Exodus 34:25-35

25 "1You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread, 2nor is the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover to be left over until morning.
26 "You shall bring 3the very first of the first fruits of your soil into the house of the LORD your God. "Y ou shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk."
27 Then the LORD said to Moses, "4Write down these words, for in accordance * with these words I have made 5a covenant with you and with Israel."
28 So he was there with the LORD 6forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And 7he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, 8the Ten Commandments.

Moses' Face Shines

29 It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the 9two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain ), that Moses did not know that 10the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.
30 So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and 11they were afraid to come near him.
31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them.
32 Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai.
33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, 12he put a veil over his face.
34 But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, 13he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded,
35 14the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him.

Exodus 34:25-35 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 34

In this chapter Moses has orders to hew two tables of stone, that God might write on them the ten commands, and bring them up with him to the mount, Ex 34:1-4 where the Lord proclaimed his name, and caused his glory and his goodness to pass before him, Ex 34:5-7 when Moses took this favourable opportunity that offered to pray for the people, that God would forgive their sin, and go along with them, Ex 34:8,9 upon which he made a covenant with them, which on his part was to do wonders for them, and drive out the inhabitants of Canaan before them; and on their part, that they should have no confederacy and communion with these nations, and shun their idolatry, and everything that might lead unto it, Ex 34:10-17 and he repeated several laws before given, and urged the observance of them, which Moses was to acquaint the people with, Ex 34:18-27 and after a stay of forty days and forty nights on the mount, he came down with the two tables of the law; and the skin of his face shone so bright, that the people of Israel were afraid to come nigh him, and therefore he put a vail over his face while he conversed with them, Ex 34:28-35.

Cross References 14

  • 1. Exodus 23:18
  • 2. Exodus 12:10
  • 3. Exodus 23:19; Deuteronomy 26:2
  • 4. Exodus 17:14; Exodus 24:4
  • 5. Exodus 34:10
  • 6. Exodus 24:18
  • 7. Exodus 31:18; Exodus 34:1
  • 8. Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 10:4
  • 9. Exodus 32:15
  • 10. Matthew 17:2; 2 Corinthians 3:7
  • 11. 2 Corinthians 3:7
  • 12. 2 Corinthians 3:13
  • 13. 2 Corinthians 3:16
  • 14. 2 Corinthians 3:13

Footnotes 6

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