God’s Word Translation
Exodus 31:17
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.’ ”
Exodus 31:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”
Context of Exodus 31:17
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. 16The Israelites must observe this day of rest as a holy day, celebrating it for generations to come as a permanent reminder of my promise. It 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.’ ” 18The Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai. Then he gave him the two tablets with his words on them, stone tablets inscribed by God himself.
Read all of Exodus 31Exodus 31:17 word by word
בֵּינִ֗י וּבֵין֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל א֥וֹת הִ֖וא לְעֹלָ֑ם כִּי־שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֗ים עָשָׂ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י שָׁבַ֖ת וַיִּנָּפַֽשׁ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- a signאוֹת'ôth · sign: indicatorH226
- between me and the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- for everעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769
- sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and on the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
- he restedשָׁבַתshâbath · to ceaseH7673
- and was refreshedנָפַשׁnâphash · be refreshedH5314
Cross-references for Exodus 31:17
- Exodus 31:13“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.
- 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.
- Genesis 1:31And God saw everything that he had made and that it was very good. There was evening, then morning—the sixth day.
- Genesis 2:2By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing. On the seventh day he stopped the work he had been doing.
- Hebrews 4:3We who believe are entering that place of rest. As God said, “So I angrily took a solemn oath that they would never enter my place of rest.” God said this even though he had finished his work when he created the world.
- Job 38:7when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
- Psalms 104:31May the glory of the Lord endure forever. May the Lord find joy in what he has made.
- Jeremiah 32:41I will enjoy blessing them. With all my heart and soul I will faithfully plant them in this land.
Commentaries on Exodus 31:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Rested, and was refreshed - God, in condescension to human weakness, applies to himself here what belongs to man. If a man religiously rests on the Sabbath, both his body and soul shall be refreshed; he shall acquire new light and life.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 31:17
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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