5 Take from among you a heave-offering to Jehovah: every one whose heart [is] willing, let him bring it, Jehovah's heave-offering—gold, and silver, and copper, 6 and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and byssus, and goats' [hair], 7 and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and acacia-wood, 8 and oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the incense of fragrant drugs; 9 and onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
10 And all who are wise-hearted among you shall come and make all that Jehovah has commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its clasps, and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 12 the ark, and its staves; the mercy-seat, and the veil of separation; 13 the table and its staves, and all its utensils, and the shewbread; 14 and the lamp-stand for the light, and its utensils, and its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 and the altar of incense, and its staves; and the anointing-oil, and the incense of fragrant drugs; and the entrance-curtain at the entrance of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt-offering, and the copper grating for it, its staves, and all its utensils; the laver and its stand; 17 the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the curtains of the gate of the court; 18 the pegs of the tabernacle, and the pegs of the court, and their cords; 19 the garments of service, to do service in the sanctuary, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to serve as priests.
20 And all the assembly of the children of Israel departed from before Moses. 21 And they came, every one whose heart moved him, and every one whose spirit prompted him; they brought Jehovah's heave-offering for the work of the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 And they came, both men and women; every one who was of willing heart brought nose-rings, and earrings, and rings, and bracelets, all kinds of utensils of gold: every man that waved a wave-offering of gold to Jehovah. 23 And every man with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and byssus, and goats' [hair], and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, brought [them]. 24 All they that offered a heave-offering of silver and copper brought Jehovah's heave-offering. And every one with whom was found acacia-wood for all manner of work of the service, brought [it]. 25 And every woman that was wise-hearted spun with her hands, and brought what she had spun: the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the byssus. 26 And all the women whose heart moved them in wisdom spun goats' [hair]. 27 And the principal men brought the onyx stones, and the stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; 28 and the spice, and the oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the incense of fragrant drugs. 29 The children of Israel brought a voluntary offering to Jehovah, every man and woman whose heart prompted them to bring for all manner of work, which Jehovah, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.
30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, See, Jehovah has called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 32 and to devise artistic things: to work in gold, and in silver, and in copper, 33 and in cutting of stones, for setting, and in carving of wood, to execute all artistic work; 34 and he has put in his heart to teach, he and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: 35 he has filled them with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work of the engraver, and of the artificer, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in byssus, and of the weaver, [even] of them that do every kind of work, and of those that devise artistic work
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 35:5-36
Commentary on Exodus 35:4-19
(Read Exodus 35:4-19)
The tabernacle was to be dedicated to the honour of God, and used in his service; and therefore what was brought for it, was an offering to the Lord. The rule is, Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring. All that were skilful must work. God dispenses his gifts; and as every man hath received, so he must minister, 1 Corinthians 12:7-21.
Commentary on Exodus 35:20-29
(Read Exodus 35:20-29)
Without a willing mind, costly offerings would be abhorred; with it, the smallest will be accepted. Our hearts are willing, when we cheerfully assist in promoting the cause of God. Those who are diligent and contented in employments considered mean, are as much accepted of God as those engaged in splendid services. The women who spun the goats' hair were wise-hearted, because they did it heartily to the Lord. Thus the labourer, mechanic, or servant who attends to his work in the faith and fear of God, may be as wise, for his place, as the most useful minister, and he equally accepted of the Lord. Our wisdom and duty consist in giving God the glory and use of our talents, be they many or few.
Commentary on Exodus 35:30-35
(Read Exodus 35:30-35)
Here is the Divine appointment of the master-workmen, that there might be no strife for the office, and that all who were employed in the work might take direction from, and give account to them. Those whom God called by name to his service, he filled with the Spirit of God. Skill, even in worldly employments, is God's gift, and comes from above. But many are ready enough in cutting out work for other people, and can tell what this man or that man should do; but the burdens they bind on others, they themselves will not touch with one of their fingers. Such will fall under the character of slothful servants. These men were not only to devise and to work themselves, but they were to teach others. Those that rule should teach; and those to whom God has given knowledge, should be willing to make it known for the benefit of others.