Exodus 39
Introduction
Exodus 39 records the completion of the priestly garments and the final presentation of all the tabernacle components to Moses for his inspection. This chapter closely parallels the instructions given in Exodus 28, where God prescribed the design of the high priest's vestments. Where chapter 28 said "you shall make," chapter 39 says "they made" — the divine blueprint has now become physical reality through the Spirit-empowered craftsmanship of Bezalel, Oholiab, and the skilled workers of Israel. The chapter covers the ephod (vv. 1-7), the breastpiece (vv. 8-21), the robe and remaining garments (vv. 22-31), and Moses' inspection and blessing of the completed work (vv. 32-43).
A notable feature of this chapter is the sevenfold repetition of the refrain "just as the LORD had commanded Moses" (vv. 1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31), with an additional occurrence in the inspection summary (vv. 32, 42-43). This sevenfold pattern deliberately echoes the seven days of creation in Genesis 1, where God spoke and it was so. Just as God surveyed his finished creation and declared it "very good" (Genesis 1:31), Moses surveys the finished tabernacle work and blesses the people (v. 43). The tabernacle construction is thus presented as a new creation — the making of a sacred space where heaven and earth meet, where the Creator takes up residence among his creatures.
The Ephod (vv. 1-7)
1 From the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn they made specially woven garments for ministry in the sanctuary, as well as the holy garments for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 2 Bezalel made the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. 3 They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut threads from them to interweave with the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen — the work of a skilled craftsman. 4 They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, which were attached at two of its corners, so it could be fastened. 5 And the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod was of one piece with the ephod, of the same workmanship — with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 6 They mounted the onyx stones in gold filigree settings, engraved like a seal with the names of the sons of Israel. 7 Then they fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
1 And from the blue and the purple and the scarlet yarn they made woven garments of service for ministering in the sanctuary, and they made the holy garments that were for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 2 He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine twisted linen. 3 They hammered out the sheets of gold and cut them into threads to work into the blue and into the purple and into the scarlet yarn and into the fine linen — the work of a skilled designer. 4 They made shoulder pieces for it, joined together; at its two edges it was joined. 5 And the skillfully woven band of its ephod that was on it was of one piece with it, of the same workmanship — gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine twisted linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 6 They made the onyx stones, set in gold filigree settings, engraved with the engravings of a seal with the names of the sons of Israel. 7 And he placed them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Notes
בִגְדֵי שְׂרָד ("woven garments of service") — The word שְׂרָד is rare, appearing only in contexts related to the tabernacle garments (here, v. 41, and Exodus 31:10, Exodus 35:19). Its precise meaning is debated. Some scholars connect it to a root meaning "to weave" or "to plait," suggesting specially woven fabric. Others associate it with Akkadian cognates suggesting a distinct category of woven fabric. These are distinguished from בִּגְדֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ ("the holy garments"), which refers specifically to Aaron's priestly vestments. The distinction suggests that the בִגְדֵי שְׂרָד may be the utilitarian garments used during routine sanctuary service, while the holy garments are the full ceremonial regalia described in Exodus 28.
אֵפֹד — The ephod was the outermost garment of the high priest, a kind of decorated vest or apron worn over the robe. The instructions for its construction were given in Exodus 28:6-14. It was made of five materials: gold, blue yarn, purple yarn, scarlet yarn, and fine twisted linen. Gold is listed first in v. 2, emphasizing the ephod's royal and divine character. The ephod served as the anchor for the breastpiece and its twelve tribal stones, making the high priest a living symbol of Israel's covenant identity before God.
וַיְרַקְּעוּ אֶת פַּחֵי הַזָּהָב ("they hammered out the sheets of gold") — The verb רָקַע means "to beat, stamp, spread out" and is the same verb used of God spreading out the heavens (Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah 44:24). The craftsmen hammered gold into thin sheets (פַּחִים), then cut these into threads (פְּתִילִם) fine enough to be interwoven with the colored yarns. Producing gold wire thin enough to be woven into fabric required considerable metallurgical precision. The result was fabric that shimmered with gold throughout its blue, purple, and scarlet threads.
חֹשֵׁב ("skilled designer/craftsman") — This term comes from the verb חָשַׁב ("to think, devise, reckon") and describes the highest level of textile artistry. The חֹשֵׁב was a creative designer who conceived and executed complex multicolored patterns, as opposed to the רֹקֵם ("embroiderer") who did simpler decorative needlework. The same root gives us the word for the "skillfully woven band" (חֵשֶׁב) of the ephod in v. 5.
