Charles Ellicott Commentary Exodus 34:5-8

"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:

1. The repair of the loss caused by his breaking the first tables; and
2. 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.)