The last chapters of Exodus are a repeat of earlier chapters detailing the blueprints for the Mishkan. Why are these chapters repeated? One possible answer is to mimic the stories of creation. Recall that the first chapter of Genesis and the second chapter of Genesis seem to offer varying creation stories. However, the first chapter matches the earlier chapters of Mishkan by providing the blueprint for creation. The second chapter describes the actual physical building of the world just like these later chapters describe the actual building of the Mishkan:
(Exodus 39:32)
וַתֵּכֶל כָּל־עֲבֹדַת מִשְׁכַּן אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ אֶת־מֹשֶׁה כֵּן עָשׂוּ׃
Looking at the chronology of the book of Exodus reveals a second answer. The first several chapters of the book follow a chronological sequence: the brothers die out, the Israelites are enslaved, Moshe is born and challenges Pharaoh with the plagues, the Israelites are freed and God splits the sea. Then there’s a slight echo with the story of Yitro. Does that story happen then or is it out of chronological order? The story continues with the giving of the Ten Commandments, then the chronology explodes. First the Torah lists the blueprint of the Mishkan followed by the sin of the Golden Calf, then the building of the Mishkan.
The narrative surrounding the Golden Calf in Exodus is framed as a literary chiasm, with themes before and after the sin mirroring each other. It begins with Moses ascending Sinai to receive the tablets and God’s glory descending on the mountain (Exodus 24:12–18). This is followed by detailed blueprints for the Mishkan and a command to keep Shabbat (chapters 25–31), culminating in the giving of the first tablets (31:18). At the center lies the rupture: the people make the Golden Calf and proclaim, “This is your god, O Israel” (32:1–6). Moses intercedes for the people (32:7–14), descends, breaks the tablets, and destroys the calf (32:15–20). The Levites purge the camp (32:21–29), and Moses prays again, after which a plague strikes (32:30–35).
From this point, the narrative reverses and begins to repair what was broken. The people remove their ornaments, and God promises an angel will lead them (33:1–6). The Tent of Meeting is placed outside the camp, signaling separation yet renewed dialogue (33:7–11). Moses pleads for God’s Presence and asks to see His glory (33:12–23). God responds by granting new tablets and revealing the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy (34:1–9), followed by covenant renewal laws that emphasize destroying idols, observing festivals, and keeping Shabbat (34:10–28). Moses descends again, this time with a radiant face (34:29–35). Finally, the Mishkan is constructed according to the original plan, bracketed once more by Shabbat laws (35–39), and the book closes with God’s glory filling the Mishkan (40:34–38), echoing the initial theophany at Sinai.
When looking at the chronology it seems like the Torah is written in a form-follows-content manner. The sin of the Golden Calf was so earth-shattering that it literally shakes up the sequence of the Torah. Picture the story of the Golden Calf as a stone dropping in the lake with ripples shaking all around. That is why the story is surrounded by the building of the Mishkan. Another possible answer is that the Mishkan was built as a direct result of the Golden Calf. It was God’s way to protect the people from their idolatrous inclinations. Therefore, the Mishkan story surrounds the story of the Golden Calf, insulating it on all ends.
