Exodus 35: The Sabbath, the offering for the tabernacle, and Bezalel and Oholiab
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Moses gathers the people and repeats what Yahweh commanded: no work on the Sabbath, and an offering for the tabernacle from everyone with a willing heart. The Israelites bring gold, silver, bronze, cloth, skins and wood, the women spin yarn, and the rulers bring stones, spices and oil. Moses then tells the people that Yahweh has called Bezalel of Judah by name, and has filled Bezalel and Oholiab of Dan with skill.
Who is speaking?
Moses speaks in verses 1 to 19 and in verses 30 to 35, and his speech ends in 36:1. In verses 1 to 19 he is repeating what Yahweh commanded: the Sabbath in verses 1 to 3, then the offering and the work in verses 4 to 19. In verses 30 to 35 and 36:1 he tells the people that Yahweh has called Bezalel by name and has filled him and Oholiab with skill. These are Moses' words, not Yahweh's own, so no verse in this chapter is in gold. The narrator tells verses 20 to 29, where the people bring their gifts. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Moses 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.
In plain English: Moses gathered the whole community of the Israelites and said to them, "These are the words Yahweh has commanded for you to do.
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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 in it shall be put to death.
In plain English: 'Work is to be done for six days, but the seventh day is to be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of solemn rest to Yahweh. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death.
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3You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day.’”
In plain English: Do not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.'"
Good to know: The Sabbath passages in to and to do not mention fire. This is the only verse in Exodus that puts fire and the Sabbath together, and it does not say why fire is named or what it covers.
Church tradition: The Mishnah, the old collection of Jewish teaching, lists 39 kinds of work that are forbidden on the Sabbath, and Jewish teaching links that list to the work of making the tabernacle. Kindling a fire is on it. The text here says "any work" in verse 2 and names only fire in verse 3.
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4Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which Yahweh commanded, saying,
In plain English: Moses spoke to the whole community of the Israelites, saying, "This is the thing Yahweh commanded, saying:
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5‘Take from among you an offering to Yahweh. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as Yahweh’s offering: gold, silver, bronze,
In plain English: 'Take an offering for Yahweh from among you. Whoever has a willing heart is to bring it as Yahweh's offering: gold, silver, bronze,
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6blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair,
In plain English: blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair,
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7rams’ skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood,
In plain English: rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood,
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8oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,
In plain English: oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,
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9onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.
In plain English: onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.
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10“‘Let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make all that Yahweh has commanded:
In plain English: 'Let everyone among you who is wise-hearted (skilled) come and make all that Yahweh has commanded:
The Hebrew words: "Wise-hearted" is chakam lev, word for word "wise of heart". The dictionary gives chakam as "wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or artful)". In these chapters it describes people who make things, such as the women who spin in . This Bible adds "man" here and in ; the Hebrew has no word for "man" in either verse.
How it is translated: In Exodus the word is in 9 verses. This Bible says "wise-hearted" in 7 of them: , , here, 35:25, , and . The other 2 say "wise men": Pharaoh's in and the workers in .
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11the tabernacle, its outer covering, its roof, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;
In plain English: the tabernacle, its outer covering (literally: its tent), its roof (literally: its covering), its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;
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12the ark, and its poles, the mercy seat, the veil of the screen;
In plain English: the ark and its poles, the mercy seat, the veil of the screen;
The Hebrew words: "The veil of the screen" is two Hebrew words side by side: paroket, the veil, and masak, the screen. The veil hangs inside the tabernacle and separates the holy place from the most holy ( to ). A screen hangs at the door of the Tent () and at the gate of the court (). The phrase "veil of the screen" is in only 3 verses of Exodus: here, and .
How it is translated: In Exodus this Bible says "veil" for paroket in all 13 verses that use it and "screen" for masak in all 16. The dictionary words are the other way round: paroket as "(the sacred) screen" and masak as "a cover, i.e. veil".
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13the table with its poles and all its vessels, and the show bread;
In plain English: the table with its poles and all its vessels, and the bread of the presence (show bread);
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14the lamp stand also for the light, with its vessels, its lamps, and the oil for the light;
In plain English: the lamp stand for the light, with its vessels, its lamps, and the oil for the light;
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15and the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle;
In plain English: the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, and the screen for the door at the door of the tabernacle;
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16the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its vessels, the basin and its base;
In plain English: the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its vessels, the basin and its base;
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17the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court;
In plain English: the hangings of the court, its pillars and their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court;
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18the pins of the tabernacle, the pins of the court, and their cords;
In plain English: the pins of the tabernacle, the pins of the court, and their cords;
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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.’”
In plain English: the finely worked garments for serving in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for them to serve in the priest's office.'"
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20All the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
In plain English: All the community of the Israelites left the presence of Moses.
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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.
In plain English: Everyone whose heart stirred him up (literally: lifted him) and everyone whose spirit made him willing came. They brought Yahweh's offering for the work of the Tent of Meeting, for all of its service, and for the holy garments.
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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.
In plain English: Men and women came, as many as were willing-hearted. They brought brooches, earrings, signet rings, and armlets, all jewels of gold, and every man who offered (literally: waved) an offering of gold to Yahweh.
The Hebrew words: "Brooches" is chach, which the dictionary gives as "a ring for the nose (or lips)". "Earrings" is nezem, "a nose-ring", and "armlets" is kumaz, "a jewel (probably gold beads)". The verse does not describe these ornaments. Chach is in 7 verses of the Bible, and this is the only one where this Bible says "brooches"; in the other 6 it says "hook" or "hooks".
The Hebrew words: "Offered an offering" is, word for word, "waved a wave offering": the verb nuf and the noun tenufah. In Exodus the noun is in 6 verses. This Bible says "wave offering" in 3 of them (, and ) and "offering" in the other 3: here, and .
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23Everyone with whom was found blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair, rams’ skins dyed red, and sea cow hides, brought them.
In plain English: Everyone who had blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair, rams' skins dyed red, or sea cow hides brought them.
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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.
In plain English: Everyone who offered an offering of silver and bronze brought it as Yahweh's offering. Everyone who had acacia wood for any work of the service brought it.
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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.
In plain English: All the women who were wise-hearted spun with their hands and brought what they had spun: the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen.
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26All the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats’ hair.
In plain English: All the women whose hearts stirred them up, with wisdom (skill), spun the goats' hair.
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27The rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate;
In plain English: The rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate,
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28with the spice and the oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
In plain English: and the spice and the oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
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29The children of Israel brought a free will 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.
In plain English: The Israelites brought a free will offering to Yahweh: every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring it for all the work that Yahweh had commanded to be made through Moses.
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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.
In plain English: Moses said to the Israelites, "Look, Yahweh has called Bezalel by name, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
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31He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship;
In plain English: He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of workmanship,
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32and to make skillful works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze,
In plain English: to devise skillful works, to work in gold, silver, and bronze,
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33in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of skillful workmanship.
In plain English: to cut stones for setting, to carve wood, and to work in all kinds of skillful workmanship.
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34He has put in his heart that he may teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
In plain English: He has put it in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
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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 make skillful works.
In plain English: He has filled them with wisdom of heart to do all kinds of work: of the engraver, of the skilled workman, and of the embroiderer in blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do any workmanship and of those who devise skillful works.
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