Exodus 36
Introduction
Exodus 36 marks the transition from instruction and gathering to actual construction. The chapter opens with one of the most remarkable scenes in all of Scripture: the people of Israel bring so many freewill offerings for the tabernacle that Moses must issue a command to stop them (vv. 1-7). This overflow of generosity stands in stark contrast to the golden calf incident just chapters earlier (Exodus 32), where the people eagerly contributed their gold for an idol. The same impulse to give is now redirected toward the worship of the true God. The restraining of the people's giving is unique in the Bible — nowhere else does a leader have to tell the people they have given too much.
The remainder of the chapter (vv. 8-38) records the construction of the tabernacle's inner curtains, the goat-hair tent covering, the outer coverings, the wooden frames, the crossbars, the inner veil, and the entrance screen. This section closely parallels the divine instructions given in Exodus 26, now narrated as their fulfillment. The construction account deliberately echoes the creation narrative in Genesis: just as God spoke and then made, so God commands and the craftsmen make. The repeated phrase "he made" (וַיַּעַשׂ) runs throughout the chapter like a refrain, mirroring the sevenfold "and God made" of Genesis 1. Bezalel and Oholiab, filled with the Spirit of God (Exodus 35:30-35), carry out what God has designed — human artisans participating in divine architecture.
The Overflow of Generosity (vv. 1-7)
1 "So Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person are to carry out everything commanded by the LORD, who has given them skill and ability to know how to perform all the work of constructing the sanctuary." 2 Then Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person whom the LORD had gifted — everyone whose heart stirred him to come and do the work. 3 They received from Moses all the contributions that the Israelites had brought to carry out the service of constructing the sanctuary. Meanwhile, the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning, 4 so that all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work 5 and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD has commanded us to do." 6 After Moses had given an order, they sent a proclamation throughout the camp: "No man or woman should make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing more, 7 since what they already had was more than enough to perform all the work.
1 And Bezalel and Oholiab and every wise-hearted person in whom the LORD has placed wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work of the service of the sanctuary shall work according to all that the LORD has commanded. 2 Then Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every wise-hearted person in whose heart the LORD had placed wisdom — everyone whose heart lifted him up to come near to the work, to do it. 3 And they received from Moses' presence all the contribution that the sons of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to do it. And they kept bringing to him freewill offerings, morning after morning. 4 Then all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary came, each one from the work he was doing, 5 and they said to Moses, "The people are bringing far more than enough for the service of the work that the LORD commanded to be done." 6 So Moses gave a command, and they passed a proclamation through the camp, saying, "Let no man or woman make anything more as a contribution for the sanctuary." And the people were restrained from bringing. 7 For the materials were sufficient for all the work, to do it — and more than enough.
Notes
חֲכַם לֵב ("wise of heart") — This phrase, used in vv. 1, 2, and 8, is the Hebrew idiom for a skilled craftsman. The word חָכְמָה ("wisdom") in the Old Testament is not limited to intellectual or moral knowledge; it encompasses practical skill, artistic ability, and technical expertise. A "wise-hearted" person is one who possesses the know-how to execute fine work. Critically, this wisdom is described as divinely given — the LORD נָתַן ("gave, placed") it in them. Craftsmanship, in the theology of Exodus, is a spiritual gift, not merely a natural talent. This connects to the broader biblical theme that all human ability ultimately derives from God (James 1:17, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6).
נְשָׂאוֹ לִבּוֹ ("his heart lifted him up") — In v. 2, the workers are described as those "whose heart lifted him up to come near to the work." The verb נָשָׂא ("to lift, carry, bear") paired with לֵב ("heart") describes an inner stirring or impulse — a sense of calling. The heart in Hebrew thought is the seat of will, intellect, and emotion. The combination of divine gifting (God placed wisdom in them) and human response (their heart moved them to come) reflects the biblical pattern of divine sovereignty and human responsibility working together. God equips and the worker responds.
נְדָבָה ("freewill offering") — The offerings in v. 3 are נְדָבָה, from the root נָדַב ("to be willing, to volunteer"). These are not commanded tithes or obligatory contributions but spontaneous, voluntary gifts. The same root gives us the name Nadab (Aaron's son). The freewill offering represents the highest form of giving in Israelite worship — giving that flows from a willing heart rather than from compulsion. Paul echoes this principle in 2 Corinthians 9:7: "God loves a cheerful giver."
בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר ("morning after morning") — The repetition of בֹּקֶר ("morning") is a distributive construction indicating that the giving happened each and every morning, repeatedly and persistently. The people did not give once and stop; they kept coming, day after day, with more offerings. This relentless generosity is what forces the craftsmen to leave their work and report the surplus to Moses.
