Exodus 34:5-6 ASV

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 34:6-7

The Lord passed by before him . God did as he had promised in Exodus 33:22 , Exodus 33:23 . He made his glory pass by, Moses, as he stood in a "clift of the rock," and "covered him with his hand as he passed by," and, when he had passed, "took away his hand," and allowed Moses to look after him, and see a glorious and transcendent vision—a vision so bright and radiant, and so real , that the light which streamed from it settled on Moses face, and remained there ( Exodus 33:20 ). And... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 34:6-7

The second proclamation of God's name. God had proclaimed his name to Moses, when he spoke with him out of the burning bush. He had declared it to be JEHOVAH , "the Self-Existent One." Under this name the people of Israel had known him from the time of Moses' return to Egypt from Midian, until that of which he is here speaking. Hitherto it had sufficed for them. It had marked him as, 1 . eternal; 2 . uncaused; 3 . unconditioned; 4 . self-sufficient; 5 . all-powerful. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 34:6-7

The name of the Lord. Moses had asked to see the glory of Jehovah, a request which it was possible to grant only in a very modified way. As much as Moses could bear to see he was allowed to see; and for what he was not able to see he received a most abundant and timely compensation in the revelation made to him of the Divine character. For this of course is what the proclamation of the name of Jehovah amounts to. The name of Jehovah is what we should call the character of Jehovah. It is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 34:6-7

God is love. A previous revelation, cf. Exodus 3:14 . Then the emphasis was on the name , now it is on the character of him who bears the name. Moses, in common with the people, longed after some visible manifestation of the glory of the unseen God who spoke to him ( Exodus 33:18 ). His desire is granted; but at the same time God turns his thoughts from the visible to the invisible. "It is not," he seems to say, "what I appear to be that man has to trust to; it is what I am."... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Exodus 34:6-7

This was the second revelation of the name of the God of Israel to Moses. The first revelation was of Yahweh as the self-existent One, who purposed to deliver His people with a mighty hand Exodus 3:14; this was of the same Yahweh as a loving Saviour who was now forgiving their sins. The two ideas that mark these revelations are found combined, apart from their historical development, in the second commandment, where the divine unity is shown on its practical side, in its relation to human... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Exodus 34:5

Exodus 34:5. The Lord descended By some sensible token of his presence, and manifestation of his glory. He descended in the cloud Probably that pillar of cloud which had hitherto gone before Israel, and had the day before met Moses at the door of the tabernacle. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Exodus 34:6-7

Exodus 34:6-7. And the Lord passed by before him Fixed views of God are reserved for the future state; the best we have in this world are transient. And proclaimed the name of the Lord By which he would make himself known. He had made himself known to Moses, in the glory of his self- existence and self-sufficiency, when he proclaimed that name, I am that I am; now he makes himself known in the glory of his grace and goodness, and all-sufficiency to us. The proclaiming of it denotes... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:1-35

The covenant re-established (34:1-35)When the people first swore their faithfulness to the covenant, they promised to keep all its requirements (see 24:3-8), but in practice they failed badly. God in his grace would renew the covenant, and to this end he called Moses back up the mountain. His fresh revelation to Moses therefore emphasized his love and mercy, but it also reminded the people of his righteous justice. Moses, painfully aware of the Israelites’ weakness, appealed to the grace of... read more

E.W. Bullinger