Exodus 36
The Message
36 “Bezalel and Oholiab, along with everyone whom God has given the skill and know-how for making everything involved in the worship of the Sanctuary as commanded by God, are to start to work.”
2-3 Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab along with all whom God had gifted with the ability to work skillfully with their hands. The men were eager to get started and engage in the work. They took from Moses all the offerings that the Israelites had brought for the work of constructing the Sanctuary. The people kept on bringing in their freewill offerings, morning after morning.
4-5 All the artisans who were at work making everything involved in constructing the Sanctuary came, one after another, to Moses, saying, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing this work that God has commanded us to do!”
6-7 So Moses sent out orders through the camp: “Men! Women! No more offerings for the building of the Sanctuary!”
The people were ordered to stop bringing offerings! There was plenty of material for all the work to be done. Enough and more than enough.
The Tapestries
8-13 Then all the skilled artisans on The Dwelling made ten tapestries of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric with an angel-cherubim design worked into the material. Each panel of tapestry was forty-six feet long and six feet wide. Five of the panels were joined together, and then the other five. Loops of blue were made along the edge of the outside panel of the first set, and the same on the outside panel of the second set. They made fifty loops on each panel, with the loops opposite each other. Then they made fifty gold clasps and joined the tapestries together so that The Dwelling was one whole.
14-19 Next they made tapestries of woven goat hair for a tent that would cover The Dwelling. They made eleven panels of these tapestries. The length of each panel was forty-five feet long and six feet wide. They joined five of the panels together, and then the other six, by making fifty loops along the edge of the end panel and fifty loops along the edge of the joining panel, then making fifty clasps of bronze, connecting the clasps to the loops, bringing the tent together. They finished it off by covering the tapestries with tanned rams’ skins dyed red, and covered that with dolphin skins.
The Framing
20-30 They framed The Dwelling with vertical planks of acacia wood, each section of frame fifteen feet long and two and a quarter feet wide, with two pegs for securing them. They made all the frames identical: twenty frames for the south side, with forty silver sockets to receive the two tenons from each of the twenty frames; they repeated that construction on the north side of The Dwelling. For the rear of The Dwelling facing west, they made six frames, with two additional frames for the rear corners. Both of the two corner frames were double in thickness from top to bottom and fit into a single ring—eight frames altogether with sixteen sockets of silver, two under each frame.
31-34 They made crossbars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of The Dwelling, five for the other side, and five for the back side facing west. The center crossbar ran from end to end halfway up the frames. They covered the frames with a veneer of gold, made gold rings to hold the crossbars, and covered the crossbars with a veneer of gold.
35-36 They made the curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. They wove a design of angel-cherubim into it. They made four posts of acacia wood, covered them with a veneer of gold, and cast four silver bases for them.
37-38 They made a screen for the door of the tent, woven from blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen with embroidery. They framed the weaving with five poles of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold, and made gold hooks to hang the weaving and five bronze bases for the poles.
Exodus 36
New American Standard Bible
The Tabernacle Underwritten
36 “Now Bezalel, Oholiab, and every [a]skillful person in whom the Lord has put [b]skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work [c]in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with everything that the Lord has commanded.”
2 Then Moses called Bezalel, Oholiab, and every [d]skillful person in [e]whom the Lord had put [f]skill, (A)everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it. 3 They received from Moses every [g]contribution which the sons of Israel had brought to perform [h]the work [i]in the construction of the sanctuary. And they still continued bringing to him [j]voluntary offerings every morning. 4 And all the [k]skillful people who were performing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from [l]the work which they were performing, 5 and they said to [m]Moses, “(B)The people are bringing much more than enough for the [n]construction work which the Lord commanded us to [o]perform.” 6 So Moses issued a command, and circulated a [p]proclamation throughout the camp, saying, “No man or woman is to perform work any longer for the [q]contributions of the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing any more. 7 (C)For the [r]material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it.
Construction Begins
8 (D)All the [s]skillful people among those who were performing the work made the [t]tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twisted linen and [u]violet, purple, and scarlet material, with cherubim, the work of a skilled embroiderer, [v]Bezalel made them. 9 The length of each curtain was [w]twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains had [x]the same measurements. 10 He [y]joined five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he [z]joined to one another. 11 And he made loops of violet on the edge of the [aa]outermost curtain in the first [ab]set; he did likewise on the edge of the curtain that was [ac]outermost in the second [ad]set. 12 He made (E)fifty loops in the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the [ae]edge of the curtain that was in the second [af]set; the loops were opposite each other. 13 He also made (F)fifty clasps of gold, and [ag]joined the curtains to one another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle was [ah]a unit.
