Exodus 35:22
in Exodus 35So all who had willing hearts, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings, rings and necklaces, and all kinds of gold jewelry. And they all presented their gold as a wave offering to the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought brooches, and ear-rings, and signet-rings, and armlets, all jewels of gold; even every man that offered an offering of gold unto Jehovah.
KJV
And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord.
⋯
This verse in Exodus 35
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAs many as were willing-hearted - For no one was forced to lend his help in this sacred work; all was a free-will offering to the Lord. Bracelets - חח chach, whatever hooks together; ornaments for the wrists, arms, legs, or neck. Ear-rings - נזם nezem, see this explained Gen 24:22 (note). Rings - טבעת tabbaath, from טבי taba, to penetrate, enter into; probably rings for the fingers. Tablets - כומז cumaz, a word only used here and in Num 31:50, supposed to be a girdle to support the breasts.
This site's exposition
departed from the presence of Moses
on Exodus 35:20-22
They go back to their tents and return carrying bracelets, earrings, rings and tablets of gold. Exodus 32:2-3 has the same people breaking off the same golden earrings and handing them to Aaron, and what came out of that was a calf. The metal is the same metal and the giving is as ready in both places, and this chapter records the second occasion without mentioning the first. The text says the heart stirred him up and the spirit made him willing, and it uses no word of compulsion anywhere in the chapter.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And they came both men and women, as many as were willing hearted,....
If we think those gospel rules concerning our clothing too strict ( 1 Tim. ii. 3, 4 ), I fear we should scarcely have done as these Israelites did. If they thought their ornaments well bestowed upon the tabernacle, shall not we think the want of ornaments well made up by the graces of the Spirit?
Such there are, who will be called Israelites, and yet will not be moved by the equity of the thing, God's expectations from them, and the good examples of those about them, to part with any thing for the interests of God's kingdom: they are for the true religion, provided it be cheap and will cost them nothing.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
they came, both men and women, &c.--literally, "the men over and above the women"; a phraseology which implies that the women acted a prominent part, presented their offerings first, and then were followed by as many of their male companions as were similarly disposed. brought bracelets, &c.--There was in that early age no money in the form of coins or bullion.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Bracelets - Rather, brooches. Earrings - The Hebrew word signifies a ring, either for the nose (see Gen 24:22) or for the ear Exo 32:2; Gen 35:4. That ear-rings, not nose-rings, are here meant is confirmed by what we know of early Hebrew and Egyptian customs. Rings - Signet rings. Tablets - More probably, armlets. It is most likely that all the articles mentioned in this verse were of gold. The indulgence of private luxury was thus given up for the honor of the Lord. Compare Exo 30:18 note.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ | vaiyavou | and they came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | with | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַנָּשִׁ֑ים | hanashim | the women | H802 → | 781 times |
| כֹּ֣ל׀ | kol | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נְדִ֣יב | nediv | [person] willing of | H5081 → | |
| לֵ֗ב | lev | heart | H3820 → | 595 times |
| הֵ֠בִיאוּ | heviu | they brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| חָ֣ח | chach | nose ring[s] | H2397 → | |
| וָנֶ֜זֶם | vanezem | and earring[s] | H5141 → | 17 times |
| וְטַבַּ֤עַת | vetabaat | and finger ring[s] | H2885 → | 49 times |
| וְכוּמָז֙ | vekhumaz | and ornament[s] | H3558 → | |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| כְּלִ֣י | keli | article of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| זָהָ֔ב | zahav | gold | H2091 → | 389 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אִ֕ישׁ | ʾish | person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֵנִ֛יף | henif | he waved | H5130 → | 37 times |
| תְּנוּפַ֥ת | tenufat | a wave-offering of | H8573 → | 30 times |
| זָהָ֖ב | zahav | gold | H2091 → | 389 times |
| לַיהוָֽה׃ | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיָּבֹ֥אוּand they came
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
הָאֲנָשִׁ֖יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
עַל־with
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַנָּשִׁ֑יםthe women
hanashimH802 →781 times
כֹּ֣ל׀every
kolH3605 →5413 times
נְדִ֣יב[person] willing of
nedivH5081 →
לֵ֗בheart
levH3820 →595 times
הֵ֠בִיאוּthey brought
heviuH935 →2568 times
חָ֣חnose ring[s]
chachH2397 →
וָנֶ֜זֶםand earring[s]
vanezemH5141 →17 times
וְטַבַּ֤עַתand finger ring[s]
vetabaatH2885 →49 times
וְכוּמָז֙and ornament[s]
vekhumazH3558 →
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
כְּלִ֣יarticle of
keliH3627 →325 times
זָהָ֔בgold
zahavH2091 →389 times
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
אִ֕ישׁperson
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הֵנִ֛יףhe waved
henifH5130 →37 times
תְּנוּפַ֥תa wave-offering of
tenufatH8573 →30 times
זָהָ֖בgold
zahavH2091 →389 times
לַיהוָֽה׃to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 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
Matthew 2:11On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense…
it leads to
- Isaiah 60:6
Caravans of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah, and all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
- Psalms 72:10
May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
- Luke 2:16
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger.
- Matthew 2:2
asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
- Psalms 95:6
O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
- Isaiah 60:6
Through
Isaiah 3:19their pendants, bracelets, and veils;
it leads to
- Ezekiel 16:11
I adorned you with jewelry, and I put bracelets on your wrists and a chain around your neck.
- Genesis 24:53
Then he brought out jewels of silver and gold, and articles of clothing, and he gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and her mother.
- Ezekiel 16:11
Through
Exodus 32:3Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.
it leads to
- Isaiah 40:19–20
To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains?
- Isaiah 40:19–20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Exodus

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
