Matthew Poole's Commentary And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them. The command to observe the sabbath, Exodus 35:1-3; and to bring a free-will offering to the Lord, Exodus 35:4,5. The furniture of the tabernacle, Exodus 35:6-19. Men and women bring their jewels for the same, Exodus 35:20-24. Understanding women spin, Exodus 35:25,26. The chief of the people bring in precious stones and spices, Exodus 35:27-29. God endues Bezaleel and Aholiab with a spirit of wisdom for this work, Exodus 35:30-35. No text from Poole on this verse. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. This command of the sabbath is repeated here, as also Exodus 31:13, together with the instructions for the building of the tabernacle, and its utensils, to show that they were made for no other use than the service of God, which was to be performed, as every day, so in an eminent and peculiar manner upon the sabbath day, and to teach them the absolute necessity of minding that precept in and above all their ceremonial observations. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day. This command seems to be only temporary and extraordinary during the present season and condition, and not extending to succeeding generations. For, 1. There are instances of temporary precepts both in the Old and New Testament, which yet are not in their places said to be so. Such were some of the precepts concerning the passover, Exodus 12:11, as is confessed. And such was that law of abstaining from things strangled, and blood, Ac 15. 2. This precept is nakedly proposed, and not called a perpetual statute, nor enjoined to be observed in their generations, as other precepts are, to whom those, or some like clauses, are frequently added. 3. The sabbath is rather a feast day than a fast day. And the Jews did make feasts, and invited guests upon the sabbath day, which could not probably be without kindling a fire. And, which is more considerable, Christ himself, who fulfilled all righteousness, and therefore would not have joined in the violation of the sabbath, went to one of those feasts, Lu 14. And the Corinthians, as they received the Lord’s supper upon that day, which none question, so they had their feasts, as is confessed and apparent from 1 Corinthians 11:21,22, &c. 4. The kindling of a fire was no greater hinderance to the religious observation of the sabbath, than other things which were allowed upon that day, such as the washing and dressing of themselves, eating and drinking, &c. 5. This prohibition doth not seem to concern the dressing of meat, as many understand it, by comparing this with Exodus 16:23, (which place I humbly conceive is misunderstood, as I have there intimated, for that was lawful to be done upon, their most solemn days, Exodus 12:16) but the service of the tabernacle, which is the subject of this chapter, and the occasion of these words; and the sense seems to be this, You shall kindle no fire for any handiwork throughout your habitation, no, not for the service of this tabernacle, for the heating of any tools, or the melting of any metals, or other things belonging to it, which being to be made for God’s service, and deserving and requiring all expedition, they might probably conceive that such work might be done upon that day. And here also, as oft elsewhere, under one kind, all the rest are comprehended and forbidden. And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, No text from Poole on this verse. Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass, Whosoever is of a willing heart, for God values not forced or grudged services, 2 Corinthians 9:7. And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, No text from Poole on this verse. And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, No text from Poole on this verse. And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense, No text from Poole on this verse. And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate. No text from Poole on this verse. And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded; i.e. Every skilful artist; for though God had prescribed the things, yet it required wisdom and skill to execute what God commanded. The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets, The tabernacle, i.e. the boards or structure of the tabernacle, as it appears, because it is distinguished here from its tent and curtains; whereas elsewhere the tabernacle is put for all together. His tent; the inward and finer curtains which covered the boards of it. His covering; the outward and coarser coverings. The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering, i.e. Which was hanged before the ark and mercy-seat. The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread, But neither did God prescribe the making of the shewbread amongst the other utensils, Exo 25, nor was this made by the workmen here spoken of, but by others. How then comes this to be mentioned here? Answ. 1. The shew-bread may be here put for the vessels for the receiving the shew-bread, by a usual metonymy of the adjunct, the thing contained put for the thing containing; as treasures are put for the place where the treasures are put, Psalm 135:7 Matthew 2:11 12:35, and the gifts or offerings of God for the treasury where they were put, Luke 21:4. Hence Tremellius renders this place, and the vessels of the shew-bread. Object. All the vessels of the table are mentioned before, of which this was one. Answ. It is not unusual after a general expression comprehending all distinctly to name one eminent member of that kind, such as this unquestionably was, the table being made principally for this use. Thus Mark 16:7, Tell my disciples and Peter. Like examples are in 2 Samuel 2:30 1 Kings 11:1 Psalm 18:1 Acts 11:4, and in other authors. And for the particle vau, and, which may seem to imply that these were things of another kind, and not any vessels of the table, that is oft put for especially, as Joshua 2:1 Mark 16:7, and so only notes an eminent thing of the same kind, as hath been said. Answ. 2. Though God did not prescribe the making of the shew-bread, yet he mentions it, together with the table, Exodus 25:30, and therefore it is conveniently mentioned with the table in this place also, where Moses, to show his exactness and fidelity, doth punctually repeat the same things to the people which he had received in command from God. In like manner the oil, which fed the light of the lamps, is mentioned here in the next verse, because the lighting of the lamps was prescribed, Exodus 25:37. The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light, No text from Poole on this verse. And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle, No text from Poole on this verse. The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot, No text from Poole on this verse. The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court, No text from Poole on this verse. The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords, No text from Poole on this verse. The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office. No text from Poole on this verse. And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. No text from Poole on this verse. And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. Whose heart stirred him up, i.e. whose heart being desirous and ready to serve God, engaged his hand to offer what he had to his service. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD. Earrings. Object. Aaron had got these from them for the making of the calf, Exo 32. Answ. Though the generality of the people did then part with their earrings, yet there was a considerable number who did not, as being unsatisfied with that idolatrous design; and it may seem that the women would not part with theirs, being more fond of their ornaments than of their idols. See Poole "Exodus 32:3". And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. No text from Poole on this verse. Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD'S offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it. No text from Poole on this verse. And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. No text from Poole on this verse. And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair. In wisdom: this word seems better to agree with the following than with the foregoing word, they spun with wisdom, i.e. with skill and art. And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; No text from Poole on this verse. And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. No text from Poole on this verse. The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses. No text from Poole on this verse. And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; No text from Poole on this verse. And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; No text from Poole on this verse. And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, No text from Poole on this verse. And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work. No text from Poole on this verse. And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. That he may teach, to wit, others to work under him; for the work required many hands; and it is a peculiar gift of God to be apt to teach, which every skilful man hath not. Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work. No text from Poole on this verse. |
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