What skins were in Exodus 39:34?
Answer From The Annual Reading Schedule - Week 21 Notes For Exodus: Sadly, the KJV states rams' and badgers' skins, and the NIV states ram skins and hides of sea cows. Some translations actually put seal skins! We know that badgers and seals are unclean, so these are obviously wrong translations since this would contradict the commands to not touch unclean carcasses and make a distinction between the clean and the unclean. Not only that, but where would they be getting seals at in the wilderness? This is nuts.
Rams are just male lambs, so that is possibly correct. But the second animal in question from the Hebrew word תְּחָשִׁים (techashiym) could possibly be in the antelope family according to Strong's definitions or simply another unknown, but clean animal, according to the Ancient Hebrew Research Center Lexicon of the Bible. We know for certain Yahweh would not use an unclean animal.
Note: This same thing happened in previous verses and is mentioned in the reading notes for Week 18 of the Annual Reading Schedule for the question, "What skins are used in Exodus 25:5 and 26:14?".
Related Topics
- Torah Reading Notes & Related Verses For Week 21 of The Annual Reading Schedule
- Week 83 of Sabbath Assembly Reading Schedule Covering Exodus 25:1-25:20
- Week 85 of Sabbath Assembly Reading Schedule Covering Exodus 26:1-26:30
- Week 103 of Sabbath Assembly Reading Schedule Covering Exodus 39:22-39:43
- Week 117 of Sabbath Assembly Reading Schedule Covering Leviticus 11:24-11:47
- Week 311 of Sabbath Assembly Reading Schedule Covering Exodus 25:1-25:20
- Week 313 of Sabbath Assembly Reading Schedule Covering Exodus 26:1-26:30
- Week 331 of Sabbath Assembly Reading Schedule Covering Exodus 39:22-39:43
- Week 345 of Sabbath Assembly Reading Schedule Covering Leviticus 11:24-11:47