Tanakhתנ״ך

Women's Jewelry as Sacred Offerings

This passage from Exodus describes the women of Israel bringing their most precious jewelry—rings, earrings, and ornaments—as voluntary contributions to the Mishkan, illustrating the sacred value and centrality of women's adornments in Jewish tradition.

כֹּל נְדִיב לֵב הֵבִיאוּ חָח וָנֶזֶם וְטַבַּעַת

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Source 1 · Tanach
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Exodus 35:22

Exodus 35:22

The verse describes the women bringing their jewelry — nose rings, earrings, signet rings, and pendants — as voluntary offerings for the Mishkan, demonstrating that a woman's jewelry is among her most precious and sacred possessions.

וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים עַל־הַנָּשִׁ֑ים כֹּ֣ל ׀ נְדִ֣יב לֵ֗ב הֵ֠בִ֠יאוּ חָ֣ח וָנֶ֜זֶם וְטַבַּ֤עַת וְכוּמָז֙ כׇּל־כְּלִ֣י זָהָ֔ב וְכׇל־אִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵנִ֛יף תְּנוּפַ֥ת זָהָ֖ב לַיהֹוָֽה׃

Men and women, all whose hearts moved them, all who would make an elevation offering of gold to GOD, came bringing brooches, earrings, rings, and pendants—gold objects of all kinds.

Why it matters — The willingness of women to donate their most intimate possessions (jewelry) for the holy Mishkan underscores the deep personal and quasi-sacred significance of women's adornments in the Torah.