Exodus – Chapter 31

Old Testament18 Verses

1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

2Behold, I have called by name Beseleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Juda,

3And I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom and understanding, and knowledge in all manner of work,

4To devise whatsoever may be artificially made of gold, and silver, and brass,

5Of marble, and precious stones, and variety of wood.

6And I have given him for his companion Ooliab, the son of Achisamech, of the tribe of Dan. And I have put wisdom in the heart of every skilful man, that they may make all things which I have commanded thee,

7The tabernacle of the covenant, and the ark of the testimony, and the propitiatory, that is over it, and all the vessels of the tabernacle,

8And the table and the vessels thereof, the most pure candlestick with the vessels thereof, and the altars of incense,

9And of holocaust, and all their vessels, the laver with its foot,

10The holy vestments in the ministry for Aaron the priest, and for his sons, that they may execute their office, about the sacred things:

11The oil of unction, and the incense of spices in the sanctuary, all things which I have commanded thee, shall they make.

12And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

13Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: See that you keep my sabbath; because it is a sign between me and you in your generations that you may know that I am the Lord, who sanctify you.

14keep you my sabbath: for it is holy unto you: he that shall profane it, shall be put to death: he that shall do any work in it, his soul shall perish out of the midst of his people.

15Six days shall you do work: in the seventh day is the sabbath, the rest holy to the Lord. Every one that shall do any work on this day, shall die.

16Let the children of Israel keep the sabbath, and celebrate it in their generations. It is an everlasting covenant

17Between me and the children of Israel, and a perpetual sign. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and in the seventh he ceased from work.

18And the Lord, when he had ended these words in Mount Sinai, gave to Moses two stone tables of testimony, written with the finger of God.

Reflection for Today

The late section of Exodus—Chapter 31 of 40—opens a particular moment in the story of liberation, law, and worship.

According to Catholic teaching, the Church sees the Exodus as prefiguring Baptism and the Eucharist (CIC 1221, 1363). This chapter especially highlights care for the poor and vulnerable, a theme the Catechism develops in relation to the whole of revelation (CIC 618).

May your reading of Exodus Chapter 31 become true lectio divina: read the words, meditate on their meaning, respond in prayer, and rest in God's presence. Ask the Holy Spirit to show how God delivers His people from slavery applies to your life today.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

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