Exodus 31:9

31:1-11 The Israelites, who had been masons and bricklayers in Egypt, were not qualified for curious workmanship; but the Spirit who gave the apostles utterance in divers tongues, miraculously gave Bezaleel and Aholiab the skill that was wanting. The honour which comes from God, is always attended with a work to be done; to be employed for God is high honour. Those whom God calls to any service, he will find or make fit for it. The Lord gives different gifts to different persons; let each mind his proper work, diligently remembering that whatever wisdom any one possesses, the Lord put it in the heart, to do his commandments.

6. I have given with him Aholiab—He belonged to the tribe of Dan, one of the least influential and honorable in Israel; and here, too, we can trace the evidence of wise and paternal design, in choosing the colleague or assistant of Bezaleel from an inferior tribe (compare 1Co 12:14-25; also Mr 6:7). all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom—At that period, when one spirit pervaded all Israel, it was not the man full of heavenly genius who presided over the work; but all who contributed their skill, experience, and labor, in rendering the smallest assistance, showed their piety and devotedness to the divine service. In like manner, it was at the commencement of the Christian Church (Ac 6:5; 18:2).

CHAPTER 31 Ex 31:1-18. Bezaleel and Aholiab.Bezaleel and Aholiab are called for the work of the tabernacle, Exodus 31:1-7. The table and candlestick, Exodus 31:8. The altar, Exodus 31:9. Hallowing of the sabbath is commanded again, Exodus 31:12-17. Moses receiveth the two tables of the law, Exodus 31:18. No text from Poole on this verse.

There were associated with Bezaleel as assistants, Oholiab, the son of Achisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and other men endowed with understanding, whom God had filled with wisdom for the execution of His work. According to Exodus 38:23 , Oholiab was both faber, a master in metal, stone, and wood work, and also an artistic weaver of colours. In Exodus 38:7-11 , the words to be executed, which have been minutely described in ch. 24-30, are mentioned singly once more; and, in addition to these, we find in Exodus 31:10 השּׂרד בּגדי mentioned, along with, or rather before, the holy dress of Aaron. This is the case also in Exodus 35:19 and Exodus 39:41 , where there is also the additional clause, "to serve (שׁרת ministrare) in the sanctuary." They were composed, according to Exodus 39:1 , of blue and red purple, and crimson. The meaning of the word serad, which only occurs in these passages, is quite uncertain. The Rabbins understand by the bigde hasserad the wrappers in which the vessels of the sanctuary were enclosed when the camp was broken up, as these are called begadim of blue and red purple, and crimson, in Numbers 4:6 . But this rendering is opposed to the words which follow, and which indicate their use in the holy service, i.e., in the performance of worship, and therefore are quite inapplicable to the wrappers referred to.

There is even less ground for referring them, as Gesenius and others do, to the inner curtains of the tabernacle, or the inner hangings of the dwelling-place. For, apart from the uncertainty of the rendering given to serad, viz., netted cloth, filet, it is overthrown by the fact that these curtains of the dwelling-place were not of net-work; and still more decisively by the order in which the bigde hasserad occur in Exodus 39:41 , viz., not till the dwelling-place and tent, and everything belonging to them, have been mentioned, even down to the hangings of the court and the pegs of the tent, and all that remains to be noticed is the clothing of the priests. From the definition "to serve in the sanctuary," it is obvious that the bigde serad were clothes used in the worship, στολαὶ λειτουργικαί, as the lxx have rendered it in agreement with the rest of the ancient versions-that they were, in fact, the rich robes which constituted the official dress of the high priest, whilst "the holy garments for Aaron" were the holy clothes which were worn by him in common with the priests.

