THE CONSTRUCTION AND UPREARING OF THE TABERNACLE.
EXPOSITION
ITERATION OF THE LAW CONCERNING THE SABBATH. The work commanded during the time of Moses' first stay upon Sinai (ch. 25-31.), and hindered first by the infraction (Exodus 32:1-35.), and then by the renewal (Exodus 33:1-23; Exodus 34:1-35.) of the covenant, was now about to commence under the direction of Moses, who alone knew what was to be constructed. Before giving his orders upon the matter, he assembled the people (Exodus 35:1) and once more recited to them in a solemn manner the law of the sabbath (Exodus 35:2), adding to the general law a special injunction concerning the kindling of fire (Exodus 35:3), which may have been required by some recent breach of the law in this respect. The iteration of a command, already so often enjoined upon the people (Exodus 16:2,Exodus 16:3-30; Exodus 20:8-11; Exodus 23:12; Exodus 31:13-17), is best accounted for by the consideration, that a caution was needed, lest the people, in their zeal to hurry on the work of the tabernacle, and regarding that work as a sacred one, and so exceptional, might be tempted to infractions of the law, or even to an entire neglect of it, while the work was in progress.