New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Exodus 36
1
Bezalel and Oholiab must do the work just as the Lord has commanded. So must every skilled worker to whom the Lord has given skill and ability. They must know how to do all of the work for every purpose connected with the sacred tent. And that includes setting it up."
Reference
2
Then Moses sent for Bezalel and Oholiab. He sent for every skilled worker to whom the Lord had given ability and who wanted to come and do the work.
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 5:4
Exodus 31:6
Exodus 28:3
Exodus 25:2
References Lord
Colossians 4:17
Acts 14:23
Exodus 35:2
Exodus 35:10
1 Chronicles 29:5
3
They received from Moses all of the offerings the people of Israel had brought. They had brought the offerings for all of the work for every purpose connected with the holy tent. That included setting it up. The people kept bringing the offerings they chose to give. They brought them morning after morning.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 50:4
Psalm 5:3
Psalm 101:8
Proverbs 8:15
Jeremiah 21:12
Exodus 35:27
Sacrifice
Exodus 35:29
4
So all of the skilled workers who were working on the holy tent stopped what they were doing.
5
They said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded us to do."
Reference
6
Then Moses gave an order. A message was sent through the whole camp. It said, "No man or woman should make anything else and offer it for the holy tent." And so the people were kept from bringing more offerings.
7
There was already more than enough to do all of the work.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Chronicles 31:10
8
All of the skilled workers made the holy tent. They made ten curtains out of finely twisted linen. They made them with blue, purple and bright red yarn. A skilled worker sewed cherubim into the pattern.
9
All of the curtains were the same size. They were 42 feet long and six feet wide.
10
The workers joined five of the curtains together. They did the same thing with the other five.
11
Then they made loops out of blue strips of cloth along the edge of the end curtain in one set. They did the same thing with the end curtain in the other set.
12
They also made 50 loops on the end curtain of the one set. They did the same thing on the end curtain of the other set. They put the loops across from each other.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 26:5
13
Then they made 50 gold hooks. They used them to join curtains together so that the holy tent was all one piece.
14
The workers made a total of 11 curtains out of goat hair to put over the holy tent.
15
All 11 curtains were the same size. They were 45 feet long and six feet wide.
16
The workers joined five of the curtains together into one set. They did the same thing with the other six.
17
Then they made 50 loops along the edge of the end curtain in the one set. They did the same thing with the other set.
18
They made 50 bronze hooks. They used them to join the tent together all in one piece.
19
They made a covering for the tent. They made it out of ram skins that were dyed red. They put a covering of the hides of sea cows over that.
20
The workers made frames out of acacia wood for the holy tent.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 25:5
21
Each frame was 15 feet long and two feet three inches wide.
22
The workers added two small wooden pins to each frame. The pins stuck out so that they were even with each other. The workers made all of the frames of the holy tent in the same way.
23
They made 20 frames for the south side of the holy tent.
24
And they made 40 silver bases to go under them. They made two bases for each frame. They put one under each pin that stuck out.
25
For the north side of the holy tent they made 20 frames
26
and 40 silver bases. They put two bases under each frame.
27
The workers made six frames for the west end of the holy tent.
28
They made two frames for the corners of the holy tent at the far end.
29
At those two corners the frames were double from top to bottom. They were fitted into a single ring. The workers made both of them the same.
30
So there were eight frames and 16 silver bases. There were two bases under each frame.
31
The workers also made crossbars out of acacia wood. They made five for the frames on one side of the holy tent.
32
They made five for the frames on the other side. And they made five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the holy tent.
33
The center crossbar reached from end to end at the middle of the frames.
34
They covered the frames with gold. They made gold rings to hold the crossbars. They also covered the crossbars with gold.
35
They made the curtain out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. A skilled worker sewed cherubim into the pattern.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 27:51
36
The workers made four posts out of acacia wood for the curtain. They covered the posts with gold. They made gold hooks and four silver bases for the posts.
37
For the entrance to the tent the workers made a curtain out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. A person who sewed skillfully made it.
38
The workers made five posts with hooks for the curtains. They covered the tops of the posts and their bands with gold. And they made five bronze bases for them.
Summary of Exodus 36
Exodus 36 describes the start of the actual construction of the tabernacle by Bezalel, Aholiab and the other skilled workers and the collection of materials by the people of Israel.
Moses summons Bezalel and all the skilled men whom God had endowed with wisdom and expertise to carry out their tasks. They begin to make the curtains, covers, boards, bars and other parts of the tabernacle using the materials donated by the people of Israel.
