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The Torah · Old Testament

Exodus 31

Craftsmen are appointed, Sabbath rest is commanded and the tablets are given

General context

The Lord names Bezalel, son of Uri and grandson of Hur from Judah, for the sanctuary work. He is filled with God's spirit in wisdom, understanding, knowledge and craftsmanship, including metalwork, stone setting and wood carving. Oholiab, son of Ahisamach from Dan, is appointed with him, and wisdom is given to other skilled workers. Their task includes the tent, ark, furnishings, altars, basin, priestly clothing, oil and incense, all according to the commands already given. The Lord then tells Moses to require Sabbath observance as a sign between himself and Israel across generations. Six days allow work, while the seventh is holy rest. The text prescribes death and being cut off for violation and calls Sabbath observance a perpetual covenant. It connects the sign with the Lord's six days of creation and seventh-day rest. The chapter ends the mountain discourse by reporting that God gives Moses two stone tablets of testimony, written with the finger of God.

Cited passages: Exodus 31:1, Exodus 31:2, Exodus 31:3, Exodus 31:4, Exodus 31:5, Exodus 31:6, Exodus 31:7, Exodus 31:8, Exodus 31:9, Exodus 31:10, Exodus 31:11, Exodus 31:12, Exodus 31:13, Exodus 31:14, Exodus 31:15, Exodus 31:16, Exodus 31:17, Exodus 31:18

Exodus 31 (KJV)

1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

2See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

3And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

4To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

5And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

6And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;

7The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,

8And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,

9And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,

10And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office,

11And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.

12And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

13Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.

14Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

15Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

16Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

17It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

18And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The named craftsmen are distinguished by family and tribe: Bezalel belongs to Judah and Oholiab to Dan. Their names appear as Bezaleel and Aholiab in the King James text and Bezalel and Oholiab in the American Standard Version. The passage also credits unnamed wise-hearted workers with wisdom; it does not limit all the work to two people. The Sabbath sign is explicitly addressed to Israel and includes severe penalties, which this guide reports without turning them into instructions for present-day enforcement. The closing verse states that the tablets are stone and attributes their writing to God. It supplies no dimensions or illustration of the divine finger.

Cited passages: Exodus 31:2, Exodus 31:3, Exodus 31:4, Exodus 31:5, Exodus 31:6, Exodus 31:7, Exodus 31:8, Exodus 31:9, Exodus 31:10, Exodus 31:11, Exodus 31:13, Exodus 31:14, Exodus 31:15, Exodus 31:16, Exodus 31:17, Exodus 31:18

Literary context

The appointment of skilled people follows the long series of specifications by identifying who is to carry them out. The list of their assignments gathers the different sanctuary instructions into one commission. The Sabbath command then places a limit on work alongside the emphasis on ability to work. Its repeated language of sign, holiness and generations identifies the observance with Israel's relationship to the Lord. The final sentence changes from commands about future work to a narrated gift: Moses receives the written tablets at the close of the divine speech.

Cited passages: Exodus 31:2, Exodus 31:3, Exodus 31:4, Exodus 31:5, Exodus 31:6, Exodus 31:7, Exodus 31:8, Exodus 31:9, Exodus 31:10, Exodus 31:11, Exodus 31:13, Exodus 31:14, Exodus 31:15, Exodus 31:16, Exodus 31:17, Exodus 31:18

Key moments

  1. Bezalel is called by name (Exodus 31:2). The Lord identifies Bezalel through his father Uri, grandfather Hur and tribe Judah.
  2. Oholiab and other skilled workers are included (Exodus 31:6). The Lord appoints Oholiab with Bezalel and gives wisdom to the wise-hearted workers.
  3. The Sabbath is named as a sign (Exodus 31:13). The Lord calls Sabbath observance a sign between himself and Israel through their generations.
  4. Moses receives the stone tablets (Exodus 31:18). At the end of the mountain discourse, God gives Moses two tablets of testimony written with the finger of God.

For reflection

How does placing Sabbath rest after the appointment of skilled workers shape the chapter's account of service?

People in this chapter

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