Exodus 35:31

Exodus 35:31

And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

a. NLT: The LORD has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—[THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. YLT: and He doth fill him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all work, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.

d. Amplified Bible Classic: And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and wisdom, with intelligence and understanding, and with knowledge and all craftsmanship, [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint: and has filled him with a divine spirit of wisdom and understanding, and knowledge of all things,

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: He filled him with a Godly spirit, with wisdom, insight, and knowledge, and with every craft-- [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “And he hath filled him with the spirit of God…”

a. he has filled [Strong: 4390 * male' maw-lay' or malae (Esth. 7:5) {maw-law'}; a primitive root, to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively):--accomplish, confirm, + consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, X draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-)flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a (hand-)full, + have wholly.]

b. him [Strong: 853 * 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

c. with the spirit [7307 * ruwach roo'-akh from 7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions):--air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)), tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y).]

d. of God [Strong: 430 * 'elohiym el-o-heem' plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.]

2. “…in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;”

a. in wisdom [Strong: 2451 * chokmah khok-maw' from 2449; wisdom (in a good sense):--skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.]

b. in understanding [Strong: 8394 * tabuwn taw-boon' and (feminine) tbuwnah {teb-oo-naw'}; or towbunah {to-boo-naw'}; from 995; intelligence; by implication, an argument; by extension, caprice:--discretion, reason, skilfulness, understanding, wisdom.]

c. in knowledge [Strong: 1847 * da`ath dah'-ath from 3045; knowledge:--cunning, (ig-)norantly, know(-ledge), (un-)awares (wittingly).]

d. and in all manner [Strong: 3605 * kol kole or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).]

e. of workmanship [Strong: 4399 * mla'kah mel-aw-kaw' from the same as 4397; properly, deputyship, i.e. ministry; generally, employment (never servile) or work (abstractly or concretely); also property (as the result of labor):--business, + cattle, + industrious, occupation, (+ -pied), + officer, thing (made), use, (manner of) work((-man), -manship).]

1). J. Vernon McGee: Bezaleel is the man God-equipped to make the articles of furniture that are so important in the tabernacle. God gave Bezaleel the ability to pass on his gift to others. The Tabernacle was a beautiful object. It was a jewel in the desert. It was not large, not a great warehouse, only a small building. It has been estimated that about 5 million dollars went into the construction of the tabernacle according to the value of the metals of a few years ago. The value in inflationary times would be even greater. The tabernacle was God’s precious jewel; a picture of His Son Jesus Christ.

2). All of the children of Israel had been slaves under Egyptian dominance and built treasure cities for Pharoah. Most of the Israelites were already craftsmen, males and females,  thoroughly able to accomplish the tasks. Add to that the wisdom of God and you have, after it was finished, a Tabernacle fit for the one true God.   

a). Exodus 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

b). Most of the children of Israel were were craftsmen of one sort or another and it was these who went to work on the Tabernacle and everything that supported it.