Exodus 31:13

31:12-17 Orders were now given that a tabernacle should be set up for the service of God. But they must not think that the nature of the work, and the haste that was required, would justify them in working at it on sabbath days. The Hebrew word /shabath/ signifies rest, or ceasing from labour. The thing signified by the sabbath is that rest in glory which remains for the people of God; therefore the moral obligation of the sabbath must continue, till time is swallowed up in eternity.

Exodus 31:13 . Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep — This had been mentioned thrice before, Exodus 16:23 ; Exodus 20:8 ; Exodus 23:12 ; but seems here to be repeated lest they should think the sacred work enjoined in this chapter would warrant their breaking in upon the holy rest of that day. Wherefore the clause had better be translated, Nevertheless my sabbaths shall ye keep; for אךְ ach is often an exceptive particle, and is so rendered here by Arias, Montanus, Le Clerc, Junius, and Tremellius.

It is a sign between me and you — Some late commentators have quoted Poole here, as follows: “The sabbath is a five-fold sign; 1st, Commemorative of God’s creation and dominion over them and all things, to whom they hereby profess their subjection. 2d, Indicative, showing that they were made to be holy, and that their sanctification could be had from none but God, as it here follows and from the observation of God’s days and appointments. 3d, Distinctive, whereby they owned themselves to be the Lord’s peculiar people, by a religious keeping of those sabbaths, which the rest of the world grossly neglected, and profanely scoffed at. 4th, Prefigurative of that rest which Christ should purchase for them, namely, a rest from the burden of the ceremonial, and the curses and rigours of the moral law, as also from sin and the wrath of God for ever, Hebrews 4:5 th, Confirmative, both assuring them of God’s good will to them, and that, as he blessed the sabbath for their sakes, so he would bless them in the holy use of it, with temporal, spiritual, and everlasting blessings; and assuring God of their standing, and that they would stand to the covenant made between God and them. So that this was a mutual stipulation or ratification of the covenant of grace on both sides.” Certainly the institution of the sabbath was a great instance of God’s favour, and a sign that he had separated them from all other people; and their religious observance of it was a great instance of their duty to him

(13) It is a sign between me and you. —Circumcision had been given as a covenant sign to Abraham and his descendants ( Genesis 17:9-13 ); but its adoption by many of the heathen nations had rendered it no longer a distinguishing mark by which God’s people could be certainly known from others. Thus a new “sign” was needed. The observance of one day in seven as a day of holy rest became henceforth the distinguishing sign, and proved effectual. It was not likely to be adopted, and in point of fact was not adopted, by any of the heathen. We find it in the latest time of the Jewish nation still regarded as the special mark and badge of a Jew (Juv. Sat. vi. 159, 14:96; Mart. Epig. 4:4 , 50:7, &c.).

Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, {f} Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. (f) Though I command that these works be done, yet I do not want you to break my Sabbath days.

My sabbaths ye shall keep : this precept is here repeated, either, 1. To show the chief use of the tabernacle, and all this cost and trouble about it, to wit, that they might there acceptably serve God, as in some measure upon every day, so especially upon the sabbath day. Or rather, 2. To restrain the time for the doing of the forementioned works: q.d. Though the work of the tabernacle and utensils be holy, and for a holy use, yet I will not have it done upon my holy day. The sabbath was not made for them, but they for it, and therefore they shall give place to it. It is a sign between me and you . The sabbath is a fivefold sign: 1. Commemorative, of God’s creation of and dominion over them and all other things, to whom they do hereby profess their subjection. 2. Indicative, showing that they were made to be holy, and that their sanctification can be had from none but from God, as it here follows, and from the observation of God’s days and appointments. 3. Distinctive, whereby they owned themselves to be the Lord’s peculiar people, by a religious keeping of those sabbaths, which the rest of the world grossly neglected and profanely scoffed at. 4. Prefigurative, of that rest which Christ should purchase for them, to wit, a rest from the burden of the ceremonial, and from the curses and rigours of the moral law, as also from sin and the wrath of God for ever. See Heb 4 . 5.

