Exodus 36

1 [Moses continued,] "So Bezalel and Oholiab will do the work as the LORD has commanded. They will do this with the help of every other craftsman to whom the LORD has given the necessary skills and talents. They will know how to do all the work for constructing the holy place."

2 Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every other craftsman to whom the LORD had given these skills and who was willing to come and do the work.

3 Moses turned over to them all the contributions the Israelites had brought for the work of constructing the holy place. But the people still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning.

4 Finally, all the skilled craftsmen who were working on the holy place stopped what they were doing. They all came to Moses.

5 They said, "The people are bringing much more than we need for doing the work the LORD commanded us to do."

6 So Moses gave instructions to have the following message announced all over camp: "No man or woman needs to make anything more to give as their special contribution to the holy place." Then the people stopped bringing gifts.

7 The material they had was more than enough to do the job.

8 All the skilled craftsmen among the workers made the inner tent with ten sheets made from fine linen yarn and violet, purple, and bright red yarn. An angel design was creatively worked into the fabric.

9 Each sheet was 42 feet long and 6 feet wide--all the same size.

10 Five of the sheets were sewn together, and the other five were also sewn together.

11 Then they made 50 violet loops along the edge of the end sheet in each set,

12 placing the loops opposite each other.

13 They also made 50 gold fasteners. They used them to link the [two sets of] sheets together so that the inner tent was a single unit.

14 They made 11 sheets of goats' hair to form an outer tent over the inner tent.

15 Each of the 11 sheets was 45 feet long and 6 feet wide.

16 Five of the sheets were sewn together into one set, and the remaining six into another set.

17 Then they made 50 loops along the edge of the end sheet in each set.

18 They also made 50 bronze fasteners to link the inner tent together as a single unit.

19 They made a cover out of rams' skins that had been dyed red for the outer tent, and over that they put a cover made of fine leather.

20 They made a framework out of acacia wood for the inner tent.

21 Each frame was 15 feet long and 27 inches wide,

22 with two identical pegs. They made all the frames for the inner tent this same way.

23 They made 20 frames for the south side of the inner tent.

24 Then they made 40 silver sockets at the bottom of the 20 frames, two sockets at the bottom of each frame for the two pegs.

25 For the north side of the inner tent [they made] 20 frames

26 and 40 silver sockets, two at the bottom of each frame.

27 They made six frames for the far end, the west side.

28 They made two frames for [each of] the corners at the far end of the inner tent.

29 They were held together at the bottom and held tightly at the top by a single ring. Both corner frames were made this way.

30 There were eight frames with 16 silver sockets, two at the bottom of each frame.

31 They also made crossbars out of acacia wood. Five were for the frames on one side of the inner tent,

32 five were for those on the other side, and five were for the frames on the far side of the inner tent, the west side.

33 They made the middle crossbar so that it ran from one end to the other, halfway up the frames.

34 They covered the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. They also covered the crossbars with gold.

35 They made the canopy out of violet, purple, and bright red yarn and fine linen yarn. An angel design was creatively worked into the fabric.

36 They made four posts of acacia wood for it and covered them with gold. They made gold hooks for the posts, and they cast four silver bases for them.

37 They made a screen out of fine linen yarn for the entrance to the outer tent. It was embroidered with violet, purple, and bright red yarn.

38 They also made five posts with hooks for [hanging] the screen. They covered the tops of the posts and the bands with gold, but the five bases for the posts were made of bronze.

Exodus 36 Commentary

Chapter 36

The making of the tabernacle The liberality of the people restrained.

- The readiness and zeal with which these builders set about their work, the exactness with which they performed it, and the faithfulness with which they objected to receive more contributions, are worthy of our imitation. Thus should we serve God, and our superiors also, in all things lawful. Thus should all who are in public trusts abhor filthy lucre, and avoid all occasions and temptations to covetousness. Where have we the representation of God's love towards us, that we by love dwell in him and he in us, save in Emmanuel? ( Matthew 1:23 ) . This is the ( 2 Corinthians. 5:18 2 Corinthians. 5:19 ) the design of the "tabernacle of witness," a visible testimony of the love of God to the race of men, however they were fallen from their first state. And this love was shown by Christ's taking up his abode on earth; by the Word being made flesh, Joh. 1:14 , wherein, as the original expresses it, he did tabernacle among us.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 36

Bezaleel and Aholiab, with the artificers under them, having a call as well as qualifications for the service of the sanctuary, and having received from Moses the materials for it, set about it, Ex 36:1-3 but the people bringing more than was necessary, they acquaint Moses with it, who by a proclamation restrained from it, Ex 36:4-7 and next an account is given of the several things that were wrought by them, as first the curtains for the tabernacle, both of linen and goats' hair, and the coverings of them, Ex 36:8-19 next the boards for the tabernacle, and the sockets they were set in, and the bars for the boards, Ex 36:20-34 and then the vail which parted the most holy place from the holy place, and the hanging which divided between the holy place and the court, Ex 36:35-38.