Six days shall work be done
Or "may be done" F21; everyone might do what work he pleased, or the business of his calling, on the six days of the weeks; he had liberty granted him of God, and might make use of it for the advantage of himself and his family; unless this can be thought to have a peculiar respect, as this repetition and renewal of this law seems to have, to the building of the tabernacle; and so is an order for working at it closely and constantly all the six days of the week, and in things belonging to it, until the whole was finished:
but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day;
or "holiness" F23; wholly holy, and be separated and devoted to holy service and religious duties, abstaining from all manner of work, even from the work of the tabernacle; for though that was designed for the worship of God, and required dispatch, yet the sabbath was not to be violated on account of it: and, as Jarchi observes, this admonition concerning the sabbath was given previous to the command of building the tabernacle; to show that that did not drive away the sabbath, or that the sabbath was not to give way to it, or to be broken for the sake of it, it being
a sabbath of rest to the Lord;
in which the Israelites were to rest from bodily labour, and spend the day in the service of God, and to his honour and glory:
whosoever doeth work therein:
even though it might be in anything belonging to the tabernacle:
shall be put to death;
the Targum of Jonathan adds, by casting stones, stoning being the punishment of sabbath breakers, ( Numbers 15:35 Numbers 15:36 ) .