Notes for Exodus 38:2LEB
"its horns were from it," meaning from the same piece.
Notes for Exodus 38:7LEB
"it"; the referent (the altar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Notes for Exodus 38:8LEB
The word for "serve" is not the ordinary one. It means "to serve in a host," especially in a war. It appears that women were organized into bands and served at the tent of meeting. S. R. Driver thinks that this meant "no doubt" washing, cleaning, or repairing (Exodus, 391). But there is no hint of that (see 1 Sam 2:22LEB; and see Ps 68:11LEB [12 Hebrew text]). They seem to have had more to do than what Driver said.
Notes for Exodus 38:9LEB
"south side southward."
Notes for Exodus 38:10LEB
While this verse could be translated as an independent sentence, it is probably to be subordinated as a circumstantial clause in line with Exod 27:10–12LEB, as well as v. 12 of this passage.
Notes for Exodus 38:11LEB
Here the phrase "the hangings were" has been supplied.
Notes for Exodus 38:12LEB
The phrase "there were" has been supplied.
The text simply has "their posts ten and their bases ten"; this may be added here as a circumstantial clause with the main sentence in order to make sense out of the construction.
Notes for Exodus 38:13LEB
The text simply says "seventy-five feet."
Notes for Exodus 38:14LEB
The word literally means "shoulder." The next words, "of the gate," have been supplied here. The east end contained the courtyard’s entry with a wall of curtains on each side of the entry (see v. 15).
Notes for Exodus 38:15LEB
"from this and from this" (cf, Exodus 17:12LEB; Exodus 25:19LEB; Exodus 26:13LEB; Exodus 32:15LEB; Josh 8:22LEB, 33; 1 Kgs 10:19–20LEB; Ezek 45:7LEB).
Notes for Exodus 38:17LEB
"they were banded with silver."
Notes for Exodus 38:18LEB
This word is different from the word for hangings; it has more of the idea of a screen, shielding or securing the area.
Notes for Exodus 38:21LEB
The Hebrew word is פְּקוּדֵי (péqude), which in a slavishly literal way would be "visitations of" the tabernacle. But the word often has the idea of "numbering" or "appointing" as well. Here it is an accounting or enumeration of the materials that people brought, so the contemporary term "inventory" is a close approximation. By using this Hebrew word there is also the indication that whatever was given, i.e., appointed for the tabernacle, was changed forever in its use. This is consistent with this Hebrew root, which does have a sense of changing the destiny of someone ("Yahweh will surely visit you"). The list in this section will also be tied to the numbering of the people.
The same verb is used here, but now in the Pual perfect tense, third masculine singular. A translation "was numbered" or "was counted" works. The verb is singular because it refers to the tabernacle as a unit. This section will list what made up the tabernacle.
"at/by the mouth of."
The noun is "work" or "service." S. R. Driver explains that the reckonings were not made for the Levites, but that they were the work of the Levites, done by them under the direction of Ithamar (Exodus, 393).
"by the hand of."
Notes for Exodus 38:24LEB
These words form the casus pendens, or independent nominative absolute, followed by the apodosis beginning with the vav (ו; see U. Cassuto, Exodus, 469).
"and it was."
There were 3000 shekels in a talent, and so the total weight here in shekels would be 87,730 shekels of gold. If the sanctuary shekel was 224 grs., then this was about 40,940 oz. troy. This is estimated to be a little over a ton (cf. NCV "over 2,000 pounds"; TEV "a thousand kilogrammes"; CEV "two thousand two hundred nine pounds"; NLT "about 2,200 pounds"), although other widely diverging estimates are also given.
Notes for Exodus 38:25LEB
This would be a total of 301,775 shekels (about 140,828 oz), being a half shekel exacted per person from 605,550 male Israelites 20 years old or more (Num 1:46LEB). The amount is estimated to be around 3.75 tons.
Notes for Exodus 38:26LEB
The weight would be about half an ounce.
"upward."
The phrase "in all" has been supplied.
Notes for Exodus 38:28LEB
Here the word "shekels" is understood; about 45 pounds.
Notes for Exodus 38:29LEB
The total shekels would have been 212,400 shekels, which would be about 108,749 oz. This would make about 2.5 to 3 tons.
Notes for Exodus 38:31LEB
The bronze altar is the altar for the burnt offering; the large bronze basin is not included here in the list.