How does Israel respond to the request for sanctuary materials, and who is equipped for the work?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Men and women give voluntary offerings with ready, devout minds; skilled women bring what they spun, and princes supply stones, spices and oil. Moses names Beseleel, filled with God’s spirit and knowledge for work, and Ooliab; both are instructed with wisdom in the stated crafts.

Chapter breakdown

How does Israel respond to the request for sanctuary materials, and who is equipped for the work? Men and women give voluntary offerings with ready, devout minds; skilled women bring what they spun, and princes supply stones, spices and oil. Moses names Beseleel, filled with God’s spirit and knowledge for work, and Ooliab; both are instructed with wisdom in the stated crafts.

Moses gathers Israel’s whole multitude and tells them what the Lord commands. Work is done for six days; the seventh is holy, the sabbath and rest of the Lord. Whoever works on it is put to death. No fire is to be kindled in any of their dwellings on the sabbath.

Moses tells the assembly to set aside firstfruits for the Lord. Everyone willing and ready of heart may offer gold, silver, brass, violet, purple, scarlet twice dyed, fine linen, goats’ hair, red-dyed rams’ skins, violet skins and setim wood; oil to maintain lights and make ointment and most sweet incense; onyx and precious stones for the ephod and rational.

Anyone who is wise is to come and make what the Lord commands: the tabernacle, roof, cover, rings, boardwork, bars, pillars and sockets; the ark, staves, propitiatory and veil before it; the table, bars, vessels and loaves of proposition; the candlestick to hold the lights, its vessels and lamps, and oil for the fires; the incense altar and bars, anointing oil and incense of spices, and the tabernacle-door hanging; the holocaust altar with its brass grate, bars and vessels, and the washing basin and foot; the court curtains, pillars, sockets and entry hanging; the pins of tabernacle and court with their little cords; and the sanctuary garments of Aaron the high priest and his sons for priestly service.

The multitude leaves Moses’ presence and offers firstfruits with a most ready and devout mind for the tabernacle of the testimony, its service and holy garments. Men and women give bracelets, earrings, rings and tablets; every gold vessel is set aside for the Lord. Those with violet, purple, scarlet twice dyed, fine linen, goats’ hair, red ramskins, violet skins, silver and brass offer them, along with setim wood for different uses.

Skilled women give what they have spun: violet, purple, scarlet, fine linen and goats’ hair, all of their own accord. The princes give onyx and precious stones for the ephod and rational, and spices and oil for lights, ointment and sweet-smelling incense. Men and women give with devout minds so the works commanded by the Lord through Moses may be done. All Israel dedicates voluntary offerings to the Lord.

Moses announces that the Lord has called Beseleel by name, son of Uri, son of Hur, of Juda’s tribe. He has filled him with God’s spirit, wisdom, understanding, knowledge and all learning, to devise and work in gold, silver and brass, engrave stones and do carpentry—whatever can be skilfully devised. Verse 34 says, “He hath given in his heart: Ooliab also,” naming Ooliab as son of Achisamech, of Dan’s tribe. That clause leaves the thing given unstated. Both are instructed with wisdom for carpentry, tapestry, embroidery in blue, purple, scarlet twice dyed and fine linen, weaving all things and inventing new things.

The story inside

Moses first gathers the people to hear the sabbath commands, including the ban on kindling fire in their dwellings. He next asks willing, ready-hearted people for the named materials and calls wise people to make the complete work list. The account then records the response: the multitude leaves his presence, men and women offer ornaments, vessels, textiles, skins, metals and wood; skilled women bring their spinning, and princes bring stones, spices and oil. Their offerings are voluntary and intended for the commanded works, but the chapter does not say all construction is complete or all quantities supplied. Moses then names Beseleel and his God-given knowledge, followed by Ooliab and the wisdom given to both for the named crafts. The elliptical wording of verse 34 is preserved without turning it into an unstated teaching or leadership commission. (Exodus 35:1–35.)

Lessons worth keeping

1
The assembly hears the rest command before the offering request. Six days are for work; the seventh is holy rest, with the stated death penalty for work and the ban on kindling fire in dwellings. The chapter supplies no list of purposes for that ban. (35:1–3.)
2
The response matches the voluntary request. Willing hearts are invited to give, and men and women offer with ready, devout minds. Skilled women give their spinning of their own accord; princes supply the named stones, spices and oil. (35:5–9, 20–29.)
3
The craftsmen’s gifts are stated with care. Beseleel is named as filled with God’s spirit and knowledge, and both he and Ooliab receive wisdom for the named crafts. Verse 34 leaves what is given in the heart unstated, so it is not expanded into a teaching-and-leading role. (35:30–35.)

