillment of God "tabernacling" among His people, referencing the Incarnation. |
| Jn 6:35 | Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger..." | The typological fulfillment of the showbread, symbolizing Christ as the ultimate spiritual sustenance. |
| Jn 6:48-51 | I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness... This is the bread that comes down from heaven... | Jesus explicitly contrasts Himself with literal bread (manna and showbread's typology), asserting Himself as the true spiritual bread. |
| Rom 12:1 | I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. | NT application of presenting oneself to God, echoing the elements of service in the Tabernacle. |
| 1 Cor 14:40 | But all things should be done decently and in order. | Principle of order in worship within the New Testament church, reflecting God's nature. |
| Heb 9:11-12 | But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come... through His own blood, He entered once for all into the holy places... | Connects the Tabernacle's earthly rituals to Christ's superior heavenly ministry. |
| Heb 10:1 | For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices... make perfect those who draw near. | The Tabernacle rituals, including the showbread, were shadows pointing to a greater reality in Christ. |
Exodus 40 verses
Exodus 40 23 Meaning
Exodus 40:23 describes Moses' act of placing the showbread in precise order on the table in the Holy Place of the newly erected Tabernacle, precisely as the Lord had commanded him. This verse highlights Moses' perfect obedience to God's detailed instructions for the worship space and its furnishings, signifying the establishment of proper, divinely ordained worship and God's covenant presence among His people.
Exodus 40 23 Context
Exodus chapter 40 marks the climactic completion of the Tabernacle and its official consecration, the portable sanctuary where God would dwell among His people. Following chapters of detailed architectural plans (Exodus 25-31) and the diligent execution of the craftsmen (Exodus 36-39), Moses is commanded to erect the Tabernacle and arrange its furnishings. Verse 23 is part of a recurring pattern in this chapter (Ex 40:19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 32) where Moses faithfully performs each specific task "as the Lord had commanded Moses." The broader historical context is the Israelites camped at the foot of Mount Sinai, having recently received the Ten Commandments and the covenant Law, now preparing for their journey to the Promised Land with God's presence at their center. The establishment of the Tabernacle rituals and worship systems, of which the showbread was a part, ensured that the newly redeemed people of Israel could maintain a holy relationship with a holy God.
Exodus 40 23 Word analysis
- And he set (וַיַּעֲרֹךְ - vayya‘arokh): From the Hebrew verb ערך (arakh), meaning "to arrange," "to put in order," "to lay out," or "to set in array." This is more than merely placing; it implies a deliberate, methodical, and precise arrangement according to a pre-defined standard. It conveys exactness and structure, emphasizing that the placement was not haphazard but followed a specific divine blueprint for the showbread, possibly implying the stacking or row-by-row arrangement mentioned in later texts.
- the bread (אֶת־הַלֶּחֶם - et-hallechem): Refers specifically to the "showbread" or "bread of the Presence" (lechem hapanim). These were twelve loaves made of fine flour, baked weekly and placed on the golden table in the Holy Place. They represented the twelve tribes of Israel perpetually present before the Lord, and symbolized God's continual provision and fellowship with His people. They were holy and reserved for priestly consumption when replaced.
- upon it (‘alav): Refers to "the table" (mentioned in the preceding verse, Ex 40:22). This specific golden table was one of the three items (with the lampstand and the altar of incense) located in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. Its function was exclusively for the showbread.
- before the Lord (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה - lifnei Yahweh): This phrase emphasizes the sacred nature and divine audience of the act. The showbread was arranged not for human spectators but in the immediate presence of God, signifying consecration and the constant acknowledgment of His dwelling among them. It underscored that worship in the Tabernacle was oriented solely towards God.
- as the Lord had commanded Moses (כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה - ka'asher tzivah Yahweh et-Moshe): This repeated phrase (appearing eight times in Ex 40 alone and throughout the Tabernacle accounts) is critically important. It highlights absolute, precise obedience to divine instructions. It signifies that Moses was not acting on his own initiative or design, but meticulously executing God's blueprint. This underlines the divine authority behind the Tabernacle, validating its legitimacy and holiness, and reinforcing that true worship must be performed according to God's prescribed ways, not human invention.
- he set the bread in order upon it: This phrase combines the actions, the object, and the specific placement, emphasizing the precise ritualistic action taken by Moses for this holy item within its designated location. The "in order" points to the prescribed arrangement for the loaves on the table, likely referencing the two stacks of six loaves.
- before the Lord; as the Lord had commanded Moses: This powerful combination of phrases establishes the foundational principle for all Tabernacle service and indeed, for all genuine worship: it must be carried out in God's presence, for His pleasure, and strictly in accordance with His revealed will. It contrasts sharply with any form of human-devised worship or idolatry, grounding the legitimacy and efficacy of the service in divine mandate alone.
Exodus 40 23 Bonus section
The Showbread, as an item of Tabernacle furniture, was not just ceremonial but profoundly symbolic. It pointed to God's faithful provision for His people and their perpetual spiritual presence before Him, constantly receiving sustenance. The fact that the bread was "set in order" also reflects the order inherent in God's creation and His dealings with humanity. Furthermore, the weekly replacement of the showbread and its consumption by the priests highlights the communal aspect of worship and sustenance, foreshadowing the body of Christ and the New Testament church's communion. Moses' obedience here mirrors Christ's perfect obedience, who came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matt 5:17), setting a pattern for believers to walk in obedience to God's Word as their "spiritual worship."
Exodus 40 23 Commentary
Exodus 40:23 concisely captures a pivotal moment in Israel's early religious history: the setting up of the showbread on its table within the Holy Place of the newly completed Tabernacle. The precision implied by "set in order" for the "bread of the Presence" signifies God's demand for meticulousness in worship, reflecting His own perfect order and holiness. The act, carried out "before the Lord," reminds us that all our service and offerings should be God-ward, offered in His sight and for His glory. Crucially, the verse reiterates the consistent refrain of Exodus 40: "as the Lord had commanded Moses." This phrase underscores the principle that all aspects of acceptable worship must stem from divine command, not human innovation. It champions a faith that expresses itself in exact obedience, trusting in God's wisdom and sovereign instruction for His dwelling place and the rituals conducted therein. This ritual of the showbread ultimately points forward to Christ, the true "Bread of Life," who provides eternal sustenance and makes communion with God possible through His perfect life and sacrifice, fulfilling what the shadows of the Tabernacle foreshadowed.