Make fifty gold clasps as wellThe use of gold clasps signifies the importance and sacredness of the tabernacle. Gold, a precious metal, is often associated with divinity and purity in the Bible. The number fifty can symbolize completeness or fullness, as seen in the Jubilee year (
Leviticus 25:10), which was a time of liberation and restoration. The clasps' role in the tabernacle construction highlights the meticulous attention to detail and the divine order prescribed by God.
and join the curtains together with the clasps
The joining of the curtains with gold clasps emphasizes unity and cohesion within the tabernacle structure. This unity can be seen as a reflection of the unity of God's people, Israel, and their relationship with Him. The curtains themselves, made of fine linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, represent the heavenly and royal nature of God's dwelling place. The act of joining them signifies the bringing together of different elements to create a harmonious whole, much like the body of Christ is made up of many members (1 Corinthians 12:12).
so that the tabernacle will be a unit
The tabernacle as a unit symbolizes the dwelling place of God among His people, a central theme in the Old Testament. It served as a portable sanctuary during Israel's wilderness journey, representing God's presence and guidance. The unity of the tabernacle foreshadows the unity of the Church, the body of Christ, where believers are brought together as one in Him (Ephesians 4:4-6). The tabernacle's design and function point to Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate fulfillment of God's dwelling with humanity (John 1:14), and the perfect mediator between God and man.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
MosesThe leader of the Israelites, who received the instructions for the tabernacle from God on Mount Sinai.
2.
TabernacleThe portable sanctuary that served as the dwelling place of God among the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness.
3.
CurtainsThe fabric panels that formed the walls and covering of the tabernacle, symbolizing the separation between the holy and the common.
4.
Gold ClaspsThe connectors made of gold used to join the curtains, signifying unity and the preciousness of the tabernacle.
5.
IsraelitesThe people of God who were commanded to construct the tabernacle according to the divine pattern given to Moses.
Teaching Points
Unity in the Body of ChristJust as the gold clasps unified the curtains into one tabernacle, believers are called to maintain unity in the body of Christ. This unity is precious and should be preserved through love and humility.
Obedience to God's InstructionsThe detailed instructions for the tabernacle remind us of the importance of obedience to God's Word. Our lives should reflect His design and purpose.
The Value of HolinessThe use of gold for the clasps signifies the value and holiness of the tabernacle. As believers, we are called to live holy lives, set apart for God's purposes.
God's Presence Among His PeopleThe tabernacle was a physical representation of God's presence. Today, we are reminded that God dwells within us through the Holy Spirit, and we should live in a way that honors His presence.
Symbolism of the TabernacleThe tabernacle serves as a symbol of God's desire to dwell with His people, pointing forward to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ and the eternal dwelling with God in the new creation.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Exodus 26:6?
2.How does Exodus 26:6 emphasize the importance of unity in God's design?
3.What does the "fifty gold clasps" symbolize in the context of the tabernacle?
4.How can we apply the concept of unity from Exodus 26:6 today?
5.What other scriptures highlight the significance of unity in God's plans?
6.How does the tabernacle's design reflect God's order and attention to detail?
7.What is the significance of the fifty gold clasps in Exodus 26:6?
8.How do the gold clasps symbolize unity in Exodus 26:6?
9.Why does Exodus 26:6 emphasize the tabernacle's construction details?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Exodus 26?
11.What is the Most Holy Place?
12.Exodus 26 - How do these tabernacle measurements align or conflict with other biblical or historical texts regarding the scale and feasibility of such a dwelling?
13.Song of Solomon 7:5 - Is likening hair to royal purple historically or archaeologically supported in ancient Israel, and does it conflict with other scriptural cultural references?
14.What is the Holy of Holies in the Bible?What Does Exodus 26:6 Mean
Make fifty gold clasps as well“Make fifty gold clasps as well” (Exodus 26:6) signals both the precise craftsmanship the LORD required and the lavish materials He prescribed.
• Gold in the tabernacle repeatedly marks what is most closely associated with God’s presence—just as the mercy seat was hammered “out of pure gold” (Exodus 25:17).
• The number fifty is not random. In Scripture, fifty often pictures fullness and freedom, seen later in the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:10). Here the clasps reach the exact count God set, revealing His perfect design (Exodus 25:9).
• Because these items were fashioned from the freewill offerings of the people (Exodus 25:2-3), every clasp testified that redeemed hearts gladly invested their best in the dwelling place of the LORD.
Join the curtains together with the claspsThe curtains—ten massive panels of fine linen woven with cherubim (Exodus 26:1)—could not function separately; they had to be “joined…together with the clasps.”
• Connection before the LORD requires both divine provision and human obedience. The artisans followed the pattern exactly (Exodus 36:13), mirroring how believers are “being fitted together” as God’s spiritual house (Ephesians 2:21-22).
• Clasps were hidden once assembled, teaching that unity is often secured by quiet, unseen faithfulness rather than by showy display (Colossians 3:14).
• Just as the ark’s rings and poles enabled mobility (Exodus 25:14), so these clasps allowed the whole structure to move as one, anticipating the pilgrim journey of God’s people (Numbers 10:33-36).
So that the tabernacle will be a unitThe goal is explicit: “so that the tabernacle will be a unit.”
• God’s dwelling must not be a patchwork but a single, cohesive whole, reflecting His own undivided nature (Deuteronomy 6:4).
•Hebrews 8:5 reminds us the earthly tent was a “copy and shadow” of the heavenly reality; a unified sanctuary points to the perfectly integrated plan of redemption.
• The assembled tabernacle foreshadows the unified body of Christ, where “there is one body and one Spirit” (Ephesians 4:4) and where believers are “baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13).
• When Israel looked at the seamless tent, they saw a living sermon: God’s presence dwells where His people and His pattern align (John 17:21).
summaryExodus 26:6 reveals that the LORD values exact obedience, costly devotion, and visible unity. Fifty gold clasps—precisely crafted, invisibly securing linen panels—held the tabernacle together as one. In the same way, God calls His people to be joined in wholehearted commitment, bound by the unseen yet powerful ties of His Spirit, so that His dwelling among us is evident, beautiful, and whole.
Verse 6. - The Authorised Version gives the sense fairly. The two curtains, each composed of five "breadths," were to be united by means of one hundred loops, fifty on each curtain, which were to be coupled together by fifty "taches" or clasps. The loops were to be of the "blue" material used generally in the textile fabrics of the tabernacle (
Exodus 25:4;
Exodus 26:1, 31, 36), and the "taches" or clasps were to be of gold. In this way the covering of the
mishkan was to be completed.
The goat's skin tent-cloth (vers. 7-13).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Makeוְעָשִׂ֕יתָ(wə·‘ā·śî·ṯā)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6213:To do, makefiftyחֲמִשִּׁ֖ים(ḥă·miš·šîm)Number - common plural
Strong's 2572:Fiftygoldזָהָ֑ב(zā·hāḇ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2091:Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear skyclasps {as well},קַרְסֵ֣י(qar·sê)Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7165:A knob, belaying-pinand joinוְחִבַּרְתָּ֨(wə·ḥib·bar·tā)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 2266:To unite, be joined, to tie a magic knot or spell, to charmthe curtainsהַיְרִיעֹ֜ת(hay·rî·‘ōṯ)Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 3407:A hangingtogetherאִשָּׁ֤ה(’iš·šāh)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802:Woman, wife, femalewith the clasps,בַּקְּרָסִ֔ים(baq·qə·rā·sîm)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7165:A knob, belaying-pinso that the tabernacleהַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן(ham·miš·kān)Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4908:A residence, the Tabernaclewill beוְהָיָ֥ה(wə·hā·yāh)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961:To fall out, come to pass, become, bea single unit.אֶחָֽד׃(’e·ḥāḏ)Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259:United, one, first
Links
Exodus 26:6 NIVExodus 26:6 NLTExodus 26:6 ESVExodus 26:6 NASBExodus 26:6 KJV
Exodus 26:6 BibleApps.comExodus 26:6 Biblia ParalelaExodus 26:6 Chinese BibleExodus 26:6 French BibleExodus 26:6 Catholic Bible
OT Law: Exodus 26:6 You shall make fifty clasps of gold (Exo. Ex)