Discovery BoxExodus 16:23 
Context16:23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a time of cessation from work, 1 a holy Sabbath 2 to the Lord. Whatever you want to 3 bake, bake today; 4 whatever you want to boil, boil today; whatever is left put aside for yourselves to be kept until morning.’”
Exodus 20:11
Context20:11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
Exodus 28:4
Context28:4 Now these are the garments that they are to make: a breastpiece, 5 an ephod, 6 a robe, a fitted 7 tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make holy garments for your brother Aaron and for his sons, that they may minister as my priests.
Exodus 28:43
Context28:43 These must be on Aaron and his sons when they enter 8 to the tent of meeting, or when they approach 9 the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they bear no iniquity and die. 10 It is to be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendants 11 after him. 12
Exodus 29:21
Context29:21 You are to take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it 13 on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on his sons’ garments with him, so that he may be holy, 14 he and his garments along with his sons and his sons’ garments.
Exodus 30:10
Context30:10 Aaron is to make atonement on its horns once in the year with some of the blood of the sin offering for atonement; 15 once in the year 16 he is to make atonement on it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.” 17
Exodus 31:14
Context31:14 So you must keep the Sabbath, for it is holy for you. Everyone who defiles it 18 must surely be put to death; indeed, 19 if anyone does 20 any 21 work on it, then that person will be cut off from among his 22 people.
1 tn The noun שַׁבָּתוֹן (shabbaton) has the abstract ending on it: “resting, ceasing.” The root word means “cease” from something, more than “to rest.” The Law would make it clear that they were to cease from their normal occupations and do no common work.
2 tn The technical expression is now used: שַׁבַּת־קֹדֶשׁ (shabbat-qodesh, “a holy Sabbath”) meaning a “cessation of/for holiness” for Yahweh. The rest was to be characterized by holiness.
3 tn The two verbs in these objective noun clauses are desiderative imperfects – “bake whatever you want to bake.”
4 tn The word “today” is implied from the context.
5 sn The breastpiece seems to have been a pouch of sorts or to have had a pocket, since it was folded in some way (28:16; 39:9) and contained the Urim and Thummim (Exod 28:30; Lev 8:8).
6 sn The word “ephod” is taken over directly from Hebrew, because no one knows how to translate it, nor is there agreement about its design. It refers here to a garment worn by the priests, but the word can also refer to some kind of image for a god (Judg 8:27).
7 tn The word תָּשְׁבֵּץ (tashbets), which describes the tunic and which appears only in this verse, is related to a verb (also rare) of the same root in 28:39 that describes making the tunic. Their meaning is uncertain (see the extended discussion in C. Houtman, Exodus, 3:473-75). A related noun describes gold fasteners and the “settings,” or “mountings,” for precious stones (28:11, 13, 14, 20, 25; 36:18; 39:6, 13, 16, 18; cf. Ps 45:14). The word “fitted” in 28:4 reflects the possibility that “the tunic is to be shaped by sewing, … so that it will fit tightly around the body” (C. Houtman, Exodus, 3:475).
8 tn The construction for this temporal clause is the infinitive construct with the temporal preposition bet (ב) and the suffixed subjective genitive.
9 tn This construction is also the temporal clause with the infinitive construct and the temporal preposition bet (ב) and the suffixed subjective genitive.
10 tn The text has וְלאֹ־יִשְׂאוּ עָוֹן וָמֵתוּ (vÿlo’-yis’u ’avon vametu). The imperfect tense here introduces a final clause, yielding a purpose or result translation (“in order that” or “so that”). The last verb is the perfect tense with the vav consecutive, and so it too is equal to a final imperfect – but it would show the result of bearing the iniquity. The idea is that if they approached the holy things with a lack of modesty, perhaps like the pagans who have nakedness and sexuality as part of the religious ritual, they would pollute the holy things, and it would be reckoned to them for iniquity and they would die.
11 tn Heb “seed.”
12 sn So the priests were to make intercession for the people, give decisions from God’s revealed will, enter his presence in purity, and represent holiness to Yahweh. The clothing of the priests provided for these functions, but in a way that brought honor and dignity. A priest was, therefore, to serve in purity, holiness, and fear (Malachi). There is much that can be derived from this chapter to form principles of spiritual leadership, but the overall point can be worded this way: Those whom God selects to minister to the congregation through intercessory prayer, divine counsel, and sacrificial worship, must always represent the holiness of Yahweh in their activities and demeanor.
13 tn Here “it” has been supplied.
14 tn The verb in this instance is Qal and not Piel, “to be holy” rather than “sanctify.” The result of all this ritual is that Aaron and his sons will be set aside and distinct in their life and their service.
15 tn The word “atonements” (plural in Hebrew) is a genitive showing the result or product of the sacrifice made.
16 sn This ruling presupposes that the instruction for the Day of Atonement has been given, or at the very least, is to be given shortly. That is the one day of the year that all sin and all ritual impurity would be removed.
17 sn The phrase “most holy to the
18 tn This clause is all from one word, a Piel plural participle with a third, feminine suffix: מְחַלְלֶיהָ (mÿkhalleha, “defilers of it”). This form serves as the subject of the sentence. The word חָלַל (khalal) is the antonym of קָדַשׁ (qadash, “to be holy”). It means “common, profane,” and in the Piel stem “make common, profane” or “defile.” Treating the Sabbath like an ordinary day would profane it, make it common.
19 tn This is the asseverative use of כִּי (ki) meaning “surely, indeed,” for it restates the point just made (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §449).
20 tn Heb “the one who does.”
21 tn “any” has been supplied.
22 tn Literally “her” (a feminine pronoun agreeing with “soul/life,” which is grammatically feminine).
