Exodus36
New King James Version
1“And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded.”
2Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work.
3And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning.
4Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing,
5and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do.”
6So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.” And the people were restrained from bringing,
7for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.
8Then all the gifted artisans among them who worked on the tabernacle made ten curtains woven of fine linen, and of blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim they made them.
9The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the curtains were all the same size.
10And he coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another.
11He made loops of blue yarn on the edge of the curtain on the selvedge of one set; likewise he did on the outer edge of the other curtain of the second set.
12Fifty loops he made on one curtain, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain on the end of the second set; the loops held one curtain to another.
13And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps, that it might be one tabernacle.
14He made curtains of goats’ hair for the tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains.
15The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains were the same size.
16He coupled five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves.
17And he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain of the second set.
18He also made fifty bronze clasps to couple the tent together, that it might be one.
19Then he made a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red, and a covering of badger skins above that.
20For the tabernacle he made boards of acacia wood, standing upright.
21The length of each board was ten cubits, and the width of each board a cubit and a half.
22Each board had two tenons for binding one to another. Thus he made for all the boards of the tabernacle.
23And he made boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side.
24Forty sockets of silver he made to go under the twenty boards: two sockets under each of the boards for its two tenons.
25And for the other side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty boards
26and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under each of the boards.
27For the west side of the tabernacle he made six boards.
28He also made two boards for the two back corners of the tabernacle.
29And they were coupled at the bottom and coupled together at the top by one ring. Thus he made both of them for the two corners.
30So there were eight boards and their sockets—sixteen sockets of silver—two sockets under each of the boards.
31And he made bars of acacia wood: five for the boards on one side of the tabernacle,
32five bars for the boards on the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle on the far side westward.
33And he made the middle bar to pass through the boards from one end to the other.
34He overlaid the boards with gold, made their rings of gold to be holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35And he made a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen; it was worked with an artistic design of cherubim.
36He made for it four pillars of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and he cast four sockets of silver for them.
37He also made a screen for the tabernacle door, of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver,
38and its five pillars with their hooks. And he overlaid their capitals and their rings with gold, but their five sockets were bronze.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Exodus 36.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The making of the tabernacle, The liberality of the people restrained. (1-38).
vv1-38
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.
Key Words
בְּצַלְאֵל: Betsalel, the name of two Israelites
אׇהֳלִיאָב: Oholiab, an Israelite
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הֵם: they (only used when emphatic)
נָתַן: to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
חׇכְמָה: wisdom (in a good sense)
תָּבוּן: intelligence; by implication, an argument; by extension, caprice
יָדַע: to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)
עָשָׂה: to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
מְלָאכָה: properly, deputyship, i.e. ministry; generally, employment (never servile) or work (abstractly or concretely); also property (as the result of labor)
Cross References
Exodus 36The exact structural blue-print given in Exodus 26 is executed in this chapter detail by detail.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Fulfillment of God's call and endowment of Bezaleel and Aholiab with artistic and architectural wisdom.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
The immediate presentation and commission of the master craftsmen to the congregation of Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
The precise manufacturing of the inner veil separating the Holy from the Most Holy place.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The instruction for making the protective coverings of rams' skins and badger skins is realized.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The construction of the upright boards of acacia wood for the tabernacle's frame.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The veil represents Christ's flesh, rent to open access to God's presence.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The creation of the outer hanging/screen for the door of the tent.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The execution of the voluntary collection of materials commanded earlier by Moses.
Supported by JFB
Illustrates the New Testament principle of cheerful, voluntary giving to the work of God.
Supported by JFB
The creation of the goat hair curtains designed to cover the inner tabernacle.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The manufacture of the wood bars overlaid with gold to hold the boards together.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The creation of the four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold for the veil.
Supported by Matthew Poole