The Torah · Old Testament
Exodus 35
The people bring willing gifts and skilled work for the sanctuary
General context
Moses gathers Israel and first repeats the Sabbath command, including its death penalty and a prohibition on kindling fire in their dwellings that day. He then calls for willing offerings of metals, textiles, skins, wood, oil, spices and stones. Skilled people are invited to make the tabernacle, its furnishings and coverings, the altars, courtyard and priestly garments according to the Lord's commands. The people leave and return with gifts as their hearts move them. Men and women bring gold ornaments and other materials. Skilled women spin colored thread and linen, and others spin goats' hair. The leaders bring stones, spices and oil. Moses then identifies Bezalel of Judah as called and equipped by the Lord with wisdom and craftsmanship in metal, stone and wood. Bezalel and Oholiab of Dan are also given the ability to teach. The chapter brings together material contributions, practical skill and instruction for the work ahead.
Cited passages: Exodus 35:1, Exodus 35:2, Exodus 35:3, Exodus 35:4, Exodus 35:5, Exodus 35:6, Exodus 35:7, Exodus 35:8, Exodus 35:9, Exodus 35:10, Exodus 35:11, Exodus 35:12, Exodus 35:13, Exodus 35:14, Exodus 35:15, Exodus 35:16, Exodus 35:17, Exodus 35:18, Exodus 35:19, Exodus 35:20, Exodus 35:21, Exodus 35:22, Exodus 35:23, Exodus 35:24, Exodus 35:25, Exodus 35:26, Exodus 35:27, Exodus 35:28, Exodus 35:29, Exodus 35:30, Exodus 35:31, Exodus 35:32, Exodus 35:33, Exodus 35:34, Exodus 35:35
Exodus 35 (KJV)
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.
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Historical context
The named donors include men and women and the rulers, while the account specifically credits women with spinning. The descriptions distinguish providing materials from doing skilled work, without claiming that only one group contributes. Gold ornament names differ between the bundled translations, so the guide uses the general description rather than assigning a modern jewelry inventory. The same caution applies to the skin covering called badgers' skins in King James and sealskins in American Standard. Bezalel is identified as son of Uri, grandson of Hur and a member of Judah; Oholiab is son of Ahisamach from Dan. Their teaching ability is explicit, but no school, training period or named pupils are described.
Cited passages: Exodus 35:5, Exodus 35:6, Exodus 35:7, Exodus 35:8, Exodus 35:9, Exodus 35:10, Exodus 35:21, Exodus 35:22, Exodus 35:23, Exodus 35:24, Exodus 35:25, Exodus 35:26, Exodus 35:27, Exodus 35:28, Exodus 35:29, Exodus 35:30, Exodus 35:31, Exodus 35:32, Exodus 35:33, Exodus 35:34, Exodus 35:35
Literary context
The Sabbath command precedes the invitation to undertake the sanctuary work. The material list and the list of things to make are followed by an account of people actually bringing gifts. Repeated language about willing hearts links the request to their response, while references to wisdom connect manual skill with the Lord's provision. The final emphasis on teaching makes the named craftsmen's role broader than making objects themselves. The chapter ends with capacities and contributions assembled for a shared task.
Cited passages: Exodus 35:1, Exodus 35:2, Exodus 35:3, Exodus 35:5, Exodus 35:10, Exodus 35:11, Exodus 35:12, Exodus 35:13, Exodus 35:14, Exodus 35:15, Exodus 35:16, Exodus 35:17, Exodus 35:18, Exodus 35:19, Exodus 35:20, Exodus 35:21, Exodus 35:22, Exodus 35:25, Exodus 35:26, Exodus 35:29, Exodus 35:30, Exodus 35:31, Exodus 35:32, Exodus 35:33, Exodus 35:34, Exodus 35:35
Key moments
- Willing givers are invited (Exodus 35:5). Moses calls for offerings from those with willing hearts.
- Skilled women bring their spinning (Exodus 35:25). Women spin by hand and bring their work for the sanctuary.
- Men and women give willingly (Exodus 35:29). The account describes willing contributions for the work commanded through Moses.
- The craftsmen are equipped to teach (Exodus 35:34). Bezalel and Oholiab are given the ability to teach others.
For reflection
How do the different kinds of contribution in this chapter shape its picture of shared work?
People in this chapter
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