Exodus 35:33

Summary

The verse lists specific categories of skilled craft work: carving/setting stone, carving wood, and executing any work requiring designed craftsmanship. It forms part of a longer description of artisan skills granted for the sanctuary's construction.

Key words

• chaRoshet ("carving of", H2799) — feminine singular construct noun, appearing twice; it links to a following noun ('Even "stone", 'Etz "wood") to specify the type of carving.
• maLot ("fill", H4390) — piel infinitive; the piel stem often marks intensive or technical action, here referring to the specific technique of setting or filling a mount with stone.
• 'aSot ("work", H6213) — qal infinitive, the basic/simple stem for "to do/make," paired with chaRoshet 'Etz to describe wood-carving activity.
• meLekhet ("workmanship of", H4399) — feminine singular construct, forming a construct chain with machaShevet.
• machaShevet ("design", H4284) — from a root associated with thinking/planning; here it qualifies meLekhet to indicate work that involves conceptual design, not merely manual execution.

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence is built from two parallel units, each following the same pattern: preposition be- + construct noun chaRoshet + material noun + purpose infinitive. The first unit, chaRoshet 'Even le-maLot, pairs "carving of stone" with the piel infinitive maLot ("to fill/set"), indicating the technical act of mounting or setting stone. The second unit, chaRoshet 'Etz la-'aSot, pairs "carving of wood" with the qal infinitive 'aSot ("to do/make"), a more general verb of production. The shift from the intensive piel (maLot) to the plain qal ('aSot) marks a distinction in verb stem between the specialized technique for stonework and the general activity of woodworking, though both nouns chaRoshet function identically as construct heads.

The final clause, be-khol meLekhet machaShevet ("in all workmanship of design"), uses a construct chain where meLekhet ("workmanship of") is governed by machaShevet ("design"). This chain summarizes the preceding stone and wood work under a broader category: work that requires design or planning, since machaShevet shares its root with the verb "to think/plan."

Differences between versions

The LXX renders the closing phrase as ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ σοφίας ("in every work of wisdom"), using σοφίας ("wisdom") where the Hebrew has machaShevet ("design/thought") — a shift from a term tied to planning/conception toward one tied to wisdom. The Vulgate's quidquid fabre adinveniri potest ("whatever can be skillfully devised") uses a broader phrase for invention/skill rather than a direct equivalent of the Hebrew construct chain "workmanship of design."