Exodus 34:12-22

12 Do not make any treaties with the people of the country into which you are going, because this could be a fatal trap for you.

13 Instead, tear down their altars, destroy their sacred pillars, and cut down their symbols of the goddess Asherah. ¹

14 "Do not worship any other god, because I, the Lord, tolerate no rivals.

15 Do not make any treaties with the people of the country, because when they worship their pagan gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you to join them, and you will be tempted to eat the food they offer to their gods.

16 Your sons might marry those foreign women, who would lead them to be unfaithful to me and to worship their pagan gods.

17 "Do not make gods of metal and worship them. ²

18 "Keep the Festival of Unleavened Bread. As I have commanded you, eat unleavened bread for seven days in the month of Abib, because it was in that month that you left Egypt. ³

19 "Every first-born son and first-born male domestic animal belongs to me, ⁴

20 but you are to buy back every first-born donkey by offering a lamb in its place. If you do not buy it back, break its neck. Buy back every first-born son. ⁵ "No one is to appear before me without an offering.

21 "You have six days in which to do your work, but do not work on the seventh day, not even during plowing time or harvest. ⁶

22 "Keep the Harvest Festival when you begin to harvest the first crop of your wheat, and keep the Festival of Shelters in the autumn when you gather your fruit. ⁷

Exodus 34:12-22 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. 34.13Deuteronomy 16.21.
• 2. 34.17Exodus 20.4;Leviticus 19.4;Deuteronomy 5.8; 27.15.
• 3. 34.18Exodus 12.14-20;Leviticus 23.6-8;Numbers 28.16-25.
• 4. 34.19Exodus 13.2.
• 5. 34.20Exodus 13.13.
• 6. 34.21Exodus 20.9, 10; 23.12; 31.15; 35.2;Leviticus 23.3;Deuteronomy 5.13, 14.
• 7. 34.22 aLeviticus 23.15-21;Numbers 28.26-31; bLeviticus 23.39-43.