Exodus 34:9-19

9 He said, "1If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though 2the people are so obstinate *, and 3pardon our iniquity and our sin, and 4take us as Your own possession."

The Covenant Renewed

10 Then God said, "Behold, 5I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people 6I will perform miracles which have not been produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live will see the working of the LORD, for it is a fearful thing that I am going to perform with you.
11 "Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, 7I am going to drive out the Amorite before * you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.
12 "8Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst.
13 "9But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their 10Asherim
14 -for 11you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God -
15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and 12sacrifice to their gods, and someone 13might invite you to eat of his sacrifice,
16 and 14you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods.
17 "15You shall make for yourself no molten gods.
18 "You shall observe 16the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For 17seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the 18month of Abib, for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt.
19 "19The first offspring from every womb belongs to Me, and all your male livestock, the first offspring from cattle and sheep.

Exodus 34:9-19 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 19

  • 1. Exodus 33:13
  • 2. Exodus 32:9
  • 3. Exodus 34:7
  • 4. Deuteronomy 4:20; Deuteronomy 9:26, 29; Deuteronomy 32:9; Psalms 33:12
  • 5. Exodus 34:27, 28; Deuteronomy 5:2
  • 6. Deuteronomy 4:32; Psalms 72:18; Psalms 136:4
  • 7. Exodus 33:2
  • 8. Exodus 23:32, 33
  • 9. Exodus 23:24; Deuteronomy 12:3
  • 10. Deuteronomy 16:21; Judges 6:25, 26; 2 Kings 18:4; 2 Chronicles 34:3
  • 11. Exodus 20:3, 5; Deuteronomy 4:24
  • 12. Exodus 22:20; Exodus 32:8
  • 13. Numbers 25:1, 2; Deuteronomy 32:37, 38
  • 14. Deuteronomy 7:3; Joshua 23:12, 13; 1 Kings 11:1-4
  • 15. Exodus 20:4, 23; Leviticus 19:4; Deuteronomy 5:8
  • 16. Exodus 12:17; Leviticus 23:6; Numbers 28:16
  • 17. Exodus 12:15, 16
  • 18. Exodus 12:2; Exodus 13:4
  • 19. Exodus 13:2; Exodus 22:29

Footnotes 10

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