Exodus 35:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

NIV: Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence,

NASB: Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from Moses’ presence.

CSB: Then the entire Israelite community left Moses’s presence.

NLT: So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents.

KJV: And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

NKJV: And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

Exodus 35:20–29 records Israel's response to a call for donations (Exodus 35:4–9). God has asked the people to contribute, voluntarily, to construction of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:8–9). They bring so much material that Moses asks them to stop donating (Exodus 36:4–5).

The tabernacle-building project begins with a reminder about Sabbath-keeping. The subtext is that even temple-building work is still "work," and cannot be done on the Sabbath. Using nearly the exact same words from prior passages, Scripture records the people donating materials. Moses assigns Bezalel and Oholiab as project managers, training and overseeing as Israelites create sacred objects.

The Lord gave Moses extensive designs for the tabernacle (Exodus 25—31). He has just renewed the covenant (Exodus 34) broken by Israelite sin (Exodus 32). Now, Moses begins repeating these instructions to the people. The next several chapters will record Israel following God's directions closely, completing the sanctuary.

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.

Accessed 12/14/2025 4:06:22 AM