Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Moses reports to the people the commandments of God concerning the Sabbath, the first-fruits, and especially concerning the offering and construction of the tabernacle. Then, in verse 20, the Israelites liberally offer all the material necessary for the tabernacle. Finally, in verse 30, the craftsmen of the tabernacle, Bezalel and Oholiab, are designated.
Vulgate Text: Exodus 35:1-35
1. Therefore when the whole assembly of the children of Israel was gathered together, he said to them: These are the things which the Lord has commanded to be done. 2. Six days you shall do work; the seventh day shall be holy to you, a Sabbath and rest of the Lord: whoever does work on it shall be put to death. 3. You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day. 4. And Moses said to the whole assembly of the children of Israel: This is the word which the Lord has commanded, saying: 5. Set apart among you first-fruits for the Lord. Every willing person with a ready heart shall offer them to the Lord: gold and silver and bronze, 6. violet and purple and scarlet twice-dyed, and fine linen, goats' hair, 7. and rams' skins dyed red, and violet-colored skins, setim wood, 8. and oil for preparing the lights, and for making the ointment, and the most sweet-smelling incense, 9. onyx stones and gems for the adorning of the ephod and the breastplate. 10. Whoever among you is wise, let him come and make what the Lord has commanded: 11. namely the tabernacle and its roof and covering, the rings and boards with bars, the pins and bases: 12. the ark and its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil that is spread before it: 13. the table with its poles and vessels, and the showbread: 14. the lampstand for supporting the lights, its vessels and lamps, and the oil for nourishing the fires: 15. the altar of incense and its poles, and the anointing oil and the incense of spices; the curtain for the door of the tabernacle: 16. the altar of holocaust and its bronze grating with its poles and vessels, the basin and its stand: 17. the curtains of the court with their columns and bases, the curtain for the entrance of the vestibule: 18. the pins of the tabernacle and the court with their cords: 19. the vestments whose use is for the ministry of the sanctuary, the vestments of Aaron the high priest and of his sons, for exercising the priesthood for Me. 20. And all the multitude of the children of Israel went out from the presence of Moses, 21. and with most ready and devout minds offered first-fruits to the Lord for making the work of the tabernacle of the testimony. Whatever was necessary for worship and for the sacred vestments, 22. men together with women offered bracelets and earrings, rings and armlets: every golden vessel was set apart as an offering to the Lord. 23. If anyone had violet, and purple, and scarlet twice-dyed, fine linen and goats' hair, rams' skins dyed red and violet-colored, 24. metals of silver and bronze they offered to the Lord, and setim wood for various uses. 25. And the skilled women who had spun gave violet, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, 26. and goats' hair, freely giving all things of their own accord. 27. The leaders offered onyx stones and gems for the ephod and the breastplate, 28. and spices and oil for preparing the lights and for preparing the ointment, and for composing incense of the sweetest odor. 29. All men and women with devout minds offered gifts, so that the works which the Lord had commanded through Moses might be made. All the children of Israel dedicated voluntary offerings to the Lord. 30. And Moses said to the children of Israel: Behold, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31. And He has filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom and understanding, and knowledge and all learning, 32. for devising and making works in gold and silver and bronze, 33. and in engraving stones and in carpentry work — whatever can be skillfully invented, 34. He has put in his heart. Also Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35. He has instructed both of them with wisdom, to do the works of a joiner, an embroiderer, and a weaver of tapestry, in violet and purple, and scarlet twice-dyed, and fine linen, and to weave all things and to devise new works.
Verse 2: The Seventh Day Shall Be Holy to You
2. THE SEVENTH DAY SHALL BE HOLY TO YOU, A SABBATH AND REST OF THE LORD. — Learn here how great was the care and reverence for the Sabbath, which God here so often inculcates, and how great should be the reverence of Christians for the Lord's Day and feast days.
WHOEVER DOES WORK ON IT SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH. — In Hebrew, iumat, that is, he shall die, namely by the sentence of the judge, or by God, who in a hidden or chance manner will bring death upon him.
Verse 3: You Shall Not Kindle a Fire on the Sabbath
3. YOU SHALL NOT KINDLE A FIRE IN ANY OF YOUR DWELLINGS ON THE SABBATH DAY. — "Not in any" means in none. So great was the reverence and rest of the Sabbath that on it one was not permitted even to build and kindle a fire. Understand this as referring to cooking food; for at Passover and other feasts it was permitted to cook food, and therefore to kindle a fire, as is clear from chapter 12, verse 16; but this was not permitted on the Sabbath. So Abulensis, Cajetan, and Rabbi Abraham Ben Ezra, against whom other Rabbis wrote a book which they called Sabbatum, because they introduce the persona of the Sabbath speaking against him and condemning him as a heretic. For the Rabbis hold that on the Sabbath it was not permitted to kindle a fire for any reason, even on account of cold, to warm oneself. But these seem too scrupulous or superstitious. Hence they add that not only must fire not be built on the Sabbath day, but neither must it be struck from stone or metal, nor must a lamp be fed, except perhaps on account of a sick person. And so that they might never cease their trifling, they hold that if fire must be kindled because of severe cold, it must not be blown with bellows but with a reed.