מַרְבִּים הָעָם לְהָבִיא ("the people are bringing far more") — The Hiphil participle מַרְבִּים from רָבָה ("to be many, to multiply") expresses ongoing, increasing action. The people are multiplying their bringing. The phrase מִדֵּי הָעֲבֹדָה means literally "more than enough for the service." This is the only place in Scripture where the leaders must restrain the people from giving too much. The usual biblical complaint is that the people give too little (cf. Malachi 3:8-10, Haggai 1:4-9).
וַיִּכָּלֵא הָעָם ("and the people were restrained") — The verb כָּלָא is a Niphal (passive), meaning the people "were held back" or "were prevented." The same verb is used for shutting up or confining (1 Samuel 25:33, Numbers 11:28). Moses must issue an official proclamation (קוֹל, literally "a voice") throughout the camp to halt the contributions. The word וַיַּעֲבִירוּ ("they passed/caused to pass") in the Hiphil means the proclamation was carried through the entire camp — a public, authoritative announcement.
וְהוֹתֵר ("and more than enough") — Verse 7 ends with a single word that summarizes the entire episode: הוֹתֵר, the Hiphil infinitive absolute of יָתַר ("to remain over, to be left over"). The materials were not merely sufficient — they exceeded what was needed. This word of surplus and abundance stands as a theological statement: when God's people give from willing hearts, there is always more than enough. The contrast with the golden calf is profound: in Exodus 32:2-4, Aaron asked for gold and the people gave it for destruction; here they give for construction, and the giving overflows.
Interpretations
The overflow of generosity in vv. 1-7 has been read as a model for Christian giving and stewardship. Many interpreters note the deliberate literary contrast with the golden calf narrative: the same people who readily surrendered their gold rings for an idol now give even more generously for the true dwelling place of God. This suggests that the impulse to give is not the problem — what matters is the object and the motive. Reformed interpreters have emphasized the interplay of divine sovereignty and human will in v. 2: God places wisdom in the heart, and the heart responds by rising up. Arminian interpreters highlight the voluntary nature of the gifts as evidence that genuine worship cannot be coerced. Both readings find support in the text. The passage has also been applied to church building and missions: when God's people are genuinely stirred, resources are never the limiting factor.
The Inner Curtains of the Tabernacle (vv. 8-13)
8 All the skilled craftsmen among the workmen made the ten curtains for the tabernacle. They were made of finely spun linen, as well as blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with cherubim skillfully worked into them. 9 Each curtain was twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide; all the curtains were the same size. 10 And he joined five of the curtains together, and the other five he joined as well. 11 He made loops of blue material on the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and also on the end curtain in the second set. 12 He made fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the second set, so that the loops lined up opposite one another. 13 He also made fifty gold clasps to join the curtains together, so that the tabernacle was a unit.
8 And all the wise-hearted among the workers made the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarn; he made them with cherubim, the work of a skilled designer. 9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain was four cubits — all the curtains had the same measurements. 10 He joined five of the curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he joined to one another. 11 He made loops of blue yarn on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and likewise on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. 12 He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain in the second set, with the loops opposite one another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold and joined the curtains one to another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle became one.
Notes
הַמִּשְׁכָּן ("the tabernacle") — The word מִשְׁכָּן comes from the root שָׁכַן ("to dwell, to settle, to tabernacle"). It is God's dwelling place among his people. The later Jewish concept of the שְׁכִינָה ("divine presence") derives from the same root. The tabernacle is not a temple in the traditional sense — it is portable, designed for a pilgrim people. God condescends to dwell in a tent alongside his tent-dwelling people. John's Gospel echoes this language: "The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us" (John 1:14, where the Greek ἐσκήνωσεν deliberately evokes the Hebrew concept).
יְרִיעֹת ("curtains") — The ten inner curtains were the innermost layer of the tabernacle's covering, visible from inside. They were made of שֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר ("finely twisted linen"), a high-quality fabric. The four colors — white linen, blue (תְּכֵלֶת), purple (אַרְגָּמָן), and scarlet (תוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי) — represent the finest dyes available in the ancient world. Blue was extracted from a Mediterranean sea snail (murex), purple from a related species, and scarlet from an insect (the kermes or cochineal). These were royal and priestly colors, signifying the dignity and holiness of God's dwelling.
