To devise artistic designs is literally “to think thoughts,” “to invent inventions,” or “to design designs.” The verb and the noun have the same root meaning of thinking, or devising. Here it refers to “planning skillful designs” (Good News Translation). The same word is used to describe the embroidery work for the tabernacle fabric (26.1) and for Aaron’s ephod (28.6) and breastpiece (28.15). Here, however, it has a broader meaning than “embroidery” (New American Bible). To work in gold, silver, and bronze may be interpreted as a separate idea from “designing designs,” as in Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version, but it may also continue that idea, as in Good News Translation, “and working them in gold, silver, and bronze” (similarly also New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and New Jerusalem Bible).

In cutting stones for setting uses the same words as 28.11. The word translated cutting can mean “to engrave,” “to carve,” or even “to plow.” For setting is literally “for filling” in the sense of filling a special holder for “jewels” (Good News Translation). (The same word is used in 28.17.) And in carving wood uses the same word for cutting. For work in every craft repeats the same word translated as “craftsmanship” in verse 3. In receptor languages where the repetition in verses 2-5 will be unnatural style, it is possible to combine these verses in the following way:

• I have let my spirit [or, power] possess him, and have given him wisdom [or, understanding] and caused him to become a skilled craftsman who can design and make beautiful objects with gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .