Discovery BoxExodus 31:1-5
Context31:1 1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 31:2 “See, I have chosen 3 Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31:3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God 4 in skill, 5 in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds 6 of craftsmanship, 31:4 to make artistic designs 7 for work with gold, with silver, and with bronze, 31:5 and with cutting and setting stone, and with cutting wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship.
Exodus 35:30--36:3
Context35:30 Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen 8 Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 35:31 He has filled him with the Spirit of God – with skill, with understanding, with knowledge, and in all kinds of work, 35:32 to design artistic designs, to work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, 35:33 and in cutting stones for their setting, 9 and in cutting wood, to do work in every artistic craft. 10 35:34 And he has put it in his heart 11 to teach, he and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35:35 He has filled them with skill 12 to do all kinds of work 13 as craftsmen, as designers, as embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and in fine linen, and as weavers. They are 14 craftsmen in all the work 15 and artistic designers. 16 36:1 So Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person 17 in whom the Lord has put skill 18 and ability 19 to know how 20 to do all the work for the service 21 of the sanctuary are to do the work 22 according to all that the Lord has commanded.”
36:2 Moses summoned 23 Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person in whom 24 the Lord had put skill – everyone whose heart stirred him 25 to volunteer 26 to do the work, 36:3 and they received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to do 27 the work for the service of the sanctuary, and they still continued to bring him a freewill offering each morning. 28
[31:1] 1 sn The next unit describes the preparation of skilled workers to build all that has been listed now for several chapters. This chapter would have been the bridge to the building of the sanctuary (35-39) if it were not for the idolatrous interlude. God called individuals and prepared them by his Spirit to be skilled to do the work for the tabernacle. If this were the substance of an exposition, it would clearly be a message on gifted people doing the work – close to the spiritual lesson of Ephesians 4. There would be two levels of meaning: the physical, which looks at the skilled artisans providing for a place to worship Yahweh, and the spiritual, which would bring in the Spirit-filled servants of God participating in building up his kingdom.
[31:1] 2 tn Heb “and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying.”
[31:2] 3 tn Heb “called by name.” This expression means that the person was specifically chosen for some important task (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 342). See the expression with Cyrus in Isa 45:3-4.
[31:3] 4 sn The expression in the Bible means that the individual was given special, supernatural enablement to do what God wanted done. It usually is said of someone with exceptional power or ability. The image of “filling” usually means under the control of the Spirit, so that the Spirit is the dominant force in the life.
[31:3] 5 sn The following qualities are the ways in which the Spirit’s enablement will be displayed. “Skill” is the ability to produce something valuable to God and the community, “understanding” is the ability to distinguish between things, to perceive the best way to follow, and “knowledge” is the experiential awareness of how things are done.
[31:3] 6 tn Heb “and in all work”; “all” means “all kinds of” here.
[31:4] 7 tn The expression is לַחְשֹׁב מַחֲשָׁבֹת (lakhshov makhashavot, “to devise devices”). The infinitive emphasizes that Bezalel will be able to design or plan works that are artistic or skillful. He will think thoughts or devise the plans, and then he will execute them in silver or stone or whatever other material he uses.
[35:30] 8 tn Heb “called by name” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV). This expression means that the person was specifically chosen for some important task (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 342). See the expression with Cyrus in Isa 45:3-4.
[35:33] 10 tn Heb “in every work of thought,” meaning, every work that required the implementation of design or plan.
[35:34] 11 sn The expression means that God has given them the ability and the desire to teach others how to do the work. The infinitive construct “to teach” is related to the word Torah, “instruction, guide, law.” They will be able to direct others in the work.
[35:35] 12 tn The expression “wisdom of heart,” or “wisdom in heart,” means artistic skill. The decisions and plans they make are skilled. The expression forms a second accusative after the verb of filling.
[35:35] 13 tn The expression “all the work” means “all kinds of work.”
[35:35] 14 tn Here “They are” has been supplied.
[35:35] 15 tn Heb “doers of all work.”
[35:35] 16 tn Heb “designers of designs.”
[36:1] 17 tn Heb “wise of [in] heart.”
[36:1] 19 tn Heb “understanding, discernment.”
[36:1] 20 tn The relative clause includes this infinitive clause that expresses either the purpose or the result of God’s giving wisdom and understanding to these folk.
[36:1] 21 tn This noun is usually given an interpretive translation. B. Jacob renders the bound relationship as “the holy task” or “the sacred task” (Exodus, 1019). The NIV makes it “constructing,” so read “the work of constructing the sanctuary.”
[36:1] 22 tn The first word of the verse is a perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive; it is singular because it agrees with the first of the compound subject. The sentence is a little cumbersome because of the extended relative clause in the middle.
[36:2] 23 tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) plus the preposition “to” – “to call to” someone means “to summon” that person.
[36:2] 24 tn Here there is a slight change: “in whose heart Yahweh had put skill.”
[36:2] 25 tn Or “whose heart was willing.”
[36:2] 26 sn The verb means more than “approach” or “draw near”; קָרַב (qarav) is the word used for drawing near the altar as in bringing an offering. Here they offer themselves, their talents and their time.
[36:3] 27 tn In the Hebrew text the infinitive “to do it” comes after “sanctuary”; it makes a smoother rendering in English to move it forward, rather than reading “brought for the work.”
