Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 35:21
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.
21. stirred up ] lit. lifted up: so v. 26, Exo 36:2.
made willing ] cf. on Exo 25:2.
offering ] contribution: see on Exo 25:2.
all the service thereof ] i.e., as Exo 30:16, the daily worship, especially for the candlestick and the Altar of incense, the materials for which are mentioned in v. 28. ‘All’ must not be pressed; materials for the morning and evening daily burnt-offering, and for the Presence-bread (Exo 29:38 ff.; Exo 25:30), not being included in the sequel.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 21. Every one whose heart stirred him up] Literally, whose heart was lifted up – whose affections were set on the work, being cordially engaged in the service of God.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
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.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. they came, every one whose heartstirred him upOne powerful element doubtless of thisextraordinary open-hearted liberality was the remembrance of theirrecent transgression, which made them “zealous of good works”(compare 2Co 7:11). But alongwith this motive, there were others of a higher and nobler kindaprinciple of love to God and devotedness to His service, an anxiousdesire to secure the benefit of His presence, and gratitude for thetokens of His divine favor: it was under the combined influence ofthese considerations that the people were so willing and ready topour their contributions into that exchequer of the sanctuary.
every one whom his spiritmade willingHuman nature is always the same, and it is impliedthat while an extraordinary spirit of pious liberality reigned in thebosoms of the people at large, there were exceptionssome who weretoo fond of the world, who loved their possessions more than theirGod, and who could not part with these; no, not for the service ofthe tabernacle.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they came everyone whose heart stirred him up,…. Who felt an impulse upon his mind, a strong inclination in him:
and everyone whom his spirit made willing; or was endowed with a free and liberal spirit, and was heartily willing to bear a part, and cheerfully contribute to this service; otherwise the willing mind, as well as the ability, were given them of God; see 1Ch 29:14:
and they brought the Lord’s offering; an offering to him, and such as he directed and disposed them to bring, and which was for his worship and service, and the honour of his name, and was acceptable to him:
to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation; for the making of that, the several parts of it, and all things in it:
and for all his service; either the service of God, or of his tabernacle, which is the same:
and for the holy garments; that is, of Aaron and his sons.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
THE ZEAL OF THE PEOPLE IN OFFERING AND ASSISTING IN THE WORK.
(21) They came, every one whose heart stirred him up.All classes came, men and women (Exo. 35:22), rich and poor, rulers (Exo. 35:27), and those whose only skill was to spin with their hands (Exo. 35:25). And the great majority gave freelyto the utmost of their power. Still it is implied, both here and in Exo. 35:22; Exo. 35:29, that there were some whose hearts did not stir them up. Enough and to spare, was, however, contributed, and at last the people had to be restrained from bringing (Exo. 36:8).
The Lords offeringi.e., their offering to Jehovah.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. Every one whom his spirit made willing Were there, then, some who failed to assist in thus providing for the work of the tabernacle? So one may naturally infer from the form of statement here recorded . This would only accord with what is noticeable in all periods of the history of God’s people . In times of highest enthusiasm and self-consecration, there will be found some heartless hangers on .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
EXPOSITION
THE ZEAL OF THE PEOPLE IN OFFERING. Moses dismissed the people; but they soon began to return, bringing their offerings with them. There was a general, if not a universal, willingness Men and women alike “brought bracelets (brooches?), and earrings, and rings, and armletsall articles of gold,” and offered them to the Lord (Exo 35:22). Others brought blue and purple and scalier and fine linen, and goats’ hair and rams’ skins dyed red, and badger (or rather, seal) skins (Exo 35:23). Silver and bronze and shittimwood were contributed by others (Exo 35:24). The women, who were the only spinners, brought their spun yarn of blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen, and their yarn of goats’ hair (Exo 35:25, Exo 35:26); while the richest class of all”the rulers”gave, as their contribution, the onyx stones for the ephod, the jewels for the high-priest’s breastplate, and the oil needed for the light, together with rare spices for the anointing ointment and the incense (Exo 35:27, Exo 35:28). Subsequently, we are told that what was contributed was “much more than enough” (Exo 36:5), and that the people had to be “restrained from bringing” (Exo 36:6).
Exo 35:21
The Lord’s offeringi.e; “their offering to Jehovah.” For all his service. The use of “his” for “its” causes an unfortunate ambiguity here. The antecedent to the pronoun is not the Lord, but the tabernacle.
