Chapter Overview
Summary
Exodus 36 begins the actual tabernacle construction. The Israelites' generous contributions exceeded what was needed — an unusual problem that Moses resolves by proclaiming a stop to further giving (vv. 2–7). The rest of the chapter details the tabernacle curtains and frames (vv. 8–38) that parallel the instructions of chapter 26. The 'more than enough' phenomenon (v. 7) supplies 2 Corinthians 9:8's 'God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that … you may abound in every good work' with its OT pattern.
Notable Variants
LXX 36 covers different material than MT 36 due to the macro-structural divergence: LXX 36 contains priestly-garment construction, matching MT 39:2–31. MT 36:8–38 (tabernacle frames) corresponds to LXX 37. The textual flow below tracks MT versification.
Structural Notes
LXX 36 and MT 36 cover substantially different material due to the LXX's order-inversion (garments before structure). Verse-alignment notes are provided where relevant.
Bezalel, Oholiab, and every person gifted with skill — in whom the LORD had placed wisdom and understanding to know how to carry out all the construction work for the sanctuary — were to do the work exactly as the LORD had commanded.
The opening tracks MT. Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person proceed to the construction.
Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whom the LORD had placed wisdom — everyone whose heart moved them to come and undertake the work.
Moses' summoning of the skilled workers tracks MT.
They received from Moses all the contributions the Israelites had brought for the sanctuary construction project. Meanwhile the people continued bringing additional freewill offerings every morning.
The continuing-contributions note tracks MT. 'The people continued bringing additional freewill offerings' is a striking historical detail: the generosity exceeded projected demand.
All the skilled workers who were carrying out the sanctuary construction left their various tasks
Workers leaving their tasks to report tracks MT.
and reported to Moses, "The people are bringing far more than is needed for the work the LORD has commanded."
The 'more than is needed' report tracks MT.
So Moses issued an order, and a proclamation was circulated throughout the camp: "No man or woman should prepare any more material for the sacred contribution." The people were thus prevented from bringing more.
Moses' order to stop bringing tracks MT.
The materials already on hand were more than sufficient to complete all the work — there was even a surplus.
Masoretic (WLC)
וְהַמְּלָאכָה הָיְתָה דַיָּם לְכָל־הַמְּלָאכָה לַעֲשׂוֹת אֹתָהּ וְהוֹתֵר
The materials already on hand were more than sufficient to complete all the work — there was even a surplus
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ τὰ ἔργα ἦν αὐτοῖς ἱκανὰ εἰς τὴν κατασκευὴν ποιῆσαι καὶ περιελείφθη
And the works were sufficient for them for the preparation to make it, and there was a surplus
2 Corinthians 9:8 ('God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work,' pantote pasan autarkeian … perisseuēte) draws on this LXX-Exodus 36:7 more-than-enough theology.
The theological principle: God's supply through willing-heart giving overshoots planned need. Paul makes this the paradigm for Christian collection ethics — sufficiency-plus-abundance in community resource-sharing.
All the skilled workers among those doing the construction made the tabernacle with ten panels of finely twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled designer.
The tabernacle-panel construction tracks MT. Parallels 26:1.
Each panel measured twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide; all the panels were identical in size.
Panel dimensions track MT.
He joined five of the panels to one another, and likewise joined the other five panels to one another.
Panel-joining tracks MT.
He made loops of blue yarn along the edge of the outermost panel in the first set, and did the same along the edge of the outermost panel in the second set.
Blue-yarn loops track MT.
He made fifty loops on the first panel and fifty loops on the corresponding edge of the panel in the second set, with the loops positioned directly opposite one another.
Fifty-loop pattern tracks MT.
He fashioned fifty gold clasps and used them to join the panels together, so that the tabernacle formed a single unit.
Fifty gold clasps tracks MT.
He made panels of goat hair for a tent covering over the tabernacle — eleven panels in all.
Goat-hair panels track MT.
Each panel measured thirty cubits long and four cubits wide; all eleven panels were the same size.
Goat-hair dimensions track MT.
He joined five panels into one section and the other six into a separate section.
Panel-joining tracks MT.
He attached fifty loops along the edge of the outermost panel in the first section, and fifty loops along the edge of the connecting panel of the second section.
Loops track MT.
He fashioned fifty bronze clasps to join the tent covering together into a single unit.
Bronze clasps track MT.
He made a covering for the tent from ram skins dyed red, with an additional covering of fine leather over that.
Ram-skin and fine-leather coverings track MT.
He constructed the upright frames for the tabernacle from acacia wood.
Acacia-wood frames track MT.
Each frame was ten cubits tall and a cubit and a half wide.
Frame dimensions track MT.
Each frame had two tenons parallel to each other; he made all the frames of the tabernacle this way.
Two-tenon frame construction tracks MT.
He made twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle,
South-side twenty frames track MT.
with forty silver bases beneath them — two bases under each frame to support its two tenons.
Forty silver bases track MT.
For the opposite side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty frames
North-side twenty frames track MT.
with their forty silver bases — two bases under each frame.
Forty silver bases track MT.
For the rear of the tabernacle, on the west, he made six frames.
West rear six frames track MT.
He made two additional frames for the corners at the rear of the tabernacle.
Two corner frames track MT.
These were joined at the bottom and connected all the way to the top with a single ring. He did this for both corner frames.
Corner-joining construction tracks MT.
So there were eight frames with their sixteen silver bases — two bases beneath each frame.
Eight frames with sixteen bases track MT.
He made crossbars of acacia wood — five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle,
Acacia crossbars track MT.
five for the frames on the other side, and five for the frames at the rear, facing west.
Crossbar distribution tracks MT.
He crafted the center crossbar to run through the middle of the frames from one end to the other.
Middle crossbar running end-to-end tracks MT.
He overlaid the frames with gold, made their rings of gold as holders for the crossbars, and overlaid the crossbars with gold as well.
Gold-overlay frames and rings track MT.
He made the inner curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled designer.
Inner curtain (katapetasma) with cherubim tracks MT. The LXX's katapetasma — the same word as 26:31 — is Hebrews' crucial vocabulary for the veil.
For it he made four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold, with gold hooks, and cast four silver bases for them.
Four posts for the curtain track MT.
He crafted a screen for the tent entrance from blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, done in embroidered work,
Tent-entrance screen tracks MT.
along with its five posts and their hooks. He overlaid their tops and connecting bands with gold, and their five bases were bronze.
Five-posts-with-bronze-bases for the screen tracks MT.