What Does Exodus 35:24 Mean?
Every one who lifted a raising of silver and bronze brought the LORD's raising, and every man with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the serving, brought it.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD’s offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.THE KEY
The word translated “offering” carries the image of something lifted up and brought into shared work.
THE MEANING
The shared work takes shape from what people already have: silver, bronze, and even acacia wood. Each becomes part of the LORD’s work as it is brought forward. The verse gives material gifts a place in the work alongside one another.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It loosens the belief that only money counts as a meaningful contribution: the verse names useful wood alongside silver and bronze.
THE ROOT
תְּרוּמָה
terumah
GROWS FROM
רוּם
rum
to rise, be high, or lift up
“raising” in this verse is terumah. The Hebrew phrase begins with מֵרִים (merim), “one lifting up,” followed by תְּרוּמָה (terumah), a contribution or portion lifted up. English separates the action from the gift; the Hebrew keeps them together, showing the offering as something raised and brought into the work.
ALSO GROWS
merim: lifting up; one who lifts
מֵרִים
This is the participle in the verse behind “did offer,” making the act of offering itself an act of lifting.
marom: height; high place
מָרוֹם
This related form carries the root’s sense of rising, echoing the upward image held inside the word for contribution.
THE PATTERN
Shared sacred work takes shape from what people freely bring from what they have.
Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring me a lifted offering. From every man whose heart stirs him to give, you take my lifted offering.Then the people rejoiced, for they offered willingly, because with a whole heart they offered willingly to the LORD, and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.Each one, as his heart has taken hold, so let him give, not from grief or from pressure, for God loves a glad giver.THE THREAD
Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring me a lifted offering. From every man whose heart stirs him to give, you take my lifted offering.Both verses use תְּרוּמָה (terumah), “a contribution lifted up,” from רוּם (rum), “to rise or lift up.” Exodus 25:2 adds that the contribution comes willingly from the heart, opening the image of the lifted gift as something freely brought into the shared work.
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