Exodus 31

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Behold, I have called by name Beseleel the son of Urias the son of Or, of the tribe of Juda.

3 And I have filled him a divine spirit of wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, to invent in every work,

4 and to frame works, to labour in gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and spun scarlet,

5 and works in stone, and for artificers' work in wood, to work at all works.

6 And I have appointed him and Eliab the of Achisamach of the tribe of Dan, and to every one understanding in heart I have given understanding; and they shall make all things as many as I have appointed thee, —

7 the tabernacle of witness, and the ark of the covenant, and the propitiatory that is upon it, and the furniture of the tabernacle,

8 and the altars, and the table and all its furniture,

9 and the pure candlestick and all its furniture, and the laver and its base,

10 and Aaron's robes of ministry, and the robes of his sons to minister to me as priests,

11 and the anointing oil and the compound incense of the sanctuary; according to all that I have commanded thee shall they make them.

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.

17 It is a perpetual covenant with me and the children of Israel, it is a perpetual sign with me; for in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, and on the seventh day he ceased, and rested.

18 And he gave to Moses when he left off speaking to him in mount Sina the two tables of testimony, tables of stone written with the finger of God.

Exodus 31 Commentary

Chapter 31

Bezaleel and Aholiab are appointed and qualified for the work of the tabernacle. (1-11) The observance of the sabbath. (12-17) Moses receives the tables of the law. (18)

Verses 1-11 The Israelites, who had been masons and bricklayers in Egypt, were not qualified for curious workmanship; but the Spirit who gave the apostles utterance in divers tongues, miraculously gave Bezaleel and Aholiab the skill that was wanting. The honour which comes from God, is always attended with a work to be done; to be employed for God is high honour. Those whom God calls to any service, he will find or make fit for it. The Lord gives different gifts to different persons; let each mind his proper work, diligently remembering that whatever wisdom any one possesses, the Lord put it in the heart, to do his commandments.

Verses 12-17 Orders were now given that a tabernacle should be set up for the service of God. But they must not think that the nature of the work, and the haste that was required, would justify them in working at it on sabbath days. The Hebrew word /shabath/ signifies rest, or ceasing from labour. The thing signified by the sabbath is that rest in glory which remains for the people of God; therefore the moral obligation of the sabbath must continue, till time is swallowed up in eternity.

Verse 18 The law was written in tables of stone, to show how lasting it is: to denote likewise the hardness of our hearts; one might more easily write on stone, than write any thing good on our corrupt natural hearts. It was written with the finger of God; by his will and power. God only can write his law in the heart: he gives a heart of flesh; then, by his Spirit, which is the ( 2 Corinthians. 3:3 )

Footnotes

• [a]. given.
• [b]. work in, or at. One reading is p???s??s?.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 31

In this chapter an account is given of the persons whom God had chosen, and qualified for the work of building the tabernacle, and all things relating to it, and for the direction and oversight thereof, Ex 31:1-6 and an enumeration is made of the several things that were to be wrought, some in one way, some in another, Ex 31:7-11 the law of the sabbath is repeated, and the violation of it made death, Ex 31:12-17 and the chapter is concluded with observing, that at the close of the above orders, two tables of stone, with the law written upon them by the finger of God, were given to Moses, Ex 31:18.