Focused Passage

Exodus 31:12-18

The Craftsmen Called by the Spirit and the Sign of the Sabbath

The chapter opens with the LORD naming Bezalel and filling him with the Spirit for artistic and technical work, then adds Oholiab as his co-worker and extends skill to all gifted craftsmen. It then recapitulates the full scope of what is to be made. It closes by commanding Sabbath observance as a covenant sign and concludes with the LORD giving Moses the two stone tablets.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

12And the LORD said to Moses,

13“Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep My Sabbaths, for this will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

14Keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Anyone who profanes it must surely be put to death. Whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from among his people.

15For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death.

16The Israelites must keep the Sabbath, celebrating it as a permanent covenant for the generations to come.

17It is a sign between Me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”

18When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 12

Original words

And the LORDיְהוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularsaidוַיֹּ֥אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singulartoאֶל־H413PrepositionMosesמֹשֶׁ֥הH4872Noun - proper - masculine singular. . .לֵּאמֹֽר׃H559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 13

Original words

-וְאַתָּ֞הH859Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singularTellדַּבֵּ֨רH1696Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular. . .אֶל־H413Prepositionthe Israelitesבְּנֵ֤יH1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .יִשְׂרָאֵל֙H3478Noun - proper - masculine singular. . .לֵאמֹ֔רH559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructSurelyאַ֥ךְH389Adverb-אֶת־H853Direct object markeryou must keepתִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּH8104Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralMy Sabbathsשַׁבְּתֹתַ֖יH7676Noun - common plural construct | first person common singularforכִּי֩H3588Conjunctionthisהִ֜ואH1931Pronoun - third person feminine singularwill be a signא֨וֹתH226Noun - common singular constructbetween Meוּבֵֽינֵיכֶם֙H996Conjunctive waw | Preposition | second person masculine pluraland youבֵּינִ֤יH996Preposition | first person common singularfor the generations to comeלְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔םH1755Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine pluralso that you may knowלָדַ֕עַתH3045Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructthatכִּ֛יH3588ConjunctionIאֲנִ֥יH589Pronoun - first person common singularam the LORDיְהוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularwho sanctifies youמְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃H6942Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Verse 14

Original words

Keepוּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙H8104Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe Sabbathהַשַּׁבָּ֔תH7676Article | Noun - common singularforכִּ֛יH3588Conjunctionitהִ֖ואH1931Pronoun - third person feminine singularis holyקֹ֥דֶשׁH6944Noun - masculine singular constructto youלָכֶ֑םPreposition | second person masculine pluralAnyone who profanes itמְחַֽלְלֶ֙יהָ֙H2490Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singularmust surely be put to deathמ֣וֹתH4191Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute. . .יוּמָ֔תH4191Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular-כִּ֗יH3588ConjunctionWhoeverכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructdoesהָעֹשֶׂ֥הH6213Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularany workמְלָאכָ֔הH4399Noun - feminine singularon [that day]בָהּ֙Preposition | third person feminine singular-הַהִ֖ואH1931Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular-הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁH5315Article | Noun - feminine singularmust be cut offוְנִכְרְתָ֛הH3772Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singularfrom amongמִקֶּ֥רֶבH7130Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructhis peopleעַמֶּֽיהָ׃H5971Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 15

Original words

For sixשֵׁ֣שֶׁתH8337Number - masculine singular constructdaysיָמִים֮H3117Noun - masculine pluralworkמְלָאכָה֒H4399Noun - feminine singularmay be doneיֵעָשֶׂ֣הH6213Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularbut the seventhהַשְּׁבִיעִ֗יH7637Article | Number - ordinal masculine singulardayוּבַיּ֣וֹםH3117Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularis a Sabbathשַׁבַּ֧תH7676Noun - common singular constructof complete restשַׁבָּת֛וֹןH7677Noun - masculine singularholyקֹ֖דֶשׁH6944Noun - masculine singularto the LORDלַיהוָ֑הH3068Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singularWhoeverכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructdoesהָעֹשֶׂ֧הH6213Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular[any] workמְלָאכָ֛הH4399Noun - feminine singularon the Sabbathהַשַּׁבָּ֖תH7676Article | Noun - common singulardayבְּי֥וֹםH3117Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructmust surely be put to deathמ֥וֹתH4191Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute. . .יוּמָֽת׃H4191Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 16

Original words

The Israelitesבְנֵֽי־H1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markermust keepוְשָׁמְר֥וּH8104Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralthe Sabbathהַשַּׁבָּ֑תH7676Article | Noun - common singularcelebratingלַעֲשׂ֧וֹתH6213Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct-אֶת־H853Direct object markeritהַשַּׁבָּ֛תH7676Article | Noun - common singularas a permanentעוֹלָֽם׃H5769Noun - masculine singularcovenantבְּרִ֥יתH1285Noun - feminine singular constructfor the generations to comeלְדֹרֹתָ֖םH1755Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 17

Original words

Itהִ֖ואH1931Pronoun - third person feminine singularis a signא֥וֹתH226Noun - common singular constructbetween Meבֵּינִ֗יH996Preposition | first person common singular. . .וּבֵין֙H996Conjunctive waw | Prepositionand the Israelitesבְּנֵ֣יH1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularforeverלְעֹלָ֑םH5769Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularforכִּי־H3588Conjunctionin sixשֵׁ֣שֶׁתH8337Number - masculine singular constructdaysיָמִ֗יםH3117Noun - masculine pluralthe LORDיְהוָה֙H3068Noun - proper - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markermadeעָשָׂ֤הH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularthe heavensהַשָּׁמַ֣יִםH8064Article | Noun - masculine plural-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerand the earthהָאָ֔רֶץH776Article | Noun - feminine singularbut on the seventhהַשְּׁבִיעִ֔יH7637Article | Number - ordinal masculine singulardayוּבַיּוֹם֙H3117Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularHe restedשָׁבַ֖תH7673Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularand was refreshedוַיִּנָּפַֽשׁ׃סH5314Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 18

Original words

When [the LORD] had finishedכְּכַלֹּתוֹ֙H3615Preposition-k | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singularspeakingלְדַבֵּ֤רH1696Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructwith [Moses]אִתּוֹ֙H854Preposition | third person masculine singularon Mountבְּהַ֣רH2022Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructSinaiסִינַ֔יH5514Noun - proper - feminine singularHe gaveוַיִּתֵּ֣ןH5414Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular. . .אֶל־H413Preposition[him]מֹשֶׁ֗הH4872Noun - proper - masculine singularthe twoשְׁנֵ֖יH8147Number - masculine dual constructtabletsלֻחֹ֣תH3871Noun - masculine plural constructof the Testimonyהָעֵדֻ֑תH5715Article | Noun - feminine singulartabletsלֻחֹ֣תH3871Noun - masculine plural constructof stoneאֶ֔בֶןH68Noun - feminine singularinscribedכְּתֻבִ֖יםH3789Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine pluralby the fingerבְּאֶצְבַּ֥עH676Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructof Godאֱלֹהִֽים׃H430Noun - masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.