Charles Ellicott Commentary Exodus 35:10-19

"And let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make all that Jehovah hath commanded: the tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its clasps, and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; the ark, and the staves thereof, the mercy-seat, and the veil of the screen; the table, and its staves, and all its vessels, and the showbread; the candlestick also for the light, and its vessels, and its lamps, and the oil for the light; and the altar of incense, and its staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; the altar of burnt-offering, with its grating of brass, it staves, and all its vessels, the laver and its base; the hangings of the court, the pillars thereof, and their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; the pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords; the finely wrought garments, for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest`s office." — Exodus 35:10-19 (ASV)

And every wise hearted among you. — The first appeal is to all; all may contribute something towards the materials of the sacred structure. But the second appeal is to some only. The “wise-hearted” alone can take part in the actual construction, and make all that the Lord has commanded. On the expression “wise-hearted,” see Note on Exodus 28:3. It includes skill of various kinds and degrees, even that of poor women, who did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen (Exodus 35:25).

In enumerating the things to be constructed, Moses follows, not the order of the revelations made to him, but what may be called the natural order: first, the Tabernacle as a whole; then its various parts (Exodus 35:11); after this, its contents—those of the Holy of Holies (Exodus 35:12), of the Holy Place (Exodus 35:13–15), and of the Court (Exodus 35:16–18); finally, the dress to be worn by those who conducted the services (Exodus 35:19).

On the Tabernacle and its parts, see Exodus 26:1-37; on the Ark, the staves, and the mercy-seat, Exodus 25:10–15; on the veil of the covering, Exodus 26:31; on the table and the candlestick, Exodus 25:23–30; on the incense altar, Exodus 30:1–10; on the anointing oil, Exodus 30:23–25; on the sweet incense, Exodus 30:34–35; on the hanging for the door, Exodus 26:36; on the altar of burnt offering, Exodus 27:1–8; on the laver and its foot, Exodus 30:17–21; on the hangings of the Court, its pillars, sockets, pins, etc., Exodus 27:9–19; and on the cloths of service, Exodus 28:2–42. (On the true meaning of the expression, the cloths of service, see Note on Exodus 31:10.)