Tabernacle Joinings

Could anyone shed light on the word in Exodus 27:10 (KJV - fillets)
DARBY - connecting-rods
CSB - bands
CJB - rings for hanging
GNB - rods

Is there any way to decide what is actually being described here, and I think in 7 other places?

All help much appreciated!

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Lew Worthington

It's interesting that some of the translations are more diverse than any of the lexical entries I see in my library. I actually like what's presented in the Lexham Research Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible where חָשׁוּק is defined as "a band that is used as a connector". The Septuagint uses ψαλίς which seems consistent with that idea.

I'm chuckling to myself because I'm envisioning that a modern equivalent seems equivalent to the "ring" component of a TRS audio cable. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phone_connector_%28audio%29

***

But that's just for fun. Here are some commentaries' thoughts:

"27:10 How the binders (חֲשֻׁקֵי) were used in conjunction with the hangings and the columns is not entirely clear. Possibly they were constructed to “bind” the hangings between the columns, and they rested upon the hooks. Thus some kind of connecting rod of silver is intended."

Eugene Carpenter, Exodus, vol. 2 of Evangelical Exegetical Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), 211.

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I'm intrigued by Propp's translation in the Anchor Bible:

"and its posts twenty and their bases twenty, bronze; their Y-brackets and their ḥăšūqîm, silver."

William H. C. Propp, Exodus 19–40: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, vol. 2A of Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 313.

So, when in doubt, just transliterate. His explanation is kind of fun, too:

"†† their Y-brackets. Reading *wāwêhem with Sam-LXX, against MT wāwê hāʿammūdîm ‘the posts’ Y-brackets.’ My assumption (not necessarily correct) is V 2a, p 338 p 338 that originally 27:10–11 consistently had “their Y-brackets,” while 38:10–11 had “the posts’ Y-brackets.” If so, MT has harmonized commission and fulfillment.

†† translation does not follow BHS"

Then there's this:

"bands The stem of Hebrew ḥashuk means “to be attached to.” Some kind of fillet or connecting rod seems intended."

Nahum M. Sarna, Exodus, The JPS Torah Commentary (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1991), 174.

This is a notion I read somewhere else.

I'm curious: Why are you interested in nailing down this piece of hardware?

DMB

This reminds me of the manual, after opening the box and 'some assembly required' … WHAT is it describing?!

(‾◡◝)

Maybe Dell Griffith could help …

😉