They shall receive refers to “the craftsmen” mentioned in verse 3. Receive may mean that they are to receive the materials directly from the people, but the word basically means “to take.” Here it probably means “use,” as Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, and others translate it. Gold probably refers to “gold thread” (Good News Translation). (See 39.3.) Blue and purple and scarlet stuff refers to the same material used in the tabernacle fabric (26.1). These colors are discussed at 25.4, along with the improbability of making linen out of wool. Stuff is added since it is not in the text. New Revised Standard Version has changed it to “yarns,” and Good News Translation has “wool,” but see the discussion at 25.4. Fine twined linen in this verse is just one word in the Hebrew, so it should be translated simply as “fine linen” as in 25.4. However, the word “twisted” should be added in verse 6, as in New Revised Standard Version.

A possible alternative translation model for this verse is:

• The craftsmen must use only gold thread, along with blue, purple, and scarlet thread to weave fine linen cloth.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .