Exodus 35:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats ' hair or tanned rams ' skins or goatskins brought them.

NIV: Everyone who had blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen, or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or the other durable leather brought them.

NASB: Everyone who was in possession of violet, purple, or scarlet material or fine linen or goats’ hair, or rams’ skins dyed red or fine leather, brought them.

CSB: Everyone who possessed blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, fine linen or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or fine leather, brought them.

NLT: All those who owned the following items willingly brought them: blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; and tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And every man, with whom was found blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair, red skins of rams, and badger skins, brought them.

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.