10 And he said, H559 Behold, I make H3772 a covenant: H1285 before all thy people H5971 I will do H6213 marvels, H6381 such as have not been done H1254 in all the earth, H776 nor in any nation: H1471 and all the people H5971 among H7130 which thou art shall see H7200 the work H4639 of the LORD: H3068 for it is a terrible thing H3372 that I will do H6213 with thee.
Then spake H1696 Joshua H3091 to the LORD H3068 in the day H3117 when the LORD H3068 delivered up H5414 the Amorites H567 before H6440 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and he said H559 in the sight H5869 of Israel, H3478 Sun, H8121 stand thou still H1826 upon Gibeon; H1391 and thou, Moon, H3394 in the valley H6010 of Ajalon. H357 And the sun H8121 stood still, H1826 and the moon H3394 stayed, H5975 until the people H1471 had avenged H5358 themselves upon their enemies. H341 Is not this H1931 written H3789 in the book H5612 of Jasher? H3477 So the sun H8121 stood still H5975 in the midst H2677 of heaven, H8064 and hasted H213 not to go down H935 about a whole H8549 day. H3117
The LORD H3068 our God H430 made H3772 a covenant H1285 with us in Horeb. H2722 The LORD H3068 made H3772 not this covenant H1285 with our fathers, H1 but with us, H587 even us, who are all of us H428 here alive H2416 this day. H3117
And he took H3947 the book H5612 of the covenant, H1285 and read H7121 in the audience H241 of the people: H5971 and they said, H559 All that the LORD H3068 hath said H1696 will we do, H6213 and be obedient. H8085 And Moses H4872 took H3947 the blood, H1818 and sprinkled H2236 it on the people, H5971 and said, H559 Behold the blood H1818 of the covenant, H1285 which the LORD H3068 hath made H3772 with you concerning all these words. H1697
That thou shouldest enter H5674 into covenant H1285 with the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and into his oath, H423 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 maketh H3772 with thee this day: H3117 That he may establish H6965 thee to day H3117 for a people H5971 unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, H430 as he hath said H1696 unto thee, and as he hath sworn H7650 unto thy fathers, H1 to Abraham, H85 to Isaac, H3327 and to Jacob. H3290 Neither with you only do I make H3772 this covenant H1285 and this oath; H423
For ask H7592 now of the days H3117 that are past, H7223 which were H1961 before H6440 thee, since the day H3117 that God H430 created H1254 man H120 upon the earth, H776 and ask from the one side H7097 of heaven H8064 unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great H1419 thing H1697 is, or hath been heard H8085 like it? Did ever people H5971 hear H8085 the voice H6963 of God H430 speaking out H1696 of the midst H8432 of the fire, H784 as thou hast heard, H8085 and live? H2421 Or hath God H430 assayed H5254 to go H935 and take H3947 him a nation H1471 from the midst H7130 of another nation, H1471 by temptations, H4531 by signs, H226 and by wonders, H4159 and by war, H4421 and by a mighty H2389 hand, H3027 and by a stretched out H5186 arm, H2220 and by great H1419 terrors, H4172 according to all that the LORD H3068 your God H430 did H6213 for you in Egypt H4714 before your eyes? H5869 Unto thee it was shewed, H7200 that thou mightest know H3045 that the LORD H3068 he is God; H430 there is none else H5750 beside him. H905 Out of heaven H8064 he made thee to hear H8085 his voice, H6963 that he might instruct H3256 thee: and upon earth H776 he shewed H7200 thee his great H1419 fire; H784 and thou heardest H8085 his words H1697 out of the midst H8432 of the fire. H784 And because he loved H157 thy fathers, H1 therefore he chose H977 their seed H2233 after H310 them, and brought thee out H3318 in his sight H6440 with his mighty H1419 power H3581 out of Egypt; H4714
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Exodus 34
Commentary on Exodus 34 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 34
Ex 34:1-35. The Tables Are Renewed.
