Exodus 34
Exodus 34 is part of “The Golden Calf Crisis” (32–34) in the outline of Exodus.
Exodus 34 summary
God having in the foregoing chapter intimated to Moses his reconciliation to Israel, here gives proofs of it, proceeding to settle his covenant and communion with them. Four instances of the return of his favour we have in this chapter: - I. The orders he gives to Moses to come up to the mount, the next morning, and bring two tables of stone with him (Exo 34:1-4). II.
Read the full introduction
God having in the foregoing chapter intimated to Moses his reconciliation to Israel, here gives proofs of it, proceeding to settle his covenant and communion with them. Four instances of the return of his favour we have in this chapter: - I. The orders he gives to Moses to come up to the mount, the next morning, and bring two tables of stone with him (Exo 34:1-4). II. His meeting him there, and the proclamation of his name (Exo 34:5-9). III. The instructions he gave him there, and his converse with him for forty days together, without intermission (v. 10-28). IV. The honour he put upon him when he sent him down with his face shining (Exo 34:29-35). In all this God dealt with Moses as a public person, and mediator between him and Israel, and a type of the great Mediator.
Source: Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706–21; Romans–Revelation completed by Nonconformist ministers). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
Key verses in Exodus 34
Exodus 34 (GNV)
Geneva Bible 1599 (public domain)
New Stone Tablets
1And the Lord saide vnto Moses, Hewe thee two Tables of stone, like vnto the first, and I will write vpon the Tables the wordes that were in the first Tables, which thou brakest in pieces. 2And be ready in ye morning, that thou mayest come vp earely vnto the mount of Sinai, and waite there for me in the top of the mount. 3But let no man come vp with thee, neither let any man be seene throughout all the mount, neyther let the sheepe nor cattell feede before this mount. 4Then Moses hewed two Tables of stone like vnto the first, and rose vp earely in the morning, and went vp vnto the mount of Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and tooke in his hande two Tables of stone. 5And the Lord descended in the cloude, and stoode with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6So the Lord passed before his face, and cried, The Lord, the Lord, strong, mercifull, and gracious, slowe to anger, and abundant in goodnesse and trueth, 7Reseruing mercy for thousands, forgiuing iniquitie, and transgression and sinne, and not making the wicked innocent, visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon ye children, and vpon childrens children, vnto the third and fourth generation. 8Then Moses made haste and bowed him selfe to the earth, and worshipped, 9And sayde, O Lord, I pray thee, If I haue founde grace in thy sight, that the Lord woulde nowe goe with vs (for it is a stiffe necked people) and pardon our iniquitie and our sinne, and take vs for thine inheritance.
The Covenant Renewed
10And he answered, Behold, I will make a couenant before all thy people, and will do marueiles, such as haue not bene done in all the worlde, neyther in all nations: and all the people among whom thou art, shall see the worke of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. 11Keepe diligently that which I commande thee this day: Beholde, I will cast out before thee the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Hiuites, and the Iebusites. 12Take heede to thy selfe, that thou make no compact with ye inhabitantes of the land whither thou goest, least they be the cause of ruine among you: 13But yee shall ouerthrowe their altars, and breake their images in pieces, and cut downe their groues, 14(For thou shalt bow downe to none other god, because the Lord, whose Name is Ielous, is a ielous God) 15Lest thou make a compact with the inhabitantes of the lande, and when they goe a whoring after their gods, and doe sacrifice vnto their gods, some man call thee, and thou eate of his sacrifice: 16And least thou take of their daughters vnto thy sonnes, and their daughters goe a whoring after their gods, and make thy sonnes goe a whoring after their gods. 17Thou shalt make thee no gods of metall. 18The feast of vnleauened bread shalt thou keepe: seuen dayes shalt thou eate vnleauened bread, as I commanded thee, in ye time of the moneth of Abib: for in the moneth of Abib thou camest out of Egypt. 19Euery male, that first openeth the wombe, shalbe mine: also all the first borne of thy flocke shalbe rekoned mine, both of beeues and sheepe. 20But ye first of ye asse thou shalt bie out with a lambe: and if thou redeeme him not, then thou shalt breake his necke: all the first borne of thy sonnes shalt thou redeeme, and none shall appeare before me emptie. 21Six dayes shalt thou worke, and in the seuenth day thou shalt rest: both in earing time, and in the haruest thou shalt rest. 22Thou shalt also obserue the feast of weekes in the time of ye first fruits of wheate haruest, and the feast of gathering fruites in the ende of the yere. 23Thrise in a yere shall all your men children appeare before the Lord Iehouah God of Israel. 24For I wil cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy coasts, so that no man shall desire thy land, whe thou shalt come vp to appeare before the Lord thy God thrise in the yeere. 25Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leauen, neither shall ought of the sacrifice of the feast of Passeouer be left vnto the morning. 26The first ripe fruites of thy land thou shalt bring vnto the house of the Lord thy God: yet shalt thou not seethe a kid in his mothers milke. 27And the Lord said vnto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenour of these words I haue made a couenant with thee and with Israel. 28So hee was there with the Lord fourtie dayes and fourtie nights, and did neither eat bread nor drinke water: and hee wrote in the Tables the wordes of the couenant, euen the tenne commandements.
The Radiance of Moses' Face
29So when Moses came downe from mount Sinai, the two Tables of the Testimonie were in Moses hande, as hee descended from the mount: (nowe Moses wist not that the skinne of his face shone bright, after that God had talked with him. 30And Aaron and all the children of Israel looked vpon Moses, and beholde, the skin of his face shone bright, and they were afraid to come neere him) 31But Moses called them: and Aaron and all the chiefe of the congregation returned vnto him: and Moses talked with them. 32And afterwarde all the children of Israel came neere, and he charged them with al that the Lord had said vnto him in mount Sinai. 33So Moses made an end of comuning with them, and had put a couering vpon his face. 34But, when Moses came before the Lord to speake with him, he tooke off the couering vntill he came out: then he came out, and spake vnto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. 35And the children of Israel sawe the face of Moses, howe the skin of Moses face shone bright: therefore Moses put the couering vpon his face, vntill he went to speake with God.