כְּרֻבִים מַעֲשֵׂה חֹשֵׁב ("cherubim, the work of a skilled designer") — The cherubim were woven directly into the curtain fabric. The phrase מַעֲשֵׂה חֹשֵׁב indicates the work of a חֹשֵׁב — a "thinker" or "designer," from חָשַׁב ("to think, plan, devise"). This was not simple weaving but a complex, multi-colored tapestry technique requiring artistic skill and forethought. The cherubim woven into the curtains meant that anyone inside the tabernacle would look up and see angelic figures — a visual reminder that the worshiper stood in the anteroom of heaven. The cherubim guarded the way to God's presence, as they had guarded the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24).
The dimensions — twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide (approximately 42 feet by 6 feet) — and the joining of the ten curtains into two sets of five, linked by fifty gold clasps, exactly follows the instructions in Exodus 26:1-6. The result is described with the phrase וַיְהִי הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֶחָד — "the tabernacle became one." The word אֶחָד ("one") is the same word used in the foundational confession of Israel: "The LORD our God, the LORD is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4). The unity of the tabernacle reflects the unity of the God who dwells within it.
The Goat-Hair Covering and Outer Coverings (vv. 14-19)
14 He then made curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle — eleven curtains in all. 15 Each of the eleven curtains was the same size — thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. 16 He joined five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another. 17 He made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and fifty loops along the edge of the corresponding curtain in the second set. 18 He also made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent together as a unit. 19 Additionally, he made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather.
14 Then he made curtains of goat hair for a tent over the tabernacle — eleven curtains he made. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain was four cubits — the eleven curtains had the same measurements. 16 He joined five of the curtains by themselves, and six of the curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set, and fifty loops on the edge of the connecting curtain of the second set. 18 And he made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent together so that it became one. 19 And he made a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red, and a covering of fine leather over that.
Notes
יְרִיעֹת עִזִּים ("curtains of goats") — The second layer over the tabernacle was made of goat hair, a coarser and more weather-resistant material than the fine linen beneath. Goat-hair fabric was commonly used for tents throughout the ancient Near East (and is still used by Bedouin today). This outer tent (אֹהֶל) protected the finer inner curtains from the elements. The distinction between מִשְׁכָּן ("tabernacle," the inner curtains) and אֹהֶל ("tent," the goat-hair covering) is maintained throughout the text, though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably elsewhere in the Pentateuch.
The goat-hair curtains were slightly larger — thirty cubits long instead of twenty-eight, and eleven curtains instead of ten — so they would overhang the inner curtains and provide full coverage. The sets were divided unevenly: five and six, rather than five and five. The extra curtain was folded over at the front of the tent (Exodus 26:9). Bronze clasps rather than gold clasps connected this outer layer, reflecting the gradation of materials: the closer to God's presence, the more precious the material (gold for the inner curtains, bronze for the outer).
עֹרֹת אֵלִים מְאָדָּמִים ("ram skins dyed red") — Over the goat-hair tent came a third covering of ram skins that had been dyed red. The word מְאָדָּמִים is a Pual participle of אָדַם ("to be red"), meaning the skins were reddened through a dyeing process. Some interpreters see symbolic significance in the red color — blood, sacrifice, atonement — though the text does not make this connection explicit.
עֹרֹת תְּחָשִׁים ("fine leather") — The outermost covering is the most debated. The word תְּחָשׁ is of uncertain meaning. It has been variously translated as "badger skins" (KJV), "porpoise/dolphin skins," "fine leather" (BSB, ESV), "goatskins" (ESV alternate), or "manatee/dugong skins." The Septuagint renders it with a word for a shade of blue or violet. Whatever the exact material, it served as the outermost, most weather-resistant layer — the tabernacle's roof, as it were. The four layers (linen, goat hair, ram skins, takhash) provided both insulation and protection, creating a structure that was at once beautiful within and durable without.
The Wooden Frames (vv. 20-30)
20 Next, he constructed upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. 21 Each frame was ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 22 Two tenons were connected to each other for each frame. He made all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. 23 He constructed twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle, 24 with forty silver bases to put under the twenty frames — two bases for each frame, one under each tenon. 25 For the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty frames 26 and forty silver bases — two bases under each frame. 27 He made six frames for the rear of the tabernacle, the west side, 28 and two frames for the two back corners of the tabernacle, 29 coupled together from bottom to top and fitted into a single ring. He made both corners in this way. 30 So there were eight frames and sixteen silver bases — two under each frame.
