Exodus 34:29-35

"And it came to pass when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of the testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And 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. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him.' and Moses spake to them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that Jehovah had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And when Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But when Moses went in before Jehovah to speak with him, he took the veil off; until he came out, and he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone; and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him (God)."

"When Moses came down ..." The previous verses reveal that Moses had no food or water during the forty days and nights, this being the second such fast that Moses had endured. Similar fasts were made by Elijah (1 Kings 19:8) and by our Lord (Matthew 4:2).

"The skin of his face shone ..." The verb for "shine" in this place very closely resembles another Hebrew word to be horned[27] and from this came the error in the Vulgate which renders the place as, "Moses had horns." It was because of this that Michelangelo's great statute of Moses (in the church of St. Pietro in Vincoli at Rome) depicts Moses as having horns! There is no doubt whatever that the proper meaning of the word here is exactly that given in this version.

"With the two tables of the testimony in Moses' hand ..."; Deuteronomy 10:1-5 tells us that when Moses came down from the mount that Moses made an ark of acacia wood in which to place them. "This simple ark was the predecessor of the ark of the covenant described in Exodus 25:10ff."[28] It was altogether a temporary device to serve until the Tabernacle and all of its equipment should be built.

"The veil ..." See under Exodus 26:37, above, for extended discussion of the symbolism of the veil of the temple; and although this veil upon the face of Moses was different, the symbolism of it coincided with that of the veil that divided the holy place from the most holy place in the tabernacle. The apostle Paul spoke of it, making it an allegory. See 2 Corinthians 3:14-15. Paul made it to be a symbol of the hardening of the minds of secular Israel in their rejection of Christ. "For to this day, when Moses is read (i.e., the writings of Moses), a veil lieth upon their hearts. The veil is removed when they turn to the Lord." It also symbolized the fading glory of the Law as contrasted with the radiance of the Gospel; and, although the fading is not mentioned in Exodus, still it is inherent in the fact that Moses died. In connection with Paul's allegory concerning this veil, it is wise to remember, as Fields said, that, "Paul was an inspired interpreter, not just another rabbinic speculator!"[29]

Some scholars seek the reason for this veil in the customs of ancient pagan religions. Thus, Huey has this, "The veil has been compared to a mask worn by priests in many primitive religions to show that they were representing the deity when they wore the mask, but the comparison does not seem valid here.[30] We say, Amen! The reason for the veil here was the shining face of Moses, not the deceptive practices of pagan priests!

This and the two previous chapters (Exodus 32-34) teach four powerful lessons: (1) sin separates from God; (2) no one is ever so far from sin that he can relax his guard; (3) any success achieved that forfeits the presence and blessing of God is worthless; and (4) other people will be able to see it when one maintains close fellowship with God.

Another thing discernible throughout these chapters is the multiple names used for God, again and again, in the same breath, he is called, Jehovah, God ([~'Elohiym]), the God of Israel, etc. There is little wonder that the critics are unable to use that old standby as an aid to splitting the sources, being forced to rely absolutely upon other alleged evidences. The truth is clear that the Bible carries within itself the soul-convincing evidence of its unity and truth! Men never spoke like these chapters of Exodus.