אַבְנֵי הַשֹּׁהַם ("the onyx stones") — The identity of שֹׁהַם is debated; it has been variously translated as onyx, sardonyx, lapis lazuli, or carnelian. The Septuagint renders it as "beryl" in some places and "onyx" in others. Whatever the precise stone, each was engraved פִּתּוּחֵי חוֹתָם ("with the engravings of a seal"), meaning the kind of deep, precise engraving used on signet rings — official and authoritative. Six names of Israel's sons were engraved on each stone, placed on the two shoulder pieces. This meant the high priest literally bore all twelve tribes on his shoulders whenever he entered God's presence — a physical image of priestly intercession and representative bearing.
אַבְנֵי זִכָּרוֹן ("stones of remembrance/memorial") — The word זִכָּרוֹן implies more than mental recollection; in Hebrew thought, to "remember" is to act on behalf of the one remembered. These stones caused God to "remember" his people — that is, to act favorably toward them. The high priest carried Israel's names before God so that God would be moved to covenant faithfulness on their behalf. This is the same theology behind the memorial portions of sacrifices and the Passover memorial (Exodus 12:14).
The Breastpiece (vv. 8-21)
8 He made the breastpiece with the same workmanship as the ephod, with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen. 9 It was square when folded over double, a span long and a span wide. 10 And they mounted on it four rows of gemstones: The first row had a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald; 11 the second row had a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 12 the third row had a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13 and the fourth row had a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. These stones were mounted in gold filigree settings. 14 The twelve stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel. Each stone was engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes. 15 For the breastpiece they made braided chains like cords of pure gold. 16 They also made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and fastened the two rings to the two corners of the breastpiece. 17 Then they fastened the two gold chains to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 18 and they fastened the other ends of the two chains to the two filigree settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 19 They made two more gold rings and attached them to the other two corners of the breastpiece, on the inside edge next to the ephod. 20 They made two additional gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on its front, near the seam just above its woven waistband. 21 Then they tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece was above the waistband of the ephod and would not swing out from the ephod, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
8 He made the breastpiece, the work of a skilled designer, like the workmanship of the ephod — of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine twisted linen. 9 It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double — a span its length and a span its width when folded double. 10 They set in it four rows of stones. A row of ruby, topaz, and emerald was the first row; 11 the second row: turquoise, sapphire, and diamond; 12 the third row: jacinth, agate, and amethyst; 13 and the fourth row: beryl, onyx, and jasper — set in gold filigree settings when mounted. 14 The stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve, according to their names, engraved like a seal, each with its name, for the twelve tribes. 15 They made on the breastpiece chains of braided work, like cords, of pure gold. 16 They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and they placed the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. 17 They put the two gold cords on the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece, 18 and the two ends of the two cords they put on the two filigree settings, and they placed them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, on its front. 19 They made two gold rings and set them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge that faces the ephod. 20 They made two more gold rings and placed them on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, below, on its front, close to the seam, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 21 They bound the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that it would be above the skillfully woven band of the ephod and the breastpiece would not slip from the ephod, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Notes
חֹשֶׁן ("breastpiece") — The breastpiece (sometimes called the "breastpiece of judgment," חֹשֶׁן הַמִּשְׁפָּט, as in Exodus 28:15) was a square pouch worn over the high priest's chest. The etymology of חֹשֶׁן is uncertain, though some connect it to an Arabic root meaning "beauty" or "adornment." Its instructions were given in Exodus 28:15-30. It was made of the same five materials as the ephod and was folded double, creating a pouch approximately nine inches square (a זֶרֶת, "span," being roughly half a cubit). Inside this pouch were placed the Urim and Thummim, the instruments of divine inquiry (Exodus 28:30), though their manufacture is never described — they may have been given directly by God.
The twelve gemstones present significant translation challenges because many of the Hebrew stone names are uncertain. Ancient identifications differ considerably from modern gemological terms. For instance, אֹדֶם (v. 10, "ruby") literally means "red" and could refer to carnelian, garnet, or ruby. פִּטְדָה ("topaz") may actually refer to peridot or chrysolite. יָהֲלֹם (v. 11, "diamond") is unlikely to be actual diamond, which could not have been engraved in the ancient world; it more likely refers to a clear or hard stone such as rock crystal or onyx. The Septuagint translations of these stones differ from the Masoretic identifications, and the list in Revelation 21:19-20 may echo the same stones recast in eschatological terms.
