38:8 He made the large basin of bronze and its pedestal of bronze from the mirrors of the women who served 1 at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
40:30 Then he put the large basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it 2 for washing.
1 sn The word for “serve” is not the ordinary one. It means “to serve in a host,” especially in a war. It appears that women were organized into bands and served at the tent of meeting. S. R. Driver thinks that this meant “no doubt” washing, cleaning, or repairing (Exodus, 391). But there is no hint of that (see 1 Sam 2:22; and see Ps 68:11 [12 Hebrew text]). They seem to have had more to do than what Driver said.
2 tn Heb “there.”