Test your recall

What action is forbidden in dwellings on the sabbath? Kindling fire. Who is asked to offer firstfruits? Everyone willing and ready of heart. Why do men and women give the gifts? So the works commanded through Moses may be done. What do skilled women bring? Their spinning, including violet, purple, scarlet, linen and goats’ hair. What do princes bring? Onyx and precious stones, spices and oil for the named uses. Who is specifically described as filled with God’s spirit?

Show answer

Beseleel; both he and Ooliab are instructed with wisdom. (35:3, 5, 25–35.)

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 9906–9910
Exodus Chapter 35 The sabbath. Offerings for making the tabernacle. Beseleel and Ooliab are called to the work.
Lines 9911–9921
35:1. And all the multitude of the children of Israel being gathered together, he said to them: These are the things which the Lord hath commanded to be done: 35:2. Six days you shall do work; the seventh day shall be holy unto you, the sabbath and the rest of the Lord: he that shall do any work on it, shall be put to death. 35:3. You shall kindle no fire in any of your habitations on the sabbath day.
Lines 9922–9939
35:4. And Moses said to all the assembly of the children of Israel: This is the word the Lord hath commanded, saying: 35:5. Set aside with you firstfruits to the Lord. Let every one that is willing and hath a ready heart, offer them to the Lord: gold, and silver, and brass, 35:6. Violet and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine linen, goats’ hair, 35:7. And rams’ skins dyed red, and violet coloured skins, setim wood, 35:8. And oil to maintain lights, and to make ointment, and most sweet incense, 35:9. Onyx stones, and precious stones, for the adorning of the ephod and the rational.
Lines 9940–9970
35:10. Whosoever of you is wise, let him come, and make that which the Lord hath commanded: 35:11. To wit, the tabernacle, and the roof thereof, and the cover, the rings, and the board-work with the bars, the pillars and the sockets: 35:12. The ark and the staves, the propitiatory, and the veil that is drawn before it: 35:13. The table with the bars and the vessels, and the loaves of proposition: 35:14. The candlestick to bear up the lights, the vessels thereof and the lamps, and the oil for the nourishing of fires: 35:15. The altar of incense, and the bars, and the oil of unction, and the incense of spices: the hanging at the door of the tabernacle: 35:16. The altar of holocaust, and its grate of brass, with the bars and vessels thereof: the laver and its foot: 35:17. The curtains of the court, with the pillars and the sockets, the hanging in the doors of the entry. 35:18. The pins of the tabernacle, and of the court, with their little cords: 35:19. The vestments that are to be used in the ministry of the sanctuary, the vesture of Aaron the high priest, and of his sons, to do the office of priesthood to me.
Lines 9971–9986
35:20. And all the multitude of the children of Israel going out from the presence of Moses, 35:21. Offered firstfruits to the Lord with a most ready and devout mind, to make the work of the tabernacle of the testimony. Whatever was necessary to the service and to the holy vestments, 35:22. Both men and women gave bracelets and earrings, rings and tablets: every vessel of gold was set aside to be offered to the Lord. 35:23. If any man had violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, fine linen and goats’ hair, ramskins dyed red, and violet coloured skins, 35:24. Metal of silver and brass, they offered it to the Lord, and setim wood for divers uses.
Lines 9987–10002
35:25. The skilful women also gave such things as they had spun, violet, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, 35:26. And goats’ hair, giving all of their own accord. 35:27. But the princes offered onyx stones, and precious stones, for the ephod and the rational, 35:28. And spices and oil for the lights, and for the preparing of ointment, and to make the incense of most sweet savour. 35:29. All, both men and women, with devout mind offered gifts, that the works might be done which the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses. All the children of Israel dedicated voluntary offerings to the Lord.
Lines 10003–10023
35:30. And Moses said to the children of Israel: Behold, the Lord hath called by name Beseleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Juda, 35:31. And hath filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom and understanding, and knowledge, and all learning, 35:32. To devise and to work in gold and silver and brass, 35:33. And in engraving stones, and in carpenters’ work. Whatsoever can be devised artificially, 35:34. He hath given in his heart: Ooliab also, the son of Achisamech, of the tribe of Dan: 35:35. Both of them hath he instructed with wisdom, to do carpenters’ work, and tapestry, and embroidery in blue and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine linen, and to weave all things, and to invent all new things.