1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon [these] tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
2 And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.
3 And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.
4 And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation].
8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it [is] a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou [art] shall see the work of the LORD: for it [is] a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name [is] Jealous, [is] a jealous God:
15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and [one] call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
16 And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.
17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
18 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
19 All that openeth the matrix [is] mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, [whether] ox or sheep, [that is male].
20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem [him] not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.
23 Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.
24 For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year.
25 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.
26 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
27 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
28 And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
31 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
33 And [till] Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
34 But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel [that] which he was commanded.
35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
Summary of Exodus Chapter 34
Exodus 34 details a pivotal moment in the relationship between God and the Israelites, focusing on themes of covenant, forgiveness, and divine revelation. This chapter occurs after Moses’ initial encounter with God on Mount Sinai and the subsequent breaking of the tablets when the Israelites worshipped the Golden Calf.
Key Themes
- Covenant Renewal: God re-establishes His covenant with the Israelites after their transgressions.
- Divine Mercy and Forgiveness: The chapter emphasizes God’s readiness to forgive and His nature as merciful.
- God’s Holiness: The chapter illustrates the holiness of God and the need for the Israelites to remain faithful.
- Instructions for Worship: Specific guidelines are provided for worship and conduct among the Israelites.
Detailed Analysis
Verses 1-4: The New Tablets
God instructs Moses to chisel out two new stone tablets, similar to the first ones that were broken. This act symbolizes a fresh start and the renewal of the covenant. Moses is commanded to ascend Mount Sinai again, emphasizing the importance of direct communication with God.
Verses 5-7: God’s Self-Revelation
As God descends in a cloud, He proclaims His name and character to Moses. This moment is crucial as it reveals God’s attributes:
- Compassionate
- Gracious
- Slow to anger
- Abounding in love and faithfulness
- Forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin
- Yet punishing the guilty
This duality highlights God’s justice alongside His mercy.
Verses 8-9: Moses’ Response
Moses responds to God’s revelation with humility and intercession, acknowledging the need for God’s presence among the people. His plea for forgiveness underscores the importance of divine mercy in the covenant relationship.
Verses 10-28: The Covenant Instructions
God outlines specific commandments and instructions for the Israelites, reinforcing the terms of the covenant:
- Do not make any idols.
- Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
- Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy.
- Offer the firstborn to God.
- Do not mix with other nations or adopt their practices.
These instructions serve to maintain the distinct identity of the Israelites as God’s chosen people.
Verses 29-35: Moses’ Radiant Face
Upon returning from Mount Sinai, Moses’ face shines, reflecting his encounter with God. This physical manifestation of God’s glory signifies the transformative power of divine communion. Moses covers his face with a veil when speaking to the Israelites, symbolizing the separation between God’s holiness and human frailty.
Conclusion
Exodus 34 encapsulates the essence of God’s relationship with His people, emphasizing themes of renewal, mercy, and holiness. The chapter serves as a reminder of the importance of obedience to God’s commandments and the transformative power of divine encounters.