Exo 35:22
They came, both men and women. That among the Hebrews gold ornaments were worn by men, as well as by women, is indicated by Exo 3:22, and Exo 32:2. The Egyptian men at the time of the Exodus wore armlets, bracelets, and sometimes anklets, but not often earrings Earrings, however, had been worn by the household of Jacob (Gen 35:2). Bracelets. Rather, “buckles” or “brooches.” Kalisch says, “nose-rings,” and so Gesenins and Rosenmuller. Tablets. Rather, “armlets” (Furst, Cook), or perhaps “necklaces “(Gesenius Kalisch, Knobel). Every man that offered, offered an offering of gold. It is not meant that every man who offered anything gave with it an offering of gold, but simply that, besides those who brought the articles named there were others who brought gold offerings of some different kind.
Exo 35:23
Red skins of rams. The words are the same as those translated “rams’ skins dyed red” in Exo 25:5. The earlier rendering is the better one. Badger skins. Rather, “seal skins.” See the comment on Exo 25:5.
Exo 35:24
Every one that did offer an offering of silver. It would seem that silver was offered by some in the way of a free-will offering, in addition to the compulsory half-shekel (Exo 30:12-16). Curiously, however, the amount obtained in this way is not given in Exo 38:24-29.
Exo 35:25
All the women that were wise-heartedi.e; “skilful.” See the comment on Exo 28:3. Brought that which they had spun, both of blue, etc. The flax itself was dyed, so that the thread produced was already coloured. Of fine lineni.e. “white.” All the threads were flaxen.
Exo 35:26
All the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom. This strong expression seems to imply that peculiar skill was required for spinning goats’ hair.
Exo 35:27, Exo 35:28
The rulers are, no doubt, the “elders” of Exo 3:16; Exo 4:29; Exo 24:9, etc. Moses had made them “rulers,” or rather, “princes” (sarey), according to the advice of Jethro (Exo 18:25). They brought onyx stones for the ephod (Exo 28:9-12) and stones to be set,i.e; gems for the breastplate (Exo 28:17-20); oil of olive for the lamp (Exo 27:20) and the holy ointment (Exo 29:24), and spice for the same (Exo 29:23, Exo 29:24) and for the incense (Exo 29:34).
HOMILETICS
Exo 35:21-29
Zeal in offering.
Appeals are made to men, in all parts of the world, and in all ages, for material contributions towards the erection of structures in which God is to be worshipped. The spirit in which such appeals are met varies.
(1) Occasionally, they are met in a scoffing spirit. “What, your God needs a house, and cannot build one for himself! He must beg contributions, put out a subscription list! And for what? To make a huge building, which will be of no practical usenot a school, not a hospital, not a corn-exchange, but a Church! Catch us giving anything!” Or
(2) it is met in a grudging spirit. “Why is so much required? What need is there for so large a building, or for such rich ornament, or for such architectural display?” And the general inclination,, is to give as little as it is’ decent to give. Or
(3) it is met in a fussy spirit. Let the matter be well consideredlet meetings be heldlet a committee be formedlet our advice be taken. If we give, we must be consultedwe must have a voice in the arrangementswe must examine the plans and express our opinion upon them. Then Perhaps we may bead the subscription-list with something handsome.” Very different was the spirit which now animated the Israelites, and which is here held up for our imitation. Their response to the appeal made to them by Moses was
I. DEVOUT. None objected. None asked why a tabernacle was wanted, or why the tent which Moses had made a place of worship would not suffice. None scoffed at the idea of a “House of God.” All seemed to see the propriety of it. All felt that what they brought was “the Lord’s offering” (Exo 35:21, Exo 35:24)a real gift to Jehovah. All longed to have a place of worship of a worthy character.
II. UNGRUDGING AND SPONTANEOUS. Their “hearts stirred them up,” their “spirits made them willing” (Exo 35:21). They “brought a willing offering unto the Lord” (Exo 35:29). The rich brought jewels and precious spices; the men and women of the middle class brought their personal ornaments; the poor men gave brass, or silver, or a ram’s skin, or a piece of acacia wood; the poor women gave the labour of their hands, and spun thread for the hangings. There was no murmuring, no complaining, no fabrication of excusesso far as appears, no open refusing to give, though there was some abstention.
III. IMMEDIATE. In one verse we read “they departed” (Exo 35:20), in the next (Exo 35:21) “they came.” There was no delay, no considering, no discussing one with another, no asking “How much do you intend to give?” Each man seemed to be well persuaded of the truth of the adage”Bis dat qui cito dat,” and brought his offering at once.
