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Exodus 35

Exodus book home•Chapter 35 of 40•35 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Exodus 35 Overview

Exodus 35 begins the construction phase of the tabernacle. Moses first repeats the Sabbath command, including the prohibition on kindling fire for ordinary work. He then asks for the offerings God commanded, but only from willing hearts. Men and women bring jewelry, fabrics, skins, wood, oil, spices, and precious metals until the work has abundant material. Skilled women spin, rulers bring stones and spices, and Moses publicly identifies Bezalel and Aholiab as Spirit-equipped craftsmen who can also teach others. The chapter shows the whole congregation responding after the golden calf with ordered generosity and skilled obedience.

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Before you read Exodus 35

Coming from

Exodus 34 renews the covenant and ends with Moses descending from Sinai with a shining face.

In this chapter

The people now move from hearing the sanctuary pattern to supplying and performing the actual work under God’s instructions.

Leads into

Exodus 36 records the craftsmen beginning construction and the people being told to stop giving because more than enough has been supplied.

Key understanding

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

Sabbath obedience is stated before sanctuary construction, showing that sacred work does not cancel God’s command to rest.

Truth 2

Offerings for the sanctuary come from willing hearts rather than coercion.

Truth 3

Men and women both contribute materially and skillfully to the construction while priestly and leadership roles remain distinct.

Truth 4

God-given craftsmanship includes the ability to teach others, multiplying skill through the community.

Truth 5

The response after the golden calf demonstrates restored covenant obedience in the very area where gold had previously been misused for idolatry.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Exodus 25 first commanded the willing offering; chapter 35 shows the people actually bringing it.

Connection 2

Exodus 31 first named Bezalel and Aholiab; chapter 35 publicly commissions them before the congregation.

Connection 3

2 Corinthians 8–9 later emphasizes willing and cheerful giving in a different covenant setting.

Connection 4

1 Corinthians 12 shows diverse Spirit-enabled service within the church, though the tabernacle craftsmanship here is a distinct historical calling.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

The Sabbath restriction is part of Israel’s covenant sign and should not be mechanically imposed as a church civil code.

Keep this clear 2

Willing giving does not mean the sanctuary project is optional; the project is commanded, but participation in supplying materials is from willing hearts.

Keep this clear 3

Spirit-filled craftsmanship is genuine spiritual service, but artistic skill should not be equated with doctrinal authority or church office.

Keep this clear 4

The broad participation of men and women in materials and craftsmanship should be honored without using it to erase the Bible’s separate instructions concerning priesthood or church leadership.

Read Exodus 35 watching for…

Sabbath before construction.

The repeated phrase “willing heart.”

The variety of materials contributed.

Women’s skilled spinning and rulers’ gifts.

Bezalel and Aholiab as craftsmen and teachers.

Chapter outline4 sections

1-3The Sabbath command is repeated 4-19Moses calls for offerings and skilled work 20-29The people bring willing offerings 30-35Bezaleel and Aholiab are called and gifted for the work

And 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.

Six 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.

Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,

Take 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,

And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,

And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,

And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,

And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.

And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;

The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,

The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering,

The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread,

The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,

And 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,

The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,

The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court,

The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,

The 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.

And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

And 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.

And 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.

And 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.

Every 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.

And 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.

And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair.

And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;

And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.

The 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.

And 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;

And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.

And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.

Them 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.

STUDY THIS VERSE

Exodus 35:33

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