See here how the old law of servants was harsh and rigid, whereas the new law of children is gentle and easy.
Verse 5: Set Apart First-Fruits for the Lord
5. SET APART AMONG YOU FIRST-FRUITS FOR THE LORD. — "First-fruits," that is, your first offering (for you have made no public and common offering until now), and your first gifts, which you are about to offer to the Lord for the construction of the tabernacle. For the tropology of all these gifts, seek it from St. Gregory, Book 30 of the Moralia, chapter 10, and Origen, Homily 13. See what was said at chapter 25.
Note: God here excludes no one from His offering and from the service of the tabernacle, however poor or wretched. For he who could not offer gold or silver could at least offer skins or goats' hair; and he who could not even do this could at least spin them, bring and carry things, and in other ways serve the craftsmen and builders of the tabernacle. Blessed Giles, the companion of St. Francis, says beautifully: "If you feel grace in your prayers, pray that it may be increased; if you do not feel it, do not on that account cease from prayers; for God was pleased even with goats' hair that was offered to Him according to the precept of the law."
Verse 8: And That It May Be Made
8. AND THAT IT MAY BE MADE. — Supply: let each one offer the material prescribed in chapter 25, namely spices, as is said here in the Hebrew, and as our translator expresses in verse 28; for making the ointment of consecration of the priests, and for compounding the incense. For the incense was not made from oil, but from stacte, onyx, galbanum, and frankincense. The oil, therefore, was for the lamps; and there was also oil in the ointment of consecration of the priests and the tabernacle. For this ointment was made from myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia, and olive oil. See Exodus 30:23 and following.
Verse 10: Whoever Is Wise
10. WHOEVER IS WISE — whoever is a skilled and industrious craftsman.
AND LET HIM MAKE WHAT THE LORD HAS COMMANDED, NAMELY THE TABERNACLE AND ITS ROOF AND COVERING. — He calls "tabernacle" the very Sanctuary covered and veiled with ten curtains made of fine linen, purple, scarlet, and hyacinth, which in Hebrew is called miscan. The "covering" however, which in Hebrew is called ohel, he calls the second veil, or the goat-hair cloth, which was made from goat hair. Finally the "covering," which in Hebrew is called michse, he calls the third veil of red-dyed ram skins, and the fourth of violet skins. So say Cajetan and Lipomanus.
Verse 11: The Boards, Pegs, and Bases
BOARDS — boards joined together like a floor, and that on three sides of the tabernacle; for the boarding, or joining of boards, was thirty cubits in length, and the boarding was ten cubits in width.
PEGS — In Hebrew, columns, which here are called pegs by our translator, because they were small and had pointed bases like pegs, so that they could be driven into the ground; or certainly he includes them under the term pegs: for pegs were attached to the columns, and veils were hung from the pegs.
Verse 17: The Hanging
THE HANGING — that is, the veil.
Verse 25: The Skilled Women Who Had Spun
25. AND THE SKILLED WOMEN ALSO, WHO HAD SPUN, GAVE — "Skilled," that is, expert in spinning and wise artisans, namely spinners and weavers; for this is the learning and wisdom of women.
HYACINTH — that is, spun or threaded hyacinth, namely violet-colored wool. Likewise understand purple, scarlet, and fine linen not as raw wool or flax, but as spun thread, that is, the warp of such wool or flax.
Verse 29: Voluntary Offerings
29. VOLUNTARY — that is, freely given and spontaneous gifts.
Verse 34: He Put in His Heart
34. HE PUT IN HIS HEART — That is, He taught him, or "He put in his heart" — understand knowledge, or rather skill and understanding, and the practical art of constructing, sewing, weaving, etc. In Hebrew it reads: and to teach He put in his heart, that is, He taught him so perfectly that he could also teach others. Others translate it as: He made him willing and inclined to teach others. This is contrary to what most distinguished artisans do, who communicate their arts and practices to others only with the greatest reluctance, and allow them to die with themselves, and thus deprive both themselves of deserved glory and the commonwealth of its advantages and adornments.
OHOLIAB ALSO — Understand what he said about Bezalel's companion, namely that He called and filled him with wisdom.
Verse 35: That They Might Do the Works of a Carpenter
35. THAT THEY MIGHT DO THE WORKS OF A CARPENTER — In Hebrew: that they might do the works of a craftsman, namely a woodworker, as I said above.
OF THE EMBROIDERER AND THE NEEDLEWORKER — Here he distinguishes these two terms, which he previously used interchangeably, so that the embroiderer or needleworker is one who variously paints with a needle; the weaver of diverse patterns, or as it is in Hebrew, one devising designs, is one who weaves various things by ingenious weaving and forms them, as is done in tapestries. So say Abulensis and Lipomanus.