tabernacle (noun)

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “tabernacle” in English is translated in San Blas Kuna as “house of prayer that can be carried.” (Source: Ronald Ross)

In Bandi it is translated as “holy sitting place.” The “sitting place for the Bandi is where you live.” Therefore the tabernacle is the place where God lived. (Source: Becky Grossmann in this newsletter )

In Vidunda it is translated as “God’s tent” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext) and in Tibetan as gur mchog (གུར་​མཆོག) or “perfect tent” (source: gSungrab website )

In American Sign Language it is translated with with a sign for “tent” combined with a sign referring to the outer court surrounding the tent (see Exodus 27:9 and following). (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Tabernacle” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

See also tabernacle (verb) / dwell, festival of Tabernacles and ark of the covenant.

Translation commentary on Exod 38:19 - 38:20

These verses repeat the rest of the information given in 27.16-19. Their pillars is the same grammatical problem as in 27.16, for there seems to be no antecedent for the pronoun their. This may be changed to “its pillars,” referring to the “screen” in verse 18. Good News Translation has “It was supported by four posts.” Their four bases, of course, refers to the pillars or “bronze posts” (Contemporary English Version). The overlaying of their capitals is the same as verse 17 above. This expression is not included in chapter 27 but is found in 36.38. (See the comment there.) And their fillets suggests that the “rods” (Good News Translation) or “bands” (New Revised Standard Version) were also overlaid with silver. (See the comment on fillets at 27.10.)

Verse 20 is the same as 27.19, except that there is no reference to the “utensils … for every use.” (See the comment there.)

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .