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Exodus 35

KJV · Chapter 35/40

1And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them.

2Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

3Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

4And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying,

5Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass,

6And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,

7And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,

8And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,

9And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.

10And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the Lord hath commanded;

11The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,

12The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering,

13The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread,

14The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,

15And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle,

16The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,

17The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court,

18The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,

19The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.

20And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

21And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

22And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord.

23And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers’ skins, brought them.

24Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the Lord’s offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.

25And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.

26And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats’ hair.

27And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;

28And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.

29The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.

30And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;

31And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

32And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

33And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.

34And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.

35Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning 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 work, and of those that devise cunning work.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Moses gathers the people and reaffirms the importance of the Sabbath; he then calls for voluntary offerings for building the tabernacle, and the people respond with great generosity, bringing materials and skills for the work.

Explanation

This chapter resumes, after the interruption caused by the golden calf episode, the practical preparation for building the tabernacle. The renewed emphasis on the Sabbath before any other instruction suggests that even a project as sacred and urgent as building God's dwelling place should not compromise the divine rhythm of rest. The people's response to Moses' call for voluntary offerings is remarkably enthusiastic and generous, with men and women contributing precious materials and using their skills — from spinning cloth to working metals — showing a collective willingness to actively take part in God's work after the painful episode of unfaithfulness before it. This genuine, voluntary generosity, coming from 'every one whose heart stirred him up' (v. 21, 26, 29), contrasts sharply with the murmuring attitude seen in earlier chapters, suggesting a real moment of reconciliation and spiritual renewal for the community as a whole.

Fun facts

  • The specific mention that 'all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands' (v. 25) is one of the few biblical passages that specifically details women's craftsmanship as an essential and recognized contribution to work as important as the tabernacle.
  • The generous, voluntary response of the people in this chapter, coming so soon after the sin of the golden calf, shows a community in real process of restoration, suggesting that true reconciliation with God is often expressed through concrete acts of generosity and service.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Exodus 35:1Moses gathers the whole congregation to relay, this time in person, everything God had commanded on the mountain about building the tabernacle.
  2. Exodus 35:2Even before speaking about the construction, Moses reinforces the sabbath law, making clear that not even the urgency of the work would justify laboring on the day of rest.
  3. Exodus 35:3This is a specific rule within sabbath observance: not even lighting a fire to cook or keep warm was allowed on that day of rest. It shows just how far the halt on work during the sabbath was meant to go, including basic everyday household tasks.
  4. Exodus 35:4Moses introduces the request for donations, picking up the same language God had used directly with him back in chapter 25.
  5. Exodus 35:5It repeats the list of metals accepted as offerings—gold, silver, and copper—but now as a direct request from Moses to the assembled people.
  6. Exodus 35:6The list of textile materials continues—the colored fabrics, fine linen, and goat hair—the same items already detailed in the original plan.
  7. Exodus 35:7It repeats the mention of the hides used for the outer coverings and the acacia wood used throughout the tabernacle’s wooden framework.
  8. Exodus 35:8It also includes the oil and spices used both for the lighting and for the sacred formulas of oil and incense.
  9. Exodus 35:9It closes the list of materials with the precious stones intended for the priestly garments, completing exactly the same inventory from chapter 25.
  10. Exodus 35:10Moses specifically calls on the skilled craftsmen among the people to get to work, beginning the practical phase of construction.
  11. Exodus 35:11It details the first part of the work: the tabernacle’s basic structure—its curtains, coverings, boards, bars, pillars, and sockets.
  12. Exodus 35:12It specifically mentions the ark, the mercy seat, and the veil, the most sacred pieces of the whole set.
  13. Exodus 35:13It includes the table of the bread with its utensils, revisiting an item already detailed in chapter 25.
  14. Exodus 35:14It mentions the lampstand and everything that goes with it, including the oil needed to keep it burning.
  15. Exodus 35:15It lists the incense altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the entrance curtain of the tabernacle.
  16. Exodus 35:16It continues with the sacrifice altar outside, its bronze grate, and the basin for ritual washing.
  17. Exodus 35:17It includes the curtains of the outer courtyard, its pillars, and the covering for the complex’s main entrance.
  18. Exodus 35:18It also mentions the pegs used to secure both the tabernacle and the courtyard to the ground, along with the cords used to tie them down.
  19. Exodus 35:19It closes the list with the priestly garments, both the everyday ones and the special garments for Aaron and his sons.
  20. Exodus 35:20After hearing the whole request, the congregation disperses, but not to leave—it was time to gather the promised donations.
  21. Exodus 35:21The people respond to the call voluntarily, each one bringing materials as their own heart moved them, with no obligation imposed.
  22. Exodus 35:22After the episode of the golden calf, made from melted-down jewelry, the people now use similar jewelry—bracelets, earrings, rings—to voluntarily contribute to building the tabernacle. It’s a clear contrast with chapter 32: the same kind of material that once made an idol now becomes material for the legitimate sanctuary.
  23. Exodus 35:23Whoever had the colored fabrics or the needed hides brought them along with the rest of the donations gathered at that time.
  24. Exodus 35:24Whoever had silver, copper, or acacia wood on hand also contributed, each material set aside for a specific part of the work.
  25. Exodus 35:25“Spinning” meant turning fibers, such as linen and goat hair, into thread—a specialized manual craft done mostly by women at the time. The text explicitly recognizes their skill as an essential part of building the tabernacle.
  26. Exodus 35:26Women skilled in spinning contributed specifically the more technical work of turning goat hair into usable thread.
  27. Exodus 35:27The tribal leaders contributed specifically the most valuable precious stones, intended for the priestly garments.
  28. Exodus 35:28They also supplied the spices and oil needed for the lighting and for the sacred formulas of oil and incense.
  29. Exodus 35:29It sums up that all this generosity came from men and women moved spontaneously, with no formal tax or requirement imposed by Moses.
  30. Exodus 35:30Bezalel is introduced, together with his assistant Oholiab, as the master craftsman chosen specifically by name to lead the whole work of building the tabernacle. The text emphasizes that his technical skill came from a special enabling given by God, not merely ordinary talent.
  31. Exodus 35:31It repeats the description already given in chapter 31 about Bezalel’s special enabling, given directly by God to lead the work.
  32. Exodus 35:32It again details Bezalel’s technical skills: creating original designs and working precious metals with precision.
  33. Exodus 35:33It also reinforces his mastery of stone-cutting and fine woodwork, the same skills already mentioned before.
  34. Exodus 35:34Bezalel was also given the ability to teach these techniques to others, sharing leadership of the work with Oholiab.
  35. Exodus 35:35The chapter closes describing the combined skill of the two master craftsmen, capable of mastering everything from embroidery to the finest weaving.

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