They were so eager to donate that Moses had to inform the people that they had gathered too much and that he would not accept any more offerings. Moses proclaims throughout the camp that no more offerings were to be brought to him for the construction of the sanctuary. The people stopped donating because Moses said they had already acquired more than enough resources to complete the project.
The chapter narrates further how the ten curtains were made from fine twined linen and dyed blue, purple, and scarlet material embroidered with cherubim. The curtains were of the same measurements as those stipulated by Moses. The curtains were joined together by means of fifty loops and golden clasps at the top, where the other five curtain sections were attached, making a whole curtain of one section.
There were also eleven curtains made from goats' hair that were longer than the ones made from fine flax linen that were joined together with loops and brass clasps. The loops were spaced to match the clasps. In addition, the workers made coverings of rams' skins dyed red and badgers' skins to protect the inner coverings of the tabernacle.
The workers also made the boards of the tabernacle. They were made from shittim wood and overlaid with gold to give them strength. At the top of each board there were two tenons which fitted into silver sockets. There were twenty boards at the south and twenty boards at the north while six boards were placed at the west with two extra boards at the corners.
The workers placed five bars of shittim wood upon the sockets of the boards for the two sides and the west. They overlaid the boards and bars with gold and made rings of gold in which the bars were hung. They then made the veil of fine twined linen dyed blue, purple, and scarlet which was worked with cherubim. Four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold were made to hold the veil by means of its hooks. The pillars were set in four sockets of silver.
Finally, the workers made the curtain for the entrance of the tabernacle by using fine twined linen dyed blue, purple, and scarlet and inserted it in five pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold. The pillars were also hooked with gold on the top and placed on five sockets of brass at the bottom.
Exodus 36 shows that the construction of the tabernacle was done meticulously and according to the stipulations of Moses who had received the designs from God. The people of Israel donated enthusiastically while the other skilled workers performed their tasks diligently and with a lot of care. Moses ensured that materials were not wasted since he had seen that the people had offered more than enough for the construction of the sanctuary. The chapter narrates the transition from receiving divine instructions to building the tabernacle, which is a step towards bringing Israelites closer to God.
Moses summons Bezalel and all the skilled men whom God had endowed with wisdom and expertise to carry out their tasks. They begin to make the curtains, covers, boards, bars and other parts of the tabernacle using the materials donated by the people of Israel.
They were so eager to donate that Moses had to inform the people that they had gathered too much and that he would not accept any more offerings. Moses proclaims throughout the camp that no more offerings were to be brought to him for the construction of the sanctuary. The people stopped donating because Moses said they had already acquired more than enough resources to complete the project.
The chapter narrates further how the ten curtains were made from fine twined linen and dyed blue, purple, and scarlet material embroidered with cherubim. The curtains were of the same measurements as those stipulated by Moses. The curtains were joined together by means of fifty loops and golden clasps at the top, where the other five curtain sections were attached, making a whole curtain of one section.
There were also eleven curtains made from goats' hair that were longer than the ones made from fine flax linen that were joined together with loops and brass clasps. The loops were spaced to match the clasps. In addition, the workers made coverings of rams' skins dyed red and badgers' skins to protect the inner coverings of the tabernacle.
The workers also made the boards of the tabernacle. They were made from shittim wood and overlaid with gold to give them strength. At the top of each board there were two tenons which fitted into silver sockets. There were twenty boards at the south and twenty boards at the north while six boards were placed at the west with two extra boards at the corners.
The workers placed five bars of shittim wood upon the sockets of the boards for the two sides and the west. They overlaid the boards and bars with gold and made rings of gold in which the bars were hung. They then made the veil of fine twined linen dyed blue, purple, and scarlet which was worked with cherubim. Four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold were made to hold the veil by means of its hooks. The pillars were set in four sockets of silver.
Finally, the workers made the curtain for the entrance of the tabernacle by using fine twined linen dyed blue, purple, and scarlet and inserted it in five pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold. The pillars were also hooked with gold on the top and placed on five sockets of brass at the bottom.
Exodus 36 shows that the construction of the tabernacle was done meticulously and according to the stipulations of Moses who had received the designs from God. The people of Israel donated enthusiastically while the other skilled workers performed their tasks diligently and with a lot of care. Moses ensured that materials were not wasted since he had seen that the people had offered more than enough for the construction of the sanctuary. The chapter narrates the transition from receiving divine instructions to building the tabernacle, which is a step towards bringing Israelites closer to God.