Preface: God specifies two men who are skilled craftsmen with Bible doctrine. Moses is to press these men into the service of building the Tabernacle and its furniture. In the second half of this chapter, God speaks about the Sabbath and why He instituted it. Finally, God stops speaking and hands Moses two tablets of the Law.

The Bible Summary of Exodus 31 (in 140 characters or less): I have filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, with skill to make everything I have commanded. The seventh day is a Sabbath of rest.

There are many chapter commentaries on the book of Exodus. This will be the most extensive examination of Exodus 31, where you will be able to examine in depth every word of the original text. Every attempt has been made to make this both a complete and self-contained study. Therefore, all references, vocabulary, and related concepts should be found within this extensive study. Easy access links to more in-depth studies of some vocabulary words, concepts and doctrines are also provided.

Outline of Chapter 31:

Introduction

         vv.     1–11         Spirit-Filled Craftsmen Specified by God

         vv.    12–17         Observance of the Sabbath Mandated by God

          v.       18           God Is Done Speaking with Moses

Chapter Summary

Addendum

Charts, Graphics and Short Doctrines:

         Preface               Quotations

         Introduction         Exodus 31 Summary (a graphic)

         Introduction         Titles and/or Brief Descriptions of Exodus 31 (by various commentators)

         Introduction         Brief, but insightful observations of Exodus 31 (various commentators)

         Introduction         Fundamental Questions About Exodus 31

         Introduction         The Prequel of Exodus 31

         Introduction 

         Introduction         The Principals of Exodus 31

         Introduction         The Places of Exodus 31

         Introduction         By the Numbers

         Introduction         Timeline for Exodus 31

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Exodus 31

         Introduction         Outlines of Exodus 31 (Various Commentators)

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Exodus 31 from the Summarized Bible

         Introduction         The Big Picture (Exodus –)

         Introduction         Paragraph Divisions of Modern Translation for Exodus 31

         Introduction 

         Introduction 

         Introduction         Changes—additions and subtractions (for Exodus 31)

         Introduction 

         v.       2              Bezalel by James Tissot (watercolor circa 1896–1902)

         v.       2              Bezalel from Wikipedia

         v.       3              Exodus 31:3 (a graphic)

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         v.       5              Bezalel and Oholiab — Exodus 31:1–6 (a graphic)

         v.       6              Who were Bezalel and Oholiab in the Bible? (Got Questions?)

         v.       6              Bezalel and Oholiab, Servants of God (an illustration)

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         v.      11              Exodus 31:1–11 (a graphic summary)

         v.      13              Exodus 13:13d (a graphic)

         v.      15              Exodus 31:15 (a graphic)

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         v.      17              Exodus 31:16–17a (a graphic)

         v.      17              Exodus 31:17 (a graphic)

         v.      17              Chiasm in Exodus 31:13–17 (a graphic)

         v.      17              The Abbreviated Doctrine of the Sabbath (Thieme, Kukis)

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         v.      18              God gives Moses the two tablets of stone (a graphic)

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         Summary            A Set of Summary Doctrines and Commentary

         Summary            Why Exodus 31 is in the Word of God

         Summary            What We Learn from Exodus 31

         Summary            Jesus Christ in Exodus 31

         Summary            Shmoop Summary of Exodus 31

         Summary            Edersheim Summarizes Exodus 31

         Summary 

         Addendum          Josephus’ History of this Time Period

         Addendum          A Complete Translation of Exodus 31

         Addendum          Doctrinal Teachers Who Have Taught Exodus 31

         Addendum          Word Cloud from a Reasonably Literal Paraphrase of Exodus 31

         Addendum          Word Cloud from Exegesis of Exodus 31

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An Introduction to Exodus 31

I ntroduction: In Exodus 31, God specifies two men who are skilled craftsmen and whom God will fill with the Holy Spirit in order to perform some of the work which needs to be done. They will construct over oversee the building of the Tabernacle and its furniture. In the second half of this chapter, God will impress upon Moses the importance of the Sabbath.

Apart from God speaking, the small amount of narrative is, this session is completed and God gives the two tablets of stone to Moses to return with.

Exodus 31 Summary (a graphic); from Doodle Through the Bible; accessed February 3, 2021.

Timeline for Exodus 31

As I have done previously, since this chapters is what God is saying to Moses, I will begin and end each chapter section with quotation marks. I will not insert a new set of quotation marks for each new paragraph.

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Spirit-Filled Craftsmen Specified by God

compare Exodus 35:30–35

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:                       Note: I compare the Hebrew text to English translations of the Latin, Syriac (= Aramaic) and Greek texts, using the Douay-Rheims translation; George Lamsa’s translation, and Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton’s translation as revised and edited by Paul W. Esposito, respectively. I often update these texts with non-substantive changes (e.g., you for thou, etc.). I often use the text of the Complete Apostles’ Bible instead of Brenton’s translation, because it updates the English text.

