Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to overlook that God instructed Moses to create two separate large curtains, each made of five panels, before joining them. This division wasn't for aesthetic reasons, but a practical necessity for portability as the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness.
Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is giving Moses detailed instructions for constructing the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where His presence would dwell among the Israelites. After specifying the material and embroidery for the inner curtains, the text now directs Moses to join five of these curtains together to form one large panel, and then do the same with the other five, creating two substantial sections. These two larger panels will later be joined to form the complete roof covering of the Tabernacle.
God's dwelling place wasn't a single piece of fabric. It was built by joining smaller parts together.
The Tabernacle's inner covering was made of ten curtains, but they weren't used as ten separate pieces. Instead, five were sewn together to form one large section, and the other five were sewn to form a second large section. This wasn't just about creating a large covering; it was a deliberate act of creating unity from separate parts. Imagine the precision and care required to perfectly align and stitch these curtains, ensuring no gaps remained.
This mirrors how God calls us to unity. Even though we are distinct individuals with unique gifts and personalities, we are called to be joined together in love and purpose, forming one body in Christ.
Why divide the covering? The reason is surprisingly practical, yet speaks to God's intimate presence.
The instruction to couple five curtains together and then another five, rather than joining all ten into one massive piece, served a crucial practical purpose: portability. The Tabernacle was a mobile dwelling for God among His people as they journeyed through the wilderness. A single, enormous curtain would have been impossibly heavy and cumbersome to fold, carry, and reassemble.
By creating two large sections, the covering became manageable. This shows us that God’s presence, while awesome and awe-inspiring, is also made accessible and practical for our lives. He meets us where we are, even in our wanderings, adapting His magnificent presence to our human limitations.
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This passage explains that the earthly tabernacle was a copy and shadow of heavenly things, highlighting the symbolic importance of its construction, including how its parts were joined together.
1 Corinthians 12:12Just as the separate curtains were joined to form one unified covering for the tabernacle, this passage uses the analogy of the body to illustrate how diverse members come together to form one body in Christ.
Ephesians 4:16This verse speaks of the entire body of Christ being 'built up' and 'held together' by its joints, mirroring how the distinct curtains were skillfully joined to create a cohesive and functional dwelling.
John 1:14The Word becoming flesh, described in this verse, is a profound mystery of God dwelling among humanity, much like the tabernacle was God's dwelling place, beautifully and intricately constructed.
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…
pulpitExodus 26:3: "The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another."
Verse 3. - When the ten "breadths" had been woven, five were to be sewn together to form one portion of the awning, and the other five to form another portion, the reason for this being, probably, that if all the ten breadths had been sewn together, the awning would have been too cumbrous to have been readily folded together, or easily conveyed when the people jour…
It's easy to overlook that God instructed Moses to create two separate large curtains, each made of five panels, before joining them. This division wasn't for aesthetic reasons, but a practical necessity for portability as the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness.
God is giving Moses detailed instructions for constructing the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where His presence would dwell among the Israelites. After specifying the material and embroidery for the inner curtains, the text now directs Moses to join five of these curtains together to form one large panel, and then do the same with the other five, creating two substantial sections. These two larger panels will later be joined to form the complete roof covering of the Tabernacle.
God is giving Moses detailed instructions for constructing the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where His presence would dwell among the Israelites. After specifying the material and embroidery for the inner curtains, the text now directs Moses to join five of these curtains together to form one large panel, and then do the same with the other five, creating two substantial sections. These two larger panels will later be joined to form the complete roof covering of the Tabernacle.
"Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another." — It's easy to overlook that God instructed Moses to create two separate large curtains, each made of five panels, before joining them. This division wasn't for aesthetic reasons, but a practical nec…
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Last reviewed October 2026