20 Then he made the frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright. 21 Ten cubits was the length of each frame, and a cubit and a half was the width of each frame. 22 Each frame had two tenons, joined to one another. He made all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. 23 He made the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side, toward the Negev. 24 And he made forty silver bases under the twenty frames — two bases under each frame for its two tenons, and two bases under each frame for its two tenons. 25 And for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames 26 and their forty silver bases — two bases under each frame and two bases under each frame. 27 And for the rear of the tabernacle, toward the west, he made six frames. 28 And he made two frames for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear. 29 They were joined together from below, and together they were fitted at the top into a single ring. He made both of them this way, for the two corners. 30 So there were eight frames with their silver bases — sixteen bases, two bases under each frame.
Notes
קְרָשִׁים ("frames") — The word קֶרֶשׁ has traditionally been translated "boards" (KJV), but modern scholarship generally favors "frames" — open frameworks rather than solid planks. Solid acacia planks of these dimensions would have been enormously heavy and would have required trees far larger than anything found in the Sinai wilderness. The frames were likely lattice-like structures that provided a rigid skeleton, over which the curtain coverings were draped. They were made of עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים ("acacia wood"), the only significant timber available in the Sinai desert. Acacia is a hard, durable wood resistant to insects and decay — practical for a structure that would be assembled, disassembled, and carried through the wilderness for decades.
יָדֹת ("tenons") — Each frame had two יָדֹת (literally "hands"), projections or pegs at the base that fitted into silver sockets. The word is related to יָד ("hand"), suggesting a projection that extends from the frame like a hand reaching into its socket. These tenons provided stability and allowed the structure to be assembled and disassembled for transport.
אַדְנֵי כֶסֶף ("silver bases/sockets") — The frames sat in silver bases, two per frame. The total number of silver bases was ninety-six for the frames alone (forty for the south, forty for the north, sixteen for the west), plus four more for the veil posts (v. 36). According to Exodus 38:25-27, each base was made from a talent of silver (approximately 75 pounds / 34 kg), contributed from the half-shekel census offering. This means the foundation of the tabernacle literally rested on the silver of every counted Israelite — the entire community supported the dwelling place of God. The foundation was silver (redemption money), while the visible surfaces were gold (glory).
The layout described — twenty frames on the south, twenty on the north, six plus two corner frames on the west, with the entrance on the east — created a rectangular structure approximately 45 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 15 feet high (using an 18-inch cubit). The holy of holies occupied the western third, separated by the veil. The tabernacle's orientation with its entrance facing east meant that the worshiper entered moving westward, away from the rising sun — a deliberate contrast with sun worship common in the ancient Near East.
תוֹאֲמִם מִלְּמַטָּה ("joined from below") — The corner frames in v. 29 are described as "twins" (תוֹאֲמִם, from תָּאַם, "to be a twin") from the bottom, fitted together at the top into a single ring. The exact construction of these corner pieces is debated, but the purpose is clear: they provided structural integrity at the vulnerable corner joints where two walls met. The engineering reflects careful design — the tabernacle was not a crude tent but a precisely constructed portable sanctuary.
The Crossbars (vv. 31-34)
31 He also made five crossbars of acacia wood for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, 32 five for those on the other side, and five for those on the rear side of the tabernacle, to the west. 33 He made the central crossbar to run through the center of the frames, from one end to the other. 34 And he overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. He also overlaid the crossbars with gold.
31 And he made crossbars of acacia wood — five for the frames of one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five crossbars for the frames of the second side of the tabernacle, and five crossbars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear, toward the west. 33 And he made the middle crossbar to pass through the center of the frames from end to end. 34 And he overlaid the frames with gold, and he made their rings of gold as housings for the crossbars, and he overlaid the crossbars with gold.
Notes
בְּרִיחֵי עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים ("crossbars of acacia wood") — The בְּרִיחַ ("bar, crossbar") comes from the root בָּרַח ("to flee, to pass through"), aptly describing a bar that runs through or across a structure. Five crossbars were made for each of the three walled sides (south, north, and west), for a total of fifteen. These horizontal bars, threaded through gold rings attached to the frames, held the entire wall structure rigid. Without them, the upright frames standing in their silver sockets would have been unstable.
הַבְּרִיחַ הַתִּיכֹן ("the middle crossbar") — The central bar was distinctive: it ran מִן הַקָּצֶה אֶל הַקָּצֶה ("from end to end"), passing through the center of the frames along the full length of each wall. According to rabbinic tradition (Shabbat 98b), this middle bar ran through holes bored in the frames themselves, giving the whole structure a spine-like rigidity. The other four bars (two above and two below the middle bar) were shorter and ran along the exterior.
