The Law · Chapter 36 of 40

Exodus 36

With materials in hand, Bezaleel, Aholiab, and every wise hearted worker begin building the sanctuary, gifted by the LORD with wisdom for the task. The people give so freely that the craftsmen tell Moses they have more than enough, and he must restrain the offering. The chapter then details the tabernacle's linen curtains, goats' hair tent, protective coverings, upright boards, gilded bars, and the embroidered veil.

What happens in Exodus 36

The construction of the tabernacle begins in earnest. Bezaleel and Aholiab, with every craftsman whose heart the LORD had stirred and filled with skill, receive from Moses the offerings Israel had brought. Fresh gifts keep arriving every morning until the workers stop and report that the people bring far more than the work requires. Moses issues a proclamation through the camp forbidding any further offering, and the people are restrained, for what they had was sufficient and even too much.

The builders then make ten inner curtains of fine linen embroidered with cherubim, joined by golden clasps into one tabernacle. Over them they set eleven curtains of goats' hair, coverings of rams' skins dyed red and of badgers' skins. They frame the structure with upright boards of shittim wood in silver sockets, secured by bars overlaid with gold. Finally they weave the veil and the hanging for the door.

Exodus 36 in context

Exodus 36 opens the record of the tabernacle actually being made, following the detailed instructions given on Sinai in chapters 25 through 31. Between those commands and this obedience lies the golden calf and its aftermath, so the willing, orderly labor here marks Israel's restored fellowship with God.

The narrative deliberately echoes the earlier blueprint almost word for word, showing that the people built exactly what God prescribed, funded entirely by voluntary gifts.

Main themes of Exodus 36

Exodus 36 (KJV)

1Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded. 2And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it: 3And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning. 4And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made; 5And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make. 6And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. 7For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much. 8And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work made he them. 9The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: the curtains were all of one size. 10And he coupled the five curtains one unto another: and the other five curtains he coupled one unto another. 11And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. 12Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another. 13And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became one tabernacle. 14And he made curtains of goats’ hair for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made them. 15The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the breadth of one curtain: the eleven curtains were of one size. 16And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second. 18And he made fifty taches of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one. 19And he made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers’ skins above that. 20And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up. 21The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half. 22One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle. 23And he made boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side southward: 24And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons. 25And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he made twenty boards, 26And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 27And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards. 28And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides. 29And they were coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereof, to one ring: thus he did to both of them in both the corners. 30And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every board two sockets. 31And he made bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 32And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward. 33And he made the middle bar to shoot through the boards from the one end to the other. 34And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold. 35And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work. 36And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver. 37And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework; 38And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass.

Verses to carry from Exodus 36

“Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.”Exodus 36:1

“And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.”Exodus 36:6

“And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work.”Exodus 36:35

Reflection

Consider your own hands and abilities. God fills willing workers with skill and receives their honest craft as worship. Where might you offer your ordinary competence, your work and your generosity, back to Him, giving freely and doing carefully and gladly the very thing He has actually asked of you?

A prayer from Exodus 36