“Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The "cherubim" woven into the curtains weren't just decorative; they were specifically "skillfully worked" in a way that made the design visible on both sides, suggesting a presence that is fully revealed and not hidden. This intricate, dual-sided artistry points to God's glory being present and accessible, not just as an external display, but as an integral part of the structure of His dwelling.
“Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God has just instructed Moses on how to build the Ark of the Covenant and the lampstand. Now, He's giving detailed directions for constructing the Tabernacle itself, starting with its inner covering made of ten richly colored linen curtains, intricately woven with figures of cherubim. This elaborate inner tent will be the first layer of God's dwelling place among His people.
God’s presence wasn’t confined to heaven; He desired to dwell among His people. But this dwelling wasn’t just a spiritual concept – it was meticulously designed and built.
The Tabernacle, God's dwelling place among the Israelites, was not a haphazard structure. Every detail, from the 'fine twined linen' to the 'blue, and purple, and scarlet yarns,' was part of God's specific instructions.
God's Blueprint
This wasn't about human creativity; it was about obedience to a divine blueprint shown to Moses on the mountain. The materials and the 'cunning work' were to be executed by skilled artisans, highlighting that even earthly craftsmanship could be used to honor God.
Purposeful Materials
The colors themselves likely held symbolic meaning, representing royalty, divinity, and sacrifice. The fine linen speaks of purity, a necessary quality for approaching a holy God. This intricate design points to the reverence and care required when entering into God's presence.
Woven into the very fabric of God's dwelling were figures that spoke of divine authority and presence. What do these 'cherubim' signify?
The 'cherubim skillfully worked into them' were not mere decorations. Cherubim in Scripture often represent beings that guard God's holiness and manifest His glorious presence.
Heavenly Beings in Earthly Fabric
Their inclusion in the Tabernacle's inner curtains signifies that God’s presence is not only to be approached with reverence but is also protected by heavenly power. These figures remind us that God is holy and separate from sin.
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A Glimpse of God's Throne Room
Just as cherubim attended God's throne in heaven (as seen in Ezekiel and Revelation), their presence in the Tabernacle offered the Israelites a tangible, albeit symbolic, connection to the divine realm and the awe-inspiring nature of God's majesty.
Understand the original words
mishkan · Hebrew Noun
A portable sanctuary where God manifested His presence among His people in the Old Testament; it symbolizes God's dwelling with humanity.
yeriyah · Hebrew Noun
A decorative fabric or textile used in the construction of the tabernacle; represents the beauty and holiness of God’s dwelling place.
shesh · Hebrew Noun
High-quality, white linen, often associated with purity, righteousness, and the holiness required to enter God's presence.
keruv · Hebrew Noun
Celestial beings attendant to God, symbolizing His holiness, glory, and protective presence; their presence in the tabernacle signifies it as the throne room of God on earth.
This passage describes a being adorned with precious stones and fine linen, similar to the luxurious materials used for the Tabernacle's inner curtains, suggesting a heavenly beauty and perfection.
Hebrews 8:5This verse directly links the earthly Tabernacle to a heavenly pattern, highlighting that the intricate design and materials of the curtains were meant to point to something greater in God's divine plan.
John 1:14The Word becoming flesh, 'dwelling among us,' parallels the Tabernacle being God's dwelling place among His people, with the 'fine twined linen' perhaps symbolizing Christ's purity and humanity.
Revelation 21:2The description of the New Jerusalem descending from heaven, adorned with precious stones, echoes the rich and symbolic materials of the Tabernacle, pointing to God's ultimate dwelling with humanity.
1 Corinthians 3:16This passage states that believers are God's temple and the Spirit dwells within them, drawing a parallel to the Tabernacle as God's dwelling place, now realized in the lives of His people.
clarkeExodus 26:1: "Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them."
Thou shalt make the tabernacle - משכן mischan, from שכן shachan, to dwell, means simply a dwelling place or habitation of any kind, but here it means the dwelling place of Jehovah, who, as a king in his camp, had his dwelling or pavilion among his people, his table always spread, his lamps lighted, and the priest…
calvinExodus 26:1-37: "Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them."
And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
Facies quoque, laqueolos hya cinthinos in ora cortinae unius in extremo in conjunetione: et sic facies…
The "cherubim" woven into the curtains weren't just decorative; they were specifically "skillfully worked" in a way that made the design visible on both sides, suggesting a presence that is fully revealed and not hidden. This intricate, dual-sided artistry points to God's glory being present and accessible, not just as an external display, but as an integral part of the structure of His dwelling.
God has just instructed Moses on how to build the Ark of the Covenant and the lampstand. Now, He's giving detailed directions for constructing the Tabernacle itself, starting with its inner covering made of ten richly colored linen curtains, intricately woven with figures of cherubim. This elaborate inner tent will be the first layer of God's dwelling place among His people.
God has just instructed Moses on how to build the Ark of the Covenant and the lampstand. Now, He's giving detailed directions for constructing the Tabernacle itself, starting with its inner covering made of ten richly colored linen curtains, intricately woven with figures of cherubim. This elaborate inner tent will be the first layer of God's dwelling place among His people.
"“Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them." — The "cherubim" woven into the curtains weren't just decorative; they were specifically "skillfully worked" in a way that made the design visible on both sides, suggesting a presence that is fully rev…
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Last reviewed October 2026