The Septuagint was the earliest known translation of a book (circa 200 b.c.). Since this translation was made before the textual criticism had been developed into a science and because different books appear to be translated by different men, the Greek translation can sometimes be very uneven.

When there are serious disparities between my translation and Brenton’s (or the text of the Complete Apostles’ Bible), I look at the Greek text of the Septuagint (the LXX) to see if a substantive difference actually exists (and I reflect these changes in the English rendering of the Greek text). I use the Greek LXX with Strong’s numbers and morphology available for e-sword. The only problem with this resource (which is a problem for similar resources) is, there is no way to further explore Greek verbs which are not found in the New Testament. Although I usually quote the Complete Apostles’ Bible here, I have begun to make changes in the translation when their translation conflicts with the Greek and note what those changes are.

The Masoretic text is the Hebrew text with all of the vowels (vowel points) inserted (the original Hebrew text lacked vowels). We take the Masoretic text to be the text closest to the original. However, differences between the Masoretic text and the Greek, Latin and Syriac are worth noting and, once in a great while, represent a more accurate text possessed by those other ancient translators.

In general, the Latin text is an outstanding translation from the Hebrew text into Latin and very trustworthy (I say this as a non-Catholic). Unfortunately, I do not read Latin—apart from some very obvious words—so I am dependent upon the English translation of the Latin (principally, the Douay-Rheims translation).

The comparisons which I do are primarily between the English translations which are taken from the ancient tongues. For the most part, the variances are so minor that I rarely investigate them any further than that.

Underlined words indicate differences in the text.

Bracketed portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls are words, letters and phrases lost in the scroll due to various types of damage. Underlined words or phrases are those in the Dead Sea Scrolls but not in the Masoretic text.

I will only list the translation from the Dead Sea Scrolls if it exists and if it is different from the Masoretic text.

The Targum of Onkelos is actually the Pentateuchal Targumim, which are The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel. On the Pentateuch With The Fragments of the Jerusalem Targum From the Chaldee by J. W. Etheridge, M.A. From http://www.becomingjewish.org/texts/targum/onkelos_Exodus.html and first published in 1862.

Occasionally, there is an obvious error in the English translation, and I correct those without additional mention or footnoting. For instance, the online version of the Targum of Onkelos which I use has gorund in Ex. 4:9; I simply corrected the text. This may occur once or twice in a chapter.

I attempt to include translations which are different in their vocabulary and phrasing. On many occasions, I may include a translation which is not substantially different than another listed translation.

Most of the translations can be found here.

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        And so speaks Y^ehowah unto Moses, to say, “See I have called by name Bezalel ben Uri, ben Hur, to a tribe of Judah. And so I have filled him [with] a Spirit of God in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge and in all workmanship, to design [creative] designs, [and] to work in the gold and in the silver and in the copper; and in a cutting of a stone to complete and in a cutting of wood—to construct in every work.

Dead Sea Scrolls                   .

Targum (Onkelos)                  And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying, Behold, I have named by name Bezalel bar Uri bar Hur, of the tribe of Jehudah, and have fulfilled him with the spirit of prophecy from before the Lord, with wisdom and with intelligence, and with knowledge, and in all work (to excel), to Instruct artificers to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in artisanship of precious stone, to fill in, and in carving of wood, to accomplish all the work. Translation for Onkelos and Pseudo-Jonathan by J. W. Etheridge, M.A. (1862).

Targum (Pseudo-Jonathan)   And the Lord Spake with Mosheh, saying, Look, Mosheh, I have called by name the good Bezalel:[1] bar Uri bar Hur, of the tribe of Jehudah, and have fulfilled him with the Spirit of holiness from before the Lord, in wisdom and in intelligence, in knowledge, and in all workmanship; to think in their thoughts so as to work (perfectly) in gold, and in silver, and in brass; and in the cutting of jewels for their insetting, and in the carving of woods, to make all manner of work. [JERUSALEM. See, Mosheh, behold, I have anointed and called by a good name Bezalel.]

[1] Or, "I have called by a good name Bezalel."

Revised Douay-Rheims         And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Behold, I have called by name Beseleel the son of Uri the son of Hur of the tribe of Juda,

And I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom and understanding, and knowledge in all manner of work.

To devise whatsoever may be artificially made of gold, and silver, and brass,

Of marble, and precious stones, and variety of wood.

Douay-Rheims 1899 (Amer.) .

Aramaic ESV of Peshitta        Mar-Yah spoke to Mosha, saying, "Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Yudah: and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to devise skilful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of workmanship.

Lamsa’s Peshitta (Syriac)     THE LORD spoke to Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaliel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding, and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship, To teach cunning works, to do work in gold and in silver and in brass And in the art of cutting of stones to be set and in the carving of timber and in all manner of workmanship.

