What is the meaning of Exodus 40:7?

And place the basin

• God’s instruction comes with precise action: “place.” Obedience to detailed directives shows reverence for His holiness (Exodus 39:43; John 14:15).

• The basin (also called the bronze laver) is not optional décor; it is an ordained tool for purification (Exodus 30:18).

• Its construction from the mirrors of the women of Israel (Exodus 38:8) reminds us that personal reflection and cleansing go hand in hand (James 1:23-25).

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between the Tent of Meeting

• Location matters. Set “between” links the basin to the entrance of holy encounter, signaling that cleansing always precedes communion (Psalm 24:3-4; Hebrews 10:22).

• The Tent of Meeting (Exodus 27:21) is where God speaks. By placing the basin here, He declares that fellowship with Him demands purity (Leviticus 10:3; 2 Corinthians 7:1).

• Practical layout: priests pass the basin every time they enter, reinforcing continual dependence on God’s cleansing (Exodus 40:32).

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and the altar,

• Positioned between tent and altar, the basin ties sacrifice and service together. Blood and water cooperate in atonement and sanctification (Leviticus 17:11; 1 John 5:6).

• Priests wash before handling sacrifices (Exodus 30:20). Purity of hands precedes ministry, echoing “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy…” (Romans 12:1).

• The altar speaks of forgiveness; the basin speaks of cleansing. Both are essential, foreshadowing Christ who cleanses and forgives (Ephesians 5:25-26).

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and put water in it.

• God specifies not just the object but its content. Water symbolizes cleansing from defilement (Numbers 8:7; Ezekiel 36:25).

• Daily refilling was necessary (Exodus 30:19-21), portraying ongoing sanctification, not a one-time event (1 Peter 1:15-16).

• New-covenant echo: “the washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:5) and Jesus’ foot-washing lesson (John 13:10) illustrate God’s continuing work of purity in believers.

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summary

Exodus 40:7 commands Israel to set the bronze basin exactly where God wants it and keep it filled with water. The verse highlights obedient placement, continual cleansing, and the inseparable link between sacrifice and fellowship. In every era, God’s people approach Him through both pardon and purity—made perfectly available in Jesus, the One who washes us “by the word” and welcomes us into the holy presence of the Father.