Moses inspects and gives his blessing

This line closes the long building report that follows the earlier instructions for the tabernacle and its priestly items. The narrative has moved from detailed commands to concrete completion, repeatedly stressing that the people made things “as Yahweh commanded.” Moses functions as the final human checkpoint: he inspects the finished work and confirms that it aligns with the command pattern given earlier. His blessing acts as a closing response to the successful completion of the assignment and prepares the reader for the next step, where the sanctuary will be set up and put into use.

The scene assumes Israel is in a wilderness-camp setting after leaving Egypt and receiving direction for a portable sanctuary. Skilled artisans and contributing households have produced the structure, furnishings, and garments using available materials and organized labor. In ancient Near Eastern communities, major sacred construction often involved oversight, inspection, and public confirmation that a project met the stated requirements. Moses’s inspection reflects leadership accountability in a communal build, and his blessing fits the social expectation that successful, approved work receives an affirming word from the recognized leader.

Shared ground

Exodus 39:43 closes the tabernacle building report by showing a clear sequence: Moses inspects what was made, recognizes that it matches what Yahweh commanded, and then blesses the people. The repeated phrasing (“as Yahweh had commanded… so they had done”) underlines that the work is presented as faithful execution, not creative reinvention.

The verse also highlights roles. Moses functions as the human overseer who verifies the results, while Yahweh is the ultimate source of the project’s standards. The “blessing” then serves as a public response of approval and goodwill after the inspection.

Where interpretation differs

Two main questions come up.

First, who is meant by “they”? Some read it as referring mainly to the craftsmen who produced the items. Others think it includes the wider community as well, since the project depended on contributions and coordinated participation.

Second, what is Moses’ “blessing”? Some understand it primarily as a spoken prayer asking God to favor the workers. Others hear it more as an official commendation—an authoritative word that the work is accepted—possibly with prayer included.

Why the disagreement exists The verse is brief. It does not spell out the audience of the blessing or quote Moses’ words. Also, the surrounding chapters shift between describing named artisans and describing the community’s collective involvement, which makes the referent of “they” somewhat open.

What this passage clearly contributes Explicitly, the text claims that Moses examined all the work, found it done exactly as Yahweh commanded, and blessed the people as a direct response. As theological inference, the verse supports an emphasis on accountability in leadership (inspection), communal responsibility in sacred work (“they”), and the idea that obedience to God’s instructions is worthy of affirmation within the covenant community (blessing following verified faithfulness). For the larger Exodus narrative, it marks successful completion of the commanded building phase and sets up the next stage where the sanctuary will be put into operation (Exodus 40:1).