Samaritan Pentateuch           And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying

See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship

And to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass

And in cutting of stones, to set [them], and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. [The Samaritan Pentateuch continues to be one verse out of synch; and this may be related to the person who developed this module for e-sword.]

Updated Brenton (Greek)       And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with a divine spirit of wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, to invent in every work, and to frame works, to labor in gold, silver, brass, blue, purple, and spun scarlet, and works in stone, and for artificers' work in wood, to work at all works.

Significant differences: 

Limited Vocabulary Translations:

Bible in Basic English             And the Lord said to Moses, 

I have made selection of Bezalel, the son of Uri, by name, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 

And I have given him the spirit of God and made him wise and full of knowledge and expert in every sort of handwork, 

To do all sorts of delicate work in gold and silver and brass; 

In cutting stones for framing, and to do every form of woodwork.

Easy English                          Bezalel and Aholiab

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Look! I have chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri, the grandson of Hur, from the big family of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God. I have made him very wise in many different ways. He knows how to draw beautiful pictures of things. Then he makes them out of gold, silver and bronze. He knows how to cut valuable stones. Then he puts them into pieces of gold or silver. He knows how to work with wood. He makes beautiful things and he always does good work.

silver

A valuable metal. The colour is between grey and white and it shines. People use silver to make beautiful things. People use silver coins as money.

bronze

A strong type of metal. It is brown or yellow. People mix two metals to make bronze. It is harder than gold. It is not as strong as iron.

Easy-to-Read Version–2006  Then the LORD said to Moses, "I have chosen a man from the tribe of Judah to do some special work for me. His name is Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur. I have filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God--I have given him the skill and knowledge to do all kinds of things. He is a very good designer. And he can make things from gold, silver, and bronze. He can cut and set beautiful jewels. And he can work with wood. He can do all kinds of work.

God’s Word™                         .

Good News Bible (TEV)         The LORD said to Moses,

"I have chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with my power. I have given him understanding, skill, and ability for every kind of artistic work--- for planning skillful designs and working them in gold, silver, and bronze; for cutting jewels to be set; for carving wood; and for every other kind of artistic work.

The Message                         Bezalel and Aholiab

God spoke to Moses: “See what I’ve done; I’ve personally chosen Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur of the tribe of Judah. I’ve filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him skill and know-how and expertise in every kind of craft to create designs and work in gold, silver, and bronze; to cut and set gemstones; to carve wood—he’s an all-around craftsman.

Names of God Bible               The Craftsmen for the Tent

Yahweh said to Moses, “I have chosen Bezalel, son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah. I have filled Bezalel with the Ruach Elohim, making him highly skilled, resourceful, and knowledgeable in all trades. He’s a master artist familiar with gold, silver, and bronze. He knows how to cut and set stones and how to work with wood. He’s an expert in all trades.

NIRV                                      Bezalel and Aholiab

Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “I have chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri. Uri is the son of Hur. Bezalel is from the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God. I have filled Bezalel with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skill. He can make beautiful patterns in gold, silver and bronze. He can cut and set stones. He can work with wood. In fact, he can work in all kinds of crafts.

New Simplified Bible              .

Thought-for-thought translations; dynamic translations; paraphrases:

Contemporary English V.       The LORD said to Moses: I have chosen Bezalel from the Judah tribe to make the sacred tent and its furnishings. Not only have I filled him with my Spirit, but I have given him wisdom and made him a skilled craftsman who can create objects of art with gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood.

The Living Bible                     The Lord also said to Moses, “See, I have appointed Bezalel (son of Uri, and grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah), and have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and skill in constructing the Tabernacle and everything it contains. He is highly capable as an artistic designer of objects made of gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled, too, as a jeweler and in carving wood.

New Berkeley Version           .

New Life Version                    Builders of the Meeting Tent

The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the family of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, understanding, much learning, and all kinds of special work. He will plan good work in gold, silver and brass, in cutting stones to set, and in cutting wood, for all kinds of good work.

New Living Translation           Craftsmen: Bezalel and Aholiab

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!

Unlocked Dynamic Bible        .

Unfolding Bible (simplified)    Yahweh said to Moses, "I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with my Spirit, and I have given him special ability to make things; I have enabled him to know how to do very skilled work. He can engrave skillful designs in gold, silver, and bronze. He can cut jewels and enclose them in tiny gold settings. He can carve things from wood and do other skilled work.

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          Then the Lord told Moses:

‘{Look!} I have called on BeSeleEl (the son of Urias and the grandson of Or of the tribe of Judah) and I have filled him with the Breath of God and with the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to be creative in all fields.

[He understands] carpentry and how to work with gold, silver, and bronze; [how to work with] blue thread, purple yarn and spun scarlet material, as well as how to do stone working and wood crafting… how to do everything!

Beck’s American Translation .

