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Exodus Chapter
Thirty-one
New King James Version
(NKJV)
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, Exodus 31:1 and an
enumeration is made of the several things that were to be wrought, some in one
way, some in another, Exodus 31:7 the law
of the sabbath is repeated, and the violation of it made death, Exodus 31:12 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, Exodus 31:18.
Exodus 31:1 Then the Lord spoke to
Moses, saying:
YLT 1And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
And the Lord
spake unto Moses,.... After the Lord had given Moses instructions about building a
tabernacle, the model of which he had shown him, and what should be the
furniture of it, who should minister in it, and what clothes they should wear,
he acquaints him that he had provided artificers for this service; which would
prevent doubts and objections that might rise up in the mind of Moses, how and
by whom all this should be done; since the children of Israel had not been
brought up, nor used to any curious work in Egypt, out of which they were but
just come:
saying; as follows:
Exodus 31:2 2 “See,
I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of
Judah.
YLT 2`See, I have called by name Bezaleel, son of
Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,
See, I have
called by name Bezaleel,.... Had pitched upon, chosen, and distinguished him particularly
from all other men to be the architect or chief master builder of the
tabernacle, and to be the director and overseer of the whole work relating to
it: the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it,""I have
called with a good name Bezaleel";'as if respect was to be had to his name
Bezaleel, as given him by God, and very expressive and significant; whereas the
phrase of calling "by name" does not signify the imposing of a name
upon him, but the singular and personal choice of him to an office: indeed, his
name Bezaleel is very significant, and may be rendered, "in the shadow of
God"; and he was under the shadow, influence, and protection of the Lord,
and was called to be concerned in making those things, which were shadows of
good things to come; and he may be considered in all as a type of Christ, who
is the chief and master builder of his church, has the care and oversight of
it, and under whom others work; for except he built the house, they labour in
vain that build it; he was called by name, or eminently chosen to this work, he
took not this honour to himself, but was called of God, as Bezaleel was, and
was hid and abode under the shadow of the Almighty all the while he was
concerned in it, see Psalm 91:1.
the son of Uri,
the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; Bezaleel's father's name
was Uri, which signifies, "my light"; and his grandfather's name Hur,
which has the signification of liberty or freedom; the same that Moses left
with Aaron to judge the people of Israel during his stay in the mount, and is
thought to have been the husband of Miriam; so that his grandfather being
living, he may be supposed to be but a young man: the Jews sayF14Shalshalet
Hakabala, fol. 6. 2. he was but thirteen years of age when he was employed in
this service, but that is not probable; though indeed his antitype, when but
twelve years of age, said, "wist ye not that I must be about my Father's
business?" his Father, whom he calls Uri, my light, Psalm 27:1 he being
the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person; and
is the Son of God that makes men free, and they are free indeed; and of whom it
is evident that he sprung out of the tribe of Judah, a tribe greatly honoured
of God.
Exodus 31:3 3 And
I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in
knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
YLT 3and I fill him [with] the Spirit of God, in
wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all work,
And I have
filled him with the Spirit of God,.... Not with the special
graces of the Spirit, or with spiritual gifts fitting for spiritual service in
the knowledge of spiritual things, and the instruction of men in them, though,
no doubt, he might have them; but with the gifts of ingenuity and skill in
manual arts, and mechanical operations, as follows:
in wisdom, and
in understanding, and in all manner of workmanship; these explain
what is meant by the Spirit of God he was filled with; namely, with a
sufficient measure of natural wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in all sorts
of workmanship hereafter mentioned, to qualify him for his office as a director
therein; that is, he had such a share of knowledge of what was to be wrought,
such wisdom and understanding in the ingenious and curious manner of working
them, that though he did not work with his own hands, yet could teach, guide,
and direct others how to do them: and this was not an ordinary but an
extraordinary gift of knowledge of these things; nor was it owing to a fruitful
invention, nor to long study and contrivance; but it was by the immediate
inspiration of the Spirit of God, which was necessary at this time, the
Israelites being now in a general state of ignorance of all ingenious arts and
sciences, having lived so many years in a state of servitude, and scarce knew
anything but making of bricks: and it may be observed, that God never calls any
to any work or service of his but he qualifies for it: in all this Bezaleel was
a type of Christ, who was filled with the Holy Spirit without measure; and on
whom rested the spirit of wisdom and of counsel, and in whom are hid all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge; and who, as God's righteous and faithful
servant as Mediator, dealt wisely and prudently in all his administrations.
