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Exodus 35 · a question people ask

Was Bezalel's skill a gift of the Spirit, or his own?

In the text

The text gives the credit to the LORD, for Bezalel and for the others. "He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship" (35:31). "He has filled them with wisdom of heart to work all kinds of workmanship" (35:35). The call went out to "every wise-hearted man" (35:10), and the next chapter describes them as those "in whom the LORD has put wisdom and understanding" (36:1). The LORD said the same of the makers of Aaron's garments: "all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom" (28:3). The text doesn't say what skill they had before. It says the wisdom they worked with was put there by the LORD (31:6, 36:2).

The verses

““‘Let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make all that the LORD has commanded:”
Exodus 35:10 · World English Bible
“He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship;”
Exodus 35:31 · World English Bible
“He has filled them with wisdom of heart to work all kinds of workmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do any workmanship, and of those who make skillful works.”
Exodus 35:35 · World English Bible
““Bezalel and Oholiab shall work with every wise-hearted man, in whom the LORD has put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD has commanded.” Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to the work to do it.”
Exodus 36:1-2 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Exodus 35

Exodus 35: Whoever is of a willing heart

Before any building, Moses sets the Sabbath first, and one Hebrew word, mela'khah, names both the work that stops on the Sabbath and the work of the tabernacle. The chapter says "willing" again and again, and sets no amount. Women spun with their own hands, and Bezalel and Oholiab were filled with wisdom and given the heart to teach (35:34).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions