Bible Encyclopedias
Tache

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(קֶרֶם, keres; Sept. κρίκος; Vulg. circulus, fibula). The word thus rendered occurs only in the description of the structure of the tabernacle and its fittings (Exodus 26:6; Exodus 26:11; Exodus 26:33; Exodus 35:11; Exodus 36:13; Exodus 39:33), and has usually been thought to indicate the small hooks by which a curtain is suspended to the rings whereon it hangs, or connected vertically, as in the case of the vail of the Holy of Holies, with the loops of another curtain. The history of the English word is philologically interesting, as presenting points of contact with many different languages. The Gaelic and Breton branches of the Celtic family give tac, or tackh in the sense of a nail or hook; The latter meaning appears in the attaccare, staccare, of Italian; in the attacher, detacher, of French. On the other hand, in the tak of Dutch, and the Zacke of German, we have a word of like sound and kindred meaning. Our Anglo-Saxon taccan and English take (to seize as with a hook are probably connected with it. In later use the word has slightly altered both its form and meaning, and the tack is no longer a hook, but a small flat-headed' nail (comp. Diez, Roman. Wö rterb. s v. "Tacco").

The philological relations. of the Hebrew word are likewise interesting. It comes from the obscure root קָרִס, kards, which occurs only in Isaiah 46:1 ("stoopeth," Sept. συνετρίβη; Vulg. contritus est) as a synonym of כָּרִע ("boweth down") in the parallel hemistich, and is therefore understood by Gesenius and Fü rst to signify to bend, or by Miuhlau to be round (like קָרִר ). The only derivatives, besides the proper name Kiros (קרוֹס, Nehemiah 7:47) or Keros (קֵרֹס, Ezra 2:44), are the term in question and קִרְסֹל, karsol, the ankle (occurring only in the dual, "feet," 2 Samuel 22:37; Psalms 18:36 [37]). Prof. Paine (author of The Tabernacle, etc.), in a private note, ingeniously traces the connection between these two objects, which a diagram will clearly illustrate.

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As the loops are explicitly stated to have been in the selvage of the curtains, the "taches," if meant as hooks to join them edgewise, would present the appearance in the annexed cut, which is substantially the representation of those interpreters who have adopted this idea. Now, to say nothing for the present of the gap thus left in the roof, we find that these "taches," being exactly fifty for each set of "curtains," bear no special numerical relation to the general size of the curtains themselves, the edges so joined being in one case thirty and in the other twenty-eight cubits long; whereas all the other numbers and dimensions about the building have definite proportions to each other. Nor, if the sixth or extra breadth of the goats-hair cloth was sewed in the ordinary way like the other five, can we divine any good reason for resorting to this singular method of joining the remaining selvages.

There are other and still graver difficulties in the ordinary plan of connecting these sheets, which would immediately be revealed in the actual attempt at reconstruction, and will be anticipated by any one familiar with tent architecture.

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Bibliography Information
McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Tache'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​tce/​t/tache.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.