Exodus 31:4 4 to
design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze,
YLT 4to devise devices to work in gold, and in
silver, and in brass,
To devise
cunning works,.... To invent, contrive, and draw patterns, for the weavers
particularly, for the making of the curtains of the tabernacle, the vail of the
most holy place, the ephod, and the curious girdle of it, which were made of
cunning work, curiously wrought by the weaver; and so Jarchi interprets this of
the weaving of the work of Chosheb, or cunning work, of the devising of cunning
works, or of the knowledge of witty inventions, by Wisdom or the Messiah, see Proverbs 8:12.
to work in
gold, and in silver, and in brass; for it is not to be
supposed there were either goldsmiths or brasiers among the Israelites; only
masons and bricklayers, and brickmakers, and such sort of manufacturers; so
that Bezaleel had need of immediate wisdom from the Spirit of God, not only to
devise curious works in these several things as in others, but to teach men how
to work in them, what tools to work with, and how to use them, how to melt
these several metals, and into what forms and shapes to put them, and then to
polish them; as there were some things in the temple to be made of gold, as the
candlestick, others of silver, as the sockets of the tabernacle, and others of
brass, as the altar of burnt offering, and its vessels, with other things.
Exodus 31:5 5 in
cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of
workmanship.
YLT 5and in graving of stone for settings, and in
graving of wood to work in all work.
And in cutting
of stones to set them,.... Not of marble stones, or of any common stones used in
building, and the cutting and hewing of them to be laid therein, for of those
there was no use in the tabernacle; but of precious stones, and the cutting of
them, and setting of them in their ouches or enclosures, as the onyx stones on
the shoulders of the high priest, and the twelve precious stones in his
breastplate: Bezaleel was taught by the Spirit of God the art of jewelling, and
instructed others in it:
and in carving
of timber; or rather, "in cutting timber"F15בהרשת עץ "in fabrefactione
ligni", Montanus; so Tigurine version. ; for it is the same word as
before, for we have no account of any carved work in the tabernacle; and
therefore this must design the work of carpenters and joiners in cutting the
shittim wood, making planks and boards of it, and of them the sides of the
tabernacle, jointed into sockets; the ark of the testimony, the shewbread
table, and altar of incense, which were of timber, and the workmanship of such
persons:
to work in all
manner of workmanship; in all other manufactories; as spinning, weaving, embroidery,
dying various colours, compounding ointment, perfume, &c.
Exodus 31:6 6 “And
I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe
of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that
they may make all that I have commanded you:
YLT 6`And I, lo, I have given with him Aholiab,
son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and in the heart of every wise-hearted
one I have given wisdom, and they have made all that which I have commanded
thee.
And I, behold,
I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan,.... To be a
partner with him, and to assist in the direction and oversight of the work of
the tabernacle; which was done that there might appear to be a sufficiency in
the direction, and that too much honour might not be given to one tribe; and it
is observable, that as Solomon of the tribe of Judah was the builder of the
temple, one of the tribe of Dan also was a principal artificer in it, 2 Chronicles 2:14
and it is no unusual thing for two persons to be joined together in matters of
moment and importance, as Moses and Aaron, who were sent to Pharaoh for
Israel's dismission out of the land of Egypt; the apostles of Christ, and
seventy disciples, who were sent out two by two; the two witnesses prophesying
in sackcloth, the two anointed ones standing before the Lord of the whole
earth; and Joshua and Zerubbabel in the rebuilding of the temple: nor is it
unusual for both such persons to be types of Christ, as Moses and Aaron, Joshua
and Zerubbabel, were; and here Bezaleel, as before, and now Aholiab, whose name
signifies "the Father's tent" or "tabernacle"; he being
concerned in the oversight of the tabernacle of God and the building of it, and
his father's name Ahisamach, according to HillerusF16Onomast. Sacr.