Common English Bible           Construction leaders: Bezalel and Aholiab

The Lord spoke to Moses: Look, I have chosen Bezalel, Uri’s son and Hur’s grandson from the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the divine spirit, with skill, ability, and knowledge for every kind of work. He will be able to create designs; do metalwork in gold, silver, and copper; cut stones for setting; carve wood; and do every kind of work.

New Advent (Knox) Bible       And now the Lord said to Moses, Here is the name of the man I have singled out to help thee, Beseleel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Juda. I have filled him with my divine spirit, making him wise, adroit, and skilful in every kind of craftsmanship; so that he can design whatever is to be designed in gold, silver, and bronze, carve both stone and jewel, and woods of all sorts.

Translation for Translators              Instructions for the work to be done by Bezalel and Aholiab

Yahweh also said to Moses/me, “Note that I have chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah, for special tasks. I have caused him to be completely controlled/empowered by my Spirit, and I have given him special ability to make things and have enabled him to know how to do very skilled work. He can engrave skillful designs in gold, silver, and bronze. He can cut ◂jewels/valuable stones► and enclose them in tiny gold settings/frames. He can carve things from wood and do other skilled work.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Conservapedia                       And the LORD talked to Moses, saying: See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I will fill him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in intelligence, and in knowledge, and in every kind of workmanship, To plan great work, to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, And cutting stones in order to set them, and to carve timber, to work in all kinds of workmanship.

Ferrar-Fenton Bible                Skilled Workmen Appointed.

The EVER-LIVING also spoke to Moses, saying; "See I have called by name Bezalal, the son of Auri, the son of Hor, of the tribe of Judah. I have also filled him with a divine spirit of skill, and understanding, and knowledge, and with constructive ability, and with inventive genius to work in gold, and silver, and brass; and to cut stone for all works, and to cut timber to work for any purpose.

God’s Truth (Tyndale)           And the Lord spoke unto Moses saying: behold, I have called by name, Bezaleel the son of Uri son to Hur of the tribe of Juda. And I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge: even in all manner work, to find out subtle feats, to work in gold, silver and brass and with the craft to grave (carve) stones, to set and to carve in timber, and to work in all manner workmanship.

HCSB                                     God’s Provision of the Skilled Workers

The Lord also spoke to Moses: “Look, I have appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every craft.

International Standard V        Craftsmen for the Tent

The Lord told Moses, “Look, I’ve called [Lit. called by name] Uri’s son Bezalel, grandson of Hur from Judah’s tribe and I’ve filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of craftsmanship to create plans [Lit. to devise devices] for work in gold, silver, and bronze, and for cutting stones to set them, for carving wood, and for doing all kinds of craftsmanship.

Jubilee Bible 2000                  .

Lexham English Bible            Provision of Skilled People

And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “See, I have called by name [In other words, “specifically chosen”] Bezalel the son of Uri the son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom and with skill [Or “understanding,” “discernment,” “cleverness”] and with knowledge and with every kind of craftsmanship, to devise designs, to work with gold and with silver and with bronze, and in stonecutting for setting and in cutting wood, for doing every kind of craftsmanship.

NIV, ©2011                             .

Tree of Life Version                .

Unfolding Bible Literal Text    .

Unlocked Literal Bible            .

Urim-Thummim Version         YHWH spoke to Moses saying, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of Elohim in wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and in his occupation to design plans to fashion in gold, silver, and brass, and in cutting of stones to set them, and in carving of timber to fashion all the workmanship.

Wikipedia Bible Project          And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying: Look, I called upon the name of Betsalel son of Uri son of Chur, for the staff of Judah. And I will fill him with the spirit of God, with wisdom and learning and knowledge and in every work. To reckon plans, to make of gold and silver, and of copper. And in quarrying filling-stones, and in wood harvesting, to do every craft.

Catholic Bibles (those having the imprimatur):

Christian Community (1988)  The craftsmen for the sanctuary

Yahweh 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.

The Heritage Bible                 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in intelligence, and in knowledge, and in all workmanship, To calculate devices, to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, And in the fabrication of stones, to fill them, and in carving of timber, to work in all workmanship.

New American Bible (2002)   .

New American Bible(2011)    Choice of Artisans.

^a The LORD said to Moses: See, I have singled out* Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with a divine spirit of skill and understanding and knowledge in every craft: in the production of embroidery, in making things of gold, silver, or bronze, in cutting and mounting precious stones, in carving wood, and in every other craft.

* [31:2] Singled out: lit., “called by name”; cf. 35:30.

a. [31:1–6] Ex 35:30–35.

New English Bible–1970        The tabernacle craftsmen. - Ex.35.30-36.1

THE LORD SPOKE T0 MOSES AND SAID, Mark this: I have specially chosen Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with divine spirit, making him skilful and ingenious, expert in every craft, and a master of design, whether in gold, silver, copper, or cutting stones to be set, or carving wood, for workmanship of every kind.

