Exodus/Shemoth 40: So Moses finished the work.

 [Translation: EF/Everett Fox, The Five Books of Moses. Commentary from AST/ArtScroll Tanakh and P&H/Pentateuch & Haftorahs.  Reformatting and highlights ours.—Admin1.]

S6K:  So here’s the sequence:

• YHWH reveals hImself to Moses
• YHWH liberates, leads, and feeds His people
• Prepares them to meet Him on Mount Sinai
• Cuts a Covenant with them
• The people agree to obey the laws from their new Master
• First set of tablets given to Moses
• Golden Calf is built by Aaron, consequences for the idolaters
• Tablets broken by Moses, a second set is made by Moses
• The Tabernacle is built for YHWH’s dwelling.
• YHWH ‘tabernacles’ visibly among His people.

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Exodus/Shemoth 40

1 Now YHVH spoke to Moshe, saying:
2 On the day of the first New-moon, on the first (day) of the New-moon, 

you are to erect the Dwelling, the Tent of Appointment.

[P&H gives the time frame: In the 2nd year after the Exodus from Egypt (vs. 17); 9 months had elapsed since the people’s arrival at Sinai (XIX,1).  The actual work of the construction occupied about 4 months.]

[AST] “. . .so it shall be that their anointment shall be for eternal priesthood for their generations.”

3 You are to place there the coffer of Testimony 

and you are to screen the coffer with the curtain.
4 You are to bring in the table and arrange its arrangement, 

you are to bring in the lampstand and are to draw up its lampwicks,
5 you are to put the site of gold (there), for smoking-incense, before the coffer of Testimony, 

and you are to place the screen of the entrance for the Dwelling,
6 you are to put the slaughter-site for offering-up before the entrance of the Dwelling, the Tent of Appointment,
7 you are to put the basin between the Tent of Appointment and the slaughter-site, 

and you are to put water therein.
8 You are to place the courtyard all around, and you are to put the screen for the gate of the courtyard (there).
9 Then you are to take the anointing oil 

and you are to anoint the Dwelling and all that is in it, 

you are (thus) to hallow it and all its implements, that they may become holiness;
10 you are to anoint the slaughter-site for offering-up and all its implements, 

you are (thus) to hallow the slaughter-site, that the slaughter-site may become holiest holiness;
11 you are to anoint the basin and its pedestal,

you are (thus) to hallow it.
12 You are to bring-near Aharon and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Appointment, 

you are to wash them with water,
13 and you are to clothe Aharon in the garments of holiness; 

you are to anoint him, 

you are (thus) to hallow him, to be-priest to me,
14 and his sons you are to bring-near, 

you are to clothe them in coats,
15 and are to anoint them as you anointed their father, that they may be-priests for me; 

that shall become for them-their being-anointed-priesthood for the ages, throughout their generations.

AST 40:17-28/ Commentary:  The Tabernacle assumes its holiness.  Until every part of the Tabernacle was in place, no individual part had the status of a Tabernacle.  For example, until the curtains enclosing the Courtyard were in place, offerings could not be brought on the Altar.  This passage, therefore, describes how Moses actually erected the Tabernacle and put all its parts in place.

The process was climaxed by as phenomenal an occurrence as human beings have ever been able to bring about.  The glory of God rested upon the handiwork of Man. in full sight of every [Israelite] man, woman, and child.  Now, they would see their Tabernacle enveloped in holiness, the Tabernacle that was built with their gifts, made by their hands, erected by their prophet, made possible by their repentance, assuring them that God’s Presence would forever remain in their midst—-if they would but continue to make it welcome.

16 Moshe made (it) 

according to all that YHVH had commanded him, 

thus he made.
17 And so it was on the first New-moon in the second year, on the first (day) of the New-moon, the Dwelling was erected.
18 Moshe erected the Dwelling:

he put up its sockets, 

he placed its boards, 

he put up its bars,

he erected its columns,
19 he spread out the tent over the Dwelling, 

he placed the cover of the tent over it, above,

as YHVH had commanded Moshe.
20 He took and put the Testimony in the coffer, 

he placed the poles of the coffer, 

he put the purgation-cover of the coffer, above,
21 he brought the coffer into the Dwelling, 

he placed (there) the curtain of the screen and screened the coffer of Testimony, 

as YHVH had commanded Moshe.
22 He put the table in the Tent of Appointment, 

on the flank of the Dwelling, northward, outside the curtain,
23 he arranged on it the arrangement of the Bread of the Presence, before the presence of YHVH, 

as YHVH had commanded Moshe.
24 He placed the lampstand in the Tent of Appointment, 

opposite the table, on the flank of the Dwelling, southward,
25 he set up the lamps before the presence of YHVH, 

as YHVH had commanded Moshe.
26 He placed the site of gold in the Tent of Appointment, before the curtain,
27 and sent-up-in-smoke on it fragrant smoking-incense,

as YHVH had commanded Moshe.
28 He placed (there) the screen for the entrance of the Dwelling,
29 the slaughter-site for offering-up he placed at the entrance of the Dwelling, of the Tent of Appointment, 

and offered-up on it the offerings-up and the grain-gifts, 

as YHVH had commanded Moshe.
30 He placed the basin between the Tent of Appointment and the slaughter-site, 

and put water therein, for washing,
31 that Moshe and Aharon and his sons might wash from it their hands and their feet,
32 (that) whenever they came into the Tent of Appointment and whenever they came-near the slaughter-site, they might wash, 

as YHVH had commanded Moshe.
33 He erected the courtyard all around the Dwelling and the slaughter-site, 

and put up the screen for the courtyard gate. 

So Moshe finished the work.
34 Now the cloud covered the Tent of Appointment, 

and the Glory of YHVH filled the Dwelling.
35 Moshe was not able to come into the Tent of Appointment, 

for the cloud took-up-dwelling on it, and the Glory of YHVH filled the Dwelling.
36 Whenever the cloud goes up from the Dwelling, 

the Children of Israel march on, upon all their marches;
37 if the cloud does not go up, 

they do not march on, until such time as it does go up.
38 For the cloud of YHVH (is) over the Dwelling by day, 

and fire is by night in it,

before the eyes of all the House of Israel

upon all their marches.

 End of The Book of  Exodus/Shemoth