Exodus 31:16

The Israelites must keep the Sabbath, celebrating it as a permanent covenant for the generations to come.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — God addresses Moses and the Israelite community during the wilderness covenant renewal, immediately following the Sabbath death penalty and preceding the creation rationale.

The words — וְשָמְרוּ (ve.shamru) literally means "and they will keep," while בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל (benei-Yisrael) translates to "the sons of Israel."

The thread — This covenant language parallels the perpetual agreement terminology in Genesis 17:11 and Genesis 9:13, both using identical structural markers for an everlasting pact.

Why it lands — The passage commands a specific group to maintain a weekly ritual across successive generations as a non-negotiable agreement.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְשָׁמְר֥וּve./sha.me.Ruand/ they will observe בְנֵֽי־ve.nei-[the] people of יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsrael אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַשַּׁבָּ֑תha./sha.Batthe/ sabbath לַעֲשׂ֧וֹתla./'a.Sotby/ celebrating אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַשַּׁבָּ֛תha./sha.Batthe/ sabbath לְדֹרֹתָ֖םle./do.ro.Ta/mto/ generations/ their בְּרִ֥יתbe.Rita covenant of עוֹלָֽם׃o.Lamperpetuity

King James Version

Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

Cross-references

Jeremiah 50:5 They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.
Genesis 17:11 You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
Genesis 9:13 I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.