p. 735. , signifies, "one supports", i.e. God; and may be a figure of
Christ, whose human nature is the true tabernacle God pitched, and not man, and
who, as Mediator, is Jehovah's servant, whom he upholds:
and in the
hearts of all that are wise hearted; men of ingenuity, that
had good natural parts and abilities, and minds disposed to curious works, and
able to perform them, under the guidance and direction of others:
I have put
wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; in the
preceding chapters; these persons were to work under Bezaleel and Aholiab, and
to do as they were ordered and directed by them; and having good natural
abilities, mechanical heads and hearts, and divine wisdom in a large measure
communicated to them, they were greatly qualified for the service of the
tabernacle, and making all things appertaining to it: thus Christ, the
architect and master builder of his church, has wise builders under him, that
work in his house, being qualified with the gifts and graces of his Spirit from
him, see Zechariah 6:12.
Exodus 31:7 7 the
tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is
on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle—
YLT 7`The tent of meeting, and the ark of
testimony, and the mercy-seat which [is] on it, and all the vessels of the
tent,
The tabernacle
of the congregation,.... That is, they had wisdom given to make that according to the
pattern showed to Moses, and under the direction of the two above persons, to
whom Moses communicated it; and from henceforward, in this and some following
verses, mention is made of the various things wrought by these subordinate
workmen; first the house, and then the furniture of it, as follows:
and the ark of
the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of
the tabernacle; of that part of it called the holy of holies; the furniture of
which was only the ark, the mercy seat over that, and the cherubim
overshadowing that, where was the seat of the divine Majesty; this was properly
his apartment, see Exodus 25:10.
Exodus 31:8 8 the
table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils,
the altar of incense,
YLT 8and the table and its vessels, and the pure
candlestick and all its vessels, and the altar of the perfume,
And the table
and his furniture,.... The shewbread table, with its dishes, spoons, and bowls, Exodus 25:23.
and the pure
candlestick with all his furniture; called "pure",
because made of pure gold, and was to be kept pure and clean by the priests,
and in which pure oil olive was burnt, and gave a clear light; its furniture
were its lamps, tongs, and snuff dishes, Exodus 25:31.
and the altar
of incense: made of shittim wood covered with gold, Exodus 30:1.
Exodus 31:9 9 the
altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base—
YLT 9and the altar of the burnt-offering and all
its vessels, and the laver and its base,
And the altar
of burnt offering with all his furniture,.... Which was made of
shittim wood covered with brass; its furniture were its pans, shovels, basins,
&c. Exodus 27:1.
and the laver
and his foot; for the priests to wash their hands and feet at, Exodus 30:18.
Exodus 31:10 10 the
garments of ministry,[a] the holy
garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as
priests,
YLT 10and the coloured garments, and the holy garments
for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for acting as priests in;
And the clothes
of service,.... Either those the priests ministered in in the time of
service, and which they never wore but when in it, and so might with propriety
be so called, and what they were the following words explain; or else these
were clothes of blue, purple, and scarlet, and coverings of badgers' skins, in
which the ark, the shewbread table, the candlestick, and the golden altar, and
other instruments of the tabernacle were wrapped, as Aben Ezra observes, when
the Israelites journeyed in the wilderness, see Numbers 4:5.
and the holy
garments for Aaron the priest; the breastplate, ephod, and robe, the
broidered coat, mitre, and girdle, Exodus 28:4.
and the
garments of his sons to minister in the priest's office; the bonnets,
coats, girdles, and breeches, Exodus 28:40.
Exodus 31:11 11 and
the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place. According to all
that I have commanded you they shall do.”
YLT 11and the anointing oil, and the perfume of the
spices for the sanctuary; according to all that I have commanded thee -- they
do.'
And the
anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place,.... Of the
composition of both which, see Exodus 30:23.
according to
all that I have commanded thee shall they do: not only make all the
said things, but make them exactly according to the form and pattern given to
Moses, communicated to Bezaleel and Aholiab, whose business it was to see that
all things were done by the workmen agreeably to it.
