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Tuesday, August 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

English Standard Version

Exodus 31:15

Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord . Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Sabbath;   Sanitation;   Thompson Chain Reference - Rest, Enjoined (Physical);   Rest-Unrest;   Sabbath;   The Topic Concordance - Execution;   Holiness;   Sabbath;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Sabbath, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Holiness;   Sabbath;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Create, Creation;   Kill, Killing;   Punishment;   Rest;   Sabbath;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Capital Punishment;   Crimes and Punishments;   Exodus, Book of;   Sabbath;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Crimes and Punishments;   Ethics;   Feasts;   Tabernacle;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Sabbath;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Peculiarities of the Law of Moses;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Law in the Old Testament;   Rest;   Sabbath;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Covenant;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Shabbat of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the day of Shabbat shall surely be put to death.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
On six days work can be done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy day for Yahweh; anyone doing work on the Sabbath day will surely be put to death.
New Century Version
There are six days for working, but the seventh day is a day of rest, a day holy for the Lord . Anyone who works during the Sabbath day must be put to death.
New English Translation
Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord ; anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death.
Amplified Bible
'For six days work may be done, but the seventh is the Sabbath of complete rest, sacred to the LORD; whoever does work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.
New American Standard Bible
'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Sixe dayes shall men worke, but in the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the holy rest to the Lord: whosoeuer doeth any worke in the Sabbath day, shall dye the death.
Legacy Standard Bible
Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to Yahweh; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death.
Complete Jewish Bible
On six days work will get done; but the seventh day is Shabbat, for complete rest, set apart for Adonai . Whoever does any work on the day of Shabbat must be put to death.
Darby Translation
Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, holy to Jehovah: whoever doeth work on the sabbath day shall certainly be put to death.
Easy-to-Read Version
There are six other days in the week for working. But the seventh day is a very special day of rest. That is the special day to honor the Lord . Anyone who works during the Sabbath must be killed.
George Lamsa Translation
Six days you shall do work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD; whosoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death.
Good News Translation
You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a solemn day of rest dedicated to me. Whoever does any work on that day is to be put to death.
Christian Standard Bible®
Work 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.
Literal Translation
Work may be done six days, and on the seventh day is a sabbath of rest, holy to Jehovah; everyone doing work on the Sabbath day dying shall die.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Sixe dayes shall men worke, but vpon the seuenth daye is the Sabbath the holy rest of the LORDE. Who so doth eny worke vpon the Sabbath daye, shall dye the death.
American Standard Version
Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to Jehovah; whosoever doeth any work on the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Bible in Basic English
Six days may work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Six dayes shall men worke, and in the seuenth day is the Sabboth of the holy rest of the Lorde: whosoeuer doth any worke in the Sabboth day shall dye the death.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD; whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
King James Version (1611)
Sixe dayes may worke bee done, but in the seuenth is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoeuer doth any worke in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Six days thou shalt do works, but the seventh day is the sabbath, a holy rest to the Lord; every one who shall do a work on the seventh day shall be put to death.
English Revised Version
Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Berean Standard Bible
For six days work may be done, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sixe daies ye schulen do werk; in the seuenthe dai is sabat, hooli reste to the Lord; ech man that doith werk in this dai schal die.
Young's Literal Translation
`Six days is work done, and in the seventh day [is] a sabbath of holy rest to Jehovah; any who doeth work in the sabbath-day is certainly put to death,
Update Bible Version
Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to Yahweh: whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Webster's Bible Translation
Six days may work be done, but in the seventh [is] the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whoever doeth [any] work in the sabbath-day, he shall surely be put to death.
World English Bible
Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to Yahweh. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death.
New King James Version
Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
New Living Translation
You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord . Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.
New Life Bible
Work may be done for six days. But the seventh day is a Day of Rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Day of Rest will be put to death for sure.
New Revised Standard
Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord ; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall be put to death.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Six days, shall work be done, but on the seventh day, is a holy sabbath-keeping of rest unto Yahweh, - whosoever doeth work on the sabbath day, shall be, surely put to death.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Six 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.
Revised Standard Version
Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall be put to death.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death.

Contextual Overview

12 And the Lord said to Moses, 13 "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. 14 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. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord . Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 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.'" 18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Six days: Exodus 31:17, Exodus 16:26, Exodus 20:9, Exodus 34:21, Leviticus 23:3, Ezekiel 46:1, Luke 13:14

the sabbath: Exodus 16:23, Exodus 20:10, Genesis 2:2, Leviticus 23:3, Leviticus 23:32, Luke 23:56, Hebrews 4:9,*Gr.

holy: Heb. holiness

whosoever: Numbers 15:32-36, Jeremiah 17:24-27

Reciprocal: Exodus 23:12 - Six days Leviticus 16:31 - General Numbers 15:35 - The man Matthew 12:2 - Behold Mark 2:24 - that Luke 6:2 - not

Cross-References

Genesis 30:26
Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you."
Genesis 31:7
yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me.
Genesis 31:11
Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,' and I said, ‘Here I am!'
Genesis 31:15
Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money.
Genesis 31:20
And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee.
Genesis 31:27
Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre?
Genesis 31:30
And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house, but why did you steal my gods?"
Genesis 31:41
These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.
Nehemiah 5:8
and said to them, "We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!" They were silent and could not find a word to say.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Six days may work be done;.... Allowed to be done by an Israelite, if he would; for this is not a command to work, but a permission or grant to do it; and therefore, seeing they had so many days granted them for their use, it could not be thought hard and unreasonable that God should claim one day in seven for his own use and service, and oblige them to refrain from work on it:

but in the seventh [is] the sabbath of rest; from worldly labour, and was typical of spiritual rest here, and eternal rest hereafter:

holy to the Lord; separated from other days, and entirely devoted to the worship and service of God, and to be kept holy to the Lord in all holy and religious exercises, as hearing and reading the word, praying, praising, c.

whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, [he] shall surely be put to death the Targum of Jonathan adds, by casting stones, and so we find that the first transgressor of this law we read of was stoned to death, Numbers 15:35.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 Leviticus 18:0, Leviticus 19:0, and Leviticus 20:0. It seems likely that the penal edict was especially introduced as a caution in reference to the construction of the tabernacle, lest the people, in their zeal to carry on the work, should be tempted to break the divine law for the observance of the day.

Exodus 31:14

See Numbers 15:32-36. The distinction between the meaning of the two expressions, “to be cut off from the people”, and “to be put to death”, is here indicated. He who was cut off from the people had, by his offence, put himself out of the terms of the covenant, and was an outlaw. On such, and on such alone, when the offence was one which affected the well-being of the nation, as it was in this case, death could be inflicted by the public authority.

Exodus 31:17

Was refreshed - Literally, “he took breath”. Compare Exodus 23:12; 2 Samuel 16:14. The application of the word to the Creator, which occurs nowhere else, is remarkable.


 
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