Exodus Chapter 36
1 "Bezalel and Oholiab shall work with every wise-hearted man, in whom the LORD has put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD has commanded."
2 Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to the work to do it.
3 They received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, with which to make it. They kept bringing free will offerings to him every morning.
4 All the wise men, who performed all the work of the sanctuary, each came from his work which he did.
5 They spoke to Moses, saying, "The people have brought much more than enough for the service of the work which the LORD commanded to make."
6 Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, "Let neither man nor woman make anything else for the offering for the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing.
7 For the stuff they had was sufficient to do all the work, and too much.
8 All the wise-hearted men amongst those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet. They made them with cherubim, the work of a skilful workman.
9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains had one measure.
10 He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another.
11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain from the edge in the coupling. Likewise he made in the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second coupling.
12 He made fifty loops in the one curtain, and he made fifty loops in the edge of the curtain that was in the second coupling. The loops were opposite to one another.
13 He made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps: so the tabernacle was a unit.
14 He made curtains of goats' hair for a covering over the tabernacle. He made them eleven curtains.
15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits the width of each curtain. The eleven curtains had one measure.
16 He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.
17 He made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the coupling, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which was outermost in the second coupling.
18 He made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together, that it might be a unit.
19 He made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of sea cow hides above.
20 He made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up.
21 Ten cubits was the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the width of each board.
22 Each board had two tenons, joined to one another. He made all the boards of the tabernacle this way.
23 He made the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward.
24 He made forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons.
25 For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards
26 and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
27 For the far part of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.
28 He made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the far part.
29 They were double beneath, and in the same way they were all the way to its top to one ring. He did this to both of them in the two corners.
30 There were eight boards and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets-under every board two sockets.
31 He made bars of acacia wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
32 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the hinder part westward.
33 He made the middle bar to pass through in the middle of the boards from the one end to the other.
34 He overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold as places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35 He made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. He made it the work of a skilful workman.
36 He made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold. He cast four sockets of silver for them.
37 He made a screen for the door of the tent, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer;
38 and the five pillars of it with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals and their fillets with gold, and their five sockets were of bronze.
Footnotes
- Verse 9 (Cubit)
- A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man's arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimetres.
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Exodus Chapter 36 Guide
The account of the actual presentation of the offerings to the company of workers inspired of God to use them is full of beauty. All the people offered, but a select number were commissioned for the actual work. These were such as were wise and understanding of heart a fitness which came as a direct gift of God.
The earnestness of the people at this point is made supremely apparent in that they offered more than was needed; indeed, "much more" is the actual word of Scripture
The work now proceeded, and as in the earlier movements of the Book we have seen something of the symbolism of this centre of worship, we now notice only the order in which that work was carried out.
In giving instructions, everything proceeded from the centre to the circumference. Here the order is much the same but with slight variations. The place of divine dwelling and revelation was first prepared, and the beginning of this is described. First, the Tabernacle itself; then the Tent which covered it; next the boards and the bars on which the Tabernacle and Tent were raised; and, after that, the veil and the pillars on which it was hung. The supreme thing in the whole structure was this central dwelling place of God and that was made first.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Exodus Chapter 36 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- The making of the tabernacle, The liberality of the people restrained.
The readiness and zeal with which these builders set about their work, the exactness with which they performed it, and the faithfulness with which they objected to receive more contributions, are worthy of our imitation. Thus should we serve God, and our superiors also, in all things lawful. Thus should all who are in public trusts abhor filthy lucre, and avoid all occasions and temptations to covetousness. Where have we the representation of God's love towards us, that we by love dwell in him and he in us, save in Emmanuel? Mt 1:23. This is the sum of the ministry of reconciliation, 2Co 5:18, 19. This was the design of the "tabernacle of witness," a visible testimony of the love of God to the race of men, however they were fallen from their first state. And this love was shown by Christ's taking up his abode on earth; by the Word being made flesh, Joh 1:14, wherein, as the original expresses it, he did tabernacle among us.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.