Exodus 31 KJV
Bezalel and Oholiab
Exodus Chapter 31: Bezalel and Oholiab
Bezalel is the first person in the entire Bible explicitly described as filled with the Spirit of God, and the endowment is given specifically for manual artistry and technical skill rather than prophecy, leadership, or ecstatic speech.
1nd the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
5 And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.
6 And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;
7 The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,
8 And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,
9 And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,
10 And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priestโs office,
11 And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.
12 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, 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.
14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
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Did You Know?
Bezalel is the first person in the entire Bible explicitly described as filled with the Spirit of God, and the endowment is given specifically for manual artistry and technical skill rather than prophecy, leadership, or ecstatic speech.
The pairing of Bezalel from Judah with Oholiab from Dan places the future royal tribe alongside the tribe that would later erect one of Israel's most notorious idol sanctuaries, underscoring an early, unexpected collaboration between these lineages in sacred construction.
Immediately after detailed instructions for building the tabernacle, the chapter inserts a reinforced Sabbath law carrying the death penalty, framing the sanctuary project itself as an act that must not override the creation rhythm established in Genesis.
The final verse's unique phrasing 'written with the finger of God' presents the only Pentateuchal instance in which the physical act of divine inscription is described in anthropomorphic terms, distinguishing these tablets from all subsequent stone or scroll references.
Bezalel's genealogy is traced three generations (son of Uri, son of Hur) while Oholiab receives none, a literary asymmetry that quietly elevates the Judahite artisan's ancestral credentials at the moment the tabernacle's blueprint is entrusted to human hands.
Commentary & Study Notes Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871) ยท Public Domain See, I have called โ Though the instructions about the tabernacle were privately communicated to Moses, it was plainly impossible that he could superintend the work in person, amidโฆ
Classic verse-by-verse commentary on Exodus 31 from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (1871). Covers: Bezaleel and aholiab.
- 2
- See, I have called โ Though the instructions about the tabernacle were privately communicated to Moses, it was plainly impossible that he could superintend the work in person, amid the multiplicity of his other duties. A head director or builder was selected by God Himself; and the nomination by such high authority removed all ground of jealousy or discontent on the part of any who might have thought their merits overlooked (compare Mt 18:1). by name Bezaleel โ signifying "in the shadow or protection of God"; and, as called to discharge a duty of great magnitude โ to execute a confidential trust in the ancient Church of God, he has his family and lineage recorded with marked distinction. He belonged to the tribe of Judah, which, doubtless for wise and weighty reasons, God all along delighted to honor; and he was the grandson of Hur, a pious patriot (Ex 17:12), who was associated, by a special commission, with Aaron in the government of the people during the absence of Moses. Moreover, it may be noticed that a Jewish tradition affirms Hur to be the husband of Miriam; and if this tradition may be relied on, it affords an additional reason for the appointment of Bezaleel emanating from the direct authority of God.
- 3-5
- I have filled him with the spirit of God โ It is probable that he was naturally endowed with a mechanical genius, and had acquired in Egypt great knowledge and skill in the useful, as well as liberal, arts so as to be a first-class artisan, competent to take charge of both the plain and ornamental work, which the building of the sacred edifice required. When God has any special work to be accomplished, He always raises up instruments capable of doing it; and it is likely that He had given to the son of Uri that strong natural aptitude and those opportunities of gaining mechanical skill, with an ultimate view to this responsible office. Notwithstanding that his grand duty was to conform with scrupulous fidelity to the pattern furnished, there was still plenty of room for inventive talent and tasteful exactness in the execution; and his natural and acquired gifts were enlarged and invigorated for the important work.
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