Exodus 36:5

5 and say to Moses, "The people are contributing way too much material for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do."

Exodus 36:5 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 36:5

And they spake unto Moses, saying
One in the name of the rest:

the people bring much more than enough for the service of the work,
which the Lord commanded to make;
they had taken an estimate of what was to be done, and of what was necessary for the doing of it, and of what the people brought for this service; and they found there was a great deal more brought than would be wanted, and therefore they thought proper to advise Moses of it, that no more might be brought: it is hard to say which is most to be wondered at, the great liberality of the people in contributing so freely and bountifully, and continuing to do so without being urged, or even asked; or the honesty of the workmen, one and all, who might have gone on to have received the gifts of the people by the hands of Moses, and what was superfluous might have converted to their own use; but instead of this, they agree as one man to let Moses know how the state of things was, and prevent the people from making any more contributions.

Exodus 36:5 In-Context

3 Moses gave them all the gift offerings that the Israelites had contributed to the work on the sanctuary. They kept bringing him spontaneous gifts, morning after morning.

4 Finally, all the skilled workers building the sanctuary left their work that they were doing one by one to come

5 and say to Moses, "The people are contributing way too much material for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do."

6 So Moses issued a command that was proclaimed throughout the camp: "Every man and woman should stop making gift offerings for the sanctuary project." So the people stopped bringing anything more

7 because what they had already brought was more than enough to do all the work.