IV. UNSELFISH AND UNCONDITIONAL. NO one wanted to have a quid pro quo as the condition of his giving. No one asked to “see the plans.” All were willing to leave the ordering of the work to Moses, and put their contributions absolutely in his bands. A spirit of enthusiasm was stirred up, and none thought of anything but how much he could possibly spare for the grand work which they understood Moses to contemplate. The wealth of Easterns is stored chiefly in the form of ornaments, and to denude themselves of these was a great effort of self-sacrifice.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
Exo 35:21. Whose heart stirred him up In the Hebrew it is, whose heart lifted him up; and so in Exo 35:26. Nothing elevates and exalts the mind so much as true piety and gratitude to God.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jdg 5:9 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exodus
AN OLD SUBSCRIPTION LIST
Exo 35:21
This is the beginning of the catalogue of contributions towards the erection of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. It emphasises the purely spontaneous and voluntary character of the gifts. There was plenty of compulsory work, of statutory contribution, in the Old Testament system of worship. Sacrifices and tithes and other things were imperative, but the Tabernacle was constructed by means of undemanded offerings, and there were parts of the standing ritual which were left to the promptings of the worshipper’s own spirit. There was always a door through which the impulses of devout hearts could come in, to animate what else would have become dead, mechanical compliance with prescribed obligations. That spontaneous surrender of precious things, not because a man must give them, but because he delights in letting his love come to the surface and find utterance in giving which is still more blessed than receiving, had but a narrow and subordinate sphere of action assigned to it in the legal system of the Old Covenant, but it fills the whole sphere of Christianity, and becomes the only kind of offering which corresponds to its genius and is acceptable to Christ. We may look, then, not merely at the words of our text, but at the whole section of which they form the introduction, and find large lessons for ourselves, not only in regard to the one form of Christian service which is pecuniary liberality, but in reference to all which we have to do for Jesus Christ, in the picture which it gives us of that eager crowd of willing givers, flocking to the presence of the lawgiver, with hands laden with gifts so various in kind and value, but all precious because freely and delightedly brought, and all needed for the structure of God’s house.
I. We have set forth here the true motive of acceptable service.
And for the true acceptableness of Christian service, that motive of thankful love must be actually present in each deed. It is not enough that we should determine on and begin a course of sacrifice or work under the influence of that great motive, unless we renew it at each step. We cannot hallow a row of actions in that wholesale fashion by baptizing the first of them with the cleansing waters of true consecration, while the rest are done from lower motives. Each deed must be sanctified by the presence of the true motive, if it is to be worthy of Christ’s acceptance. But there is a constant tendency in all Christian work to slide off its only right foundation, and having been begun ‘in the spirit,’ to be carried on ‘in the flesh.’ Constant watchfulness is needed to resist this tendency, which, if yielded to, destroys the worth and power, and changes the inmost nature, of apparently devoted and earnest service.
Not the least subtle and dangerous of these spurious motives which steal in surreptitiously to mar our work for Christ is habit. Service done from custom, and representing no present impulse of thankful devotion, may pass muster with us, but does it do so with God? No doubt a habit of godly service is, in some aspects, a good, and it is well to enlist that tremendous power of custom which sways so much of our lives, on the side of godliness. But it is not good, but, on the contrary, pure loss, when habit becomes mechanical, and, instead of making it easier to call up the true motive, excludes that motive, and makes it easy to do the deed without it. I am afraid that if such thoughts were applied as a sieve to sift the abundant so-called Christian work of the present day, there would be an alarming and, to the workers, astonishing quantity of refuse that would not pass the meshes.
Let us, then, try to bring every act of service nominally done for Christ into conscious relation with the motive which ought to be its parent; for only the work that is done because our spirits lift us up, and our hearts are willing, is work that is accepted by Him, and is blessed to us.
And how is that to be secured? How is that glad temper of spontaneous and cheerful consecration to be attained and maintained? I know of but one way. ‘Brethren,’ said the Apostle, when he was talking about a very little matter-some small collection for a handful of poor people-’ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that, though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that we, through His poverty, might become rich.’ Let us keep our eyes fixed upon that great pattern of and motive for surrender; and our hearts will become willing, touched with the fire that flamed in His. There is only one method of securing the gladness and spontaneousness of devotion and of service, and that is, living very near to Jesus Christ, and drinking in for ourselves, as the very wine that turns to blood and life in our veins, the spirit of that dear Master. Every one whose heart is lifted up will have it lifted up because it holds on by Him who hath ascended up, and who, being ‘lifted up, draws all men to Him.’ The secret of consecration is communion with Jesus Christ.