צִפָּה זָהָב ("he overlaid with gold") — The verb צָפָה ("to overlay, to plate") describes the application of thin sheets of gold over the wooden frames and crossbars. Every visible surface within the tabernacle gleamed with gold. The rings (טַבְּעֹת) that held the crossbars were also gold. The word בָּתִּים ("houses") is used for the ring housings — the rings served as "houses" for the bars that passed through them. This layering of precious metal over humble acacia wood is itself a picture of the tabernacle's theology: the glory of God covering the ordinary materials of earth.
The Veil and the Entrance Screen (vv. 35-38)
35 Next, he made the veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 36 He also made four posts of acacia wood for it and overlaid them with gold, along with gold hooks; and he cast four silver bases for the posts. 37 For the entrance to the tent, he made a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, 38 together with five posts and their hooks. He overlaid the tops of the posts and their bands with gold, and their five bases were bronze.
35 Then he made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen; he made it with cherubim, the work of a skilled designer. 36 And he made for it four pillars of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, with gold hooks, and he cast for them four silver bases. 37 And he made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen — the work of an embroiderer — 38 and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their tops and their bands with gold, but their five bases were bronze.
Notes
הַפָּרֹכֶת ("the veil") — This is the most theologically significant textile in the tabernacle. The פָּרֹכֶת separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (the Holy of Holies), where God's presence dwelt above the ark of the covenant. Only the high priest could pass through this veil, and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:2). Like the inner curtains, the veil was made of the four-color fabric with cherubim woven into it — the cherubim serving as guardians of the divine presence, recalling the cherubim stationed at the entrance to Eden (Genesis 3:24). The New Testament teaches that this veil was torn in two from top to bottom at the moment of Christ's death (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38), signifying that access to God's presence was now open through Christ's sacrifice. The book of Hebrews identifies Christ's flesh with the veil: "by a new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh" (Hebrews 10:19-20).
מַעֲשֵׂה חֹשֵׁב ("the work of a skilled designer") — This phrase appears again for the veil, as it did for the inner curtains (v. 8). The cherubim on the veil were produced by this higher-grade tapestry technique. By contrast, the entrance screen in v. 37 is described as מַעֲשֵׂה רֹקֵם ("the work of an embroiderer"), from רָקַם ("to embroider, to variegate"). The distinction matters: the חֹשֵׁב technique produced figures visible on both sides of the fabric (true tapestry weaving), while the רֹקֵם technique was surface embroidery visible on one side. The veil, which faced the ark of the covenant, required the higher art; the entrance screen, which faced outward, used the simpler method. There is a deliberate gradation of artistic quality as one moves deeper into the sanctuary.
מָסָךְ ("screen") — The entrance screen (v. 37) is not called a פָּרֹכֶת ("veil") but a מָסָךְ ("screen, covering"). The veil separated holy from most holy; the screen separated the outer court from the Holy Place. Notably, the screen did not have cherubim woven into it — only the four-colored embroidery. The absence of cherubim is significant: the cherubim functioned as guardians specifically of the inner divine presence, not of the general sacred space.
The structural details of the two hangings reveal a deliberate gradation of materials. The veil hung on four pillars with gold overlay and silver bases; the screen hung on five pillars with gold overlay but bronze bases. The progression from the entrance inward follows a pattern: bronze at the outer threshold, silver at the veil's foundation, and gold everywhere the eye can see. This gradation — bronze, silver, gold — is often understood as symbolizing increasing holiness and value as one approaches God's presence. The silver bases of the veil pillars connect to the redemption silver of the census (Exodus 30:11-16), while the bronze bases of the entrance recall the bronze altar of sacrifice in the courtyard (Exodus 27:1-2).
Interpretations
The veil has received extensive christological interpretation. The author of Hebrews explicitly identifies the veil with Christ's flesh (Hebrews 10:20), and the tearing of the veil at the crucifixion is recorded in three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45). Most Christian interpreters, both ancient and modern, understand the torn veil as signifying that the barrier between God and humanity has been removed through Christ's atoning death. Some Reformation interpreters further see the entire gradation of the tabernacle's materials and spaces as a typological picture of the old covenant's restricted access to God, which is superseded by the new covenant's open access through Christ. Others, particularly in the dispensational tradition, emphasize the continuity of the sanctuary imagery: the heavenly tabernacle of Hebrews 8:1-5 and Revelation 21:3 represents the ultimate fulfillment of God dwelling with his people, of which the wilderness tabernacle was a shadow and copy.