The Torah · Old Testament
Exodus 36
Enough gifts are received and the tabernacle components are made
General context
Moses calls Bezalel, Oholiab and the other willing, skilled workers to the sanctuary work. They receive the people's offerings, but more gifts continue arriving each morning. The craftsmen report that the supply exceeds what is needed. Moses orders the camp to stop preparing further contributions, and the people stop bringing them. The materials are enough and more than enough. The chapter then describes the making of ten linen curtains with cherubim, joined in two sets by gold clasps, and eleven goats' hair curtains joined with brass clasps. Skin coverings are made above them. Wooden boards with paired tenons and silver sockets form the framework, with bars and gold coverings. A decorated veil is made with four supporting pillars and silver sockets. A separate embroidered entrance hanging has five pillars with gold-covered capitals and bands and brass sockets. These components are described as made; the final erection of the sanctuary is not narrated in this chapter.
Cited passages: Exodus 36:1, Exodus 36:2, Exodus 36:3, Exodus 36:4, Exodus 36:5, Exodus 36:6, Exodus 36:7, Exodus 36:8, Exodus 36:9, Exodus 36:10, Exodus 36:11, Exodus 36:12, Exodus 36:13, Exodus 36:14, Exodus 36:15, Exodus 36:16, Exodus 36:17, Exodus 36:18, Exodus 36:19, Exodus 36:20, Exodus 36:21, Exodus 36:22, Exodus 36:23, Exodus 36:24, Exodus 36:25, Exodus 36:26, Exodus 36:27, Exodus 36:28, Exodus 36:29, Exodus 36:30, Exodus 36:31, Exodus 36:32, Exodus 36:33, Exodus 36:34, Exodus 36:35, Exodus 36:36, Exodus 36:37, Exodus 36:38
Exodus 36 (KJV)
1Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded.
2And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:
3And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.
4And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;
5And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make.
6And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.
7For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
8And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work made he them.
9The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: the curtains were all of one size.
10And he coupled the five curtains one unto another: and the other five curtains he coupled one unto another.
11And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
12Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.
13And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became one tabernacle.
14And he made curtains of goats’ hair for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made them.
15The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the breadth of one curtain: the eleven curtains were of one size.
16And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.
17And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
18And he made fifty taches of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.
19And he made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers’ skins above that.
20And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up.
21The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half.
22One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
23And he made boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side southward:
24And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
25And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he made twenty boards,
26And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
27And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.
28And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
29And they were coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereof, to one ring: thus he did to both of them in both the corners.
30And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every board two sockets.
31And he made bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
32And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.
33And he made the middle bar to shoot through the boards from the one end to the other.
34And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work.
36And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
37And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework;
38And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass.
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Historical context
The craftsmen's report concerns the materials required for this particular work. It does not establish an unlimited supply or say what happens to every surplus item. Linen curtains are twenty-eight by four cubits, while the goats' hair curtains are thirty by four. There are fifty gold clasps for the linen sets and fifty brass clasps for the outer curtain sets. Boards are ten cubits long and one and a half wide; the north and south sides have twenty each, and the west has six plus two corner boards. The corner joints are described without every detail of a modern reconstruction. Skin terminology varies by translation, so the upper covering's species is not treated as settled.
Cited passages: Exodus 36:3, Exodus 36:4, Exodus 36:5, Exodus 36:6, Exodus 36:7, Exodus 36:8, Exodus 36:9, Exodus 36:10, Exodus 36:11, Exodus 36:12, Exodus 36:13, Exodus 36:14, Exodus 36:15, Exodus 36:16, Exodus 36:17, Exodus 36:18, Exodus 36:19, Exodus 36:20, Exodus 36:21, Exodus 36:22, Exodus 36:23, Exodus 36:24, Exodus 36:25, Exodus 36:26, Exodus 36:27, Exodus 36:28, Exodus 36:29, Exodus 36:30
Literary context
The opening completes the movement from willing gifts to sufficient materials: the workers themselves tell Moses when there is enough, and the response is to stop further contributions. The narrative then changes from receiving supplies to making components. Repeated statements that someone made, joined or overlaid an item turn the earlier design language into a report of work. The movement from fabrics to boards and then to veil and entrance gives the construction account an ordered shape. The joined curtains become one tabernacle, but the chapter remains focused on its component work rather than the later public completion scene.
Cited passages: Exodus 36:2, Exodus 36:3, Exodus 36:4, Exodus 36:5, Exodus 36:6, Exodus 36:7, Exodus 36:8, Exodus 36:10, Exodus 36:11, Exodus 36:12, Exodus 36:13, Exodus 36:14, Exodus 36:16, Exodus 36:17, Exodus 36:18, Exodus 36:19, Exodus 36:20, Exodus 36:23, Exodus 36:25, Exodus 36:27, Exodus 36:28, Exodus 36:31, Exodus 36:32, Exodus 36:33, Exodus 36:34, Exodus 36:35, Exodus 36:36, Exodus 36:37, Exodus 36:38
Key moments
- The craftsmen report more than enough (Exodus 36:5). Those doing the work tell Moses that the people are bringing more than the task requires.
- Moses stops further contributions (Exodus 36:6). A camp-wide proclamation restrains the people from bringing more.
- The linen curtains are joined (Exodus 36:13). Gold clasps join the curtains into one tabernacle.
- The veil is made (Exodus 36:35). The craftsmen make the colored linen veil with cherubim.
For reflection
What does the decision to stop accepting contributions reveal about the relationship between giving and the work's actual needs?