9 And he said, H559 If now I have found H4672 grace H2580 in thy sight, H5869 O Lord, H136 let my Lord, H136 I pray thee, go H3212 among H7130 us; for it is a stiffnecked H7186 H6203 people; H5971 and pardon H5545 our iniquity H5771 and our sin, H2403 and take us for thine inheritance. H5157
Unto a land H776 flowing H2100 with milk H2461 and honey: H1706 for I will not go up H5927 in the midst H7130 of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked H7186 H6203 people: H5971 lest I consume H3615 thee in the way. H1870 And when the people H5971 heard H8085 these evil H7451 tidings, H1697 they mourned: H56 and no man H376 did put H7896 on him his ornaments. H5716 For the LORD H3068 had said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Say H559 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 Ye are a stiffnecked H7186 H6203 people: H5971 I will come up H5927 into the midst H7130 of thee in a H259 moment, H7281 and consume H3615 thee: therefore now put off H3381 thy ornaments H5716 from thee, that I may know H3045 what to do H6213 unto thee.
Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found H4672 grace H2580 in thy sight, H5869 shew H3045 me now thy way, H1870 that I may know H3045 thee, that I may find H4672 grace H2580 in thy sight: H5869 and consider H7200 that this nation H1471 is thy people. H5971 And he said, H559 My presence H6440 shall go H3212 with thee, and I will give thee rest. H5117 And he said H559 unto him, If thy presence H6440 go H1980 not with me, carry us not up H5927 hence. For wherein shall it be known H3045 here H645 that I and thy people H5971 have found H4672 grace H2580 in thy sight? H5869 is it not in that thou goest H3212 with us? so shall we be separated, H6395 I and thy people, H5971 from all the people H5971 that are upon the face H6440 of the earth. H127 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 I will do H6213 this thing H1697 also that thou hast spoken: H1696 for thou hast found H4672 grace H2580 in my sight, H5869 and I know H3045 thee by name. H8034
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).