Exodus 31:14

Exodus 31:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)“ ‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.
• English Standard Version (ESV)You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
• New King James Version (NKJV)You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.

Context of Exodus 31:14

12The Lord said to Moses, 13“Tell the Israelites: You must observe my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, so that you will know that I am the Lord who consecrates you. Observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever profanes it must be put to death. If anyone does work on it, that person must be cut off from his people. 15Work may be done for six days, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord. Anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. 16The Israelites must observe the Sabbath, celebrating it throughout their generations as a permanent covenant.

Exodus 31:14 word by word

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת כִּ֛י קֹ֥דֶשׁ הִ֖וא לָכֶ֑ם מְחַֽלְלֶ֙יהָ֙ מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֔ת כִּ֗י כָּל־הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה בָהּ֙ מְלָאכָ֔ה וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמֶּֽיהָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ye shall keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
• the sabbathשַׁבָּתshabbâth · SabbathH7676
• holyקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
• unto you: every one that defilethחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490
• it shall surelyמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• for whosoever doethעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• workמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399
• therein, that soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: personH5315
• shall be cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
• from amongקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
• his peopleעַם‛am · kinsmanH5971

Cross-references for Exodus 31:14

• Exodus 20:8Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:
• Deuteronomy 5:12Be careful to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy as the Lord your God has commanded you.
• Nehemiah 9:14You revealed your holy Sabbath to them, and gave them commands, statutes, and instruction through your servant Moses.
• Isaiah 56:1This is what the Lord says: Preserve justice and do what is right, for my salvation is coming soon, and my righteousness will be revealed.
• Isaiah 58:13“If you keep from desecrating the Sabbath, from doing whatever you want on my holy day; if you call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, seeking your own pleasure, or talking business;
• Ezekiel 20:12I also gave them my Sabbaths to serve as a sign between me and them, so that they would know that I am the Lord who consecrates them.
• Ezekiel 44:24“In a dispute, they will officiate as judges and decide the case according to my ordinances. They are to observe my laws and statutes regarding all my appointed festivals, and keep my Sabbaths holy.
• Isaiah 56:2Happy is the person who does this, the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.
• Ezekiel 20:13“‘But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my statutes and they rejected my ordinances — the person who does them will live by them. They also completely profaned my Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out my wrath on them in the wilderness to put an end to them.
• Exodus 35:2For six days work is to be done, but on the seventh day you are to have a holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord. Anyone who does work on it must be executed.
• Numbers 15:35Then the Lord told Moses, “The man is to be put to death. The entire community is to stone him outside the camp.”

Commentaries on Exodus 31:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Every one that defileth it - By any kind of idolatrous or profane worship. Shall surely be put to death - The magistrates shall examine into the business, and if the accused be found guilty, he shall be stoned to death. Shall be cut off - Because that person who could so far contemn the Sabbath, which was a sign to them of the rest which remained for the people of God, was of course an infidel, and should be cut off from all the privileges and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 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 Exodus 31:14 See Numbers 15:32-36. The distinction between the meaning of the two…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-15It is very important to learn that we find life in God only by coming to him in his way. This truth is made clear by the death penalty for disobedience (see also Numbers 15:32–36). This does not mean that God’s people must punish these sins in the same way. But at the beginning, God needed to make this truth clear (see Acts 5:1–11). If people do not understand this spiritual lesson, ritual obedience will not help them. Ritual obedience means simply…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1712-17. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 31:14

• Art
• Sabbath
• Sanitation

In the dictionaries

• Call
• Therein
• Wisdom
• Workmanship
• Write
• Excommunication
• Exodus, the Book of
• Law in the Old Testament
• Leviticus
• Mediation; Mediator

Commentaries on Exodus 31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings