361 Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every man that was wise-hearted, in whom Jehovah had put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work of the service of the sanctuary—according to all that Jehovah had commanded.
2 And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every man that was wise-hearted, in whose heart God had put wisdom, every one whose heart moved him to come to the work to do it. 3 And they took from Moses every heave-offering that the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it. And they still brought him voluntary offerings morning by morning. 4 And all the wise men that wrought all the work of the sanctuary came, every man from his work which they wrought, 5 and spoke to Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work that Jehovah commanded to be done. 6 Then Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed through the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the heave-offering of the sanctuary! So the people were restrained from bringing; 7 for the work they had was sufficient for all the work to do it, and it was too much.
8 And every wise-hearted man among those that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of twined byssus, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: [with] cherubim of artistic work did he make them. 9 The length of one curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits—one measure for all the curtains. 10 And he coupled five of the curtains one to another, and [the other] five curtains coupled he one to another. 11 And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain at the edge of the coupling; he did likewise in the edge of the outermost curtain in the other coupling. 12 He made fifty loops in one curtain, and he made fifty loops at the end of the curtain that was in the other coupling: the loops were opposite to one another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains together with the clasps, so that the tabernacle became one.
14 And he made curtains of goats' [hair] for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains did he make them. 15 The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits the breadth of one curtain—one measure for the eleven curtains. 16 And he coupled 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 in the coupling, and fifty loops made he on the edge of the curtain in the other coupling. 18 And he made fifty clasps of copper to couple the tent, that it might be one. 19 And he made a covering for the tent [of] rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers' skins above [that]. 20 And he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia-wood, standing up; 21 ten cubits the length of the boards, and one cubit and a half the breadth of one board; 22 two tenons in one board, connected one with the other: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 36:1-22
Chapter Contents
The making of the tabernacle The liberality of the people restrained.
The readiness and zeal with which these builders set about their work, the exactness with which they performed it, and the faithfulness with which they objected to receive more contributions, are worthy of our imitation. Thus should we serve God, and our superiors also, in all things lawful. Thus should all who are in public trusts abhor filthy lucre, and avoid all occasions and temptations to covetousness. Where have we the representation of God's love towards us, that we by love dwell in him and he in us, save in Emmanuel? John 1:14, wherein, as the original expresses it, he did tabernacle among us.