1. the like unto the first—God having been reconciled to repentant Israel, through the earnest intercession, the successful mediation of Moses, means were to be taken for the restoration of the broken covenant. Intimation was given, however, in a most intelligible and expressive manner, that the favor was to be restored with some memento of the rupture; for at the former time God Himself had provided the materials, as well as written upon them. Now, Moses was to prepare the stone tables, and God was only to retrace the characters originally inscribed for the use and guidance of the people.
2. present thyself … to me in the top of the mount—Not absolutely the highest peak; for as the cloud of the Shekinah usually abode on the summit, and yet (Ex 34:5) it "descended," the plain inference is that Moses was to station himself at a point not far distant, but still below the loftiest pinnacle.
3. no man shall come up with thee … neither … flocks nor herds—All these enactments were made in order that the law might be a second time renewed with the solemnity and sanctity that marked its first delivery. The whole transaction was ordered so as to impress the people with an awful sense of the holiness of God; and that it was a matter of no trifling moment to have subjected Him, so to speak, to the necessity of re-delivering the law of the ten commandments.
4. Moses … took in his hand the two tables of stone—As Moses had no attendant to divide the labor of carrying them, it is evident that they must have been light, and of no great dimensions—probably flat slabs of shale or slate, such as abound in the mountainous region of Horeb. An additional proof of their comparatively small size appears in the circumstance of their being deposited in the ark of the most holy place (Ex 25:10).
5. the Lord descended in the cloud—After graciously hovering over the tabernacle, it seems to have resumed its usual position on the summit of the mount. It was the shadow of God manifest to the outward senses; and, at the same time, of God manifest in the flesh. The emblem of a cloud seems to have been chosen to signify that, although He was pleased to make known much about himself, there was more veiled from mortal view. It was to check presumption and engender awe and give a humble sense of human attainments in divine knowledge, as now man sees, but darkly.
6. the Lord passed by before him—in this remarkable scene, God performed what He had promised to Moses the day before.
proclaimed, The Lord … merciful and gracious—At an earlier period He had announced Himself to Moses, in the glory of His self-existent and eternal majesty, as "I am" [Ex 3:14]; now He makes Himself known in the glory of His grace and goodness—attributes that were to be illustriously displayed in the future history and experience of the church. Being about to republish His law—the sin of the Israelites being forgiven and the deed of pardon about to be signed and sealed by renewing the terms of the former covenant—it was the most fitting time to proclaim the extent of the divine mercy which was to be displayed, not in the case of Israel only, but of all who offend.
8-26. Moses bowed … and worshipped—In the East, people bow the head to royalty, and are silent when it passes by, while in the West, they take off their hats and shout.
9, 10. he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us—On this proclamation, he, in the overflowing benevolence of s heart, founded an earnest petition for the Divine Presence being continued with the people; and God was pleased to give His favorable answer to Moses' intercession by a renewal of His promise under the form of a covenant, repeating the leading points that formed the conditions of the former national compact.
27, 28. And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words—that is, the ceremonial and judicial injunctions comprehended above (Ex 34:11-26); while the rewriting of the ten commandments on the newly prepared slabs was done by God Himself (compare De 10:1-4).
28. he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights—as long as formerly [Ex 24:18], being sustained for the execution of his special duties by the miraculous power of God. A special cause is assigned for his protracted fast on this second occasion (De 9:18).
29. Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him—It was an intimation of the exalted presence into which he had been admitted and of the glory he had witnessed (2Co 3:18); and in that view, it was a badge of his high office as the ambassador of God. No testimonial needed to be produced. He bore his credentials on his very face; and whether this extraordinary effulgence was a permanent or merely temporary distinction, it cannot be doubted that this reflected glory was given him as an honor before all the people.
30. they were afraid to come nigh him—Their fear arose from a sense of guilt—the beaming radiance of his countenance made him appear to their awe-struck consciences a flaming minister of heaven.
33. he put a veil on his face—That veil was with the greatest propriety removed when speaking with the Lord, for every one appears unveiled to the eye of Omniscience; but it was replaced on returning to the people—and this was emblematic of the dark and shadowy character of that dispensation (2Co 3:13, 14).