Exodus 36 explained: Building the Tent, More Than Enough

Workers called, gifts overflow (vv. 1-7)

Moses calls the craftsmen who are both able and willing, and hands them the materials the people have donated. Gifts keep arriving every morning until the workers stop to tell Moses there is more than enough, so he orders the camp to stop giving.

The inner linen curtains (vv. 8-13)

The innermost layer is ten richly colored linen panels, each about 42 feet by 6 feet (a cubit is roughly 18 inches), woven with cherubim, winged guardian figures linked with God's presence. Loops and gold clasps join the two halves so the whole tent forms one unit.

The protective outer layers (vv. 14-19)

Over the linen go eleven goat hair curtains joined with bronze clasps, then a layer of ram skins dyed red and a top layer of tough leather. Scholars are unsure which animal that top leather came from, so translations guess differently.

The wooden frame (vv. 20-34)

Upright frames of acacia, a hardy desert wood, are covered in gold, set in silver bases on three sides and held together by crossbars. Everything can be taken apart and carried, because this was a place of worship for a people on the move.

The inner curtain and entrance (vv. 35-38)

A curtain woven with cherubim hangs on four posts and separates the innermost room, the most sacred space, from the rest of the tent, while an embroidered screen covers the front entrance. Christians later read the inner curtain in light of the Gospels, which say the Temple curtain tore when Jesus died, as a sign that the way to God was opened.

Key verse: Exodus 36:5

Where Christians differ

Christians differ on how far to read the tent's materials and layout as deliberate symbols pointing to Christ and the church, rather than as a record of an ancient worship space that mattered mainly for Israel at the time.

Something to think about

What do you think moves people to give more than is asked of them, and what makes them hold back?