Exodus 31

God names the craftsmen who will build the Tabernacle and fills them with His Spirit for the work. Then He ends His instructions by stressing the Sabbath as a lasting sign that He is the One who makes His people holy. Moses receives the two stone tablets from God’s own hand.

Exodus 31:1-2

God now speaks about the people who will build, not just the building. Bezalel is chosen personally, called by name, from the tribe of Judah. Skilled work for God begins with God’s own calling, not with human ambition.

BSA: called (“chosen, summoned”): Bezalel’s work is a summons from God, not a job he simply picked for himself. Bezalel (“in the shadow of God”): His very name pictures a man who works under God’s covering protection.

See also: Isaiah 43:1.

Exodus 31:3

God fills Bezalel with His Spirit. The gift is not only spiritual in a narrow sense: it shows up as skill, ability and knowledge in practical crafts. Artistry and manual work can be Spirit-given and holy.

BSA: filled (“completely empowered, made full”): Bezalel is not given a little help; he is thoroughly equipped by God’s Spirit for the task. skill (“wisdom, expertise”): The word is the ordinary word for wisdom, showing that craft done well is a kind of God-given wisdom.

Hebrew: חָכְמָה (ḥokhmāh, H2451) — “wisdom, skill.” The Hebrew word for wisdom is also used for skilled handwork. Wisdom here is practical, the know-how to do a thing well for God.

See also: Exodus 35:30-35.

Exodus 31:4-5

Bezalel’s abilities are listed: designing in precious metals, cutting and setting stones, and carving wood. God does not despise material things. He uses gold, stone and timber to make a place where He will meet His people.

BSA: design (“devise cunningly, produce skillful”): Bezalel is a thinker and planner as well as a maker, creating original designs. master (“skilled craftsman, to work in all manner of workmanship”): God’s gift makes him able in every kind of work the Tabernacle needs.

Exodus 31:6

Oholiab of Dan is added as Bezalel’s helper. Notice the two tribes: Judah was a leading tribe and Dan one of the lesser. God gives skill to all the craftsmen too. Many gifted hands are needed, and each gift comes from Him.

BSA: assistant (“helper, partner”): Oholiab works alongside Bezalel as a true partner, not merely a servant. given (“bestowed, granted”): The skill of every craftsman is a gift, not just something they earned.

Exodus 31:7-11

God lists everything to be made: the Tent, the ark with its mercy seat, the table, lampstand, altars, basin, priestly garments, anointing oil and incense. Nothing is left to human invention. The whole worship place is built just as He commanded.

BSA: mercy seat (“atonement cover, lid”): The ark’s lid was where blood was sprinkled to cover sin, the center of God’s meeting with His people. holy (“sacred, set-apart”): The priestly garments were set apart for God’s service, not for ordinary wear.

See also: Exodus 25:8-9; Hebrews 8:5.

Exodus 31:12-13

After the building plans, God turns to the Sabbath. It is a sign between Him and Israel, lasting through the generations. Its purpose is that they may know He is the LORD who makes them holy. Holiness is His work in them, not their own achievement.

BSA: sign (“miraculous token, beacon”): The Sabbath works like a visible marker announcing that Israel belongs to God. sanctifies (“sets apart, consecrates”): God Himself is the one setting His people apart for Himself.

Hebrew: מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם (məqaddishkem, H6942) — “the one making you holy.” It is an ongoing action: God keeps making His people holy. Resting on the Sabbath means leaning on Him rather than on their own labor.

See also: Ezekiel 20:12.

Exodus 31:14-15

The Sabbath is holy, and treating it lightly was a grave matter in Israel’s covenant life, carrying the heaviest penalty. Six days are for work, the seventh for complete rest. The seriousness shows how much God valued this gift of rest for His people.

BSA: profanes (“treats irreverently, desecrates”): To profane is to treat as common what God has declared holy. complete rest (“cessation from work, stillness”): This is a full stopping of labor, not just a lighter day.

Hebrew: שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן (shabbat shabbāton, H7676) — “a Sabbath of solemn rest.” Repeating the word makes it very strong, like saying ‘a rest of all rests’. It is a total, deliberate stop.

See also: Exodus 20:8-11.

Exodus 31:16

Keeping the Sabbath is called a lasting covenant. It was part of the agreement between God and Israel, handed down from one generation to the next. Rest was a regular way to remember whose people they were.

BSA: covenant (“agreement, promise”): The Sabbath is not a mere custom but a pledge of relationship with God. permanent (“everlasting, perpetual”): It was meant to last throughout Israel’s generations, not just for one season.

Exodus 31:17

The Sabbath points back to creation: God made heaven and earth in six days and rested on the seventh. Resting each week lets Israel share in the rhythm of the Creator. The verse says He was refreshed, a tender picture of God taking delight in finished work.

BSA: refreshed (“renewed, rejuvenated, breathed anew”): The word suggests drawing breath, a vivid way to describe God’s satisfied rest.

Hebrew: וַיִּנָּפַשׁ (wayyinnāfash, H5314) — “and He was refreshed.” It comes from the word for ‘soul’ or ‘breath’. It pictures catching one’s breath after a work well done.

See also: Genesis 2:2-3.

Exodus 31:18

The long meeting on Sinai ends as God gives Moses the two stone tablets of the Testimony, written by the finger of God. The law is not Moses’s invention. It comes directly from God’s own hand, a lasting witness to His covenant.

BSA: Testimony (“God’s witness, covenant instructions”): The tablets stand as God’s own witness to what He asks of His people. inscribed (“written, engraved”): The words were cut into stone, signaling that they were lasting and fixed.

See also: Deuteronomy 9:10; 2 Corinthians 3:3.