Exodus 31:3

And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship,

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — God addresses Moses while commissioning Bezalel, a Judahite craftsman, to authorize his divine empowerment for tabernacle construction.

The words — The Hebrew וַאֲמַלֵּא (va'amele) means "and I have filled," directly governing אֹתוֹ (him) and ר֫וּחַ אֱלֹהִים (Spirit of God), followed by the technical triad חָכְמָה (skill), תְּבוּנָה (understanding), and דַּעַת (knowledge).

The thread — The identical phrasing reappears in Exodus 35:31, while the theme of God granting specialized artisans for sacred projects extends to 1 Kings 7:14 and Isaiah 28:26.

Why it lands — The text states that God directly equips a named individual with spiritual and practical competence for holy work, which interpreters note as establishing divine empowerment as the necessary precondition for sacred human labor.

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

וָאֲמַלֵּ֥אva./'a.ma.Le'and/ I have filled אֹת֖וֹ'o.T/o<obj.>/ him ר֣וּחַRu.ach[the] spirit of אֱלֹהִ֑ים'E.lo.HimGod בְּחָכְמָ֛הbe./cha.khe.Mahwith/ skill וּבִתְבוּנָ֥הu./vi/t.vu.Nahand/ with/ understanding וּבְדַ֖עַתu./ve./Da.'atand/ with/ knowledge וּבְכָל־u./ve./Khol-and/ with/ all מְלָאכָֽה׃me.la.Khahworkmanship

King James Version

And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

Cross-references

Exodus 35:31 And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship,
1 Kings 7:14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a craftsman in bronze. Huram had great skill, understanding, and knowledge for every kind of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and carried out all his work.
Isaiah 28:26 For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
1 Corinthians 12:4 There are different gifts, but the same Spirit.
Isaiah 28:6 a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.
1 Kings 3:9 Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”