The appeal to lower motives is often tempting, but always a mistake. Continual contact with Jesus Christ, and realisation of what He has done for us, are sure to open the deep fountains of the heart, and to secure abundant streams. If we can tap these perennial reservoirs they will yield like artesian wells, and need no creaking machinery to pump a scanty and intermittent supply. We cannot trust this deepest motive too much, nor appeal to it too exclusively.
Let me remind you, too, that Christ’s appeal to this motive leaves no loophole for selfishness or laziness. Responsibility is all the greater because we are left to assess ourselves. The blank form is sent to us, and He leaves it to our honour to fill it up. Do not tamper with the paper, for remember there is a Returning Officer that will examine your schedule, who knows all about your possessions. So, when He says, ‘Give as you like; and I do not want anything that you do not like,’ remember that ‘Give as you like’ ought to mean, ‘Give as you, who have received everything from Me, are bound to give.’
II. We get here the measure of acceptable work.
That is a very easy thing to say, but it is an uncommonly hard thing honestly to apply. For there are plenty of people that are smitten with very unusual humility whenever you begin to talk to them about work. ‘It is not in my way,’ ‘I am not capable of that kind of service,’ and so on, and so on. One would believe in the genuineness of the excuse more readily if there were anything about which such people said, ‘Well, I can do that, at all events’; but such an all-round modesty, which is mostly observable when service is called for, is suspicious. It might be well for some of these retiring and idle Christians to remember the homely wisdom of ‘You never know what you can do till you try.’ On the other hand, there are many Christians who, for want of honest looking into their own power, for want of what I call sanctified originality, are content to run in the ruts that other people’s vehicles have made, without asking themselves whether that is the gauge that their wheels are fit for. Both these sets of people flagrantly neglect the plain law that what we have settles what we should give.
The form as well as the measure of our service is determined thereby. ‘She hath done what she could,’ said Jesus Christ about Mary. We often read that, as if it were a kind of apology for a sentimental and useless gift, because it was the best that she could bestow. I do not hear that tone in the words at all. I hear, rather, this, that duty is settled by faculty, and that nobody else has any business to interfere with that which a Christian soul, all aflame with the love of God, finds to be the spontaneous and natural expression of its devotion to the Master. The words are the vindication of the form of loving service; but let us not forget that they are also a very stringent requirement as to its measure, if it is to please Christ. ‘What she could’; the engine must be worked up to the last ounce of pressure that it will stand. All must be got out of it that can be got out of it. Is that the case about us? We talk about hard work for Christ. Have any of us ever, worked up to the edge of our capacity? I am afraid that if the principles that lie in this catalogue were applied to us, whether about our gold and silver, or about our more precious spiritual and mental possessions, we could not say, ‘Every man with whom was found’ this, that, and the other, ‘brought it for the work.’
III. Notice, again, how in this list of offerings there comes out the great thought of the infinite variety of forms of service and offering, which are all equally needful and equally acceptable.
The list begins with ‘bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold.’ And then it goes on to ‘blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and red skins of rams, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood.’ And then we read that the ‘women did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun’-namely, the same things as have been already catalogued, ‘the blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.’ That looks as if the richer gave the raw material, and the women gave the labour. Poor women! they could not give, but they could spin. They had no stores, but they had ten fingers and a distaff, and if some neighbour found the stuff, the ten fingers joyfully set the distaff twirling, and spun the yarn for the weavers. Then there were others who willingly undertook the rougher work of spinning, not dainty thread for the rich soft stuffs whose colours were to glow in the sanctuary, but the coarse black goat’s hair which was to be made into the heavy covering of the roof of the tabernacle. No doubt it was less pleasant labour than the other, but it got done by willing hands. And then, at the end of the whole enumeration, there comes, ‘And the rulers brought precious stones, and spices, and oil,’ and all the expensive things that were needed. The large subscriptions are at the bottom of the list, and the smaller ones are in the place of honour. All this just teaches us this-what a host of things of all degrees of preciousness in men’s eyes go to make God’s great building!