New Jerusalem Bible             Yahweh then spoke to Moses and said, 'Look, I have singled out Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and have filled him with the spirit of God in wisdom, knowledge and skill in every kind of craft: in designing and carrying out work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones to be set, in wood carving and in executing every kind of work.

New RSV                               .

Revised English Bible–1989   THE LORD said to Moses, Take note that I have specially chosen Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the spirit of God, making him skilful and ingenious, expert in every craft, and a master of design, whether in gold, silver, copper, or cutting precious stones for setting, or carving wood, for workmanship of every kind.

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           Adonai said to Moshe, “I have singled out B’tzal’el the son of Uri the son of Hur, of the tribe of Y’hudah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God — with wisdom, understanding and knowledge concerning every kind of artisanry. He is a master of design in gold, silver, bronze, cutting precious stones to be set, woodcarving and every other craft.

exeGeses companion Bible   BESAL EL SPIRIT FILLED

And Yah Veh words to Mosheh, saying,

See, I call by name Besal El

the son of Uri the son of Hur

of the rod of Yah Hudah:

and I fill him with the spirit of Elohim

- in wisdom and in discernment and in knowledge

and in all his work:

to fabricate fabrications;

to work in gold and in silver and in copper;

and in engraving of stones, to fill them;

and in engraving of timber, to work in all work.

Hebraic Roots Bible               And YAHWEH spoke to Moses, saying:

Behold, I have called by name Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, to the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the spirit of Elohim in wisdom, and in intelligence, and in knowledge, and in all workmanship,to devise designs, to work in gold and in silver and in bronze,and in cutting of stones for finishings, and in carving of wood, to work in all workmanship.

Israeli Authorized Version      .

Kaplan Translation                 The Architects

God spoke to Moses, saying:

I have selected Betzalel son of Uri son of Chur, of the tribe of Judah, by name.

I have filled him with a divine spirit, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, and with [the talent for] all types of craftsmanship.

He will be able to devise plans as well as work in gold, silver and copper,

cut stones to be set, carve wood, and do other work. The Kaplan Translation, particularly in Exodus through Deuteronomy, takes note of historic rabbinic opinions.

God spoke...

See Exodus 35:30-36:1.

Bezalel...

son of Chur. See note on Exodus 17:10. Betzalel was thus Miriam's grandson.

devise plans

(Targum Yonathan; Lekach Tov). Or, 'weave designs' (Rashi).

The Scriptures 2009              And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, “See, I have called by name Betsal’ěl son of Uri, son of ִHur, of the tribe of Yehuah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of Elohim in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all work, to make designs for work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, and in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, and to work in all work.

Tree of Life Version                .

Weird English, Olde English, Anachronistic English Translations:

Alpha & Omega Bible            AND JESUS SPOKE TO MOSES, SAYING,

“BEHOLD, I HAVE CALLED BY NAME BESELEEL THE SON OF URIAS THE SON OF OR, OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH.

AND I HAVE FILLED HIM WITH A DIVINE SPIRIT OF WISDOM, AND UNDERSTANDING, AND KNOWLEDGE, TO INVENT IN EVERY WORK,

AND TO FRAME WORKS, TO LABOR IN GOLD, AND SILVER, AND BRASS, AND BLUE, AND PURPLE, AND SPUN SCARLET,

AND WORKS IN STONE, AND FOR ARTIFICERS' WORK IN WOOD, TO WORK AT ALL WORKS.

Awful Scroll Bible                   Jehovah was speaking to Moses, to the intent, Be perceiving, I have called by name Bezale-el, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I was to fill him with the Breath of the Gods, of prudence, understanding, and knowledge, in occupation to devise devices, to make things of gold, silver, and bronze, and cutting stones to be finished, and the carving of wood, is he to work in occupation.

Concordant Literal Version    Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying.

See! I call by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur of the stock of Judah.

I shall fill him with the spirit of Elohim, with wisdom and with understanding and with knowledge, in all work,

to design designs, to make them in gold, in silver and in copper,

and as a lapidary for filling and as an artificer in wood for making all kind of work.

Darby Translation (1889)       .

exeGeses companion Bible   .

Orthodox Jewish Bible           And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

See, I have called by shem Bezalel ben Uri, ben Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah;

And I have filled him with the Ruach Elohim (see Ac 2:4), in chochmah, and in tevunah, and in da'as, and in kol melachah (all workmanship),

To devise machashavot (artistic designs), to work in zahav, and in kesef, and in nechoshet,

And in engraving gemstones, to set them, and in wood-carving, to work in kol melachah (all manner of workmanship).

Rotherham’s Emphasized B. Then spake Yahweh unto Moses saying:

See, I have called by name,—Bezaleelˎ son of Uriˎ son of Hurˎ of the tribe of Judah; and have filled him with the Spirit of God,—in wisdomˎ and in understandingˎ and in knowledgeˎ and in all manner of workmanship; to devise^d skilful designs,—to work in goldˎ and in silverˎ and in bronze; and in the cutting of stones for settingˎ and in the carving of wood,—to work in all manner of workmanship.

