Chapter Overview
Summary
Exodus 35 opens the tabernacle-construction narrative (chapters 35–40). The chapter covers Sabbath reaffirmation (vv. 1–3), the freewill-offering collection (vv. 4–29), and the public commissioning of Bezalel and Oholiab (vv. 30–35). LXX Exodus 35–40 diverges significantly from MT in structural arrangement: the LXX presents the priestly-garment construction before the tabernacle-structure construction, inverting MT's order, and the LXX is approximately 4–5% shorter overall. This is the single largest macro-level structural divergence between LXX and MT in the entire Pentateuch. The chapter-by-chapter correspondence below tracks MT versification; readers should be aware that LXX-manuscript material 'at' each verse-reference below may appear in different chapter-numbers within the LXX's own arrangement.
Notable Variants
The overall LXX/MT macro-structural divergence in 35–40 is itself the major notable feature; at the verse-level, 35:3 (Sabbath fire prohibition) is unique to MT-tradition emphasis; 35:21–29 is the Bible's programmatic freewill-offering theology that 2 Cor 8–9 develops.
Structural Notes
LXX Exodus 35 has 35 verses, corresponding roughly to MT 35 but with the garment-before-structure reorganization beginning at chapter 36. The chapter sequence LXX 35 → 36 → 37 → 38 → 39 → 40 covers the same overall material as MT but in a different internal order.
Moses assembled the entire Israelite community and told them, "These are the things the LORD has commanded you to do.
Moses' assembly of the community tracks MT. The ekklēsia vocabulary — literally 'called-out assembly' — is the word the NT adopts as the standard name for the church.
Work may be done for six days, but the seventh day is to be a holy day for you — a complete sabbath of rest dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who does any work on that day must be put to death.
The Sabbath-reaffirmation tracks MT, echoing 31:13–17. The placement of Sabbath command at the head of the tabernacle-construction narrative is theologically pointed: the Sabbath is prior to and governs the cultic work.
Do not light a fire anywhere in your dwellings on the Sabbath day.
The no-fire-on-Sabbath prohibition tracks MT. This verse generated extensive rabbinic halakhic reflection (kindling, cooking, etc.) and is the textual basis for the Jewish practice of pre-prepared Sabbath meals.
Moses addressed the entire Israelite community: "This is what the LORD has commanded:
Moses' address tracks MT.
Take from your possessions a contribution for the LORD. Let everyone whose heart is willing bring an offering to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze,
Masoretic (WLC)
כֹּל נְדִיב לִבּוֹ יְבִיאֶהָ אֵת תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה
Let everyone whose heart is willing bring an offering to the LORD
Septuagint (LXX)
πᾶς ὁ καταδεχόμενος τῇ καρδίᾳ προσοίσει τὰς ἀπαρχὰς κυρίῳ
Let every one who accepts with his heart bring the firstfruits to the Lord
The 'willing-heart' free-will offering vocabulary shapes NT generosity-theology. 2 Corinthians 9:7 ('each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver,' hilaron doten) draws on this LXX-Exodus 35:5 free-will-offering template.
The voluntary-from-heart giving becomes the model for Christian collection-and-giving practice (Acts 4:32–35; 2 Cor 8:12 'if there is a willing mind,' hē prothymia).
blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, fine linen, and goat hair,
Materials list tracks MT.
ram skins dyed red, fine leather, and acacia wood,
Materials list continues.
oil for the lampstand, spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense,
Lamp oil, spices track MT.
onyx stones, and gemstones for mounting on the ephod and the breastpiece.
Onyx and setting stones track MT.