Each stone was engraved with the name of one of Israel's twelve tribes, so that the high priest bore all twelve tribes over his heart when entering God's presence. Where the shoulder stones (vv. 6-7) represented bearing Israel's weight, the breastpiece stones represented carrying Israel close to the heart — the seat of affection and will. Together, the shoulder and breast positions symbolize that the priest carries his people both in strength and in love. This dual symbolism is the foundation of the New Testament's understanding of Christ as the great high priest who intercedes for his people (Hebrews 7:25).
The elaborate attachment system described in vv. 15-21 — gold chains connecting the top of the breastpiece to the shoulder pieces, and a blue cord tying the bottom rings to the ephod's waistband — ensured that the breastpiece would never separate from the ephod. The instruction וְלֹא יִזַּח הַחֹשֶׁן מֵעַל הָאֵפֹד ("the breastpiece shall not slip from the ephod") uses the verb זָחַח ("to move away, be displaced"), a rare word appearing only in these instructions and their fulfillment. The insistence that the breastpiece remain fixed suggests that the judgment and intercession represented by the breastpiece must always be united with the priestly office represented by the ephod — the two functions cannot be separated.
The Robe, Tunics, and Remaining Garments (vv. 22-31)
22 They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, the work of a weaver, 23 with an opening in the center of the robe like that of a garment, with a collar around the opening so that it would not tear. 24 They made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely spun linen on the lower hem of the robe. 25 They also made bells of pure gold and attached them around the hem between the pomegranates, 26 alternating the bells and pomegranates around the lower hem of the robe to be worn for ministry, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 27 For Aaron and his sons they made tunics of fine linen, the work of a weaver, 28 as well as the turban of fine linen, the ornate headbands and undergarments of finely spun linen, 29 and the sash of finely spun linen, embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30 They also made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and they engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. 31 Then they fastened to it a blue cord to mount it on the turban, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
22 He made the robe of the ephod, the work of a weaver, entirely of blue. 23 The opening of the robe was in its center, like the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding around its opening on every side so that it would not tear. 24 They made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, twisted, on the hem of the robe. 25 They made bells of pure gold and placed the bells between the pomegranates on the hem of the robe, all around, between the pomegranates — 26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, on the hem of the robe all around, for ministering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 27 They made the tunics of fine linen, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and for his sons, 28 and the turban of fine linen, and the ornamental caps of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twisted linen, 29 and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue and purple and scarlet yarn, the work of an embroiderer, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30 They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and they wrote on it an inscription, engraved like a seal: "Holy to the LORD." 31 They attached to it a cord of blue yarn to set it on the turban from above, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Notes
מְעִיל ("robe") — The robe was worn beneath the ephod and breastpiece but over the tunic. Its instructions were given in Exodus 28:31-35. It was made כְּלִיל תְּכֵלֶת ("entirely of blue"), making it the only garment composed of a single color. The תְּכֵלֶת was a deep blue-violet dye extracted from a Mediterranean sea snail (the murex), making it extremely expensive. Blue was associated with the heavens and with royalty; a robe entirely of this color marked the priest as one who moved between the earthly and heavenly realms.
כְּפִי תַחְרָא ("like the opening of a coat of mail") — The word תַחְרָא is rare and difficult. It appears only here and in Exodus 28:32. Most scholars understand it as a reference to a coat of mail or leather corselet — a military garment with a reinforced neckhole designed to withstand stress. The comparison tells us the robe's opening was reinforced with a woven שָׂפָה ("lip, binding, collar") around the neck to prevent tearing. The instruction לֹא יִקָּרֵעַ ("it shall not tear") may carry symbolic weight: the high priest's garment must remain whole, representing the wholeness and integrity of the priesthood itself. The tearing of priestly garments later becomes an act of grief or sacrilege (cf. Leviticus 10:6, Leviticus 21:10).
