Exodus 40:3

After the completion of all the works, the command was given by God to Moses to set up the dwelling of the tabernacle on the first day of the first month (see at Exo 19:1), sc., in the second year of the Exodus (see Exo 40:17), and to put all the vessels, both of the dwelling and court, in the places appointed by God; also to furnish the table of shew-bread with its fitting out (ערכּו = לחם ערך Exo 40:23), i.e., to arrange the bread upon it in the manner prescribed (Exo 40:4 cf. Lev 24:6-7), and to put water in the laver of the court (Exo 40:7). After that he was to anoint the dwelling and everything in it, also the altar of burnt-offering and laver, with the anointing oil, and to sanctify them (Exo 40:9-11); and to consecrate Aaron and his sons before the door of the tabernacle, and clothe them, anoint them, and sanctify them as priests (Exo 40:12-15). When we read here, however, that the dwelling and the vessels therein would be rendered "holy" through the anointing, but the altar of burnt-offering "most holy," we are not to understand this as attributing a higher degree of holiness to the altar of burnt-offering than to the dwelling and its furniture; but the former is called "most holy" merely in the sense ascribed to it in Exo 30:10 namely, that every one who touched it was to become holy; in other words, the distinction has reference to the fact, that, standing as it did in the court, it was more exposed to contact from the people than the vessels in the dwelling, which no layman was allowed to enter. In this relative sense we find the same statement in Exo 30:29, with reference to the tabernacle and all the vessels therein, the dwelling as well as the court, that they would become most holy in consequence of the anointing (see the remarks on Exo 30:10). It is sta…

In this chapter, I. Orders are given for the setting up of the tabernacle and the fixing of all the appurtenances of it in their proper places (Exo 40:1-8), and the consecrating of it (Exo 40:9-11), and of the priests (Exo 40:12-15). II. Care is taken to do all this, and as it was appointed to be done (v. 16-33). III. God takes possession of it by the cloud (Exo 40:34, etc.).

40:3 The Hebrew word translated Covenant is ‘eduth (“testimony”), which refers particularly to the covenant stipulations. The written copy of these stipulations contained in the Ark would serve as a testimony to the covenant Israel had entered into with God.