The Meaning of Exodus 35:2 Explained

Exodus 35:2

KJV: Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

YLT: Six days is work done, and on the seventh day there is to you a holy day, a sabbath of rest to Jehovah; any who doeth work in it is put to death;

Darby: Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of rest to Jehovah: whoever does work on it shall be put to death.

ASV: Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of solemn rest to Jehovah: whosoever doeth any work therein shall be put to death.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Six  days  shall work  be done,  but on the seventh  day  there shall be to you an holy day,  a sabbath  of rest  to the LORD:  whosoever doeth  work  therein shall be put to death. 

What does Exodus 35:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 35:1-19 - The Sabbath And Offerings To God
Very significantly this chapter commences with the reiteration of the Rest-day. Perhaps the people needed to be reminded that, amid all the din of preparation for the new Tabernacle, they were not to allow their work, however noble the object, to break in on the Sabbath-keeping of the camp. He then proceeded to enumerate the character of the gifts that were required. Those who had costly heirlooms had nothing too good; and they who could only bring the acacia wood of the desert were welcome to bring that. Women who were clever with their hands might spin the flax or weave the soft white wool of the Angora goat. A wide variety of work was offered, which reminds us of 1 Corinthians 12:4, and following. Repeatedly he urged the word "willing-hearted," and the Hebrew phrase signifies a heart driven by a holy purpose. Tennyson uses the phrase, "Whose heart drove him on like a goad." There was no crack of the taskmaster's whip. "The love of God constrained." "O love that will not let me go!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 35

1  The Sabbath
4  The free gifts for the tabernacle
20  The readiness of the people to offer
30  Bezaleel and Aholiab are called to the work

What do the individual words in Exodus 35:2 mean?

six days shall be done for Work but the day seventh shall be for you a holy day a Sabbath of rest to Yahweh Whoever does on it any work shall be put to death
שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒ וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֥ם קֹ֛דֶשׁ שַׁבַּ֥ת שַׁבָּת֖וֹן לַיהוָ֑ה כָּל־ הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה ב֛וֹ מְלָאכָ֖ה יוּמָֽת

שֵׁ֣שֶׁת  six 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁשׁ  
Sense: six.
יָמִים֮  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה  shall  be  done  for 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
מְלָאכָה֒  Work 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְלָאכָה  
Sense: occupation, work, business.
וּבַיּ֣וֹם  but  the  day 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י  seventh 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִיעִי  
Sense: seventh.
יִהְיֶ֨ה  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָכֶ֥ם  for  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
קֹ֛דֶשׁ  a  holy  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
שַׁבַּ֥ת  a  Sabbath 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: שַׁבָּת  
Sense: Sabbath.
שַׁבָּת֖וֹן  of  rest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁבָּתֹון  
Sense: Sabbath observance, sabbatism.
לַיהוָ֑ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כָּל־  Whoever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה  does 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
ב֛וֹ  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
מְלָאכָ֖ה  any  work 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְלָאכָה  
Sense: occupation, work, business.
יוּמָֽת  shall  be  put  to  death 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.