רִמּוֹנִים ("pomegranates") and פַּעֲמֹנִים ("bells") — The alternating pattern of pomegranates and bells around the robe's hem served both aesthetic and liturgical purposes. The pomegranate was a widespread symbol of fertility, abundance, and beauty in the ancient Near East; it later decorated Solomon's temple (1 Kings 7:18-20). The bells of pure gold produced sound as the priest moved, so that, as Exodus 28:35 explains, "its sound will be heard when he enters the sanctuary before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die." The ringing bells announced the priest's presence and movement within the holy place — a safeguard indicating that the priest was alive and active in his service. The rhythmic phrase פַּעֲמֹן וְרִמֹּן פַּעֲמֹן וְרִמֹּן ("a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate") in v. 26 mimics the alternating pattern itself, creating a textual rhythm that mirrors the visual pattern on the garment.
כָּתְנֹת ("tunics") — The tunics were the basic inner garment worn by both Aaron and his sons. Made of שֵׁשׁ ("fine linen"), they were the foundational layer of priestly dress. The word כֻּתֹּנֶת is the same word used for the garment God made for Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:21 and for Joseph's famous garment in Genesis 37:3 — a connecting thread between the covering of human shame, the marking of the beloved son, and the vesting of the priest.
מִצְנֶפֶת ("turban") — The turban distinguished the high priest from ordinary priests, who wore simpler מִגְבָּעֹת ("caps"). The remaining garments in this list complete the ensemble from head to foot: the מִכְנְסֵי הַבָּד ("linen undergarments") covered the priests from waist to thigh — the most practical of all the vestments, mandated for modesty (Exodus 28:42) — while the אַבְנֵט ("sash"), worked in the same blue, purple, and scarlet yarn that ran throughout the tabernacle, bound the whole ensemble together. Even the most functional of the priestly garments shared in the tabernacle's unified visual language.
צִיץ נֵזֶר הַקֹּדֶשׁ ("the plate of the holy crown") — The word צִיץ can mean "blossom, flower, plate" and נֵזֶר means "crown, consecration, diadem" (the same root as "Nazirite"). This gold plate was fastened to the front of the turban with a blue cord and bore the inscription קֹדֶשׁ לַיהוָה ("Holy to the LORD"). The engraving was done פִּתּוּחֵי חוֹתָם ("with the engravings of a seal") — the same official, authoritative inscription technique used on the shoulder stones and breastpiece stones. The gold plate served a specific atoning function: according to Exodus 28:38, Aaron was to wear it "on his forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred offerings," so that the offerings would be acceptable before the LORD. The plate thus declared that both the priest and everything he offered belonged entirely to God. The inscription "Holy to the LORD" on the priest's forehead anticipates the eschatological vision of Zechariah 14:20, where even the bells on horses and the cooking pots in Jerusalem will bear the same inscription — all of life consecrated to God.
Moses Inspects and Blesses the Completed Work (vv. 32-43)
32 So all the work for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 33 Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent with all its furnishings, its clasps, its frames, its crossbars, and its posts and bases; 34 the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of fine leather, and the veil of the covering; 35 the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the mercy seat; 36 the table with all its utensils and the Bread of the Presence; 37 the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its utensils, as well as the oil for the light; 38 the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; 39 the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; 40 the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases; the curtain for the gate of the courtyard, its ropes and tent pegs, and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; 41 and the woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary, both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests. 42 The Israelites had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 43 And Moses inspected all the work and saw that they had accomplished it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them.
32 So all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished. The sons of Israel had done according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses — so they did. 33 They brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent and all its vessels — its clasps, its frames, its bars, its posts, and its bases; 34 the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of fine leather skins, and the veil of the screen; 35 the ark of the Testimony and its poles, and the mercy seat; 36 the table, all its vessels, and the bread of the Presence; 37 the pure lampstand, its lamps — the lamps of the arrangement — and all its vessels, and the oil for the light; 38 the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance of the tent; 39 the bronze altar and its bronze grate, its poles and all its vessels, the basin and its stand; 40 the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and its bases, the screen for the gate of the courtyard, its cords and its tent pegs, and all the vessels of service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting; 41 the woven garments of service for ministering in the sanctuary, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons for serving as priests. 42 According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did all the work. 43 And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it just as the LORD had commanded — so they had done. And Moses blessed them.
