As Bible students, we have come to appreciate deeply the typical significance of Israel’s Tabernacle, both in its construction and in its services. One of the details of the construction of the court seems to have received little attention as to what it was and its possible significance.

The Lord’s instructions to Moses concerning the construction of the Tabernacle include the following directions about the making of the court:

“And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side: And the twenty pillars and their twenty sockets shall be of brass [copper]; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass [copper]; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver… All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass [copper].” -Exod. 27:9-11, 17

The account of the actual construction of the court is found in Exodus 38:

“All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen. And the sockets for the pillars were of brass [copper]; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver” (Verses 16 and 17)

The court was an enclosed area surrounding the Tabernacle proper. The enclosure consisted of a linen curtain supported by wooden posts set in sockets or bases of copper. The curtain was attached to the posts, or suspended from them, by silver “hooks” and “fillets.”

The “hooks” on the posts and their function are rather easily understood, but what are the “fillets” and their function? Brother Russell seems to make no specific suggestion regarding them in his writings. Other Bible helps provide information which can help us come to an understanding. The Hebrew word translated “fillets” is given in Strong’s Concordance as #2838 – “chashug, attached, i.e. a fence-rail or rod connecting the posts or pillars.”

Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon gives the definition of this word as, “plur. joinings, i.e. poles or rods, which were used to join together the tops of the columns of the court of the holy tabernacle, and from which the curtains or hangings were suspended.” These definitions compare favorably with the contemporary definition of the English translation, “fillet: a thin narrow strip of any material” The Hebrew word translated “filleted” is given in Strong’s Concordance as #2836-“chashaq, to cling, i.e. join, (fig.) to love, delight in.”

It would appear from these definitions that the fillets were silver rods which extended from pillar to pillar and on which the linen curtain was hung. These silver “curtain rods” were apparently attached to the wooden posts by means of the silver hooks.

Other translations of the Exodus texts bear out this thought. Rotherham renders Exodus 38:17:

“And the sockets for the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their connecting-rods [fillets-#2838] of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals was silver, – and they themselves were filleted with silver, even all the pillars of the court”

Rotherham renders verse 28 of the same chapter:

“And with the thousand, seven hundred and seventy-five [shekels of silver] made the hooks for the pillars, – and overlaid their capitals and united them with connecting rods.”

The marginal notes in the Companion Bible give very similar renderings. Moffatt’s translation uses “rods” in place of “fillets.”

A final source of input to this discussion is McClintock and Strong’s Encyclopedia. The lengthy entry under the heading, “Tabernacle” includes the following description of the court and its pillars: ‘At the top these pillars had a capital or head (xxxviii, 17, “chapiter”), which was overlaid with silver; but whether the body of the pillar was plated with any metal is not said. Connected with the head of the pillar were two other articles: hooks, and things called chashukim, rendered “fillets,” i.e. ornamental caplets in relief around the pillar (so Ewald, Alterthumer, p. 335, note 5), but most probably meaning rods (so Gesenius, Furst, and others), joining one pillar to another. These rods were laid upon the hooks, and served to attach the hangings to and suspend from them. The hooks and rods were silver, though Knobel conjectures the latter must have been merely plated (Exod. p.278).” (Vol X, pages 130-131)

CONCLUSIONS

From the information available, it seems reasonable to conclude that the construction of the court included silver rods connecting the wooden posts, and upon which the linen curtain was suspended and supported. These rods would also add a great measure of physical stability to the whole arrangement.

The idea of silver rods connecting the wooden posts fits beautifully into our understanding of the typical significance of the court of the Tabernacle. “The Court represents, in the present time, the earthly condition of those who are approaching God, but have not yet made a full consecration of their lives to Him and His service” (R5418). “The posts which stood in the ‘Court,’ and upheld the white curtains, represented [tentatively-see Vol. 6, p. iii] justified believers … The posts were of wood, a corruptible material, thus implying that the class typified are not actually perfect as human beings’, (T113) The curtain of white linen represented the righteousness of Christ and was a wall of faith to those within the court condition (T114, T18). How appropriate that this wall of faith should be held up by hooks and rods of silver-silver representing truth. It is God’s Truth that has drawn individuals into the court; the truth has been the seed that grew into faith in Christ and his sacrifice.

The truth, represented by silver, is also the element that unites individual believers one to another. An early Reprint article (100) authored by “W.I.M.” stated: “… truth is symbolized by silver, which thus adorned the posts, clothing their heads with beauty, forming the ornaments of the body, and being the hook or connection which bound them to the curtain of linen, and by it to each other.” How beautiful appears the additional symbolism that silver rods of truth unite the posts to each other – the bond of one believer to another. “Blest be the tie [the truth] that binds our hearts in Christian love!”

– Thomas L. Gilbert

 

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