Chapter Thirty-One

1–11. The appointment of the ministers of the tabernacle. 12–18. Repetition of the law concerning the observance of the Sabbath and delivery to Moses of the tablets.

Exodus 31:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Exodus 31:2. See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; Exodus 31:3. and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability, intelligence, knowledge, and all kinds of craftsmanship, Exodus 31:4. to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, Exodus 31:5. in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for every kind of craft. Exodus 31:6. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have given ability to all able-minded men, so that they may make all that I have commanded you: Exodus 31:7. the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, Exodus 31:8. the table and its furnishings, and the pure gold lampstand and all its furnishings, and the altar of incense, Exodus 31:9. and the altar of burnt offering and all its furnishings, and the basin and its stand, Exodus 31:10. and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, Exodus 31:11. and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the sanctuary: they shall make all of these according to all that I have commanded you. The work of arranging the tabernacle according to the plan shown to Moses was to be accomplished by builders appointed by God Himself. That Oholiab was only an assistant (Exod 31:6) to Bezalel is evident not only from the fact that Bezalel is placed first, but also from the fact that special gifts of God are attributed to him (Exod 31:3-4). The same is evident from the mention in other places (Exod 37:1) of him alone. In the enumeration of the objects that were to be made by the builders of the tabernacle (Exod 31:7-11), Aaron’s garments are given the special name “seradi,” the meaning of which is unclear. On the basis of Exod 35:19 and Exod 39:41 it is possible to think that the garments are named for service, that is, intended for use when performing priestly duties.

Exodus 31:12. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Exodus 31:13. “You shall speak to the people of Israel and say: Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. Exodus 31:14. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Exodus 31:15. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. Exodus 31:16. Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. Exodus 31:17. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed. The immutability of the Sabbath rest. Since the commandment about the Sabbath is repeated for the entire people of Israel, it cannot be thought that the repetition was needed to prevent the builders of the tabernacle from doing work on the Sabbath. The purpose of the reminder about the Sabbath rest is different. The sanctuary, whose arrangement was discussed, is designated for serving God. The essence of this service consists in a constant confession of God’s dominion by word and deed. Its expression is found, among other things, in observing the Sabbath rest. The use of the word “Sabbath” in the plural gives full right to assert that the speech is not about one seventh day, but also about other days of rest from work. Observance of this command is “a sign between God and the Hebrews,” testifying to the faithfulness of the people to their Lord and to their separation from among the other peoples. Non-fulfillment of the commandment about Sabbath rest is equivalent to a conscious denial of the dominion of the Most High and therefore must have as its consequence the removal of the denier from among the people of God (Num 15:34-35).

Exodus 31:18. And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. Proclaimed in the hearing of all the people (Exod 20:17), the Ten Commandments were given by God Himself in writing on two stone tablets, inscribed on both sides (Exod 32:15). Judging by the fact that Moses carried the tablets in one hand and placed them in a comparatively small ark, it can be supposed that they were not of exceptional size.