Exodus 31:12 12 And
the Lord
spoke to Moses, saying,
YLT 12And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
And the Lord
spake unto Moses,.... After he had described to him the place of worship, and
appointed the priests that should minister in it, and ordered the making of all
things appertaining to it, and the workmen that should be concerned therein, he
repeats the law of the sabbath, and puts in mind of the time of worship:
saying: as follows.
Exodus 31:13 13 “Speak
also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for
it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you
may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
YLT 13`And thou, speak unto the sons of Israel,
saying, Only, My sabbaths ye do keep, for it [is] a sign between Me and you, to
your generations, to know that I, Jehovah, am sanctifying you;
Speak thou also
unto the children of Israel,.... Notwithstanding all that has been said
and ordered concerning making the tabernacle and all things belonging to it;
yet this was not to be understood to the violation of the sabbath, or the neglect
of that, in which no work was to be done, no, not any relating to the
tabernacle and the vessels of it; and though that was to be made, and
everything belonging to it, as soon as possible, yet the sabbath was to be
observed, and not broken on that account; and this the people of Israel were
told of:
saying; verily, or
"nevertheless"F17אך
"veruntamen", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Fagius, Vatablus,
Drusius, Cartwright, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. :
my sabbaths ye
shall keep not sabbaths of years, as the seventh year and the fiftieth year,
but of weeks, expressed by the plural number, because there are many of them in
course throughout the year, no less than fifty two; and so the apostle uses the
same number, Colossians 2:16 and
so do Heathen writersF18"Metuentem sabbata" Juvenal.
Satyr. 14. :
for it is a
sign between me and you, throughout your generations; a token of
the covenant between them, of his being their God and they his people in a
peculiar sense; seeing they observed the same day as a day of rest now, on
which he had rested at the finishing of the works of creation, which other
nations of the world did not observe; of his sanctifying and separating them
from all other people; for this was not a sign between him and other nations,
but between him and the people of Israel only; and was to be observed
throughout their ages, as long as their civil and church state lasted, but not
through others:
that ye
may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you; had separated
and distinguished them from the rest of the nations of the world; but if this
law had been given to all nations, it could not have been a distinguishing sign
of them from others; nor could it be known hereby that God had separated them
to himself above all people; and this was done that it might be known, not only
by them, for the word "ye" is not in the text, but by others, the
nations of the world, as Jarchi; that they were a distinct people, having
distinct laws from all others, and particularly this.
Exodus 31:14 14 You
shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who
profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on
it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.
YLT 14and ye have kept the sabbath, for it [is]
holy to you, he who is polluting it is certainly put to death -- for any who
doeth work in it -- that person hath even been cut off from the midst of his people.
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 31:15 15 Work
shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy
to the Lord.
Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to
death.
YLT 15`Six days is work done, and in the seventh
day [is] a sabbath of holy rest to Jehovah; any who doeth work in the
sabbath-day is certainly put to death,
Six days may
work be done;.... Allowed to be done by an Israelite, if he would; for this is
not a command to work, but a permission or grant to do it; and therefore,
seeing they had so many days granted them for their use, it could not be
thought hard and unreasonable that God should claim one day in seven for his
own use and service, and oblige them to refrain from work on it:
but in the
seventh is the sabbath of rest; from worldly labour, and
was typical of spiritual rest here, and eternal rest hereafter:
holy to the
Lord; separated from other days, and entirely devoted to the worship
and service of God, and to be kept holy to the Lord in all holy and religious
exercises, as hearing and reading the word, praying, praising, &c.
whosoever doeth
any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death; the Targum of
Jonathan adds, by casting stones, and so we find that the first transgressor of
this law we read of was stoned to death, Numbers 15:35.
Exodus 31:16 16 Therefore
the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath
throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.
