Art

Skill is treated as a gift from God. Before the tabernacle is built, the LORD names Bezaleel and says he has “filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship” (Exodus 31:3). Carvers, weavers and metalworkers shape the place where Israel worships. Others work in sound: Levites are trained for the songs of the LORD, and the psalmist says to “play skilfully with a loud noise” (Psalm 33:3). Beauty and craft in the Bible serve worship rather than show, though Scripture also warns against making images to bow down to. Exodus 35 describes the makers at work.

570 verses

Genesis

Genesis 3:21

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Genesis 4:20

And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

Genesis 4:21

And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

Genesis 6:14

Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

Genesis 6:15

And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

Genesis 6:16

A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

Genesis 11:3

And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

Genesis 18:6

And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

Genesis 19:3

And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

Genesis 31:27

Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?

Genesis 40:1

And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.

Genesis 40:11

And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

Genesis 49:11

Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

Exodus

Exodus 5:7

Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Exodus 5:8

And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

Exodus 5:9

Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

Exodus 5:10

And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

Exodus 5:11

Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

Exodus 5:12

So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

Exodus 5:13

And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

Exodus 5:14

And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

Exodus 5:15

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

Exodus 5:16

There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.

Exodus 5:17

But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

Exodus 5:18

Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

Exodus 5:19

And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

Exodus 8:3

And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:

Exodus 12:34

And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.

Exodus 15:1

Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Exodus 15:20

And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

Exodus 15:21

And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Exodus 16:21

And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

Exodus 20:25

And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

Exodus 21:17

And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 21:18

And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

Exodus 21:19

If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

Exodus 21:20

And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

Exodus 25:5

And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,

Exodus 25:18

And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

Exodus 26:1

Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.

Exodus 26:2

The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.

Exodus 26:3

The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.

Exodus 26:4

And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.

Exodus 26:5

Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another.

Exodus 26:6

And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.

Exodus 26:7

And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.

Exodus 26:8

The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure.

Exodus 26:9

And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.

Exodus 26:10

And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.

Exodus 26:11

And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.

Exodus 26:12

And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.

Exodus 26:13

And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.

Exodus 26:14

And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins.

Exodus 26:31

And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:

Exodus 26:32

And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.

Exodus 26:33

And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

Exodus 26:34

And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

Exodus 26:35

And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

Exodus 26:36

And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.

Exodus 26:37

And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

Exodus 27:9

And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:

Exodus 27:10

And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.

Exodus 27:11

And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

Exodus 27:12

And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.

Exodus 27:13

And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.

Exodus 27:14

The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.

Exodus 27:15

And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.

Exodus 27:16

And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.

Exodus 27:17

All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.

Exodus 28:9

And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

Exodus 28:10

Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.

Exodus 28:11

With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.

Exodus 28:21

And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

Exodus 28:32

And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.

Exodus 28:36

And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

Exodus 29:2

And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.

Exodus 29:40

And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.

Exodus 30:25

And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.

Exodus 30:35

And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:

Exodus 30:36

And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

Exodus 31:2

See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

Exodus 31:3

And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

Exodus 31:4

To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

Exodus 31:5

And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

Exodus 31:6

And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;

Exodus 31:7

The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,

Exodus 31:8

And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,

Exodus 31:9

And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,

Exodus 31:10

And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office,

Exodus 31:11

And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.

Exodus 31:12

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Exodus 31:13

Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

Exodus 31:14

Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Exodus 32:4

And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 32:8

They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 34:17

Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.

Exodus 35:25

And all the women that were wise hearted 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 35:30

And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;

Exodus 35:31

And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

Exodus 35:32

And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

Based on Nave's Topical Bible by Orville J. Nave (1896). Public domain. KJV scripture text, public domain.