Exodus 34:1-14

The New Stone Tablets

1 The LORD said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.
2 Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain.
3 No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”
4 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.
5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD.
6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
8 Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.
9 “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”
10 Then the LORD said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you.
11 Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you.
13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles.[a]
14 Do 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 33

  • 1. S Exodus 24:12
  • 2. Deuteronomy 10:2,4
  • 3. S Exodus 32:19
  • 4. S Exodus 19:11
  • 5. S Exodus 19:13; Ex 19:12-13,21
  • 6. Deuteronomy 10:3
  • 7. S Exodus 32:15
  • 8. S Exodus 13:21; S Exodus 19:9
  • 9. Exodus 6:3; Exodus 33:19
  • 10. S Exodus 22:27; S Numbers 14:20; S Psalms 86:15
  • 11. Numbers 14:18; Psalms 78:38; Jeremiah 15:15; Romans 2:4
  • 12. S Genesis 19:16; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalms 103:8; Joel 2:13
  • 13. Psalms 61:7; Psalms 108:4; Psalms 115:1; Psalms 138:2; Psalms 143:1; Lamentations 3:23; James 5:11
  • 14. S Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 5:10
  • 15. 1 Kings 8:30; Psalms 86:5; Psalms 103:3; Psalms 130:4,8; Isaiah 43:25; Daniel 9:9; 1 John 1:9
  • 16. Exodus 23:7; Joshua 24:19; Job 7:20-21; Job 9:28; Job 10:14; Micah 6:1-16; Nahum 1:3
  • 17. S Exodus 20:5
  • 18. Exodus 33:13; Numbers 11:15
  • 19. S Exodus 33:15
  • 20. Exodus 32:9
  • 21. Numbers 14:19; 1 Kings 8:30; 2 Chronicles 6:21; Psalms 19:12; Psalms 25:11; Jeremiah 33:8; Hosea 14:2
  • 22. S Exodus 6:7; Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 4:20; Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 9:26,29; Deuteronomy 14:2; Deuteronomy 26:18; Deuteronomy 32:9; 1 Samuel 10:1; 2 Samuel 14:16; 1 Kings 8:51,53; Psalms 28:9; Psalms 33:12; Psalms 74:2; Psalms 79:1; Psalms 94:14; Psalms 106:5,40; Isaiah 19:25; Isaiah 63:17; Jeremiah 10:16; Jeremiah 51:19; Micah 7:18; Zechariah 2:12
  • 23. S Genesis 6:18; S Genesis 9:15; S Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 5:2-3
  • 24. S Exodus 3:20
  • 25. S Exodus 33:16; Deuteronomy 4:32
  • 26. Deuteronomy 6:25; Joshua 11:15
  • 27. S Exodus 23:28; Exodus 33:2
  • 28. Judges 2:2
  • 29. S Exodus 10:7; Exodus 23:32-33
  • 30. S Exodus 23:24; Numbers 33:52; Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 12:3; Judges 6:26; 1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16; 2 Chronicles 17:6; 2 Chronicles 34:3-4; Micah 5:14; 2 Kings 18:4
  • 31. S Exodus 20:3
  • 32. Isaiah 9:6
  • 33. S Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 4:24

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
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