God’s Word Translation
Exodus 31:13
13“Say to the Israelites, ‘Be sure to observe my days of rest as holy days. This will be a sign between me and you for generations to come so that you will know that I am the Lord who makes you holy.
Exodus 31:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)“Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, 'Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
Context of Exodus 31:13
11the anointing oil, and the sweet-smelling incense for the holy place. They will make all these things as I commanded you.” 12The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘Be sure to observe my days of rest as holy days. This will be a sign between me and you for generations to come so that you will know that I am the Lord who makes you holy. 14“ ‘Observe the day of rest because it is holy to you. Whoever treats it like any other day must be put to death. Whoever works on that day must be excluded from the people. 15You may work for six days, but the seventh day is a day of rest—a holy day, a day when you don’t work. It is holy to the Lord. Whoever works on that day must be put to death.
Read all of Exodus 31Exodus 31:13 word by word
וְאַתָּ֞ה דַּבֵּ֨ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֥ךְ אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כִּי֩ א֨וֹת הִ֜וא בֵּינִ֤י וּבֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם לָדַ֕עַת כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- thou also unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Verilyאַךְ'ak · surelyH389
- my sabbathsשַׁבָּתshabbâth · SabbathH7676
- ye shall keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
- a signאוֹת'ôth · sign: indicatorH226
- between me and you throughout your generationsדּוֹרdôr dôr · generationH1755
- may knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- that doth sanctifyקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: consecateH6942
Cross-references for Exodus 31:13
- Exodus 20:8“Remember the day of rest by observing it as a holy day.
- Leviticus 19:3“Respect your mother and father. Observe my days of rest as holy days. I am the Lord your God.
- Leviticus 23:3You may work for six days. But the seventh day is a day of rest, a day when you don’t work, a holy assembly. Don’t do any work. It is the Lord’s day of rest—a holy day wherever you live.
- Leviticus 25:2“Tell the Israelites: When you come into the land I’m giving you, the land will celebrate a year to honor the Lord.
- Leviticus 26:2Observe my days of rest as holy days and respect my holy tent. I am the Lord.
- Exodus 31:17It will be a permanent sign between me and the Israelites, because the Lord made heaven and earth in six days, and on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’ ”
- Nehemiah 9:14You taught them about your holy day of rest. You gave them commandments, laws, and teachings through your servant Moses.
- Ezekiel 20:12I also gave them certain days to worship me as a sign between us so that they would know that I, the Lord, made them holy.
- Ezekiel 44:24In all disputes the priests must act as judges and make decisions based on my laws. They must obey my rules and my regulations at all my festivals. They must observe holy days to worship me.
- Leviticus 20:8Obey my laws, and live by them. I am the Lord who sets you apart as holy.
- Leviticus 21:8Be holy because you offer the food of your God. Be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I set you apart as holy.
- Ezekiel 37:28Then the nations will know that I, the Lord, have set Israel apart as holy, because my holy place will be among them permanently.’ ”
- John 17:17“Use the truth to make them holy. Your words are truth.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23May the God who gives peace make you holy in every way. May he keep your whole being—spirit, soul, and body—blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.
- Jude 1:1From Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James. To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father, and who are kept safe for Jesus Christ.
Commentaries on Exodus 31:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13My Sabbaths ye shall keep - See Clarke's note on Genesis 2:3. See Clarke's note on Exodus 20:8.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. 12-18The Sabbath was understood to be the unique sign of the covenant (31:13, 16, 17; see also 20:8–11; Isaiah 58:13–14; Jeremiah 17:21–27; Nehemiah 13:15–22). The Sabbath also played an important role in God’s plan to make his people holy. Holy refers to being set apart for God’s special use and sharing his character (Exodus 31:13, 14, 15). By resting on the Sabbath, the people showed that they belonged to him. They stopped their own work on that day (31:15…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 31:13
In the dictionaries
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
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