Exodus 26:15 · Bible study
Exodus 26:15 Commentary: Tabernacle Boards and Their
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the acacia wood frames of the tabernacle, their construction, and what they reveal about God's dwelling and his people.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The boards form the structural walls of the tabernacle, made of acacia wood and set upright.
- Key words: qeresh (board/frame), omed (standing upright), shittim (acacia).
- Main debate: Were these solid boards or wooden frames? Kennedy argues for frames; traditional reading holds solid boards.
- Theological theme: God's dwelling among his people requires stability, strength, and beauty, provided through human craftsmanship.
- Best use: Preaching or teaching on God’s attention to detail and the church as a stable, portable dwelling for God’s presence.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You are to construct upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“You shall make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright.
KJV King James Version 1769
And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And thou hast made the boards for the tabernacle, of shittim wood, standing up;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the boards for the tabernacle thou shalt make of acacia-wood, standing up;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thou shalt make also the boards of the tabernacle standing upright of setim wood.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y harás para el tabernáculo tablas de madera de Sittim, que estén derechas.
E farás para o tabernáculo tábuas de madeira de acácia, que estejam na vertical.
Tu feras des planches pour le tabernacle; elles seront de bois d’ acacia, placées debout.
Du sollst auch Bretter machen zu der Wohnung von Akazienholz, die stehen sollen.
Gij zult ook tot den tabernakel staande berderen maken van sittimhout.
Farai per il tabernacolo delle assi di legno d’acacia, messe per ritto.
Naczynisz też do przybytku desek z drzewa sytym prosto stojących.
И сделай брусья для скинии из дерева ситтим, чтобы они стояли:
「你要用皂莢 木 做 帳幕的 豎 板。
And you are to make upright boards of hard wood for the House.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 26:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the Hebrew qershaim (boards or frames) form the structural walls of the tabernacle. The Cambridge Bible notes that Kennedy argued these might be frames rather than solid boards, allowing the inner tapestry to remain visible, a view that is hypothetical but improves the consistency of the tabernacle's description. Gill and Matthew Henry stress the boards were made of acacia wood, a durable material abundant in Sinai, and were set 'standing upright' (omedim, a Qal active participle emphasizing an erect stance). Keil and Delitzsch caution against imagining them as overly thick beams, noting the text gives no thickness dimension. The verb form underscores stability. Gill draws a spiritual parallel: the boards symbolize those who are 'pillars in the house of God' and 'upright both in heart and conversation.'
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Solid boards: Traditional reading: the Hebrew word <em>qeresh</em> is translated as 'board', and the structure is described as a solid wall (cf. JFB, Wesley).
- Wooden frames: Kennedy argued that frames would allow the inner tapestry with cherubim to be visible inside the sanctuary; the Cambridge Bible finds this view persuasive.
- Symbolic of upright people: Gill reads the upright posture of the boards as representing those who are pillars in the church, connecting to Galatians 2:9.
What is clear: The boards/frames were made of acacia wood, set upright, and formed the structural walls that supported the tabernacle's coverings and housed the presence of God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the boards | They are wooden vertical elements forming the walls of the tabernacle. | Some argue they were solid planks (traditional view, e.g., Jamieson-Fausset-Brown); others, like Kennedy, suggest they were frames that allowed the inner tapestry to be seen (supported by Cambridge Bible). |
| Thickness of the boards | The biblical text gives no thickness measurement. | Josephus says four fingers; Rashi and others speculate a cubit; Keil and Delitzsch argue against excessive thickness for practical transport. |
| Symbolic meaning | The boards have symbolic potential as parts of God's dwelling. | Gill sees them as representing upright individuals; others focus on the structural and typical reading (Matthew Henry, Wesley) without moralizing the posture. |
| Material significance | Acacia wood is strong, durable, and native to Sinai. | Some see it as a type of Christ's humanity (church fathers), while others view it simply as the best available material for a portable structure. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The tabernacle was constructed while Israel camped at Sinai, en route to Canaan. Acacia wood (shittim) grew in the Sinai peninsula, providing a hard, insect-resistant material ideal for a portable sanctuary. Adam Clarke observes that the Israelites likely brought tools from Egypt, where they had served as skilled craftsmen. Each board measured ten cubits (fifteen feet) in length and one and a half cubits (two and a quarter feet) in width; thickness is unspecified. Keil and Delitzsch argue it would have been modest, perhaps a handbreadth, so the structure could be transported on desert roads without wagons. The boards were fitted with two tenons each and set into silver sockets (v. 19), forming a stable framework. The whole structure was overlaid with gold (v. 29), combining strength with beauty. The design followed a pattern shown to Moses on the mountain (Exodus 25:9, 40; Hebrews 8:5). Thus the tabernacle was a substantial dwelling for God's presence, yet still portable for their journey.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants for Exodus 26:15. The Hebrew term qeresh (board/frame) and the phrase 'acacia wood standing upright' appear consistently across manuscripts. The LXX and other ancient versions reflect the same reading.
Reception History
Early Jewish tradition saw the tabernacle as a microcosm, with the boards representing the stability of creation. Among church fathers, Origen (in his homilies on Exodus) interpreted the acacia wood as a type of Christ's humanity, strong, incorruptible. The Reformation commentaries of Matthew Henry and John Gill focused on spiritual application: the boards as pillars in the church and the need for uprightness. The Cambridge Bible and Kennedy in the 19th, 20th centuries introduced a structural rethinking, suggesting the 'boards' were actually frames. This verse continues to be read both typologically and for insight into Israel's wilderness worship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Material: Acacia wood, durable, common, and resistant to decay, points to the strength and endurance needed in God’s dwelling and his people.
- The Posture: 'Standing upright', the boards are set erect, not lying flat. This communicates stability, readiness, and moral uprightness (Gill connects it to pillars in the church).
- The Purpose: These boards support the curtains and coverings, creating a dwelling for God. They remind us that structure and stability are necessary for God’s presence to be housed among his people.
Five-point outline
- God cares about details: Every board had a specific size, material, and position.
- God uses ordinary materials: Acacia wood was the desert's lumber, nothing exotic, but it was perfect.
- Stability on a journey: The tabernacle was both durable and portable, a picture of the church moving with God.
- Beauty through gold: The boards were overlaid with gold, showing God's glory covering human craftsmanship.
- The pattern from heaven: Moses saw the design on the mountain; the tabernacle reflected the true sanctuary.
Illustration hooks
- A family packing for a long camping trip: they need a tent that is sturdy enough for rain and wind, yet light enough to carry. The tabernacle's boards solved that problem.
- A carpenter choosing local wood for a piece of furniture, it must be strong, durable, and suited to the environment. Acacia was the right wood for the Sinai desert.
- Building a house that needs a solid frame to hold the roof and walls. The boards are the skeleton of the tabernacle, without it the curtains would blow away.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God give such minute instructions for a tent? What does this say about worship?
- What does 'standing upright' have to do with my faith? Is it just about posture?
- How does an Old Testament building project apply to Christians today?
Leading a Discussion
This verse might seem like a mundane building instruction, but it reveals God's desire to dwell with his people, and the care he takes in preparing that dwelling.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does the verse say about the boards, their material, posture, and purpose?
- Observation: Look at the surrounding verses (26:16-19). What additional details stand out about the construction?
- Interpretation: Why do you think God specified acacia wood rather than cedar or another material?
- Interpretation: What might 'standing upright' signify, both practically and symbolically?
- Interpretation: The Cambridge Bible discusses whether the boards were solid or frames. How does this debate affect how we picture the tabernacle?
- Application: If the tabernacle represents God's dwelling among his people, what does the need for structural stability say about the church today?
- Application: How can we be 'standing upright' in our faith, individually and as a community?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 25:5 | rams’ skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, |
| Exodus 26:18 | You shall make twenty boards for the tabernacle, for the south side southward. |
| Exodus 26:22 | For the far side of the tabernacle westward you shall make six boards. |
| Exodus 26:29 | You shall overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars. You shall overlay the bars with gold. |
| Exodus 36:20 | He made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up. |
| Exodus 36:33 | He made the middle bar to pass through in the middle of the boards from the one end to the other. |
| Exodus 40:17 | In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was raised up. |
| Exodus 40:18 | Moses raised up the tabernacle, and laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke focuses on the practical question of how the Israelites, fleeing Egypt, possessed the tools to shape acacia wood into tabernacle boards. He argues they naturally carried craft implements from their forced labor, since they worked as general artisans for Egypt, even though they had no weapons.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the Hebrew word usually rendered "boards" may actually mean "frames," since solid boards would completely hide the richly embroidered curtains inside. This view makes better sense of the tabernacle's design, though the exact meaning of the original term remains uncertain, so it is hard to accept without reservation.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Also thou shalt make boards for the Tabernacle of Shittim wood to stand vp.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws a spiritual lesson from the physical construction: the boards were set upright, not laid flat, symbolizing that those who are pillars in God's house must themselves be upright in heart and conduct. Ministers and members alike share this requirement.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that although the tabernacle is called a tent, its construction with solid boards, multiple cross bars, and a continuous middle bar made it far sturdier. This stronger build was necessary to support the weight of its coverings and to protect the valuable furnishings inside.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that the tabernacle boards were not massive blocks a cubit thick, as some claim, because acacia trees of that size were rare in Sinai and such heavy beams could not be carried through the wilderness. They suggest the boards were made by joining several thinner planks together.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the tabernacle's elaborate construction of gold and silver was fitting for the church in its early, visible state. Yet he draws a sharp contrast: the builders of the gospel church had no silver or gold, but the glory of their spiritual building far surpassed the tabernacle's material splendor.