Exodus 34:5-14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 34:5-9

No sooner had Moses got to the top of the mount than God gave him the meeting (Exod. 34:5): The Lord descended, by some sensible token of his presence, and manifestation of his glory. His descending bespeaks his condescension; he humbles himself to take cognizance of those that humble themselves to walk with him. Ps. 113:6; Lord, what is man, that he should be thus visited? He descended in the cloud, probably that pillar of cloud which had hitherto gone before Israel, and had the day before... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 34:10-17

Reconciliation being made, a covenant of friendship is here settled between God and Israel. The traitors are not only pardoned, but preferred and made favourites again. Well may the assurances of this be ushered in with a behold, a word commanding attention and admiration: Behold, I make a covenant. When the covenant was broken, it was Israel that broke it; now that it comes to be renewed, it is God that makes it. If there be quarrels, we must bear all the blame; if there be peace, God must... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:5

And the Lord descended in the cloud ,.... The same with the cloudy pillar, which was now gone up from the door of the tabernacle, and was on high in the air over the mount, and on which the Lord now descended in it, as he had before, Exodus 19:9 , and stood with him there ; not Moses stood with the Lord, as the Vulgate Latin version; but the Lord, or the cloud in which the Lord was, stood near to Moses: and proclaimed the name of the Lord : Jehovah declared with a loud voice out of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:6

And the Lord passed by before him ,.... Or caused his Shechinah, his divine Majesty, and the glory of it, to pass before him, as the Targums; his glory and goodness, which he had promised should pass before him, Exodus 33:19 and it is but a transient passing view the greatest of men, God's peculiar favourites, have of him in this life: and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God ; the Jerusalem Targum wrongly paraphrases the words as a prayer of Moses thus, "and Moses prayed, and said, O... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:7

Keeping mercy for thousands ,.... In his own heart, in his purposes and decrees, in his counsels and covenant, in his Son, with whom he keeps it for ever, and for all in him, Psalm 89:28 and they are many who are ordained to eternal life, for whom Christ gave his life a ransom, and for whom his blood was shed for the remission of their sins; and whom he justifies by his knowledge, and at last brings to glory as the great Captain of their salvation; these are even a number which no man can... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:8

And Moses made haste ,.... Perceiving the voice ceased, and the Lord was passing on, lest he should be gone, and he lose the favourable opportunity he had: and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped ; threw himself prostrate upon it, and in the most humble manner put up his requests to God, which are expressed in the following verse; he gladly laid hold on this opportunity to use his interest with God for the people of Israel, and to improve the proclamation of grace and mercy,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:9

And he said, if now I have found grace in thy sight ,.... Or "seeing now", for he could have no doubt upon his mind but that he had found grace and favour in the sight of God, since he had caused his goodness and glory to pass before him, and made such a proclamation of his grace and mercy to him; but he takes it for granted, and improves it, and argues upon it, as follows: O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go amongst us ; as the Lord had signified as if he would not go among them, but... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:10

And he said, behold, I will make a covenant ,.... Or renew the covenant before made the people had broke; which on his part was, that he would, as Moses had entreated, forgive the sin of the people, go along with them, and introduce them into the land of Canaan, and drive out the inhabitants of it before them; and, on their part, that they should avoid idolatry, and everything that led unto it, particularly making covenants, and entering into alliances with the idolatrous nations cast out: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:11

Observe thou that which I command thee this day ,.... Which words are either said to Moses personally, as Aben Ezra thinks, as a direction to him to observe what had been said to him, and declare them to the children of Israel; or rather to the children of Israel, and respect the commands which are afterwards delivered out to be observed by them in the following verses; and what is expressed in the next clause is such as was not done by the ministry of Moses, nor in his time: behold, I... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:12

Take heed to thyself ,.... This is said not to Moses, but to the people of Israel, as a caution to them when they should enter the land of Canaan, and possess it: lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest : enter into a league and alliance, to live friendly and amicably, and support and assist each other against the common enemy; whereas they were to smite the seven nations and destroy them, and show them no mercy, Deuteronomy 7:1 . lest it be for... read more

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