Shemot 34:8

8 And Moshe made haste, and bowed his head toward the ground, and worshiped.

Shemot 34:8 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 34:8

And Moses made haste
Perceiving the voice ceased, and the Lord was passing on, lest he should be gone, and he lose the favourable opportunity he had:

and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped;
threw himself prostrate upon it, and in the most humble manner put up his requests to God, which are expressed in the following verse; he gladly laid hold on this opportunity to use his interest with God for the people of Israel, and to improve the proclamation of grace and mercy, in the forgiveness of sins, now made; which encouraged his faith and hope to draw nigh with a holy boldness, and use freedom with him, and yet with an awe of his majesty, with reverence and godly fear.

Shemot 34:8 In-Context

6 And Hashem passed by before him, and proclaimed, Hashem, Hashem El Rachum v’Channun, slow to anger, and abundant in chesed and emes,

7 Preserving chesed for thousands, forgiving avon and pesha and chatta’ah, and by no means leaving the guilty unpunished; visiting the avon of the avot upon the banim, and upon the bnei banim, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

8 And Moshe made haste, and bowed his head toward the ground, and worshiped.

9 And he said, If now I have found chen in Thy sight, Adonoi, let Adonoi, now, go among us; although it is an Am Kesheh Oref; and forgive avoneinu and chattateinu, and take us for Thine nachalah.

10 And He said, Hinei, I cut a brit; before all thy people I will do nifla’ot, such as have not been done in kol ha’aretz, nor in kol HaGoyim; and kol HaAm among which thou art shall see the ma’aseh Hashem; for it is a norah that I will do with thee.