Keluaran 30:17

The Bronze Laver

30:17 ¹ The Lord spoke to Moses: ² 

Keluaran 30:28

30:28 the altar for the burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its base.

Keluaran 31:9

31:9 the altar for the burnt offering with all its utensils, the large basin with its base,

Keluaran 40:11

40:11 You must also anoint the large basin and its pedestal, and you are to sanctify it. ³ 

[30:17]  ¹ sn Another piece of furniture is now introduced, the laver, or washing basin. It was a round (the root means to be round) basin for holding water, but it had to be up on a pedestal or base to let water run out (through taps of some kind) for the priests to wash – they could not simply dip dirty hands into the basin. This was for the priests primarily to wash their hands and feet before entering the tent. It stood in the courtyard between the altar and the tent. No dimensions are given. The passage can be divided into three sections: the instructions (17-18), the rules for washing (19-20), and the reminder that this is a perpetual statute.

[30:17]  ² tn Heb “and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying.”

[40:11]  ³ sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 480) notes that the items inside the tent did not need to be enumerated since they were already holy, but items in the courtyard needed special attention. People needed to know that items outside the tent were just as holy.