Confirmative, both assuring them of God’s good will to them, and that as he blessed the sabbath for their sakes, so he would bless them in the holy use of it with temporal, spiritual, and everlasting blessings, as he declares in many places of Scripture; and assuring God of their standing to that covenant made between God and them. So that this was a mutual stipulation or ratification of the covenant of grace on both sides. That doth sanctify you ; that selecteth you out of all people, and consecrateth you to myself, and to my service and worship, a great part whereof is the observation of the sabbath. Or, that sanctifieth you by my word and ordinances, which are in more eminent and solemn manner dispensed upon the sabbath day, by the observation whereof you declare that you own me as your only Sanctifier; and so we may observe, the sabbath owns the Lord as our Creator, and as our Redeemer, and as our Sanctifier; and therefore it is no wonder God so severely enjoins the sanctification of the sabbath, and punisheth the neglect of it, it being a tacit renouncing or disowning of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The penal law of the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2-3 . In the fourth commandment the injunction to observe the seventh day is addressed to the conscience of the people (see Exodus 20:8 note): in this place, the object is to declare an infraction of the commandment to be a capital offence. The two passages stand in a relation to each other similar to that between Leviticus 18 , Leviticus 19 , and Leviticus 20 . It seems likely that the penal edict was especially introduced as a caution in reference to the construction of the tabernacle, lest the people, in their zeal to carry on the work, should be tempted to break the divine law for the observance of the day.

Verse 13. - Verily . Rosenmuller suggests, "Nevertheless." But there is no need for any change. It is a sign . Hitherto circumcision had been the only visible "sign" that the Israelites were under a special covenant with God - his people, bound to him by special ties ( Genesis 17:9-14 ; Acts 7:8 ). The adoption of circumcision by the Egyptians and other nations (Herod. 2:104) had produced the effect that this "sign" was no longer distinguishing. It might be still" a sign of profession "; but it had ceased to be "a mark of difference "; and some other mark was therefore needed. Such the observance of the sabbath by entire abstinence from servile work became. No other nation adopted it. It continued to Roman times the mark and badge of a Jew.( Juv . Sat . 6:159; 14:96). That ye may know , etc. By keeping the sabbath day as a day of holy rest the Israelites would know - i.e. , would realise severally in their own per sons, that God was their sanctifier. Sanctification would be the fruit of their obedience. Exodus 31:13

13 . Speak thou also ] And thou (emph.), speak thou ( Exodus 27:20 ). Verily ] cf. on Exodus 12:15 (‘surely’). ye shall keep my Sabbaths ] the sabbaths sacred to me. Note exactly the same words in H, Leviticus 19:3 ; Leviticus 19:30 ; Leviticus 26:2 : ‘my sabbaths,’ also, often in Ezek. ( Ezekiel 20:12-13 ; Ezekiel 20:16 ; Ezekiel 20:20-21 ; Ezekiel 20:24 , Ezekiel 22:8 ; Ezekiel 22:26 , Ezekiel 23:38 , Ezekiel 44:24 ); only besides in Isaiah 56:4 †. a sign , &c.] The sabbath, as a day observed weekly in honour of Jehovah, and kept sacred to Him, is a constantly recurring memorial of Israel’s dedication to Him, and of the covenant-relation subsisting between them. Comp. Ezekiel 20:12 (cited below). throughout your generations ] See on Exodus 12:14 . So v. 16. that men may know (Heb. simply to know : so Psalm 67:2 Heb.) &c.] that all the world may recognize, by means of the sabbath, that it is Jehovah who ‘sanctifies’ Israel, or provides it with the means of becoming a holy people. ‘I am Jehovah which sanctify [better, ‘which sancti fieth ’] you (him, them)’ is one of the dominant thoughts of H ( Leviticus 20:8 ; Leviticus 21:15 (cf. v. 8), Leviticus 21:23 , Leviticus 22:9 ; Leviticus 22:16 ; Leviticus 22:32 ). Comp. Ezekiel 20:12 ‘I gave them my Sabbaths , to be a sign between me and them, that men might know [Heb. to know ] that I am Jehovah, which sanctifieth them’ (similarly v. 20); also, for the last clause, Ezekiel 37:12 .

12-17. Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep—The reason for the fresh inculcation of the fourth commandment at this particular period was, that the great ardor and eagerness, with which all classes betook themselves to the construction of the tabernacle, exposed them to the temptation of encroaching on the sanctity of the appointed day of rest. They might suppose that the erection of the tabernacle was a sacred work, and that it would be a high merit, an acceptable tribute, to prosecute the undertaking without the interruption of a day's repose; and therefore the caution here given, at the commencement of the undertaking, was a seasonable admonition.