Let all the skilled among you come and produce everything the LORD has commanded:
The skilled-come-and-make call tracks MT. The LXX's sophos en kardia ('wise in heart') supplies the heart-wisdom vocabulary that Proverbs and Wisdom literature develop.
the tabernacle with its tent, its covering, its clasps, its frames, its crossbars, its posts, and its bases;
Tabernacle-structure inventory tracks MT.
the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the screening curtain;
Ark, mercy seat, veil track MT.
the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence;
Table and showbread track MT.
the lampstand for illumination with its equipment, its lamps, and the oil for light;
Lampstand and oil track MT.
the incense altar with its poles, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the entrance screen at the tabernacle doorway;
Incense altar track MT.
the altar for burnt offerings with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its equipment; the basin with its stand;
Burnt offering altar and basin track MT.
the curtains of the courtyard with their posts and bases, and the screen for the courtyard entrance;
Courtyard curtains track MT.
the tent pegs for the tabernacle, the tent pegs for the courtyard, and their ropes;
Tent pegs and ropes track MT.
the woven garments for service in the sanctuary — the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to serve as priests."
Priestly garments track MT.
The entire Israelite community then withdrew from Moses's presence.
The community withdrawal tracks MT.
Everyone whose heart moved them and whose spirit stirred them came forward, bringing their contribution to the LORD for constructing the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.
The heart-moved and spirit-stirred response tracks MT. The formula 'whose heart moved them and whose spirit stirred them' (pantes hois epsēsen hē dianoia kai hois edoxen tō pneumati) is the LXX-Exodus-35 vocabulary for voluntary cultic participation.
Men and women alike came — all who were generous of heart — bringing brooches, earrings, rings, and ornaments, every kind of gold jewelry. Each one who presented a wave offering of gold gave it to the LORD.
Men-and-women-alike jewelry offering tracks MT. Inclusive participation in the tabernacle-giving is theologically significant: cultic giving is not gender-restricted.
Everyone who had blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, fine linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red, or fine leather brought these materials.
Material contributions track MT.
All who contributed silver or bronze brought their offering to the LORD, and everyone who had acacia wood suitable for any part of the project brought it.
Silver, bronze, acacia wood track MT.
Every woman skilled in the craft spun with her hands and brought what she had produced — blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
Women spinning and producing yarn tracks MT. The women's skilled craft (sophē tō pneumati kai tais chersin) is given significant attention — one of the Pentateuch's clearest affirmations of women's cultic skill and service.
All the women whose hearts stirred them with skill spun the goat hair.
Women spinning goat hair tracks MT.
The leaders brought onyx stones and gemstones for mounting on the ephod and the breastpiece,
Leaders bringing onyx stones tracks MT.
along with spices, oil for the lampstand, oil for anointing, and fragrant incense.
Spices and oil track MT.
Every Israelite man and woman whose heart prompted them to contribute to the work the LORD had commanded through Moses brought a freewill offering to the LORD.
Every Israelite man and woman who contributed tracks MT. The 'freewill offering' (prosagōgē proairetikē) category — contribution without cultic obligation but from personal willingness — becomes a standing biblical category that shapes NT voluntary-giving theology.
Moses told the Israelites, "Take note — the LORD has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah.
Bezalel's public naming tracks MT, echoing 31:2.
He has filled him with the Spirit of God — with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and every kind of skill,
Spirit-filling for wisdom and skill tracks MT, echoing 31:3.
to create artistic designs and to work with gold, silver, and bronze,
Artistic designs and metalwork track MT.
to cut gemstones for mounting, to carve wood, and to execute every form of artistic craftsmanship.
Gem-cutting and wood-carving track MT.
He has also given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others.
Teaching-ability gifted to Bezalel and Oholiab tracks MT. The pedagogical-craft gift — the ability to teach others — is distinct from the craft itself. The distinction supplies vocabulary for NT teaching-gift theology (Rom 12:7, 1 Cor 12:28, Eph 4:11).
He has filled them with skill to carry out every kind of craft — engraving, designing, embroidering with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weaving — performing every kind of work and creating artistic designs."
The filling-with-skill catalog tracks MT. Engraving, designing, embroidering, weaving — the full artistic vocabulary of the tabernacle project is collected as divinely-given skill.