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.

EXODUS 35:22KJV
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Exodus 35:22 (KJV)

What does Exodus 35:22 mean?

Exodus 35:22 describes men and women freely bringing gold objects as gifts for the LORD. Their gifts were part of the collection for making the sacred tent and its furnishings, which Moses had just asked the people to provide.

The verse pictures people bringing items they already possessed, including personal ornaments. The narrator’s phrase “willing hearted” points to the readiness of the givers, while the list lets the reader see the kinds of gold they brought.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 35:22

  • “willing hearted” — נָדִיב (nadiv) and לֵב (lev): Together, these words describe a person whose heart is willing or generous. The phrase focuses on the giver’s readiness, rather than simply the value of the gift.
  • “tablets” — כּוּמָז (kumaz): This word is often understood to mean a gold ornament. In the KJV, “tablets” here refers to jewelry, not writing tablets.
  • “offering” — תְּנוּפָה (tenufah): This word can refer to an offering presented before the LORD, sometimes with a waving movement. Here it describes the gold as a gift presented to him.

Why Exodus 35:22 matters

  • Women are named alongside men among those who came. Both are visible in the account of the gifts brought for the work.
  • The objects were raw material for a larger project. Later, Exodus 35:30–35 describes skilled workers appointed to make the things needed for the sacred tent, including work in gold.
  • The KJV’s “every man” at the end should be read alongside the opening words, “both men and women.” The verse begins by including both among those who brought gifts.

Where else these words appear

“tablets” Hebrew H3558 · used in 2 verses

  • Numbers 31:50 We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.

“bracelets” Hebrew H2397 · used in 7 verses

  • 2 Kings 19:28 Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
  • Ezekiel 19:4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
  • Ezekiel 29:4 But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.

“earrings” Hebrew H5141 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 24:22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;
  • Exodus 32:3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
  • Proverbs 11:22 As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

“as” Hebrew H3605 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
  • Exodus 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
  • 2 Samuel 3:35 And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.