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Exodus

About this book
Chapter 31

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,⁠ 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God⁠ in skill, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship,⁠ 4 to make artistic designs for work with gold, with silver, and with bronze, 5 and with cutting and setting stone, and with cutting wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship. 6 Moreover, I have also given him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and I have given ability to all the specially skilled, that they may make everything I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the atonement lid that is on it, all the furnishings of the tent, 8 the table with its utensils, the pure lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, 9 the altar for the burnt offering with all its utensils, the large basin with its base, 10 the woven garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons, to minister as priests, 11 the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the Holy Place. They will make all these things just as I have commanded you.” 12 The Lord said to Moses, 13 “Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 So you must keep the Sabbath, for it is holy for you. Everyone who defiles it must surely be put to death; indeed, if anyone does any work on it, then that person will be cut off from among his people. 15 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. 16 The Israelites must keep the Sabbath by observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is 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.’”⁠

The Tablets and the Golden Calf

18 He gave Moses two tablets of testimony when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, tablets of stone written by the finger of God.⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.4 I:23 and Exodus 31:3

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

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Summary

In the Baal Cycle the craftsman god Kothar fashions silver and gold furnishings for the gods. Exodus gives that role to a human, Bezalel, whom God fills with skill, understanding, and knowledge to build the Tabernacle.

Passages

KTU 1.4 I:23

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
Now, I bring up a second matter Please prepare a gift for Lady Athirat of the Sea A present for the Creator of the Gods. The Skilled One approaches the bellows With tongs held by Hasis. He molds silver, he pours gold He molds silver in the thousands Gold he pours by the myriads. by the myriads […] He molds a grand canopy and couch A grand dais two myriads in weight A grand dais coated in silver Covered with fluid gold. A grand throne with a seat of gold A grand footstool overlaid in electrum. that is spread […] Grand laced sandals With gold poured over them. A grand table adorned with figures Creatures from the Earth's foundation. of the foundations of the earth. A grand bowl with flocks like Amurru's Carved like the beasts of Yaman With buffalo by the myriads.
1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Exodus 31:3

Hebrew Bible
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God in skill, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 4 to make artistic designs for work with gold, with silver, and with bronze,
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Exodus

References

... 1.4 I 29-43 describes a canopied area with silver and gold furnishings made by a craftsman. Exodus 31 likewise describes a craftsman creating a tented area with items made of the same metals (Exodus 31:1-5; 35:10-19, etc.). Functionally the throne mentioned explicitly in 1.4 I corresponds to the ark, upon which Yahweh is enthroned (1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; Exodus 37:1-9). Closely connected to the ark is the idea of Yahweh's footstool (compare 2 Chronicles 28:2, which mentions the ark, 'and the footstool of our God.'). A table is also made in both cases (compare Exodus 25:23-30). Van Selms compares further the juxtaposition of the table and bowl in Athirat's gifts with the golden flagons and bowls made for the table for the bread of the presence (Exodus 25:29; Numbers 4:7; see also Cassuto 1967:340). Although Bezalel, the craftsman chosen to make the objects for the tabernacle, is not divine, he is described in this following manner in Exodus 35:31: 'He (God) has filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge and in every kind of work.' This is certainly a reasonable analogue or substitute for Kothar. ...
Mark S. Smith and Wayne T. Pitard, The Ugaritic Baal Cycle: Introduction with Text, Translation and Commentary of KTU/CAT 1.3–1.4 (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 2:425–426.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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KTU 1.4 I:23 and Exodus 31:3

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