Exodus 34:10-17

The Covenant Renewed

10 And he said, “Behold, ¹I am making a covenant. Before all your people ²I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an ³awesome thing that I will do with you.

11 “Observe what I command you this day. Behold, ⁴I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

12 ⁵Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a ⁶snare in your midst.

13 You shall ⁷tear down their altars and ⁸break their pillars and cut down their ⁹Asherim

14 (for ¹⁰you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),

15 ¹¹lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they ¹²whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and ¹³you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice,

16 and you take of ¹⁴their daughters for your sons, and their daughters ¹⁵whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.

17 ¹⁶“You shall not make for yourself any gods of cast metal.

Exodus 34:10-17 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. 34:10 ver. 27; Deut. 5:2; 29:1
• 2. 34:10 Deut. 4:32-35; Josh. 6:20; 10:12, 13; 2 Sam. 7:23; Ps. 77:14; 78:12
• 3. 34:10 Deut. 10:21; Ps. 145:6; [Isa. 64:3]
• 4. 34:11 See ch. 13:5
• 5. 34:12 ch. 23:32; Deut. 7:2; Josh. 23:12, 13; Judg. 2:2
• 6. 34:12 See ch. 23:33
• 7. 34:13 Deut. 7:5; 12:3; Judg. 2:2; 6:25; 2 Chr. 34:3, 4
• 8. 34:13 ch. 23:24; 2 Kgs. 18:4; 23:14; 2 Chr. 31:1
• 9. 34:13 See Deut. 16:21
• 10. 34:14 ch. 20:3, 5
• 11. 34:15 [See ver. 12 above]
• 12. 34:15 Lev. 17:7; 20:5; Deut. 31:16; Judg. 2:17; Jer. 3:9; Ezek. 6:9
• 13. 34:15 Num. 25:2; Ps. 106:28; [1 Cor. 8:4, 7, 10; 10:27]
• 14. 34:16 Deut. 7:3, 4; 1 Kgs. 11:2; Ezra 9:2; Neh. 13:25
• 15. 34:16 [See ver. 15 above]
• 16. 34:17 Lev. 19:4; Deut. 27:15; [ch. 32:4, 8]