YLT 16and the sons of Israel have observed the
sabbath; to keep the sabbath to their generations [is] a covenant age-during,
Wherefore the
children of Israel shall keep the sabbath,.... On whom the sabbath
of the seventh day was only enjoined, as well as that of the seventh and of the
fiftieth years, being all ceremonial and shadowy:
to observe the
sabbath throughout their generations; so long as the Mosaic
dispensation lasted, and their civil polity and church state continued, even
until the Messiah came, when all those Jewish shadows, rites, and ceremonies,
fled away and disappeared:
for a perpetual
covenant; just in the same sense as circumcision was, Genesis 17:13.
Exodus 31:17 17 It
is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in
six days the Lord
made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was
refreshed.’”
YLT 17between Me and the sons of Israel it [is] a
sign -- to the age; for six days Jehovah made the heavens and the earth, and in
the seventh day He hath ceased, and is refreshed.'
It is a sign
between me and the children of Israel for ever,.... In like sense as the
land of Canaan was given them for an everlasting possession; and the covenant
of circumcision, and the ordinance of the passover, and the fast on the day of
atonement, were for ever; that is, unto the end of the Jewish world and state,
at the coming of Christ, when a new world and state of things began, see Genesis 17:8.
for in six days
the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was
refreshed; which is to be understood figuratively after the manner of men,
who ceasing from toil and labour find rest and refreshment; but not really and
properly, for as not labour, and weariness, and fatigue, so neither rest nor
refreshment can be properly said of God; but this denotes his cessation from
the works of creation, though not of providence, and of the delight and
pleasure he takes in a view of them; this is observed, not as the foundation of
this law, and the reason of its being made, but as an illustration of it, and
as an argument, showing the reasonableness of it, and the similarity of it with
what God himself had done, and therefore the enjoining of it could not
reasonably be objected to. See Gill on Exodus 20:11.
Exodus 31:18 18 And
when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two
tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
YLT 18And He giveth unto Moses, when He finisheth
speaking with him in mount Sinai, two tables of the testimony, tables of stone,
written by the finger of God.
And he gave
unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him on Mount Sinai,.... After all
those laws, orders, and instructions before related, which having done, he
ceased to converse with him any longer in that manner he had, and at parting
gave him
two tables of
testimony; the two tables of the law, which is a testimony of the will of
God, and contained the duty of the Israelites both towards God and man, and are
reducible to these two, love to God, and love to our neighbour: five of the
commands of the decalogue were written on one table, and five on the other; or
it may be rather four on one table, the first being the largest, and containing
the duty owing to God, and six on the other, which regard the duty of men one
to another; so Orpheus the Heathen poet, speaking of the law of Moses, calls it
διπλακα θεσμονF19De
Deo, "prope finem". . "Tables of stone"; the Targum of
Jonathan will have them to be of the sapphire stone, from the throne of glory;
the paraphrast seems to have respect to Exodus 24:10 and,
with as little appearance of truth, says their weight was forty seahs; it is
more probable they were of marble stone, of which there were great quantities
in Mount Sinai. Dr. Shaw saysF20Travels, p. 443. that part of Mount
Sinai, which lies to the westward of the plain of Rephidim, consists of a hard
reddish marble like "porphyry", but is distinguished from it by the
representations of little trees and bushes, which are dispersed all over it.
The naturalists call this sort of marble "embuscatum", or "bushy
marble"; some think Sinai had its name from thenceF21See
Buxtorf. in voce סנה. . This may denote the firmness,
stability, and duration of the law, not as in the hands of Moses, from which
these tables were cast and broke, but as in the hands of Christ, and laid up in
him the ark of the covenant, the fulfilling end of the law for righteousness:
and it may also figure the hardness of man's heart, which is destitute of
spiritual life, obdurate and impenitent, stupid, senseless and ignorant,
stubborn and inflexible, and not subject to the law of God, and on which no
impressions can be made but by the power and grace of God:
written with
the finger of God: by God himself, and not by an angel, or by any creature or
instrument: and it is by the finger of God, the Spirit, grace, and power of
God, that the laws of God are put into the inward part, and written on the
heart, to which the apostle refers, 2 Corinthians 3:3.
This account is given by way of transition to what is recorded in the next
chapter.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Exodus 31:10 Or
woven garments