Exodus 35 · WEB
Sabbath Laws and Freewill Offerings for the Tabernacle
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Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said to them, "These are the words which Yahweh 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 Yahweh. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.
3You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day.'"
4Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "This is the thing which Yahweh commanded, saying,
5'Take an offering from among you to Yahweh. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, Yahweh's offering: gold, silver, bronze,
6blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair,
7rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood,
8oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,
9onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.
10"'Every wise-hearted man among you shall come and make all that Yahweh has commanded:
11the tabernacle, its outer covering, its roof, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;
12the ark, its poles, the mercy seat, the veil of the screen;
13the table with its poles, all its vessels, and the showbread;
14the lamp stand also for the light with its vessels, its lamps, and the oil for the light;
15the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle;
16the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its vessels, the basin and its base;
17the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, the screen for the gate of the court;
18the pins of the tabernacle, the pins of the court, and their cords;
19the 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.'"
20All the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
21They came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing, and brought Yahweh's offering for the work of the tent of meeting, and for all of its service, and for the holy garments.
22They 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 Yahweh.
23Everyone who had blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair, rams' skins dyed red, or sea cow hides brought them.
24Everyone who offered an offering of silver and bronze brought Yahweh's offering; and everyone with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service brought it.
25All 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.
26All the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats' hair.
27The rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate,
28the spice, and the oil for the light, the anointing oil, and the sweet incense.
29The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to Yahweh; every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all the work which Yahweh had commanded to be made by Moses.
30Moses said to the children of Israel, "Behold, Yahweh has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
31He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
32and to devise skillful works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze,
33in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of skillful workmanship.
34He has put in his heart that he may teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
35He 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 devise skillful works."
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Summary
Moses assembles Israel and relays God's commands: keep the Sabbath — even no fire on that day — and bring freewill offerings for the Tabernacle. The response is overwhelming: men and women of every kind bring gold, silver, bronze, fine fabrics, animal skins, acacia wood, oil, and gemstones — all from willing hearts. The craftsmen and skilled women contribute their handiwork. Moses introduces Bezalel and Oholiab as the Spirit-filled master craftsmen who will lead the construction, and notes that God has given Bezalel the additional gift of being able to teach others.
Themes
- Willing-hearted generosity as the basis of true worship offering
- The Spirit as the source of practical gifting for God's work
- Community participation: every person contributed what they could
- Rest (Sabbath) ordered before work — God's rhythm for his people
Key verses
- Ex 35:21 — “They came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing.”
- Ex 35:29 — “The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to Yahweh; every man and woman whose heart made them willing.”
- Ex 35:31 — “He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.”
Context & background
The transition from chapters 25-31 (instructions) to chapters 35-40 (execution) is a literary structure that emphasizes Israel's obedience. The freewill offering described here was so abundant that Moses eventually had to stop the people from bringing more (Exodus 36:5-7) — one of the only times in Scripture when a building campaign was over-funded. The Spirit filling Bezalel "in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship" uses the same four-fold description echoed in Isaiah 11:2 for the Spirit resting on the Messiah. The Tabernacle's construction is set against the backdrop of the Sinai Peninsula (modern Egypt) as Israel camps at the foot of Mount Sinai.
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 — The Spirit distributes gifts for building up the body, just as here he gifts craftsmen for building the Tabernacle.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7 — "Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver" — the New Testament equivalent of the willing-heart giving here.
- Isaiah 11:2 — The Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and knowledge rests on the Messiah — the same gifts given to Bezalel.
- Nehemiah 2:18 — "They said, 'Let us rise up and build.' So they strengthened their hands for the good work" — a similar community response to building God's house.