Exodus 34:1-14

The Two Tablets Replaced

1 Now the LORD said to Moses, "Cut out for yourself ¹two stone tablets like the former ones, and ²I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered.

2 "So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to ³Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain.

3 "⁴No man is to come up with you, nor let any man be seen anywhere on the mountain; even the flocks and the herds may not graze in front of that mountain."

4 So he cut out ⁵two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand.

5 ⁶The LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD.

6 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, ⁷compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;

7 who ⁸keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He ⁹will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, ¹⁰visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

8 Moses made haste ¹¹to bow low toward the earth and worship.

9 He said, "¹²If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though ¹³the people are so obstinate *, and ¹⁴pardon our iniquity and our sin, and ¹⁵take us as Your own possession."

The Covenant Renewed

10 Then God said, "Behold, ¹⁶I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people ¹⁷I 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, ¹⁸I am going to drive out the Amorite before * you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.

12 "¹⁹Watch 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 "²⁰But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their ²¹Asherim

14 -for ²²you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God -

Exodus 34:1-14 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

• 1. Exodus 24:12; Exodus 31:18; Exodus 32:16, 19
• 2. Deuteronomy 10:2, 4
• 3. Ex 19:11, 18, 20
• 4. Exodus 19:12, 13
• 5. Exodus 34:1
• 6. Exodus 19:9; Exodus 33:9
• 7. Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 4:31; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalms 86:15; Psalms 103:8; Psalms 108:4; Psalms 145:8; Joel 2:13; Romans 2:4
• 8. Exodus 20:5, 6; Deuteronomy 5:10; Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalms 103:3; Psalms 130:3, 4; 1 John 1:9
• 9. Exodus 23:7; Deuteronomy 7:10; Job 10:14; Nahum 1:3
• 10. Deuteronomy 5:9
• 11. Exodus 4:31
• 12. Exodus 33:13
• 13. Exodus 32:9
• 14. Exodus 34:7
• 15. Deuteronomy 4:20; Deuteronomy 9:26, 29; Deuteronomy 32:9; Psalms 33:12
• 16. Exodus 34:27, 28; Deuteronomy 5:2
• 17. Deuteronomy 4:32; Psalms 72:18; Psalms 136:4
• 18. Exodus 33:2
• 19. Exodus 23:32, 33
• 20. Exodus 23:24; Deuteronomy 12:3
• 21. Deuteronomy 16:21; Judges 6:25, 26; 2 Kings 18:4; 2 Chronicles 34:3
• 22. Exodus 20:3, 5; Deuteronomy 4:24

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "place yourself before"
• [b]. Lit "on all"
• [c]. Or "he called out with the name of the LORD
• [d]. Or "faithfulness"
• [e]. Lit "and bowed...worshiped"
• [f]. Lit "it is a people stiff-necked"
• [g]. Or "inheritance"
• [h]. Lit "He"
• [i]. Lit "created"
• [j]. Lit "in whose midst you are"
• [k]. Lit "Observe for yourself"
• [l]. I.e. wooden symbols of a female deity