The Douay-Rheims with the Glossa Ordinaria

¹And thou shalt make the tabernacle in this manner: Thou shalt make ten curtains of fine twisted linen, and violet and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, diversified with embroidery.

²The length of one curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits; the breadth shall be four cubits. All the curtains shall be of one measure.

³Five curtains shall be joined one to another, and the other five shall be coupled together in like manner.

⁴Thou shalt make loops of violet in the sides and tops of the curtains, that they may be joined one to another.

⁵Every curtain shall have fifty loops on both sides, so set on, that one loop may be against another loop, and one may be fitted to the other.

v.5

VERS. 5.-- *Fifty each,* etc. In the fiftieth year, etc., *as far as* and in the receiving of which there is truly rest and joy, it is rightly figured. The curtains have fifty loops, because it is brought about by the gift of the Holy Spirit that the elect are coupled to one another in the fellowship of peace, which is the bond of perfection: and the hope also and the memory of that fellowship and peace to come, which is had in this life, makes those who are separated by times or by places to be of one accord in the same piety. The curtains have loops on either part, etc., *as far as* when the just are leagued together by a harmonious quality of virtues. *Thou shalt make also fifty rings.* This is more fully explained when it is said, etc., *as far as* nay rather, that out of all the elect the Church of Christ may be perfected.

⁶Thou shalt make also fifty rings of gold, wherewith the veils of the curtains are to be joined, that it may be made one tabernacle.

⁷Thou shalt make also eleven curtains of goats' hair, to cover the top of the tabernacle.

v.7

VERS. 7.-- *Thou shalt make also tent-cloths,* etc. This is found thus in what follows: *He made also eleven tent-cloths of goats' hair,* etc. The tent-cloths, with which the tabernacle is covered, etc., *as far as* while like tent-cloths they bear the storms without. The tent-cloths of haircloth signify the coarse minds of men, which by the hidden judgment of God are preferred, however harshly, because they fear not to serve temporal cares, that they may bear the winds and rains of temptations. *Thou shalt make also tent-cloths,* etc. Haircloth belongs to penitents, etc., *as far as* yet how great is the perfection of their hearts is declared when it is said: *The length of one tent-cloth,* etc. The tent-cloths of haircloth, or of goats' hair, etc., *as far as* nor do they receive the apostolic grace. There are eleven hairy veils, etc., *as far as and whose sins are covered.* *For a covering,* namely lest the inner things, tender and bright, be troubled by any adversity whatever; for otherwise neither does the fine linen shine, nor the scarlet glitter, nor is the hyacinth adorned with its blue colour: those therefore who advance in the bosom of the Church ought not to despise their superiors, if they see them taken up with outward things.

⁸The length of one hair-curtain shall be thirty cubits; and the breadth, four: the measure of all the curtains shall be equal.

⁹Five of which thou shalt couple by themselves, and the six others thou shalt couple one to another, so as to double the sixth curtain in the front of the roof.

¹⁰Thou shalt make also fifty loops in the edge of one curtain, that it may be joined with the other: and fifty loops in the edge of the other curtain, that it may be coupled with its fellow.

¹¹Thou shalt make also fifty buckles of brass, wherewith the loops may be joined, that of all there may be made one covering.

¹²And that which shall remain of the curtains, that are prepared for the roof, to wit, one curtain that is over and above, with the half thereof thou shalt cover the back parts of the tabernacle.

¹³And there shall hang down a cubit on the one side, and another on the other side, which is over and above in the length of the curtains, fencing both sides of the tabernacle.

¹⁴Thou shalt make also another cover to the roof of rams' skins dyed red: and over that again another cover of violet coloured skins.

v.14

VERS. 14.-- *Thou shalt make also a covering.* The first covering was that of the curtains of fine linen, purple and scarlet; the second that of the eleven tent-cloths; the third of the reddened skins of rams; the last was of hyacinth-coloured skins. Now the curtains so covered that they came down at the sides, yet did not reach the ground; but the tent-cloths covered both roof and sides, and did reach the ground. But the reddened or violet skins covered the roof only, nor did they slope down to the other parts. *Of skins,* etc. The rams are the doctors, the leaders of the Lord's flock. Whence: *Bring to the Lord, O ye children of God, bring,* etc. As if to say: O angels, appointed to this office, bring to the Lord into the heavens the imitators of the apostles. Hence also the sixth station of the people that went out of Egypt is named helin, that is, rams, in which there were twelve fountains and seventy palm trees, that so by name and by kind it might hold the figure of the apostles. *Reddened.* The skins of rams are reddened for covering the roof of the tabernacle, etc., *as far as* lest they fail amid oppressions, they fortify *Of violet skins.* The hyacinth is of a heavenly colour, etc., *as far as* that is, imitating the life of heaven.

¹⁵Thou shalt make also the boards of the tabernacle standing upright of setim wood.

¹⁶Let every one of them be ten cubits in length, and in breadth one cubit and a half.

¹⁷In the sides of the boards shall be made two mortises, whereby one board may be joined to another board: and after this manner shall all the boards be prepared.

¹⁸Of which twenty shall be in the south side southward.

