Exodus 31

KJV · Chapter 31/40

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.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

God appoints Bezalel and Aholiab, craftsmen filled with the Spirit of God, to lead the construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings; the importance of the Sabbath is reaffirmed, and Moses receives the two stone tablets written by God's own finger.

Explanation

This chapter highlights something remarkable: the artistic and technical skill of Bezalel and Aholiab is described as a direct gift of the Spirit of God, showing that creative excellence in craftsmanship and artistry is also a legitimate and valued form of spiritual service, not something separate from faith. This is one of the earliest explicit biblical mentions of the 'Spirit of God' equipping someone for a specific task, broadening our understanding of how God equips different people with varied gifts to fulfill his collective purposes. The renewed emphasis on the Sabbath, right after the extensive instructions for building the tabernacle, serves as a reminder that even the most sacred work should not override the rhythm of rest God established at creation. The chapter closes with the solemn handing over of the stone tablets 'written with the finger of God' (v. 18), a symbolic milestone of the direct, divine authority of the Law that Moses was about to bring to the people — though, as the next chapter will reveal, this handover would tragically coincide with the people's worst moment of unfaithfulness so far.

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