Exodus 35

Preparation of Materials and People for Building

1 And Moses assembled all the community of the {Israelites}, and he said to them, "These are the words that Yahweh has commanded [for us] to do them.

2 [On] six days work can be done, and on the seventh there will be for you a holy [day], a {Sabbath of complete rest}, for Yahweh; anyone doing work on it will be put to death.

3 You will not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the day of the Sabbath."

4 And Moses said to all the community of the {Israelites}, saying, "This is the word that Yahweh has commanded, saying,

5 'Take from among you a contribution for Yahweh, anyone willing of heart, let him bring Yahweh's contribution--gold and silver and bronze,

6 and blue and purple and crimson [yarns], and fine linen and goat hair,

7 and red-dyed ram skins, and fine leather, and acacia wood,

8 and oil for the lamp, balsam oils for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense,

9 onyx stones and stones for mountings on the ephod and the breast piece.

10 "And let all [the] skilled of heart among you come and make all that Yahweh has commanded:

11 The tabernacle, its tent, and its covering; its clasps and its frames; its bars, its pillars, and its bases;

12 the ark and its poles; the atonement cover and the curtain of the screen;

13 the table and its poles and all its equipment; and the bread of the presence;

14 and lampstand of the light and its equipment and its lamps and the oil for the light;

15 and the altar of incense and its poles; and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense and the entrance curtain for the entrance of the tabernacle;

16 the altar of the burnt offering and the bronze grating that [is] for it, its poles and all its equipment; the basin and its stand;

17 the hangings of the courtyard, its pillars, and its bases, and the screen for the courtyard gate;

18 the {pegs} of the tabernacle and the {pegs} of the courtyard and their cords;

19 the woven garments for serving in the sanctuary--the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons to serve as priests."

20 And all the community of the {Israelites} went out from before Moses.

21 And they came--every man whose heart lifted him and every man whose spirit impelled him--they brought Yahweh's contribution for the work of the tent of assembly and for all its service and for the holy garments.

22 And they came, the men in addition to the women, all [who were] willing of heart; they brought brooches and jewelry rings and signet rings and ornaments--every [variety] of gold object--every man who waved a wave offering of gold for Yahweh,

23 and every man with whom was found blue and purple and crimson [yarns] and fine linen and goat hair and red-dyed ram skins and fine leather brought [it].

24 All [who were] presenting a contribution of silver and bronze brought Yahweh's contribution, and all with whom was found acacia wood for all the work of service brought [it].

25 And every woman [who was] skilled of heart with her hands they spun, and they brought yarn--the blue and the purple, the crimson and the fine linen.

26 And all the women whose heart lifted them with skill spun the goat hair.

27 And the leaders brought the onyx stones and stones for mountings for the ephod and for the breast piece

28 and the balsam oils and the oil for light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense.

29 Every man and woman whose heart impelled them to bring for all the work to be done that Yahweh had commanded {by the agency of} Moses--the {Israelites} brought freely to Yahweh.

30 And Moses said to the {Israelites}, "See, Yahweh has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri the son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah.

31 And he has filled him [with] the Spirit of God, with wisdom and with skill and with knowledge and with every [kind of] craftsmanship,

32 and to devise designs, to work with the gold and with the silver and with the bronze,

33 and in stonecutting for setting and in cutting wood, for doing every [kind of] design craftsmanship.

34 And he has put [it] in his heart to teach--he and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan.

35 He has filled them [with] skill of heart to do every work of a craftsman and a designer and an embroiderer with the blue and with the purple, with the crimson [yarns] and with the fine linen and a weaver; [they are] doers of every [kind of] craftsmanship and devisers of designs.

Exodus 35 Commentary

Chapter 35

The sabbath to be observed. (1-3) The free gifts for the tabernacle. (4-19) The readiness of the people in general. (20-29) Bezaleel and Aholiab called to the work. (30-35)

Verses 1-3 The mild and easy yoke of Christ has made our sabbath duties more delightful, and our sabbath restraints less irksome, than those of the Jews; but we are the more guilty by neglecting them. Surely God's wisdom in giving us the sabbath, with all the mercy of its purposes, are sinfully disregarded. Is it nothing to pour contempt upon the blessed day, which a bounteous God has given to us for our growth in grace with the church below, and to prepare us for happiness with the church above?

Verses 4-19 The tabernacle was to be dedicated to the honour of God, and used in his service; and therefore what was brought for it, was an offering to the Lord. The rule is, Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring. All that were skilful must work. God dispenses his gifts; and as every man hath received, so he ( 1 Peter. 4:10 ) materials to work on; those that were skilful, must serve the tabernacle with their skill: as they needed one another, so the ( 1 Corinthians. 12:7-21 )

Verses 20-29 Without a willing mind, costly offerings would be abhorred; with it, the smallest will be accepted. Our hearts are willing, when we cheerfully assist in promoting the cause of God. Those who are diligent and contented in employments considered mean, are as much accepted of God as those engaged in splendid services. The women who spun the goats' hair were wise-hearted, because they did it heartily to the Lord. Thus the labourer, mechanic, or servant who attends to his work in the faith and fear of God, may be as wise, for his place, as the most useful minister, and he equally accepted of the Lord. Our wisdom and duty consist in giving God the glory and use of our talents, be they many or few.

Verses 30-35 Here is the Divine appointment of the master-workmen, that there might be no strife for the office, and that all who were employed in the work might take direction from, and give account to them. Those whom God called by name to his service, he filled with the Spirit of God. Skill, even in worldly employments, is God's gift, and comes from above. But many are ready enough in cutting out work for other people, and can tell what this man or that man should do; but the burdens they bind on others, they themselves will not touch with one of their fingers. Such will fall under the character of slothful servants. These men were not only to devise and to work themselves, but they were to teach others. Those that rule should teach; and those to whom God has given knowledge, should be willing to make it known for the benefit of others.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [b]. Literally "holiness"
• [c]. Literally "a Sabbath of 'Sabbathation.'" "Sabbathation" is not a real word, but it is devised as an attempt to convey the sounds of the related nouns in the Hebrew phrase
• [d]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [e]. The particular kind of leather is uncertain
• [f]. Or "boards" or "planks"
• [g]. Literally "hands"
• [h]. Literally "hands"
• [i]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [j]. Literally "by the hand of"
• [k]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [l]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [m]. In other words, "specifically chosen"
• [n]. Or "understanding," "discernment," "cleverness"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 35

This chapter begins with a renewal of the command of the sabbath, Ex 35:1-3 and contains an order for a freewill offering to be brought for the service of the sanctuary, and specifies the things to be brought, and for what uses, Ex 35:4-19 to which there was a ready compliance, and men and women, princes and the common people, everyone according to what they had in possession, brought and offered it freely, Ex 35:20-29 and for their encouragement, that their offering would not be in vain, they were informed there were two persons divinely inspired, to do, and teach to be done, all manner of work for the tabernacle, towards which they had made such a liberal and plentiful contribution, Ex 35:30-35.