Exodus 35:25

_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 JFB COMMENTARY ON THESE VERSES....

20-29 Without a willing mind, costly offerings would be abhorred; with it, the smallest will be accepted. Our hearts are willing, when we cheerfully assist in promoting the cause of God. Those who are diligent and contented in employments considered mean, are as much accepted of God as those engaged in splendid services. The women who spun the goats' hair were wise-hearted, because they did it heartily to the Lord. Thus the labourer, mechanic, or servant who attends to his work in the faith and fear of God, may be as wise, for his place, as the most useful minister, and he equally accepted of the Lord. Our wisdom and duty consist in giving God the glory and use of our talents, be they many or few....

Verse Exodus 35:25. _ALL THE WOMEN THAT WERE WISE-HEARTED DID SPIN_] They had before learned this art, they were wise-hearted; and now they practise it, and God condescends to require and accept their services. In building this house of God, all were ambitious to do something by which they might testify their piety to God, and their love for his worship. The spinning practised at this time was simple, and required little apparatus. It was the plain _distaff_ or twirling pin, which might be easily made out of any wood they met with in the wilderness....

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 armlets—all articles of gold," and offered them to the Lord (Exodus 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 (Exodus 35:23). Silver and bronze and shittimwood were contributed by others (Exodus 35:24). The women, who were

AND ALL THE WOMEN THAT WERE WISE HEARTED,.... That were ingenious, and had a good hand at spinning particularly, these were of the common and lower sort; the more honourable and richer sort of women are before mentioned, as bringing jewels or ornaments of gold of different sorts: but these were such who DID SPIN [WITH] THEIR HANDS; in which way they got their living: some were more dexterous at it than others: AND BROUGHT THAT WHICH THEY HAD SPUN, BOTH OF BLUE, AND OF PURPLE, AND OF SCARLET, AND OF FINE LINEN; that is, yarn of these several colours, and flaxen thread, of which fine linen was made, all ready for the weaver, whether in woollen or linen....

6. THE BUILDING OF THE TABERNACLE CHAPTER 35 The Commandments Concerning the Tabernacle Remembered and the Offerings _ 1. The Sabbath law emphasized (Exodus 35:1)_ 2. The offerings restated (Exodus 35:4) 3. The tabernacle and its furniture restated (Exodus 35:11) 4. The offerings given (Exodus 35:20) 5. The workmen and the teachers (Exodus 35:30) It is interesting to review the events and steps which lead to this consummation in Exodus, the setting up of the tabernacle. After Jehovah had redeemed His

EXODUS 35-40. P S. THE CONSTRUCTION AND ERECTION OF THE SACRED TENT. This division of the book is generally recognised as coming from the latest stratum in the Hexateuch. This conclusion can be denied (as recently by A. H. Finn in JThS 16:449- 481) only by those who ignore the number, variety, and independence of the converging lines of proof which point to it. The clearest and most specific ground for it is that the later elements in the appendix (Exodus 30 f.) to Exodus 25-29 are here redistributed and put in their proper places. Further, the radical differences of order, and astonishing omissions as, in places, of the incense altar and the laver (both among the supplements in Exodus 30) in LXX require the assumption that the Gr. translators had the material before them in an earlier and less well-arranged draft of the Heb. text. It does not follow that all differences are due to this...

WOMEN. In Egypt the women did the dyeing and spinning; the men did the weaving and embroidering. and. Note the Figure of speech _Polysyndeton_ (App-6), to emphasise the four items....

How the people responded to Moses" summons: ordinary men, women, and -rulers," all brought willingly whatever their means, or their ability, enabled them to provide. An ideal picture of a community ready and eager to contribute liberally to the sanctuary and service of its God. Cf. on Exodus 25:1. Presentation of the offerings....

AND ALL THE WOMEN THAT WERE WISE-HEARTED DID SPIN— Women of the first rank among the Hebrews used in former times to employ themselves in spinning: this too was usual, even with princesses, among the Greeks and Romans, as well as among the Egyptians: Homer and Herodotus supply us with sufficient proofs. (See also Braunius, _de Vest. Sacerdot._ lib. 1: cap. 17.) REFLECTIONS.—Their swift obedience to the command was a blessed proof of the sincerity of the repentance which they had professed. They no sooner hear than they obey: delays in duty are dangerous; what we do, we must do quickly: their hearts were willing, and therefore their hands were open; a genuine principle of love makes a cheerful giver. The richest jewels are brought in: they who have tasted of the grace of God, think they can never enough testify their gratitude to him. It was not, indeed, in every man's power to bring gold...