14 Then (G)he made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he [ai]made eleven curtains in all. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the width of each curtain; the eleven curtains had [aj]the same measurements. 16 He [ak]joined five curtains by themselves, and the other six curtains by themselves. 17 Moreover, he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the first [al]set, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second [am]set. 18 He also made fifty clasps of [an]bronze to [ao]join the tent together so that it would be [ap]a unit. 19 And he made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins [aq]dyed red, and a covering of [ar]fine leather above.
20 (H)Then he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright. 21 Ten cubits was the length of [as]each board, and one and a half cubits the width of each board. 22 There were two tenons for each board, [at]fitted to one another; he did this to all the boards of the tabernacle. 23 So he made the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards [au]for the south side; 24 and he made forty bases of silver under the twenty boards; two bases under one board for its two tenons, and two bases under another board for its two tenons. 25 Then for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards, 26 and their forty bases of silver; two bases under one board, and two bases under another board. 27 And for the [av]back of the tabernacle, to the west, he made six boards. 28 He made two boards for the corners of the [aw]tabernacle at the [ax]back. 29 They were double beneath, and together they were complete to its [ay]top, [az]to the first ring; he did this with both of them for the two corners. 30 There were eight boards with their bases of silver, sixteen bases, two bases under every board.
31 Then he made (I)bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the boards of the [ba]other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the [bb]back side to the west. 33 And he made the middle bar to pass through in the [bc]center of the boards from end to end. 34 Then he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold as holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35 (J)Moreover, he made the veil of violet, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen; he made it with cherubim, the work of a skilled embroiderer. 36 And he made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and he cast four bases of silver for them. 37 He also made a (K)curtain for the doorway of the tent, of violet, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, the work of a [bd]weaver; 38 and he made its (L)five pillars with their hooks, and he overlaid their tops and their [be]bands with gold; but their five bases were of [bf]bronze.
Footnotes
- Exodus 36:1 Lit man wise of heart
- Exodus 36:1 Lit wisdom
- Exodus 36:1 Or connected with the service of; lit of the service of
- Exodus 36:2 Lit man wise of heart
- Exodus 36:2 Lit whose heart
- Exodus 36:2 Lit wisdom
- Exodus 36:3 Or uplifted offering
- Exodus 36:3 Lit it for the work
- Exodus 36:3 Lit of the service of
- Exodus 36:3 Or freewill offering
- Exodus 36:4 Lit wise
- Exodus 36:4 Lit his
- Exodus 36:5 Lit Moses, saying,
- Exodus 36:5 Lit service for the work
- Exodus 36:5 Lit perform it
- Exodus 36:6 Lit voice
- Exodus 36:6 Or uplifted offering
- Exodus 36:7 Lit work
- Exodus 36:8 Lit wise of heart
- Exodus 36:8 Lit dwelling place
- Exodus 36:8 Or bluish; LXX hyacinth in color, and so throughout the ch
- Exodus 36:8 Lit he
- Exodus 36:9 About 42 ft. long and 6 ft. wide or 13 m and 1.8 m
- Exodus 36:9 Lit one measure
- Exodus 36:10 Or coupled
- Exodus 36:10 Or coupled
- Exodus 36:11 Lit one curtain from the end in the coupling
- Exodus 36:11 Lit coupling
- Exodus 36:11 Lit one curtain from the end in the coupling
- Exodus 36:11 Lit coupling
- Exodus 36:12 Lit end
- Exodus 36:12 Lit coupling
- Exodus 36:13 Or coupled
- Exodus 36:13 Lit one
- Exodus 36:14 Lit made them
- Exodus 36:15 Lit one measure
- Exodus 36:16 Or coupled
- Exodus 36:17 Lit tie
- Exodus 36:17 Lit tie
- Exodus 36:18 Or copper
- Exodus 36:18 Or couple
- Exodus 36:18 Lit one
- Exodus 36:19 Or tanned
- Exodus 36:19 Meaning of the Heb uncertain
- Exodus 36:21 Lit the
- Exodus 36:22 Lit bound
- Exodus 36:23 Lit to the side of the Negev, to the south
- Exodus 36:27 Lit far parts
- Exodus 36:28 Lit dwelling place
- Exodus 36:28 Lit far parts
- Exodus 36:29 Or head
- Exodus 36:29 Or with reference to
- Exodus 36:32 Or second
- Exodus 36:32 Lit far parts
- Exodus 36:33 Lit midst
- Exodus 36:37 Lit variegator; i.e., a weaver in colors
- Exodus 36:38 Or rings
- Exodus 36:38 Or copper
Exodus 36
Holman Christian Standard Bible
36 1 Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled[a] people are to work based on everything the Lord has commanded. The Lord has given them wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work of constructing the sanctuary.”(A)
2 So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled[b] person in whose heart the Lord had placed wisdom, everyone whose heart moved him,(B) to come to the work and do it. 3 They took from Moses’ presence all the contributions that the Israelites had brought for the task of making the sanctuary. Meanwhile, the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.
