Exodus 35:21–29
For the meeting tent, everyone whose heart was stirred gives
Study it word by word21And they came, every man whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and they brought the contribution of YHWH for the work of the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.
22And they came, the men with the women, all who were generous of heart; they brought brooches and earrings and rings and necklaces, all kinds of articles of gold; and every man who waved a wave offering of gold to YHWH.
23And every man with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and rams’ skins dyed red, and fine skins, brought them.
24Everyone who set apart a contribution of silver and bronze brought the contribution of YHWH; and everyone with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service brought it.
25And every woman wise of heart spun with her hands, and they brought what they had spun: the blue and the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen.
26And all the women whose heart stirred them with wisdom spun the goats’ hair.
27And the chiefs brought the onyx stones and the stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece,
28and the spice and the oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense.
29Every man and woman whose heart moved them to bring something for all the work that YHWH had commanded to be done through Moses, the sons of Israel brought a freewill offering to YHWH.
In its context
19the woven garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to serve as priests.’”
20And all the community of the sons of Israel went out from the presence of Moses.
…
30And Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, YHWH has called by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
31and he has filled him with the spirit of Elohim, with wisdom, with understanding, and with knowledge, and with all kinds of work,
Its words in the original
- יָּבֹאוּyavou· come, go in, bring
Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").
- נְשָׂאnesa· lift, carry, bear
Lift up, carry, bear. "Bear sin" is to suffer its consequences; said of God, "taking away" sin is forgiving it. "Lift up the eyes" is to look.
- לִבּlib· heart
Heart. In Hebrew it is not only the place of feelings: it is the center of the person, where one thinks, decides and wills; also the middle of something.
- נָדְבָהnadva· volunteer
Be moved from within to give or to offer oneself willingly.
- רוּחruch· spirit, wind, breath
The basic idea is "air in motion". The same word can be "wind"; "breath", the air that is breathed and keeps life; or "spirit": the mood or inner strength of a person, or the Spirit of God, his presence and power at work.
- תְּרוּמַתterumat· contribution
Contribution: what is set apart from one's goods to give to God; also a portion set aside or a gift.
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- מְלֶאכֶתmelechet· work
Work: the task someone carries out and also what results from it; also property, goods.
- אֹהֶלohel· tent
Tent: the dwelling of shepherds who move from place to place; also a home.
- מוֹעֵדmoed· appointed time, meeting
Time fixed in advance: an appointed date, a season of the year, a feast. Also the meeting held at that time and the place for it; hence "tent of meeting".
- עֲבֹדָתavodat· work, service
Work, labor, service; also the service of worship.
- בִגְדֵיvigde· garment, clothing
Garment, clothing, cloth. (A word with the same letters means "treachery".)
- קֹּדֶשׁkodesh· holiness, holy place
Holiness: what is set apart for God. Also a holy place or a holy thing; "the holy of holies" is the most holy place.
- נָּשִׁיםnashim· woman, wife
Woman; with a possessive ("his woman"), wife. In Hebrew it is "ishah", which sounds like "ish", man.
- נְדִיבnediv· willing; noble
Willing, ready to give freely; also a noble or prominent person.
- חָחchach· hook, ring
Ring or brooch; ring for the nose; hook.
- נֶזֶםnezem· ring, earring
Ring worn in the nose or the ear as an ornament.
- טַבַּעַתtabaat· signet ring
Ring with the king's seal; whoever wore it acted in his name. Also any ring.
- כוּמָזchumaz· gold ornament
Necklace or ornament of gold beads.
- כְּלִיkeli· vessel, article
Object, article: anything made to be used (vessels, jewelry, tools, weapons, baggage).
- זָהָבzahav· gold
Gold.
- הֵנִיףhenif· wave
Wave, move back and forth or lift up; for example, swing a tool over stone, wave the hand, or present an offering by waving it.
- תְּנוּפַתtenufat· wave offering
Wave offering: an offering presented by moving it back and forth before God. Also a swinging or brandishing (of the hand).
- נִמְצָאnimtsa· find
Find, come upon; also obtain, reach; in the passive, be found, be present.