¹⁹For which thou shalt cast forty sockets of silver, that under every board may be put two sockets at the two corners.

v.19

VERS. 19.-- *For which thou shalt cast forty sockets of silver,* etc. The bases by which the boards were held up are the words and the books of the law and of the prophets, by which the apostles and evangelists proved that the things they willed to write and to preach were true and divine. Whence: *Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophets.* And elsewhere: *Now all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled*. And Peter says: *We have the more firm prophetical word*. By the silver bases of the boards the order of the prophets is signified: who, when they first spoke of the Lord's incarnation, rose as it were as bases from the foundation, and sustained the weights of the fabric set above them, and they sustain the boards, that is, the apostolic preaching spread abroad in the world, as firm and molten bases: because the life of the apostles is instructed by their preaching, and is made solid by their authority. Whence two bases joined together are set under each board: because while the prophets agree in their words concerning the incarnation of Christ, they build up the preachers that follow, so that, in the point where they do not differ among themselves, they may fix those others the more strongly. They are commanded to be cast of silver. For the brightness of silver is preserved by use, and without use turns to blackness; but the sayings of the prophets, before the coming of Christ, were not in the use of spiritual understanding, since they could not be beheld through their obscurity, and therefore they remained as it were black: but after Christ, coming, wiped them before our eyes with the hand of his incarnation, whatever of light lay hidden in them shone forth, and he gave the understanding of the preceding fathers into use, because he expounded the words by the things. Rightly are two bases set under each board, that the consent of the prophetic attestation in all the things which the apostles said may be shown. Or they are put beneath, two by two, at the two corners, that, the corners being well propped, the whole board may be able to stand upright: because the beginning of all apostolic and evangelical discourse is prefigured in the prophetic books, and the end of the whole life of the apostles and of their successors, from the beginning of faith unto the end of the present life, is inserted in the mystical boards of the old testament.

²⁰In the second side also of the tabernacle that looketh to the north, there shall be twenty boards,

v.20

VERS. 20.-- *On the second side also.* The southern side, which looks toward the south wind, signifies the ancient people of God, which, long ago receiving the light of the knowledge of the law, glowed with the love of God. The second side, which looks toward the North, signifies the Gentiles, who until the time of the incarnation were torpid in the darkness and cold of unbelief; of whose calling it is said: *I will say to the North: Give up; and to the South: Keep not back*. As if to say: I will say to the people of the Gentiles, long benumbed without faith: Let there come of thy sons to the faith of my confession and of my love. Yea and to the people of Israel, which already enjoys the light of my knowledge: Keep not back the Gentiles from being received into the lot of election. *Twenty boards.* Now the board on either side was of one number, and of one measure, and of one making: because one and the same faith, hope and charity is preached to either people through the apostles, and to the promised land of the heavenly kingdom either people is called. Of both they receive a general precept: *Going into the whole world, preach the Gospel to every creature*, that is, to uncircumcision and to circumcision. And without any difference it is subjoined: *He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.*

²¹Having forty sockets of silver, two sockets shall be put under each board.

²²But on the west side of the tabernacle thou shalt make six boards.

²³And again other two which shall be erected in the corners at the back of the tabernacle.

²⁴And they shall be joined together from beneath unto the top, and one joint shall hold them all. The like joining shall be observed for the two boards also that are to be put in the corners.

v.24

VERS. 24.-- *And they shall be joined to one another.* Because the whole life of the elect tends by one faith and charity toward the things of heaven, and comes to the one end of the divine vision, and in one voice of right doctrine all the discourse of the holy preachers agrees. For the framing of the boards would fall apart from one another, if what one prophet or Apostle had said, another denied *And to the two boards also,* etc. The corner boards are joined in all things to the boards of the walls, etc., *as far as* the prophets foretold with a consonant voice that these things should be. Here the measure of the bases is not stated, etc., *as far as* but that it might be kept unmoved in secure quiet. *Thou shalt make also bars of wood,* etc. The five bars which hold together the boards of the tabernacle, etc., *as far as* nor did he lay upon them other things than the commandments of the law.

²⁵And they shall be in all eight boards, and their silver sockets sixteen, reckoning two sockets for each board.

²⁶Thou shalt make also five bars of setim wood, to hold together the boards on one side of the tabernacle.

²⁷And five others on the other side, and as many at the west side:

²⁸And they shall be put along by the midst of the boards, from one end to the other.

²⁹The boards also themselves thou shalt overlay with gold, and shalt cast rings of gold to be set upon them, for places for the bars to hold together the boardwork: which bars thou shalt cover with plates of gold.

³⁰And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the pattern that was shewn thee in the mount.

³¹Thou shalt make also a veil of violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine twisted linen, wrought with embroidered work and goodly variety:

³²And thou shalt hang it up before four pillars of setim wood, which themselves also shall be overlaid with gold, and shall have heads of gold, but sockets of silver.

³³And the veil shall be hanged on with rings, and within it thou shalt put the ark of the testimony, and the sanctuary and the holy of the holies shall be divided with it.

³⁴And thou shalt set the propitiatory upon the ark of the testimony, in the holy of holies.

³⁵And the table without the veil, and over against the table the candlestick in the south side of the tabernacle: for the table shall stand in the north side.

³⁶Thou shalt make also a hanging in the entrance of the tabernacle of violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine twisted linen with embroidered work.

³⁷And thou shalt overlay with gold five pillars of setim wood, before which the hanging shall be drawn: their heads shall be of gold, and the sockets of brass.