Exodus 34:26-35

26 "Bring the finest of the firstfruits of your produce to the house of your God. "Don't boil a kid in its mother's milk."

27 God said to Moses: "Now write down these words, for by these words I've made a covenant with you and Israel."

28 Moses was there with God forty days and forty nights. He didn't eat any food; he didn't drink any water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Words.

29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the two Tablets of The Testimony, he didn't know that the skin of his face glowed because he had been speaking with God.

30 Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, saw his radiant face, and held back, afraid to get close to him.

31 Moses called out to them. Aaron and the leaders in the community came back and Moses talked with them.

32 Later all the Israelites came up to him and he passed on the commands, everything that God had told him on Mount Sinai.

33 When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face,

34 but when he went into the presence of God to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. When he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,

35 they would see Moses' face, its skin glowing, and then he would again put the veil on his face until he went back in to speak with God.

Exodus 34:26-35 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.