Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

35:1-3 The instructions for the tabernacle end with a section on keeping the Lord's Sabbaths (see 31:12-17), and the description of the fulfillment of those instructions begins with Moses calling the people to keep the Sabbath (35:2-3). Israel is to embody faithfulness to the Lord by keeping the Sabbath holy while they are building his sanctuary.

35:5-19 The lists of the materials needed (vv. 5-9; see 25:3-7) and the objects to be constructed (35:10-19) presume a familiarity with the instructions for the tabernacle, which Moses must have relayed to the people at some point (see 34:32).

35:10 The call for contributions is not simply for materials but also for every skillful craftsman (see vv. 25-26; 36:1).

35:20-29 The description of all the contributed materials emphasizes the people's willingness of heart (vv. 21-22, 26, 29), which indicates that they are responding in accordance with the initial call for contributions (v. 5; see 36:3-7) and shows their penitence for making the golden calf.

35:30-36:1 This section refers to Bezalel and Oholiab (cf. 31:1-6), who will oversee the designs and construction of every aspect related to the tabernacle, as those whom the Lord has filled . . . with skill (see 35:31, 34, 35). It also describes the skill of every craftsman who will help as the Lord enables them (also 36:2). In the same way that the Lord enabled his people to contribute the materials for the sanctuary (see 25:1-9), he has also prepared or empowered some of them with the skills required to craft the sanctuary.

35:31 he has filled him with the Spirit of God. See 31:3-5 and note.

36:2-7 The earnest response of the people to the request for contributions (see 35:20-29), such that they had to be restrained from bringing any more (36:6), is a fitting response to the Lord who has been gracious and merciful in renewing his covenant with them (33:12-34:27).

36:8-38 This section describes the construction of the pieces of the tent of the tabernacle according to the instructions given to Moses (see 26:1-37): the curtains (36:8-9) that are then put together so that the tabernacle was a single whole (vv. 10-13), the other curtains of skins to cover over the tabernacle (vv. 14-19), the frames for each side (vv. 20-30) and their bars (vv. 31-34), and the pieces for the veil and the screen for the entrance (vv. 35-38). See illustration of the tabernacle tent.

36:10 Throughout the account of the construction of the tabernacle, the narrative refers to the person doing the task simply as he; this is Bezalel (see 37:1), the one whom the Lord called to oversee the work (35:30-34).

37:1-29 The pieces described in this chapter are those that will be inside the tent of the tabernacle: the ark (vv. 1-9) is the only piece in the Most Holy Place (26:34), which is separated by a veil from the table (37:10-16), the lampstand (vv. 17-24), and the altar of incense (vv. 25-29) in the Holy Place (see 26:33-34; 40:3-5, 21-27).

37:1-9 The ark (see 25:10-20) will become "the ark of the testimony" once Moses fulfills the Lord's command to put the testimony (the tablets of the Ten Commandments) in the ark when the tabernacle is finally assembled (see 25:16; 40:20). See illustration of the ark. The importance of the ark as the central piece of the tabernacle and the place where the Lord will meet with Moses (see 25:22) is signified further by the explicit reference to Bezalel as the one who made it, since he was specifically called and "filled with the Spirit of God" to oversee the work (see 35:30-34).

37:10-16 The table is constructed here, but the bread of the Presence that is central to its function (see 25:23-29) will be placed on it only when the tabernacle is finally assembled (see 40:23). See illustration of the table.

37:17-24 lampstand of pure gold. See 25:31-39 and illustration.

37:25-29 altar of incense. See 30:1-5 and illustration. anointing oil and incense. See note on 30:22-38.

38:1-20 The pieces described are those outside the tent of the tabernacle but inside the court that surrounds it (vv. 9-20; see 27:9-19): the altar of burnt offering (38:1-7; see 27:1-8) is straight in line from the entrance of the court, with the basin of bronze (38:8; see 30:17-21) standing between it and the tabernacle (see illustration of the tabernacle and its court).

38:8 The description of the basin includes details about the objects from which the bronze was taken and the women who gave them. The mirrors would have been good quality and made of highly polished pieces of bronze that were most likely brought out of Egypt (see 12:36). The role of the women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting would have been clear to the initial audience, but is not explained anywhere else in the OT and is referred to elsewhere only in connection with the sin of Eli's sons (see 1 Sam. 2:22).

38:21-31 This section represents an official record (v. 21) of those who oversaw the work of the tabernacle (vv. 22-23) and of the precious materials gold (v. 24), silver (vv. 25-28), and bronze (vv. 29-31) that were used in its construction.

38:26 The record of a beka a head of silver (see ESV footnote) for each person twenty years old and upward appears to indicate that Israel had already been numbered and that atonement money had already been collected (see 30:12-16).

39:1-31 This section describes the garments for Aaron and his sons, including: the ephod (vv. 2-7; see 28:6-12), the breastpiece (39:8-21; see 28:15-28), and the robe (39:22-26; see 28:31-34); the coats and other pieces of linen (39:27-29; see 28:39-40); and the plate of the holy crown (39:30-31; see 28:36-37). See illustration. After the description of each piece, it is emphasized that it was made as the Lord had commanded Moses (39:1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31).

39:32-43 This section narrates the fact that the people completed all the work of the tabernacle (v. 32) and then brought the pieces to Moses (vv. 33-41). The section is framed by repetitive statements that emphasize that the people of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses (vv. 32, 42-43; see 40:16).

40:12-15 The anointing of Aaron and his sons commanded here is described in Lev. 8:1-13.

40:16-33 In correspondence to the repeated concluding statements that the people had done all that the Lord had commanded through Moses in constructing the tabernacle and its pieces (see 39:1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31, 32-42), this section emphasizes that when he erected the tabernacle, Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him (40:16); it repeats that he did as the Lord had commanded (vv. 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 32-33) and that he finished the work (v. 33). The people's strict obedience to God's commands demonstrated their repentance after the golden calf disaster and made possible the fulfillment of God's promise to dwell among them (vv. 34-38).