Charles Ellicott Commentary Exodus 34
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Exodus 34
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Exodus 34
"And Jehovah said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon the tables the words that were on the first tables, which thou brakest." — Exodus 34:1 (ASV)
Hew thee two tables.—Something is always lost by sin, even when it is forgiven. The first tables were the work of God (Exodus 32:16). The second were hewn by the hand of Moses.
Of stone.—Literally, of stones — hewn, that is, out of two separate stones, which could not be said of the first tables, since no one knew how God had fashioned them.
I will write.—It is quite clear, though some have maintained the contrary, that the second tables, equally with the first, were inscribed with the finger of God (Deuteronomy 10:2; Deuteronomy 10:4). It is also quite clear that exactly the same words were written on each.
Upon these tables.—Hebrew, upon the tables.
"And Jehovah said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon the tables the words that were on the first tables, which thou brakest. And be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me on the top of the mount. And 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. And 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 Jehovah had commanded him, and took in his hand two tables of stone." — Exodus 34:1-4 (ASV)
Before the covenant could be formally reestablished, before Israel could be replaced in the position forfeited by the idolatry of the golden calf, it was necessary that the conditions on which God consented to establish His covenant with them should be set forth afresh. Moses had asked for the return of God’s favour, but had said nothing of these conditions.
It is God who insists on them. Hew thee two tables. The moral law must be delivered afresh—delivered in its completeness—exactly as at the first (Exodus 34:1), and even the ceremonial law must be reimposed in its main items (Exodus 34:12–26), or no return to favour is possible. Hence Moses is summoned once more to the top of Sinai, where the Law is to be delivered afresh to him, and is ordered to bring with him tables of stone like the former ones, to receive their written contents from God’s hand.
"And be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me on the top of the mount." — Exodus 34:2 (ASV)
Be ready in the morning. — It was necessary to allow an interval for the hewing of the stones.
In the top of the mount — that is, in the same place as before. (Exodus 24:12; Exodus 24:18.)
"And 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." — Exodus 34:3 (ASV)
No man shall come up with thee ... — These stringent commands were new. On the previous occasion, Aaron, Hur, and the elders had ascended the mount part of the way (Exodus 24:9–11); and Joshua had accompanied his master almost to the summit (Exodus 24:13), and had apparently remained in some part of the mountain during the whole time of Moses’ stay (Exodus 32:17). Now Moses was to be quite alone, and no one was to be seen in any part of the mount. The stringency of the new orders must be connected with the promised revelation to Moses of God’s glory (Exodus 33:21–23).
"And Jehovah descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of Jehovah. And Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth, keeping lovingkindness 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, upon the third and upon the fourth generation. And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped." — Exodus 34:5-8 (ASV)
MOSES ALLOWED TO SEE GOD’S GLORY.
The present ascent of Moses to the top of Sinai had two objects:
- The repair of the loss caused by his breaking the first tables; and
- The accomplishment of the promise made to him that (under certain restrictions) he should see God’s glory.
Combined with this promise were two minor ones: that God would make His goodness pass before him, and that He would reveal to him anew His name. The revelation of the name is recorded in Exodus 34:6-7, the manifestation of the glory in Exodus 34:5. How Moses was enabled to see God’s goodness pass before him is not stated. (Compare Note on Exodus 33:19.)
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