- תְּכֵלֶתtechelet· violet-blue
Thread or cloth dyed violet-blue, a very costly dye.
- אַרְגָּמָןargaman· purple
Thread or cloth dyed purple, a costly dark red.
- תוֹלַעַתtolaat· worm, scarlet
Worm. The same word names the scarlet dye taken from an insect, and cloth dyed with it.
- שָׁנִיshani· scarlet
Scarlet, crimson; thread dyed that color.
- שֵׁשׁshesh· fine linen
Fine linen: high-quality white cloth. Also marble.
- עִזִּיםizim· goat
Goat, female goat; also goats' hair.
- עֹרֹתorot· skin, leather
Skin, hide; leather.
- אֵילִםelim· ram
Ram: the male sheep. Also a leader, a strong tree, or a pillar.
- מְאָדָּמִיםmeadamim· be red
Be red, turn red; of rams' skins, dyed red.
- תְּחָשִׁיםtechashim· tachash (fine leather)
Tachash: a kind of leather or skin, and perhaps the animal that gave it; it was used for coverings.
- מֵרִיםmerim· be high, lift up
Be high, rise; in the causative form, lift up, raise, exalt.
- כֶּסֶףkesef· silver, money
Silver. Since payment was made by weighing silver, the word also means "money".
- נְחֹשֶׁתnechoshet· bronze, copper
Copper or bronze; also bronze chains.
- עֲצֵיatse· tree, wood
Tree; also wood and what is made of it (a stick, a pole).
- שִׁטִּיםshitim· acacia
Acacia: a desert tree with hard, lasting wood.
- חַכְמַתchachmat· wise
Wise; skilled, expert.
- יָדֶיyade· hand, power
Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.
- טָווּtavu· spin
Spin (thread).
- מַטְוֶהmatve· yarn
What has been spun: finished yarn. It occurs only in Exodus 35:25.
- חָכְמָהchachma· wisdom, skill
Wisdom: knowing how to live and act well; also the skill of a good craftsman.
- נְּשִׂאִםnesiim· chief
Chief, leader of a tribe or clan.
- אַבְנֵיavne· stone
Stone; also a weight for scales.
- שֹּׁהַםshoham· onyx
A precious stone, usually translated "onyx", but which one it was is not known for certain.
- מִּלֻּאִיםmiluim· setting, ordination
Setting: the mounting of a stone in its place. Also the ordination of the priests and its sacrifice.
- אֵפוֹדefod· ephod
Ephod: a garment of the high priest, like a vest or apron, worn over the robe (Exodus 28:6-14). In other passages, an object used in worship.
- חֹשֶׁןchoshen· breastpiece
Breastpiece: a square piece of cloth with twelve stones that the high priest wore on his chest (Exodus 28:15-30).
- בֹּשֶׂםbosem· spice, balsam
Spices with a pleasing smell; balsam.
- שָּׁמֶןshamen· oil
Olive oil. It was used for food, light, and perfume, and also to consecrate something or someone to God (anoint).
- מָאוֹרmaor· light, lamp
What gives light: a lamp or a heavenly body, like the sun and the moon, which God made to give light and to mark time.
- מִּשְׁחָהmishcha· anointing, portion
Anointing: pouring oil on someone or something to set it apart for God. Also a portion (the share given to the priests).
- קְטֹרֶתketoret· incense
Incense: a mixture of spices burned to give sweet-smelling smoke; also the smoke of a burned sacrifice.
- סַּמִּיםsamim· fragrant spices
Fragrant spices from which the incense was made.
- צִוָּהtsiva· command
Command, give an order; give charge to someone.
- עֲשׂוֹתasot· do, make
Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.
- מֹשֶׁהmoshe· Moses
Moses, the man God called to bring Israel out of Egypt and through whom he gave the Law. His name sounds like "draw out" (Exodus 2:10).
- בְנֵיvene· son
Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).
- יִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael· Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
- נְדָבָהnedava· freewill offering
Freewill offering: one given on one's own initiative, without anyone requiring it. Also willingness, and abundance.