^d Some cod. (w. Sam.): “and to devise.”

Third Millennium Bible            .

Expanded/Embellished Bibles:

The Amplified Bible                .

The Expanded Bible              Bezalel and Oholiab Help

Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have ·chosen [^L called by name] Bezalel son of Uri from the tribe of Judah. (Uri was the son of Hur.) I have filled Bezalel with the ·Spirit [or spirit] of God and have given him the ·skill [wisdom], ability, and knowledge to do all kinds of work. He is able to ·design [plan] pieces to be made from gold, silver, and bronze, to cut jewels and put them in metal, to ·carve [engrave] wood, and to do all kinds of work.

Kretzmann’s Commentary    Verses 1-11

The Master Craftsmen Engaged

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

See, I have called by name Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, the grandson of the influential man in his tribe, one of Moses' right-hand men, Exodus 17:10; Exodus 24:14;

and I have filled him with the spirit of God in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, in every craft connected with the art of building and equipping the Tabernacle,

to devise cunning works, to execute artistic designs, to work in gold and in silver and in brass, the precious and costly metals which were used for the various parts of the equipment,

and in cutting of stones, to set them, the work of the jeweler and the silversmith, and in carving of timber, another branch of artistic achievement, to work in all manner of workmanship. In this man technical knowledge was united with practical ability; he could not only devise and plan artistic work in all its details, but he could also supervise its proper execution. His natural talents had been sanctified by the influence of the Lord and consecrated to His service, a combination which, even now, makes the best church architects and the most excellent artists.

Syndein/Thieme                     .

The Voice                               The Eternal One instructed Moses.

Eternal One: Look, I have a special calling upon one of the sons of Judah. His name is Bezalel (the son of Uri, son of Hur). I have filled him with God’s Spirit, gifted him with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skills with a variety of crafts. He is an expert designer and works well with gold, silver, and bronze. He is able to cut and set gems, work with wood, and skillfully perform any craft needed to help construct the congregation tent and its furnishings.

Bible Translations with Many Footnotes:

The Complete Tanach           The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,...

...and I have imbued him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with insight, with knowledge, and with [talent for] all manner of craftsmanship...

...to do master weaving, to work with gold, with silver, and with copper,...

...with the craft of stones for setting and with the craft of wood, to do every [manner of] work.

The Geneva Bible                  .

Kaplan Translation                 .

NET Bible®                             Willing Artisans

¹ The Lord spoke to Moses:² “See, I have chosen³ Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God⁴ in skill,⁵ in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds⁶ of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs⁷ for work with gold, with silver, and with bronze, and with cutting and setting stone, and with cutting wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship.

^1sn 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.

^2tn Heb “and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying.”

^3tn 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.

^4sn 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.

^5sn 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.

^6tn Heb “and in all work”; “all” means “all kinds of” here.

^7tn The expression is לַחְשֹב מַחֲשָבֹת (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.

New American Bible(2011)    .

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

Brenner’s Mechanical Trans....and "YHWH ^{He Is}" spoke to "Mosheh ^{Plucked out}" saying, see, I called out (by) title "Betsaleyl ^{In the shadow of El}", son of "Uriy ^{My light}", son of "Hhur ^Cistern" belonging to the branch of "Yehudah ^Thanksgiving", and I filled him with the wind of "Elohiym ^Powers", (with) skill and (with) intelligence and (with) discernment and (with) all kinds of business, to think of inventions, to (make) things (with) the gold and (with) the silver and (with) the copper, and (with) the engraving of stone (for) filling, and (with) the engraving of trees (for) (mak)ing things (with) all kinds of business,...

Charles Thompson OT           Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, Behold I have called by name, Beseleel the son of Ourius, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judas, and filled him with a divine spirit of wisdom and understanding and knowledge in every kind of workmanship, to contrive and execute as a master carpenter; and to manufacture gold and silver and brass, and blue and purple and scarlet yarn; and to cut stones; and in works of architecture made of wood to execute all kinds of workmanship.

C. Thompson LXX (updated) .

Context Group Version          .

English Standard Version      .

Green’s Literal Translation    .

Modern English Version         The Tabernacle Artisans

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of craftsmanship to devise artistic works for work with gold, with silver, and with bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of craftsmanship.

Modern Literal Version           .

New American Standard B.    The Skilled Craftsmen

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of ^[a]craftsmanship, to create ^[b]artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in ^[c]bronze, and in the cutting of stones ^[d]for settings, and in the carving of wood, so that he may work in all kinds of ^[e]craftsmanship.

^[a] Exodus 31:3 Or workmanship

^[b] Exodus 31:4 Lit devices

^[c] Exodus 31:4 Or copper

^[d] Exodus 31:5 Lit to fill in (for a setting)

^[e] Exodus 31:5 Or workmanship

New European Version          The Use of Bezalel

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship, to devise skilful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of workmanship.

