down over the upright boards.

If this were the

case, the breadth of the tabernacle, in the outside dimensions, must have been twenty-eight cubits; which would make the inside breadth, by which I mean the breadth measured between the inner edges of the opposite boards in the two sides, twenty-five cubits. But so great a breadth, when the whole length of the tabernacle came to be divided by the vail, would have made two awkward ill proportioned rooms, of a very mean aspect. But the word which in this 13th verse is rendered " tabernacle," is own, and that which is rendered "tent" is . Now it is remarkable (though not observed, as far as I can find, by any commentator), that, in this chapter, neither of these words signifies either the room within, or the whole structure of the tabernacle without. But w is the appropriate name of the awning of linen, and is the appropriate name of the other awning of goat's hair, as particularly appears from verses 1. and 6. compared with verses 7. and 11. This being understood, it appears evidently from this 13th verse, that this pwn had two sides; consequently, that some part of its length hung down over the upright posts, to form those two sides of it; and the hung not

barely a cubit down the upright posts, but a cubit lower on each side than the sides of the own. Consequently, that more than two cubits of its length hung over in the whole, and that less was left of the thirty than twenty-eight to cover the whole breadth of the tabernacle. The breadth therefore in the outside dimensions was less than twenty-eight cubits, and of consequence the inside breadth less than twenty-five.

But the

could not hang so low, on each side, as to reach down to the silver sockets. Had it hung so low, ten cubits of its length must have been taken up on each side, in this dependent part, i. e. twenty cubits in all, and ten only would have remained to cover the whole breadth of the tabernacle. Thus the outside breadth would have been but ten cubits, and the inside would be reduced to seven, which would make the two rooms, the Holy of Holies, and the Holy Place, much too narrow. Suppose the hung down within two cubits of the silver sockets. It hung down then eight cubits. on each side. The two dependant sides made sixteen cubits of its whole length, and fourteen remained to cover the whole breadth of the tabernacle. The outside breadth therefore was fourteen cu

bits, and three cubits being taken up by the breadth of the boards on the two sides, the inside breadth between board and board was eleven cubits. And this seems a very probable estimation of the breadth: not only as it would make the two rooms well proportioned, but as it is very consistent with the number of the end-boards, which we are told were eight.

I have said that the length of the tabernacle was composed of the thicknesses of the planks with the intervals between them. That the planks were not set close together, so as to form a continued wainscot, is evident from this circumstance, that had they been so placed, the curious work of the linen tapestry (as is well observed by Houbigant) would have been hidden, so much at least as hung down, which made the half of it. What the thickness of the planks might be is not mentioned by Moses. But I think a handsbreadth, or one-sixth of a cubit, a probable measure. Now the length of the whole structure was forty cubits, i. e. two hundred and forty handsbreadths in the outside dimensions. The twenty thicknesses made twenty handsbreadths. Suppose the interval between every pair was eleven handsbreadths; then the nineteen intervals made two hundred and nine handsbreadths. I imagine that

the angular planks were made out of one plank, doubled as it were in the middle of its breadth, at right angles, and so placed that the external face of one half plank might be flush with the outer edges of the twenty, and the external face of the other half flush with the external edges of the six, the edges of these angular planks being set to face the breadths of the other. So that each of these angular planks added four and a half handsbreadths to each side, and each of them the same measure to the west end of the tabernacle, in the outside dimensions. And the interval between the angular column and the next to it of the twenty, might be six and a half handsbreadths, i. e. one cubit and half a handsbreadth. Thus we shall have the length of the tabernacle thus made out:

Now the six end-planks make up one cubit, or six handsbreadths in the breadth; and their five intervals, at eleven handsbreadths each give nine cubits one handsbreadth. The two angular planks give four and a half handsbreadths each, that is, both together, one cubit three handsbreadths; and if we make the intervals next the angular planks, as in the sides, one cubit and half a handsbreadth each, we shall make up the whole breadth thus:

which is one handsbreadth only shorter than our former estimation. This handsbreadth might be made up, by widening the intervals next the angular planks, each by half a handsbreadth. Upon the whole, fourteen cubits in the outside dimensions, and eleven in the inside, seem a probable breadth. *

* Josephus supposes that the breadth and height were equal; but he makes each twelve cubits.