Exodus 35:8

Summary

Exodus 35:8 lists materials that the people are to bring for the tabernacle: oil for the light, and spices for two specific preparations — the anointing oil and the aromatic incense. The verse consists of a series of nouns connected by "and," each specifying an ingredient and its intended use.

Key words

• Shemen ("oil", H8081) — appears twice (positions 2 and 8), a masculine singular noun; in position 8 it functions as the first term of a construct chain ("oil of...").
• ma'or ("light", H3974) — masculine singular noun with the preposition la ("for the", H9005+H9009), indicating the purpose of the first oil.
• besamim ("spices", H1314) — masculine plural noun, the general term introducing the aromatic materials needed for both preparations that follow.
• mishchah ("anointing", H4888A) — feminine singular noun with the article, forming the construct phrase "oil of the anointing" together with shemen (H8081).
• qetoret ("incense of", H7004) — feminine singular construct noun, linked to sammim ("perfumes", H5561), forming "incense of the perfumes/spices."

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence is built entirely of noun phrases joined by the conjunction ve ("and", H9002), without a verb in this verse — the verbal action (bringing these items) is supplied by the broader context of the passage, not stated within verse 8 itself. The structure moves through three items: first shemen ("oil", H8081) la-ma'or ("for the light", H3974), then besamim ("spices", H1314) le-shemen ha-mishchah ("for the oil of the anointing", H8081+H4888A), and finally qetoret ha-sammim ("incense of the perfumes", H7004+H5561).

Two construct chains are notable: shemen ha-mishchah ("oil of the anointing") uses shemen (H8081) in construct form to specify what kind of oil is meant — one designated for anointing rather than for the lamp. Similarly, qetoret ha-sammim ("incense of the perfumes") uses qetoret (H7004) in construct with sammim (H5561, "perfumes/spices") to specify the incense as composed of aromatic substances. The plural besamim (H1314) functions as a general heading for both the anointing oil and the incense, since both required aromatic spices as ingredients, even though the verse separates their specific purposes with le- ("for", H9005) before each.

Differences between versions

The LXX text supplied for this reference (mentioning sardius stones and the ephod) does not correspond to the Hebrew content of this verse, which concerns oil, spices, anointing oil, and incense. This indicates a difference in verse numbering or content alignment between the Hebrew (TAHOT) and the Greek text as given here, rather than a translation variant of the same material. The Vulgate and other translations align closely with the Hebrew, rendering the same three items (oil for the lights, materials for the anointing oil, and incense) without notable content divergence.