So various were the requirements of the work on hand. Each man’s gift was needed, and each in its place was equally necessary. The jewels on the high-priest’s breastplate were no more nor less essential than the wood that made some peg for a curtain, or than the cheap goat’ s-hair yarn that was woven into the coarse cloth flung over the roof of the Tabernacle to keep the wet out. All had equal consecration, because all made one whole. All was equally precious, if all was given with the same spirit. So there is room for all sorts of work in Christ’s great house, where there are not only ‘vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth,’ and all ‘unto honour . . .meet for the Master’s use.’ The smallest deed that co-operates to a great end is great. ‘The more feeble are necessary.’ Every one may find a corner where his special possession will work into the general design. If I have no jewels to give, I can perhaps find some shittim wood, or, if I cannot manage even that, I can at least spin some other person’s yarn, even though I have only a distaff, and not a loom to weave it in. Many of us can do work only when associated with others, and can render best service by helping some more highly endowed. But all are needed, and welcomed, and honoured, and rewarded. The owner of all the slaves sets one to be a water-carrier, and another to be his steward. It is of little consequence whether the servant be Paul or Timothy, the Apostle or the Apostle’s helper. ‘He worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do,’ said the former about the latter. All who are associated in the same service are on one level.
I remember once being in the treasury of a royal palace. There was a long gallery in which the Crown valuables were stored. In one compartment there was a great display of emeralds, and diamonds, and rubies, and I know not what, that had been looted from some Indian rajah or other. And in the next case there lay a common quill pen, and beside it a little bit of discoloured coarse serge. The pen had signed some important treaty, and the serge was a fragment of a flag that had been borne triumphant from a field where a nation’s destinies had been sealed. The two together were worth a farthing at the outside, but they held their own among the jewels, because they spoke of brain-work and bloodshed in the service of the king. Many strangely conjoined things lie side by side in God’s jewel-cases. Things which people vulgarly call large and valuable, and what people still more vulgarly call small and worthless, have a way of getting together there. For in that place the arrangement is not according to what the thing would fetch if it were sold, but what was the thought in the mind and the emotion in the heart which gave it. Jewels and camel’s hair yarn and gold and silver are all massed together. Wood is wanted for the Temple quite as much as gold and silver and precious stones.
So, whatever we have, let us bring that; and whatever we are, let us bring that. If we be poor and our work small, and our natures limited, and our faculties confined, it does not matter. A man is accepted ‘according to that he hath, and not according to that he hath not.’ God does not ask how much we have given or done, if we have given or done what we could. But He does ask how much we have kept back, and takes strict account of the unsurrendered possessions, the unimproved opportunities, the unused powers. He gives much who gives all, though his all be little; he gives little who gives a part, though the part be much. The motive sanctifies the act, and the completeness of the consecration magnifies it. ‘Great’ and ‘small’ are not words for God’s Kingdom, in which the standard is not quantity but quality, and quality is settled by the purity of the love which prompts the deed, and the consequent thoroughness of self-surrender which it expresses. Whoever serves God with a whole heart will render to Him a whole strength, and will thus bring Him the gifts which He most desires.
Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren
they came. Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint read “they brought in”.
heart stirred. See note on Exo 35:5.
spirit. Hebrew. ruach. See App-9.
the LORD’S offering = the heave offering of Jehovah. See note on Exo 29:27, and compare App-43.
tabernacle = tent. Hebrew. ‘ohel. App-40.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Exo 35:5, Exo 35:22, Exo 35:26, Exo 35:29, Exo 25:2, Exo 36:2, Jdg 5:3, Jdg 5:9, Jdg 5:12, 2Sa 7:27, 1Ch 28:2, 1Ch 28:9, 1Ch 29:3, 1Ch 29:5, 1Ch 29:6, 1Ch 29:9, 1Ch 29:14, 1Ch 29:17, 1Ch 29:18, Ezr 1:5, Ezr 1:6, Ezr 7:27, Psa 110:3, Jer 30:21, Pro 4:23, Mat 12:34, 2Co 8:12, 2Co 9:7
Reciprocal: Lev 1:3 – his own 1Ch 18:11 – dedicated Mar 12:43 – That Luk 21:3 – more Act 5:4 – was it not thine Act 7:23 – it came 2Co 8:3 – beyond
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 35:21-22. Every one whom his spirit made willing What they did they did cheerfully. They were willing; and it was not any external inducement that made them so, but their spirits. It was from a principle of love to God and his service; a desire of his presence with them by his ordinances, gratitude for the great things he had done for them, and faith in his promises of what he would do further.