So that all the able men seems to continue a long sentence, but literally it is “and all the wise [men],” referring to “every able man” in verse 2. They were “the skilled men” (Good News Translation), “the artisans” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “The craftsmen” (Revised English Bible), or “the skilled craftsmen” (New International Version). Who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary is literally “the doers of every task of the holy [place].” It is enough to say “who were doing the work” (Good News Translation), since this is already clear from the preceding verses. Came, literally “they entered,” is the main verb, which in the Hebrew comes first in the sentence. The sentence pictures the men arriving in order to speak to Moses.

Each from the task that he was doing is omitted by Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version, since it seems to repeat what has already been said. Literally the Hebrew says “a man of [or, to] a man from his work which they were doing,” and in this way it emphasizes that every single craftsman came, even though they had already started some specific task in the construction of the tabernacle.

And said to Moses introduces their exact words. The people bring much more than enough is literally “the people are makers of more than enough to bring.” The present progressive “are bringing” (Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version) is better than simply bring. Enough for doing the work is literally “enough of the service for the task.” This means “more than is needed for the work” (Good News Translation), or “more than is needed to build the sacred tent.” Which the LORD has commanded us to do is literally “which Yahweh commanded to do it”; the word us is not in the Hebrew, but it is clearly implied. Good News Translation uses the passive voice, “which the LORD commanded to be done,” but in many languages the active voice will be used; for example, “what Yahweh has commanded us to do,” or even “what the LORD has assigned us to do” (Contemporary English Version).

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 .