Exodus 31:14

14 And ye shall keep the sabbaths, because this is holy to the Lord for you; he that profanes it shall surely be put to death: every one who shall do a work on it, that soul shall be destroyed from the midst of his people.

Exodus 31:14 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 31:14

Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore
Strictly observe it, according to the rules given concerning it:

for it is holy unto you;
a day that was set apart of God for holy exercises, peculiarly on their account:

everyone that defileth it;
by doing any servile work upon it, or not observing it in a religious way;

shall surely be put to death;
by the hand of the civil magistrate; if the law of the Jewish sabbath is now in force, the sanction continues, and the violation of it ought to be punished by a judge with death:

for whosoever doeth any work therein;
so much as to kindle a fire, and dress any food, by boiling or roasting, or any other way:

that soul shall be cut off from among his people;
that is, shall die by the hand of the civil magistrate, it being but another phrase for being put to death; though the Jewish writers, particularly Jarchi, understand the former phrase, "put to death", as to be done by a civil magistrate, when there are witnesses and full proof of the case; but this of "cutting off" by the hand of God, by immediate punishment from heaven, when it was done secretly, and there was no proof to be made of it.

Exodus 31:14 In-Context

12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

13 Do thou also charge the children of Israel, saying, Take heed and keep my sabbaths; they are a sign with me and among you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord that sanctifies you.

14 And ye shall keep the sabbaths, because this is holy to the Lord for you; he that profanes it shall surely be put to death: every one who shall do a work on it, that soul shall be destroyed from the midst of his people.

15 Six days thou shalt do works, but the seventh day is the sabbath, a holy rest to the Lord; every one who shall do a work on the seventh day shall be put to death.

16 And the children of Israel shall keep the sabbaths, to observe them throughout their generations.