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.

Assembly and Reiteration of Commands

1
Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said to them, “These are the words which the LORD has commanded, that you should do them. ​
2
‘Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of solemn rest to the LORD: whoever does any work in it shall be put to death. ​
3
You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day.’” ​

Call for Tabernacle Materials

4
Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,
5
‘Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, the LORD’s offering: gold, silver, brass, ​
6
blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair,
7
rams’ skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood,
8
oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,
9
onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.
10
“‘Let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make all that the LORD has commanded: ​
11
the tabernacle, its outer covering, its roof, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;
12
the ark, and its poles, the mercy seat, the veil of the screen;
13
the table with its poles and all its vessels, and the show bread;
14
the lamp stand also for the light, with its vessels, its lamps, and the oil for the light;
15
and the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle;
16
the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of brass, it poles, and all its vessels, the basin and its base;
17
the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court;
18
the pins of the tabernacle, the pins of the court, and their cords;
19
the finely worked 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

20
All the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
21
They came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing, and brought the LORD’s offering, for the work of the Tent of Meeting, and for all of its service, and for the holy garments. ​
22
They came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought brooches, earrings, signet rings, and armlets, all jewels of gold; even every man who offered an offering of gold to the LORD. ​
23
Everyone, with whom was found blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair, rams’ skins dyed red, and sea cow hides, brought them.
24
Everyone who offered an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD’s offering; and everyone, with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it.
25
All the women who were wise-hearted spun with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen. ​
26
All the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats’ hair.
27
The rulers brought the onyx stones, and the stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastplate;
28
and the spice, and the oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
29
The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the LORD; every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all the work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by Moses. ​

Appointment of Skilled Craftsmen

30
Moses said to the children of Israel, “Behold, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. ​
31
He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship; ​
32
and to make skillful works, to work in gold, in silver, in brass,
33
in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of skillful workmanship.
34
He has put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. ​
35
He has filled them with wisdom of heart, to work all kinds of workmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do any workmanship, and of those who make skillful 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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