[Reformed Biblical] ch as is sufficient for the daily incense. Exodus 30:37 Exodus 30:38 ## Exodus 31:1 EXODUS CHAPTER 31 Bezaleel and Aholiab are called for the work of the tabernacle, Exo_31:1-7. The table and candlestick, Exo_31:8. The altar, Exo_31:9. Hallowing of the sabbath is commanded again, Exo_31:12-17. Moses receiveth the two tables of the law, Exo_31:18. Exodus 31:2 He seems to be the same mentioned 1Ch_2:20 Exodus 31:3 ## I have filled him with the spirit of God , which was now necessary, because the Israelites in Egypt wanted ingenious education to learn these things, and therefore needed inspiration. ## In wisdom , or, with wisdom , the following clauses being explicatory of the former, showing what gifts of the Spirit God had filled him with, to wit, wisdom, &c. Exodus 31:4 Exodus 31:5 Exodus 31:6 ## All that are wise-hearted ; that have wisdom and skill sufficient to do these things, under the inspection and direction of Bezaleel and Aholiab, the principal workmen. Exodus 31:7 Exodus 31:8 ## The pure candlestick ; so called by way of eminency, notonly because it was made of pure gold, and was not defiled with blood, for so some other things were, but especially to mind the priests of their duty in keeping it neat and clean, it being more subject to defilement than other things. Exodus 31:9 Exodus 31:10 ## The cloths of service , wherein the ark and other sacred utensils were wrapped up when they were to be removed. See Exo_35:19 Num 4 . Exodus 31:11 Exodus 31:12 Exodus

12 . the tables of stone ] on which the Decalogue was inscribed. They are mentioned frequently in the sequel; and, remarkably enough, by different expressions, corresponding to the three principal Pent. sources: ‘in Exodus 31:18 b E, as here, says “tables of stone”; P says “the two tables of the testimony” ( Exodus 31:18 a, Exodus 32:15 a, Exodus 34:29 ); J and Dt. say “the two tables of stones” ( Exodus 34:1 ; Exodus 34:4 , Deuteronomy 4:13 ; Deuteronomy 5:22 [Heb. 19], Exodus 9:9-11 , Exodus 10:1 ; Exodus 10:3 )’ (Di.): Dt. says also (cf. p. 175) ‘the tables of the covenant’ ( Exodus 9:9 ; Exodus 9:11 ; Exodus 9:15 ). and the direction ( tôrâh ) and the commandment, which I have written , to direct them (i.e. the people)] What these words refer to is a difficult and uncertain question. It cannot be the Decalogue; for not only must it be something different from the ‘tables of stone,’ but the Decalogue would not be spoken of as tôrâh . It cannot be the ‘Book of the Covenant’; for this has been already both ‘given’ to Moses and ‘written’ ( vv. 4, 7). As nothing is spoken of as ‘written’ by Jehovah, except the Decalogue, it is an extremely probable conjecture that the words ‘which I have written’ are out of place, and ought to follow ‘the tables of stone’: ‘the direction and the commandment’ may then refer to something future (‘will give’): but it still remains a question what that is.

(5) Moreover the brasen altar . . . he put before the tabernacle of the Lord. —Rather, And the brasen altar . . . was there before the dwelling of Jehovah. In Hebrew, shām is “there”; and sām, “he put.” Some MSS., supported by the LXX. and Vulg., read the former; most of the MSS. and the Syr., Arab., and Targ., the latter. The former reading is preferable, as it is not likely that David found the brazen altar separated from the Mosaic sanctuary, and restored it to its place. The sentence further explains why Solomon resorted to Gibeon. The presence of the old brazen altar constituted it the legitimate place of sacrifice. With perfect consistency, the chronicler accounted for David’s not going to Gibeon ( 1Chronicles 21:28-30 ). That Bezaleel the son of Uri . . . had made—See Exodus 31:2; Exodus 31:9; Exodus 38:1-8; Exodus 27:1-8. And Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.—Rather, And Solomon and the assembly sought Him—i.e., the Lord. (Comp. 1Chronicles 13:3; 1Chronicles 15:13; 1Chronicles 21:30.) The old versions translate as A. V.