The big picture
Gifts have arrived for the tabernacle, the portable worship tent. Moses, Israel's leader, now calls the craftspeople to begin. Bezaleel and Aholiab, the skilled men appointed for this work, join others whose hearts are ready. Israel, the people bringing the supplies, keeps giving each morning. The account moves from willing contributions to the making of curtains, wooden supports, and screens, with every part fitted into the whole.
In this chapter
- Moses Stops the Flow of Gifts Exodus 36:1-7
The appointed craftspeople begin the work with the materials Moses hands over.
- Fabric Panels Become Joined Coverings Exodus 36:8-19
The workers make ten linen curtains with coloured thread and woven figures of cherubims, heavenly beings shown with wings.
- Boards and Bars Support the Tent Exodus 36:20-34
Upright wooden boards form the tent's frame.
- Screens Mark the Tent Entrances Exodus 36:35-38
An inner veil is made from coloured thread and fine linen, with figures of heavenly beings worked into it.
Central truth
The people's gifts supply more than the builders need, and skilled workers make the tent according to God's commands.
Scripture beside the summary
Exodus · King James Version · 38Exodus 36:1-7
Moses Stops the Flow of Gifts
The appointed craftspeople begin the work with the materials Moses hands over. More gifts keep arriving every morning. Eventually the workers leave their tasks to tell Moses there is too much. They already have enough to make everything God has commanded. Moses sends a message throughout the camp telling men and women to stop bringing contributions. The people obey. Their giving ends when the work is fully supplied; the builders do not keep collecting merely because people are willing.
In everyday life
A flood volunteer counts the blankets piled beside a shelter door and phones the collection points. Every bed has supplies, with extras ready. She asks donors to stop sending blankets so the entrance stays clear. Israel's builders report enough for a fixed sacred design, not a changing emergency need.
Notice
Exodus 36:6 Moses restrains the gifts after hearing from the workers. Generosity is matched to the actual task rather than treated as a reason to collect without limit.
Exodus 36:1-7
King James Version1Then 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.
Exodus 36:8-19
Fabric Panels Become Joined Coverings
The workers make ten linen curtains with coloured thread and woven figures of cherubims, heavenly beings shown with wings. Matching loops and gold clasps join the curtains into one covering. They also make eleven larger curtains of goats' hair and join them with brass clasps. Dyed rams' skins and another outer skin covering complete the layers. The repeated sizes and matched fittings let separate pieces form one tent. Fine inner cloth and tougher outer materials have their own places.
In everyday life
A sailmaker spreads matching panels across the loft floor and checks every seam before joining them. A small error at one edge would pull the whole sail out of shape. Separate pieces become useful through careful fitting. Worship, rather than wind, determines the design God gives for the tent.
Notice
Exodus 36:13 The clasps join the curtains into one tabernacle. The detailed loops serve a clear purpose: many pieces must hold together as one structure.
Exodus 36:8-19
King James Version8And 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.
Exodus 36:20-34
Boards and Bars Support the Tent
Upright wooden boards form the tent's frame. Each board has two projecting ends that fit into silver bases. The workers place twenty boards on each long side and build the western end with added corner pieces. Wooden bars run along the sides to hold the frame together. Gold covers the boards and bars, and gold rings hold the bars in place. The costly surface does not replace the need for firm bases, sound joints, and continuous supports.
In everyday life
A cabinetmaker slides a long brace through a row of shelving units before loading any books. The separate uprights already look finished, but they need that brace to resist movement. He tests the joints before polishing the surface. These boards support a portable sanctuary, not household shelves.
Notice
Exodus 36:33 The middle bar runs from one end to the other. It ties separate boards together, helping the reader see a working frame behind the measurements.
Exodus 36:20-34
King James Version20And 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.
Exodus 36:35-38
Screens Mark the Tent Entrances
An inner veil is made from coloured thread and fine linen, with figures of heavenly beings worked into it. Four gold-covered wooden pillars support it on silver bases. They also make an embroidered hanging for the tent's entrance. That screen has five pillars, with gold on their upper parts and brass bases below. These are distinct hangings with different supports. The finished tent includes boundaries inside it as well as a screen at the point of entry.
In everyday life
A museum installer hangs a heavy curtain between the public gallery and the guarded storage room. Another screen covers the street entrance during the work. The two barriers serve different points of access within one building. The tent's veil marks sacred separation, not the protection of stored exhibits.
Notice
Exodus 36:36 Four pillars hold the veil, while the entrance uses five. The different supports help distinguish the inner barrier from the outer doorway.
Exodus 36:35-38
King James Version35And 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Exodus 36:1 begins with “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…”
Where the chapter turns
Exodus 36:1 forms a natural hinge: “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…”
The final note
Exodus 36:38 leaves the reader with “And 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.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words boards, tabernacle, work, curtain, sockets, curtains help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- tenons
- Projecting ends cut to fit into matching sockets or joints.
- sockets
- Bases with openings that hold the upright boards or pillars.
Music and video connected to the passage
Related media appears when its Scripture reference overlaps this study. Music and video can illuminate a theme while the biblical text remains the foundation.
