Exodus 35:1-3

The Command Comes To Keep The Sabbath (Exodus 35:1).

Whilst at first this command appears to be on its own and not connected with the context its positioning is in fact very important. For at last after the to-ing and fro-ing of the past days, work could begin on the Dwellingplace. The people were now firmly back as Yahweh's people and in Yahweh's favour, and they would show their gratitude accordingly. But they first needed to be reminded that with all their enthusiasm, and with all the sacredness of what they were about to do, the Sabbath rest must be maintained. No work was to be done on the Sabbath, even that of constructing the Dwellingplace, and no fire was to be kindled, even for the purpose of forging sacred things. The Sabbath must be kept sacrosanct.

The Necessity to Keep the Sabbath (Exodus 35:1).

This can be analysed briefly as:

a The words which Yahweh has commanded are that work shall be done for six days (Exodus 35:1 a).

b The seventh is to be a holy day, a sabbath of solemn rest to Yahweh (Exodus 35:2 b)

b Whoever does any work in it shall be put to death (Exodus 35:2 c).

a You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the sabbath day (Exodus 35:3).

This can be seen as both a progression and a chiasmus. In ‘a' work is to be done for six days so that in the parallel any one who makes a fire on the seventh day is in the wrong. In ‘b' The seventh is a solemn rest so that in the parallel anyone who works on it will be put to death.

Exodus 35:1

‘And Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said to them, “These are the words which Yahweh has commanded, that you should do them. 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 Yahweh, whoever does any work in it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the sabbath day.” '

The importance of the Sabbath day is again highlighted. Men should work for six days, but the Sabbath was a day of solemn rest. Whoever worked on it would be put to death, and this even included the making of a fire. Making a fire actually involved considerable labour, for unless some means of lighting it was to hand, such as a lighted torch, or burning coals, it had to be lit by twirling one stick in a depression on a board, or by rubbing two sticks together. This would include fires for cooking, for it would not be required for heating, and fires for forging what was required for the Dwellingplace. The former was already in principle forbidden (Exodus 16:23). Thus work on the Dwellingplace must also not take place on the Sabbath.