New King James Version       .

Niobi Study Bible                   Artisans for Building the Tabernacle
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, "See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship, to devise skillful works: to work in gold and in silver and in brass, and in cutting of stones to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

Owen's Translation                .

Restored Holy Bible 6.0         .

Updated Bible Version 2.11   .

A Voice in the Wilderness      .

Webster’s Bible Translation  .

World English Bible                .

Young's Literal Translation     .

Young’s Updated LT             And Jehovah speaks unto Moses, saying, “See, I have called by name Bezaleel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I fill him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all work, to devise devices to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in graving of stone for settings, and in graving of wood to work in all work.

The gist of this passage:     God tells Moses to press Uri ben Hur into service. He is a man with doctrine in his soul and a specific set of skills perfectly suited for the work which must be done.

1-5

Translation: Y^ehowah spoke unto Moses, saying,...

You may recall that the previous chapters had at least 4x when we repeat this phrase or a similar phrase, where it appears that God is having a conversation begin with Moses. This will occur twice in this chapter; and the next time we find this, an entirely new topic will be begun.

Exodus 31:1 Y^ehowah spoke unto Moses, saying,...

There is no other book like the Bible; no other book continually claims to have portions of it spoken directly by God to the author.

David Thompson: Moses did not do all the work concerning this project, but everything about this project was connected to him. He was the key authority and he was the one responsible for the ultimate oversight of this project.

Translation: ...“Look, I have called by name Bezalel,...

There is an artisan named Bezalel that God will want Moses to speak to.

Translation: ...[who is] the son of Uri, the son of Hur, from [lit., to, for, regarding] the tribe of Judah.

Bezalel’s father is Uri and that his branch of the Judahites is Hur. Hur is called one of the sons of Judah in 1Chron. 4:1. He was not an actual son of Judah, but one of his prominent descendants.

Bezaleel’s line is also referenced in 1Chron. 2:20 And Hur begot (fathered) Uri, and Uri begot (fathered) Bezalel. Although this language sounds as if Hur is the grandfather, Uri is the father and the son is Bezalel, Hur can be an important line of the Judahites, even with that working.

The use of the lâmed preposition here suggests to me that Hur has a closer relationship to Judah than to Bezaleel. It is doubtful that this exact relationship found here is important to us. However, it is not uncommon when referring to a particular person to refer to a person, his father and to his particular line in whatever tribe he is in (often that line beginning early on in Egypt, before the slavery).

To me, it would be logical to look back to the time when a person’s family was not enslaved.

Exodus 31:2 ...“Look, I have called by name Bezalel, [who is] the son of Uri, the son of Hur, from [lit., to, for, regarding] the tribe of Judah.

Bezalel means in the shadow-protection of God. This artisan is mentioned more times in the Bible than many kings over Israel and Judah. We find his bloodline mentioned in Exodus 38:22 and 1Chron. 2:20; his handiwork is recalled even to the time of the writing of 2Chronicles (2Chron. 1:5). God's calling is found here and in Exodus 35:30; and the actual work that he does is found in Exodus 36:1–2 and 37:1. In fact, approximately fifteen verses in God's Word are devoted to Bezalel, his skills and his service. The point being that what he accomplished, if not emphasized by God in His Word, would have been thought to have been relatively inconsequential. However, on God's scale of values, the time he put into the construction of the furniture for the tabernacle was much more important than the reign of many kings of Israel and Judah.

Bezalel by James Tissot (watercolor circa 1896–1902); from Wikimedia; accessed February 3, 2021.

Bezalel from Wikipedia:

In Exodus 31:1-6 and chapters 36 to 39, Bezalel, Bezaleel, or Betzalel (Hebrew: בְּצַלְאֵל , Bə alʼēl), was the chief artisan of the Tabernacle and was in charge of building the Ark of the Covenant, assisted by Aholiab. The section in chapter 31 describes his selection as chief artisan, in the context of Moses' vision of how God wanted the tabernacle to be constructed, and chapters 36 to 39 recount the construction process undertaken by Bezalel, Aholiab and every gifted artisan and willing worker, in accordance with the vision.

Elsewhere in the Bible the name occurs only in the genealogical lists of the Book of Chronicles, but according to cuneiform inscriptions a variant form[citation needed] of the same, " il-Bēl," was borne by a king of Gaza who was a contemporary of Hezekiah and Manasseh.

The name "Bezalel" means "in the shadow [protection] of God." Bezalel is described in the genealogical lists as the son of Uri (Exodus 31:1), the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah (I Chronicles 2:18, 19, 20, 50). He was said to be highly gifted as a workman, showing great skill and originality in engraving precious metals and stones and in wood-carving. He was also a master-workman, having many apprentices under him whom he instructed in the arts (Exodus 35:30–35). According to the narrative in Exodus, he was called and endowed by God to direct the construction of the tent of meeting and its sacred furniture, and also to prepare the priests' garments and the oil and incense required for the service.

