Exodus
Chapter 31
Artisans of the Sanctuary
The Lord spoke to Moses and said:
“See, I have chosen Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, skill, and ability for every kind of craft:
for the art of designing and working in gold and silver and bronze;
for cutting stones to be set, for carving in wood, for every kind of craft.
Here and now I give him a partner, Oholiab son of Ahisamach, one of the tribes of Dan; and to all the men that have a skill I have given more, for them to carry out all that I have commanded you:
the Tent of Meeting; the Ark of Covenant and the mercy Seat that is on top of the ark,
and all the furniture of the Holy Tent; the table and its furnishings; the pure lampstand and all its accessories; the altar of incense;
the altar of burnt offering with all its furnishings; the basin with its stand;
the beautiful priestly vestments, that is, the sacred vestment of Aaron, the priest and the vestments of his sons, for the priestly functions;
the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the sanctuary. They are to do exactly as I have directed you.”
The Sabbath Rest
The Lord said to Moses:
“Speak to the people of Israel and say: ‘You shall keep my Sabbaths carefully because the Sabbath is a sign between me and you from generation to generation to show that it is I, the Lord, who has made you my own people.
You must keep the Sabbath; it is to be held sacred by you. Whoever does not keep it but works on that day must be put to death.
Work is to be done for six days, but the seventh day must be a day of complete rest, consecrated to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.
The people of Israel are to keep the Sabbath, observing it from generation to generation: this is a lasting covenant.
Between myself and the people of Israel, the Sabbath is a sign forever, since in six days the Lord made the heavens and earth, but on the seventh day he rested and drew breath.’”
When the Lord had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.
Commentaries
Artisans of the Sanctuary.
To provide the sacred enhancement corresponding to the Sanctuary as the site of divine presence, the importance of divine selection of craftsmen with extraordinary abilities to carry out their work is established (3.6b). In ancient Canaan, the construction of the temple of Baal was overseen by the god of craftsmen. This illustrates how the priestly tradition (P) includes the construction of the temple and the cultic institutions of divine authority, from which orders are issued either directly or indirectly. We understand that this tradition (P) links the creation of the world with the building of the “portable” Sanctuary in the desert and the eventual establishment of the temple in the Promised Land. This reinforces the theological belief in God’s enduring presence among His people.
The Sabbath Rest.
In Exodus 16:23-30, the priestly source (P) has already established a strong link between the Sabbath and the gift of manna in the desert, suggesting that gathering manna—representing humanity’s essential quest for sustenance—should follow a cycle of work and rest. Humanity is more than just beings meant to survive; it is a force that goes beyond mere existence. God himself established the rest. In this context, this source (P) places it alongside the manna but does not elaborate further. This passage reaffirms the connection with the entire discussion on the commandments for building the Sanctuary, while also directly relating it to the acts of divine creation (17) and giving it significance as a sign of the covenant between God and His people (13.17). Violating the Sabbath was punishable by death (15). Clearly, there would have been many violations of Sabbath observance, yet in Scripture, there is only one recorded case where the offender is executed (Nm 15:32-36).