4 Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work for the sanctuary came one by one from the work they were doing 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than is needed(C) for the construction of the work the Lord commanded to be done.”
6 After Moses gave an order, they sent a proclamation throughout the camp: “Let no man or woman make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” So the people stopped. 7 The materials were sufficient for them to do all the work. There was more than enough.
Building the Tabernacle
8 All(D) the skilled craftsmen[c] among those doing the work made the tabernacle with 10 curtains. Bezalel made them of finely spun linen, as well as blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with a design of cherubim worked into them. 9 The length of each curtain was 42 feet,[d] and the width of each curtain six feet;[e] all the curtains had the same measurements. 10 He joined five of the curtains to each other, and the other five curtains he joined to each other. 11 He made loops of blue yarn on the edge of the last curtain in the first set and did the same on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. 12 He made 50 loops on the one curtain and 50 loops on the edge of the curtain in the second set, so that the loops lined up with each other. 13 He also made 50 gold clasps and joined the curtains to each other, so that the tabernacle became a single unit.
14 He made curtains of goat hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made 11 of them. 15 The length of each curtain was 45 feet,[f] and the width of each curtain six feet.[g] All 11 curtains had the same measurements. 16 He joined five of the curtains together, and the other six together. 17 He made 50 loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set and 50 loops on the edge of the corresponding curtain in the second set. 18 He made 50 bronze clasps to join the tent together as a single unit. 19 He also made a covering for the tent from ram skins dyed red and a covering of manatee skins[h] on top of it.
20 He(E) made upright planks[i] of acacia wood for the tabernacle. 21 The length of each plank was 15 feet,[j] and the width of each was 27 inches.[k] 22 There were two tenons connected to each other for each plank. He did the same for all the planks of the tabernacle. 23 He made planks for the tabernacle as follows: 20 for the south side, 24 and he made 40 silver bases to put under the 20 planks, two bases under the first plank for its two tenons, and two bases under each of the following planks for their two tenons; 25 for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made 20 planks, 26 with their 40 silver bases, two bases under the first plank and two bases under each of the following ones; 27 and for the west side of the tabernacle he made six planks. 28 He also made two additional planks for the two back corners of the tabernacle. 29 They were paired at the bottom and joined together[l] at the[m] top in a single ring. This is what he did with both of them for the two corners. 30 So there were eight planks with their 16 silver bases, two bases under each one.
31 He made five crossbars of acacia wood for the planks on one side of the tabernacle, 32 five crossbars for the planks on the other side of the tabernacle, and five crossbars for those at the back of the tabernacle on the west. 33 He made the central crossbar run through the middle of the planks from one end to the other. 34 He overlaid them with gold and made their rings out of gold as holders for the crossbars. He also overlaid the crossbars with gold.
35 Then(F) he made the veil with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. He made it with a design of cherubim worked into it. 36 He made four posts of acacia wood for it and overlaid them with gold; their hooks were of gold. And he cast four silver bases for the posts.
37 He made a screen embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen for the entrance to the tent, 38 together with its five posts and their hooks. He overlaid the tops of the posts and their bands with gold, but their five bases were bronze.
Footnotes
- Exodus 36:1 Lit wise of heart
- Exodus 36:2 Lit wise of heart
- Exodus 36:8 Lit the wise of heart
- Exodus 36:9 Lit 28 cubits
- Exodus 36:9 Lit four cubits
- Exodus 36:15 Lit 30 cubits
- Exodus 36:15 Lit four cubits
- Exodus 36:19 Or of dolphin skins, or of fine leather; Hb obscure
- Exodus 36:20 Or made frames
- Exodus 36:21 Lit 10 cubits
- Exodus 36:21 Lit a cubit and a half
- Exodus 36:29 Lit and together they are to be complete
- Exodus 36:29 Lit its
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.