He was also in charge of the holy oils, incense, and priestly vestments. Caleb was his great-grandfather.

Translation: I have filled him with the Spirit of God...

God has given some men the power of the Holy Spirit in order to accomplish some things in the time of Israel. I do not believe that this is pointed out each and every time that God fills someone with the Holy Spirit.

Translation: ...in [the realm of] wisdom,...

I believe wisdom here involves the understand of Bible doctrine and its application. I believe that, every bit as important as the skills that Bezalel has developed is the doctrine in his soul.

Translation: ...in understanding,...

The words found here is tôwbunâh/t^ebûwnâh/ tâbûwn {תּוֹבֻנָה/תְּבוּנָה/ תָּבוּן) [pronounced toh-boo-NAW/tehb-oo-NAW/ taw-BOON]. It means, intelligence, understanding, insight. Strong’s #8394 BDB #108.

I believe that intelligence, understanding, insight refers to a person’s particular understanding of a particular craft or discipline. I don’t know if you have worked with skilled people before, but I can describe or illustrate a building project to someone, and they can fully understand it, and they know what must be done or not done; the materials necessary, etc. etc. In their mind, they can determine the best way to approach a project. Now, to someone else, this is so much different. They can see the finished product after it has been completed and understand it then; but in the planning stages, they have no clue.

Translation: ...in knowledge,...

Daʿath (דַּעַת) [pronounced DAH-ahth] here means, knowledge, knowing, perception, skill; intelligence, discernment. I believe that we might understand this, in this context, to refer to a person’s actual skill and background. In this case, Bezaleel has a great deal of skill in specific hands-on crafts.

Translation: ...and in all craftsmanship,...

Bezaleel is apparently very skilled in his area of knowledge, which is working with a variety of raw materials.

Exodus 31:3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God in [the realm of] wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all craftsmanship,....

This is the second time that the filling of the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Bible (the first is in Exodus 28:3). In the Old Testament, believers could be filled with the Holy Spirit and their work in the Spirit was not unlike our own service in the Spirit. The primary difference was that several, but not many, were endued by the Holy Spirit, and those had the ability to be filled by the Spirit. Most believers, 99.9% of them, were not endued by the Spirit of God and those that were could lose the Spirit, something we cannot do.

Take note that Bezalel is not a man without talent. God prepares His people (if we allow it); He does not use unprepared people.

This verse tells us that a man in Bezalel's position had both the intelligence and the artisan skill to perform the tasks which God required of him. Furthermore, God filled him with the Holy spirit because of the importance of building the furniture correctly to God's precise specifications. God is not sloppy and we who labor in His field ought not to be sloppy and lame. We need to be skilled, intelligent, and filled with the Spirit. Any person offering less should not open their mouths but keep their faith a secret. God does not need the help of a pastor who has not studied for many years in the Word and in the original languages; God does not need an evangelist who does not know the gospel of Christ (and anyone who tells an unbeliever to ask Jesus into their hearts does not know the gospel of Jesus Christ). God does not need anyone to pray, give, witness or dink around a church unless they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Our service apart from God the Holy Spirit is absolutely meaningless and worthless. Now we may accomplish a great deal of improvement in the devil's world operating outside of God the Holy Spirit and we may accomplish things which earn the praise of men in our periphery; but this means nothing to God and all such service will be burned as wood, hay and stubble in the last judgment.

Exodus 31:3 (a graphic); from Meditations by April; accessed February 3, 2021.

David Thompson: When God wants something accomplished or built, He will sovereignly see to it that the right people are in place to carry out the assignment. He will bring the right people at the right time to do the right work.

Exodus 31:3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God in [the realm of] wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all craftsmanship,....

In reading through Precept Austin, I must admit to being surprised as to how many commentators suggest that the craftsmanship of Bezalel and/or Oholiab was a matter of divine bestowal. That is, one day, they know nothing about working with gold; and, the next day, suddenly they are experts. I am not sure why some people automatically make assumptions like that.

Translation: ...[in order that he may] plan out [creative] designs,...

Someone has to be able to oversee and perhaps craft himself many specific items on Moses’ to-do list, given him by God. There were things that had to be built, and some of these things would be built by Bezaleel. He has to be a man who can start with the raw materials and plan out what needs to be done, and from there, either do the work himself or oversee someone else doing the work.

When it comes to building things in a house, I have some limited design skills. Once and awhile, I can actually implement those ideas; but most often, I have to go to a friend of mine who has much greater skills in this area.

George Bush: [These words do not] imply that Bezaleel or any of his assistants were to exercise their ingenuity in contriving or originating any of the utensils or decorations of the Tabernacle. They were merely to execute the plans of the divine Draftsman. But in doing this there was still room for the display of much mechanical tact, or device, in accomplishing every thing with exactness, readiness, and elegance.