Exodus 34

Exodus 34

The big picture

Exodus 34 opens in verse 1 with “And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 18 with “The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened…”, and closes in verse 35 with “And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, Moses, mount, children, tables. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

Exodus · King James Version · 35

Exodus 34:1-7

1–7: The LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the…

Exodus 34:1–7 opens with “And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write…” and reaches “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 34 develops its own movement around LORD, Moses, mount, children, tables, with particular weight carried by LORD, mount, tables.

Context that brings the passage to life

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the…” The number two makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top…” Naming Sinai keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

Exodus 34:1-7

King James Version

1And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

2And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.

3And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.

4And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

5And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD .

6And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD , The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

7Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Exodus 34:8-14

8–14: Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

Exodus 34:8–14 opens with “And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.” and reaches “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD , whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 34 develops its own movement around LORD, Moses, mount, children, tables, with particular weight carried by LORD, people, covenant.

Context that brings the passage to life

“And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a…” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

Exodus 34:8-14

King James Version

8And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

9And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

10And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD : for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.

11Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

12Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:

13But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:

14For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD , whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

Exodus 34:15-21

15–21: Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go…

Exodus 34:15–21 opens with “Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their…” and reaches “Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 34 develops its own movement around LORD, Moses, mount, children, tables, with particular weight carried by gods, redeem, sons.

Context that brings the passage to life

“Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons…” The line’s distinctive content terms include daughters, gods, sons. Its relationship to verses 15 and 17 shows what work it does in this passage.

Exodus 34:15-21

King James Version

15Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;

16And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.

17Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.

18The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.

19All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.

20But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.

21Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

Exodus 34:22-28

22–28: Thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat…

Exodus 34:22–28 opens with “And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of…” and reaches “And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 34 develops its own movement around LORD, Moses, mount, children, tables, with particular weight carried by LORD, feast, words.

Context that brings the passage to life

“And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the…” The line’s distinctive content terms include feast, firstfruits, harvest. Its relationship to verses 23 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD , the God of Israel.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

Exodus 34:22-28

King James Version

22And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.

23Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD , the God of Israel.

24For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year.

25Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.

26The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.

27And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.

28And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Exodus 34:29-35

29–35: It came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two…

Exodus 34:29–35 opens with “And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in…” and reaches “And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 34 develops its own movement around LORD, Moses, mount, children, tables, with particular weight carried by Moses, face, children.

Context that brings the passage to life

“And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.

“And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to…” Naming Aaron and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with…” Naming Moses and Aaron keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Exodus 34:29-35

King James Version

29And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

30And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

31And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.

32And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.

33And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.

34But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.

35And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Details worth noticing

35verses in this reading
5major movements
6verses with speech

The opening image

Exodus 34:1 begins with “And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables…”

Where the chapter turns

Exodus 34:20 forms a natural hinge: “But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou…”

The final note

Exodus 34:35 leaves the reader with “And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak…”

A word trail through the chapter

The words LORD, Moses, mount, children, tables, face help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.

How is religion misused in this chapter?

Circumcision is proposed deceptively to make the city vulnerable.

What later passage evaluates Simeon and Levi's violence?

Genesis 49:5-7 condemns their fierce anger and cruel wrath.

KJV words made clear

behold
look, or pay close attention
unto
to
thee
you
thou
you
thy
your

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.