Exodus 31:11

Summary

Exodus 31:11 continues a list of items to be made for the sanctuary, specifying the anointing oil and the incense of spices for the holy place. The verse closes with a divine statement that the craftsmen are to execute everything exactly as commanded.

Key words

• shemen ("oil of", H8081) — masculine singular construct noun, linking directly to ha-mishchah, forming the phrase "oil of the anointing."
• mishchah ("anointing", H4888A) — feminine singular noun, defined by the article ha (H9009), specifying a particular, known anointing rather than an anointing in general.
• ketoret ("incense of", H7004) — feminine singular construct noun, paired with ha-sammim, forming "incense of the spices/perfumes."
• tzivvitikha ("I have commanded you", H6680) — Piel perfect, first person, with second-person masculine suffix kha (H9031); the Piel stem intensifies the verb, marking a formal, completed act of commanding directed at "you" (singular).
• ya'asu ("they will do/make", H6213A) — Qal imperfect, third person plural; denotes an action not yet completed, pointing to future or ongoing execution by an unspecified plural subject ("they").

What the text says

The verse is built on two parallel construct chains: shemen ha-mishchah ("oil of the anointing") and ketoret ha-sammim ("incense of the spices"), both introduced by the direct object marker 'et (H0853), which marks them as objects governed by a verb from the preceding context (not present in this verse itself). The prepositional phrase la-qodesh ("for the holy place") specifies the destination or purpose of these items, using la (H9005, preposition + article) attached to qodesh (H6944J).

The final clause shifts from listing objects to a comparative and imperative structure: ke-khol 'asher tzivvitikha ya'asu ("according to all that I have commanded you, they shall do"). The preposition ke (H9004, "according to") governs khol ("all", H3605), which is further specified by the relative clause introduced by 'asher ("that", H0834A). The verb tzivvitikha is in the Piel perfect, indicating a completed, intensified act of command by the speaker (first person) toward "you" (second person masculine singular, via the suffix kha). The concluding verb ya'asu is Qal imperfect third person plural, indicating that an unspecified group ("they") will carry out the action in the future, contrasting grammatically with the completed nature of the command itself.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders ketoret ha-sammim ("incense of the spices/perfumes") as τὸ θυμίαμα τῆς συνθέσεως ("the incense of the composition/compound"), emphasizing the mixed nature of the incense rather than the spices themselves as in the Hebrew sammim (H5561). The Vulgate's thymiama aromatum ("incense of aromatics") aligns more closely with the Hebrew sense of spices. The Hebrew tzivvitikha ("I have commanded you") uses a second-person singular suffix, while the Vulgate's præcepi tibi preserves this singular address; the LXX's ἐνετειλάμην σοι likewise maintains the singular "you," consistent across all three texts.