Notes
וַתֵּכֶל ("and it was finished/completed") — The verb כָּלָה ("to be complete, finished") deliberately echoes Genesis 2:1-2: "And the heavens and the earth were completed (וַיְכֻלּוּ) ... and God finished (וַיְכַל) his work." The parallel between the completion of creation and the completion of the tabernacle is an important structural connection in the Pentateuch. Both projects conclude with divine inspection and blessing; both are described in a pattern of seven; both result in a place of rest and divine presence. The tabernacle is, in a real sense, a microcosm — a miniature, ordered cosmos in which God dwells with his people as he originally intended to dwell with humanity in Eden.
The inventory in vv. 33-41 moves in deliberate spatial order, from outside in: first the tabernacle framework and coverings (vv. 33-34), then the holy of holies and holy place furniture (vv. 35-37), then the incense altar and entrance screen (v. 38), then the courtyard fixtures (vv. 39-40), and finally the priestly garments (v. 41). The list is exhaustive — every component accounted for, nothing absent. Together they recapitulate the entire tabernacle project from structure to furnishing to vesture.
הַכַּפֹּרֶת ("the mercy seat") — This is the gold lid of the ark, flanked by two cherubim, where God's presence was specially manifest (Exodus 25:17-22). The word comes from כָּפַר ("to cover, atone"), making the mercy seat literally the "place of atonement." It was here that the high priest sprinkled blood on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:14-15). The New Testament directly connects this to Christ in Romans 3:25, where Paul says God presented Christ as a כַּפֹּרֶת — a "propitiation" or "mercy seat."
לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים ("the bread of the Presence," literally "bread of the face/faces") — Twelve loaves of bread set on the table in the holy place, representing the twelve tribes in perpetual communion before God's face. They were replaced every Sabbath (Leviticus 24:5-9). The inclusion of the bread itself (not just the table) in this inventory indicates that the bread had already been prepared, showing the completeness of the people's readiness.
וַיַּרְא מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָּל הַמְּלָאכָה וְהִנֵּה עָשׂוּ אֹתָהּ ("And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it") — The language here closely mirrors Genesis 1:31: "And God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good." The word מְלָאכָה ("work, craftsmanship") is the same word used for God's creative work in Genesis 2:2-3 from which he rested on the seventh day. Moses' role here parallels God's role as the one who surveys the finished product and pronounces approval.
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם מֹשֶׁה ("and Moses blessed them") — The text does not record Moses' words, but the act carries theological weight. It mirrors God's blessing after creation (Genesis 1:28, Genesis 2:3) and signals divine approval channeled through Moses. Jewish tradition (Sifrei, Rashi) supplies the content as: "May it be the will of God that the Shekhinah rest upon the work of your hands" — a prayer that God's presence would actually inhabit what the people had built. This blessing stands in sharp contrast to the golden calf episode of Exodus 32, where the people's unauthorized craftsmanship brought a curse rather than a blessing. There, skilled hands and precious materials produced an idol. Here, the same resources, placed entirely under divine command, produce a dwelling for God's presence.
The sevenfold repetition of "just as the LORD had commanded Moses" (vv. 1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31) is more than a stylistic formula. Each refrain punctuates a completed element, creating a cumulative rhythm of confirmation: the command was given; it was done; the text says so, explicitly, again and again. The summary statements in vv. 32 and 42-43 then gather all of this into a final declaration. Against the backdrop of Exodus 32, where Israel's unauthorized artistry produced an idol, the insistence of this language is unmistakable: every creative act in these chapters is governed by divine command, human skill entirely in the service of divine purpose. What God speaks, faithful hands can build.
Interpretations
The parallel between the tabernacle completion and the creation account has been noted by interpreters across traditions, but they draw different conclusions from it. Some see it as evidence that the tabernacle was meant to be a temporary, typological institution pointing forward to the incarnation — God dwelling permanently among his people in Christ (John 1:14, where the verb "dwelt" literally means "tabernacled"). Others, particularly in covenant theology, emphasize that the tabernacle restored the creation pattern disrupted by the fall: humanity was made to dwell with God in a sacred garden-sanctuary, and the tabernacle re-establishes that pattern in miniature, pointing ultimately to the new creation of Revelation 21:1-3 where God's dwelling is permanently with humanity. Dispensational interpreters tend to see the tabernacle as primarily pointing to the millennial temple and the restoration of Israel's worship, while covenant theologians see it as a type fulfilled and transcended in Christ and his church. Both agree that Moses' blessing foreshadows the blessing that comes when God's people obey his word faithfully.