Exodus 36

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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.” ✦ ²Then Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person whom the LORD had gifted—everyone whose heart stirred him to come and do the work. ✦ ³They 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, ✦ ⁴so that all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work ✦ ⁵and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD has commanded us to do.” ✦ ⁶After 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, ⁷since what they already had was more than enough to perform all the work. ✦ ⁸All 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. ✦ ⁹Each curtain was twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide; all the curtains were the same size. ¹⁰And he joined five of the curtains together, and the other five he joined as well. ✦ ¹¹He 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. ✦ ¹²He 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. ✦ ¹³He also made fifty gold clasps to join the curtains together, so that the tabernacle was a unit. ✦ ¹⁴He then made curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven curtains in all. ✦ ¹⁵Each of the eleven curtains was the same size—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. ¹⁶He joined five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another. ¹⁷He 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. ¹⁸He also made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent together as a unit. ¹⁹Additionally, he made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather. ✦ ²⁰Next, he constructed upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. ✦ ²¹Each frame was ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. ²²Two tenons were connected to each other for each frame. He made all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. ²³He constructed twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle, ²⁴with forty silver bases to put under the twenty frames—two bases for each frame, one under each tenon. ²⁵For the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty frames ²⁶and forty silver bases—two bases under each frame. ²⁷He made six frames for the rear of the tabernacle, the west side, ✦ ²⁸and two frames for the two back corners of the tabernacle, ²⁹coupled together from bottom to top and fitted into a single ring. He made both corners in this way. ✦ ³⁰So there were eight frames and sixteen silver bases—two under each frame. ✦ ³¹He also made five crossbars of acacia wood for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, ✦ ³²five for those on the other side, and five for those on the rear side of the tabernacle, to the west. ✦ ³³He made the central crossbar to run through the center of the frames, from one end to the other. ³⁴And he overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. He also overlaid the crossbars with gold. ³⁵Next, he made the veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it. ✦ ³⁶He 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. ✦ ³⁷For the entrance to the tent, he made a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, ✦ ³⁸together with five posts and their hooks. He overlaid the tops of the posts and their bands with gold, and their five bases were bronze. ✦

Tap any verse for its study page. Underlined terms mark a concept, person, or place; ✦ marks verses with cross-references.

Where this chapter connects

Exod 26 ·16 Exod 35 ·8 Exod 25 ·7 Eph 2 ·5 1 Cor 12 ·4 Eph 4 ·3 Exod 40 ·3 Exod 31 ·3

Christ at the center

The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.

How Exodus 36 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Resources, by level

Lay

★ Start hereDocumentaryExpedition BibleJoel Kramer · Free · evangelical
On-location biblical archaeology from a credentialed archaeologist (M.A., excavated in Israel) — the best free place to start on "did it really happen?"
★ Start hereVideoBibleProject — video overviews & word studiesBibleProject · 5–10 min · Free · evangelical
Free animated overviews of every book of the Bible, plus themes and Hebrew/Greek word studies — the best visual on-ramp to any book. (Biblical-theology, broadly evangelical, not distinctly Reformed.)
★ Start hereAudioThrough the WordThrough the Word · ~10 min/chapter · Free · evangelical
A clear ~10-minute audio teaching for every one of the Bible's 1,189 chapters — the most systematic free way to study chapter by chapter.
VideoSpoken GospelSpoken Gospel · Free · evangelical
Short, gospel-centered videos and spoken-word poems showing how each passage points to Jesus — especially strong on the Old Testament.
DocumentaryPatterns of Evidence: The ExodusTim Mahoney · Paid · evangelical
Investigates the archaeological evidence for the Exodus. Note: it advances a minority biblical chronology that mainstream scholars dispute — engaging, but weigh its conclusions critically.

Pastoral

★ Start hereCommentaryExodus (New American Commentary)Douglas K. Stuart · Paid · evangelical
The best evangelical, semi-technical commentary on Exodus — accessible to pastors and serious students.
DocumentaryThat the World May KnowRay Vander Laan · Paid · evangelical
Ray Vander Laan's on-location series immersing you in the Bible's historical and cultural world. (Mostly paid via Focus on the Family; some free clips.)
SermonChuck Smith — C2000 SeriesChuck Smith · Free · evangelical
Free verse-by-verse audio through the entire Bible from the founder of Calvary Chapel.

Commentaries & study tools

VideoBibleProject — Exodus videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
VideoWatch teaching on Exodus 36YouTube · Lay · Free
Sermons and chapter teaching from across YouTube.
CommentaryEnduring Word — Exodus 36David Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical
Readable, verse-by-verse exposition of the whole chapter.
CommentaryMatthew Henry on ExodusMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
ReferenceBlue Letter Bible — Exodus 36Blue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free
Interlinear, lexicon, and study tools across the chapter.

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