Exodus35

Moses gathered the Israelites, reiterating the Sabbath command, including the prohibition against kindling fire. He then called for a freewill offering of materials from those with a willing heart to construct the Tabernacle and its furnishings. The congregation responded enthusiastically, bringing various precious metals, fabrics, and other necessary items. Finally, Moses announced that Bezaleel and Aholiab had been divinely gifted with wisdom and skill to oversee and execute all the craftsmanship for the holy work.

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Assembly and Reiteration of Commands

And Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said unto them, These are the words which Jehovah hath commanded, that ye should do them.

Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of solemn rest to Jehovah: whosoever doeth any work therein shall be put to death.

Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

Call for Tabernacle Materials

And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which Jehovah commanded, saying,

Take ye from among you an offering unto Jehovah; whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, Jehovah’s offering: gold, and silver, and brass,

and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,

and rams’ skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia wood,

and oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,

and onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate.

And let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make all that Jehovah hath commanded:

the tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its clasps, and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;

the ark, and the staves thereof, the mercy-seat, and the veil of the screen;

the table, and its staves, and all its vessels, and the showbread;

the candlestick also for the light, and its vessels, and its lamps, and the oil for the light;

and the altar of incense, and its staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle;

the altar of burnt-offering, with its grating of brass, its staves, and all its vessels, the laver and its base;

the hangings of the court, the pillars thereof, and their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court;

the pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords;

the finely wrought garments, for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.

The People Respond Generously

And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, andbrought Jehovah’s offering, for the work of the tent of meeting, and for all the service thereof, and for the holy garments.

And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought brooches, and ear-rings, and signet-rings, and armlets, all jewels of gold; even every man that offered an offering of gold unto Jehovah.

And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and rams’ skins dyed red, and sealskins, brought them.

Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought Jehovah’s offering; and every man, with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it.

And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, the blue, and the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen.

And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats’ hair.

And the rulers brought the onyx stones, and the stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;

and the spice, and the oil; for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.

The children of Israel brought a freewill-offering unto Jehovah; every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all the work, which Jehovah had commanded to be made by Moses.

Appointment of Skilled Craftsmen

And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, Jehovah hath called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;

and he hath filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

and to devise skilful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of skilful workmanship.

And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.

Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of workmanship, of the engraver, and of the skilful workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any workmanship, and of those that devise skilful works.

Study Notes for Exodus 35

Verse 1

Moses gathers the people immediately after descending the mountain (Ex. 34), emphasizing that obedience and worship must precede the work of building the sanctuary.

Verse 2

The Sabbath command is reiterated here to ensure that the urgency of the Tabernacle construction does not override the fundamental covenant requirement of rest and holiness.

Verse 3

The specific prohibition against kindling fire reinforces the totality of the Sabbath rest, preventing activities related to cooking or metalworking (often necessary for construction).

Verse 5

The emphasis on a 'willing heart' (voluntary offering) is crucial. God desired that the materials for His dwelling place be given out of devotion, not taxation or coercion.

Verse 10

The 'wise hearted' are those possessing God-given skill and artistry. This shows that technical and artistic ability, when used for God, is recognized as a spiritual gift.

Verse 21

The repeated phrases 'heart stirred him up' and 'spirit made willing' highlight that true giving is motivated by an internal, divine prompt, reflecting the spirit of generosity imparted by God.

Verse 22

Men and women contributed personal jewelry, likely including items salvaged from Egypt or perhaps even gold previously used in the Golden Calf incident (Ex. 32), symbolizing a redirection of wealth toward holy purposes.

Verse 25

The involvement of 'wise hearted' women in spinning demonstrates that skilled labor and spiritual gifts necessary for the Tabernacle transcended gender divisions.

Verse 29

This verse summarizes the success of the appeal, confirming that the entire community—men and women—participated willingly in providing for the sanctuary.

Verse 30

Moses now shifts from the materials to the designated leadership. Bezaleel is the chief artisan, called 'by name' for this specific task.

Verse 31

Bezaleel is the first individual in Scripture explicitly described as being 'filled with the Spirit of God' for the purpose of artistic and technical service, equating craftsmanship with divine endowment.

Verse 34

God gives Bezaleel and Aholiab the ability not only to perform the work but also to teach others, ensuring that the specialized, Spirit-empowered knowledge is passed on to benefit the whole community.

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Exodus35

Assembly and Reiteration of Commands

Call for Tabernacle Materials

The People Respond Generously

Appointment of Skilled Craftsmen

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