Exodus 36

“Bezalel and Oholiab shall work with every wise-hearted man, in whom the LORD has put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD has commanded.”

Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to the work to do it.

They received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, with which to make it. They kept bringing free will offerings to him every morning.

All the wise men, who performed all the work of the sanctuary, each came from his work which he did.

They spoke to Moses, saying, “The people have brought much more than enough for the service of the work which the LORD commanded to make.”

Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman make anything else for the offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing.

For the stuff they had was sufficient to do all the work, and too much.

All the wise-hearted men among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet. They made them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.

The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains had one measure.

He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another.

He made loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain from the edge in the coupling. Likewise he made in the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second coupling.

He made fifty loops in the one curtain, and he made fifty loops in the edge of the curtain that was in the second coupling. The loops were opposite to one another.

He made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps: so the tabernacle was a unit.

He made curtains of goats’ hair for a covering over the tabernacle. He made them eleven curtains.

The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits the width of each curtain. The eleven curtains had one measure.

He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.

He made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the coupling, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which was outermost in the second coupling.

He made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together, that it might be a unit.

He made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of sea cow hides above.

He made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up.

Ten cubits was the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the width of each board.

Each board had two tenons, joined to one another. He made all the boards of the tabernacle this way.

He made the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward.

He made forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons.

For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards

and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

For the far part of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.

He made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the far part.

They were double beneath, and in the same way they were all the way to its top to one ring. He did this to both of them in the two corners.

There were eight boards and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets—under every board two sockets.

He made bars of acacia wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the hinder part westward.

He made the middle bar to pass through in the middle of the boards from the one end to the other.

He overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold as places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

He made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. He made it the work of a skillful workman.

He made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold. He cast four sockets of silver for them.

He made a screen for the door of the tent, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer;

and the five pillars of it with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals and their fillets with gold, and their five sockets were of bronze.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter details the construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings according to the divine pattern given to Moses, highlighting the skilled labor of Bezalel, Oholiab, and other wise-hearted craftsmen who execute the work with materials provided abundantly by the people.

Flow.

The chapter opens with Moses commissioning the divinely endowed artisans to lead the work, as the people continue to bring offerings each morning.
When the offering surpasses what is needed, Moses commands the people to stop giving, underscoring their obedient generosity and the sufficiency of provision.
The narrative then proceeds methodically through the construction: the tent curtains of fine linen and goat hair, the coverings of ram skins and sea cows’ hides, the acacia wood frames with their silver sockets, the golden bars and rings, and finally the veil and screen with their supporting pillars.
Each component is made precisely according to the instructions previously given by the Lord, reflecting careful adherence to divine design.

Connections.
Following chapter 35, which records the people’s free-will offerings and the call of Bezalel and Oholiab, this chapter shows the actual execution of the tabernacle’s construction using those gifts. The overwhelming generosity of the people and the skill of the craftsmen enable the project to move forward without delay. The completion of the structural elements here sets the stage for chapter 37, which will detail the making of the sacred furniture—the ark, table, lampstand, and altar—preparing for the full assembly and eventual inauguration of the tabernacle in the closing chapters.

What it teaches.
The construction of the tabernacle reflects God’s covenant presence among His people, established according to His specific instructions (WCF 7.3). The involvement of wise-hearted artisans, filled with divine wisdom and skill (Exod. 36:1–2), demonstrates God’s sovereign provision of gifts for the service of His sanctuary. The people’s excess giving, halted by Moses, illustrates joyful and obedient stewardship, where provision is governed by God’s purposes, not human ambition (WCF 19.2). The precise replication of the heavenly pattern underscores the holiness and order of worship, pointing forward to the greater tabernacle not made with hands (Heb. 9:23–24), as affirmed in the unity of God’s redemptive design (HC LD 10).

Apply.
The careful execution of God’s design for the tabernacle directs attention to Christ, where heaven’s pattern is realized in the Word made flesh.

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