Exodus 25:2
in Exodus 25“Tell the Israelites to bring Me an offering. You are to receive My offering from every man whose heart compels him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for me an offering: of every man whose heart maketh him willing ye shall take my offering.
KJV
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
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This verse in Exodus 25
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThat they bring me an offering - The offering here mentioned is the תרומה terumah, a kind of free-will offering, consisting of any thing that was necessary for the occasion. It signifies properly any thing that was lifted up, the heave-offering, because in presenting it to God it was lifted up to be laid on his altar; but see Clarke on Exo 29:27 (note).
This site's exposition
the Lord spake unto Moses
on Exodus 25:1-2
The tabernacle is delivered in seven divine speeches across chapters 25 to 31, and this is the first of them. The seventh is the sabbath at 31:12, which is where the seventh day falls in Genesis 1 and 2. What God asks for first is an offering taken only from a man who gives it willingly with his heart, so the dwelling place starts with a gift nobody is taxed for.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Speak unto the children of Israel,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
bring me an offering of every man that giveth it willingly, &c.--Having declared allegiance to God as their sovereign, they were expected to contribute to His state, as other subjects to their kings; and the "offering" required of them was not to be imposed as a tax, but to come from their own loyal and liberal feelings.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| דַּבֵּר֙ | daber | speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְיִקְחוּ־ | veyikchu- | so they may take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| לִ֖י | li | for <the> me | ||
| תְּרוּמָ֑ה | terumah | a contribution | H8641 → | 76 times |
| מֵאֵ֤ת | meet | from with | H854 → | 929 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אִישׁ֙ | ʾish | person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ | yidevenu | it will impel him | H5068 → | 17 times |
| לִבּ֔וֹ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| תִּקְח֖וּ | tikchu | you will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תְּרוּמָתִֽי׃ | terumati | contribution my | H8641 → | 76 times |
דַּבֵּר֙speak
daberH1696 →1141 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְיִקְחוּ־so they may take
veyikchu-H3947 →966 times
לִ֖יfor <the> me
li
תְּרוּמָ֑הa contribution
terumahH8641 →76 times
מֵאֵ֤תfrom with
meetH854 →929 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אִישׁ֙person
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּit will impel him
yidevenuH5068 →17 times
לִבּ֔וֹheart his
liboH3820 →595 times
תִּקְח֖וּyou will take
tikchuH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
תְּרוּמָתִֽי׃contribution my
terumatiH8641 →76 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Corinthians 9:7Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 8:12
For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
- Acts 20:35
In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
- 1 Chronicles 29:17
I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are…
- Proverbs 11:25
A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
- Deuteronomy 15:7–11
If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or…
- 2 Corinthians 8:12
Through
Ezra 2:68When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings to rebuild the house of God on its original site.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 9:7
Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7
Through
Nehemiah 11:2And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
it leads to
- Judges 5:9
My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
- Judges 5:9
Through
Ezra 1:6And all their neighbors supported them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuables, in addition to all their freewill offerings.
it leads to
- Ezra 1:4
And let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.’”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezra 1:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About Exodus

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
