Exodus 29:45 kjv
And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
Exodus 29:45 nkjv
I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.
Exodus 29:45 niv
Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.
Exodus 29:45 esv
I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.
Exodus 29:45 nlt
Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God,
Exodus 29 45 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 25:8 | And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. | Purpose of the Tabernacle is God's dwelling. |
| Exod 33:14 | And he said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." | God's presence as guidance and provision. |
| Exod 40:34-35 | Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle...Moses could not enter... | God's glory filling His dwelling place. |
| Lev 26:11-12 | I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you... I will be your God, and you shall be my people. | Direct re-affirmation of the covenant promise. |
| Num 35:34 | You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the LORD dwell among the people of Israel. | God's dwelling necessitates holiness of the land/people. |
| Deut 7:6 | For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession... | Israel's chosen status for this intimate relationship. |
| Deut 23:14 | For the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you... | God's active, protective presence. |
| 1 Kgs 6:13 | I will dwell among the people of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel. | Promise applied to Solomon's Temple. |
| Ps 68:18 | You ascended on high... that the LORD God might dwell there. | God dwelling among His people in Zion. |
| Isa 12:6 | Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. | God's presence as cause for joy. |
| Eze 37:26-28 | I will make a covenant of peace with them... I will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore... Then the nations will know...I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel. | Future, permanent dwelling in a renewed covenant. |
| Joel 3:21 | I will avenge their blood... The LORD dwells in Zion. | God's righteous dwelling. |
| Zech 2:10-11 | Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD... | Future divine indwelling for all nations. |
| Jn 1:14 | And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory... | Jesus' incarnation as God 'tabernacling' with humanity. |
| Jn 14:23 | Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." | Trinitarian indwelling in believers. |
| Rom 8:9 | You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. | Holy Spirit indwelling believers. |
| 1 Cor 3:16 | Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? | The church (collective believers) as God's temple. |
| 2 Cor 6:16 | For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." | NT church fulfilling the OT promise of dwelling. |
| Eph 2:19-22 | So then you are no longer strangers... but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God... a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. | The church built into a spiritual dwelling for God. |
| Heb 8:10 | For this is the covenant that I will make... "I will be their God, and they shall be My people." | New Covenant re-affirmation of God's relationship. |
| Rev 21:3 | Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. | Ultimate fulfillment in the new heavens and earth. |
Exodus 29 verses
Exodus 29 45 Meaning
Exodus 29:45 signifies God's central purpose for commanding the Tabernacle's construction: to establish His physical, manifest presence among the people of Israel. It is a fundamental covenant promise, where the Infinite God condescends to dwell in their midst, thereby affirming His unique identity as "their God." This declaration signifies an exclusive and intimate relationship, asserting His ownership, protection, and provision for them, contingent upon their adherence to His covenant and holiness.
Exodus 29 45 Context
Exodus 29:45 is part of an extended passage (chapters 25-31 and 35-40) detailing the divine blueprint for the Tabernacle and the priestly vestments and consecration. This verse appears immediately after specific instructions regarding the daily burnt offerings, Aaron's priestly service, and the precise altar specifications. The meticulously given laws for purity, sacrifice, and the priestly service, culminating in the Shekinah glory, highlight that these are not arbitrary rituals but divine provisions enabling God, in His absolute holiness, to dwell intimately amidst a sinful people. Historically, this promise stood in stark contrast to ancient Near Eastern beliefs where gods were often perceived as remote, capricious, or confined to specific, inaccessible temples, rather than committed to indwelling within their worshipping community.
Exodus 29 45 Word analysis
- And I will dwell (וְשָׁכַנְתִּי - wəšāḵantî): This is from the root שׁכן (šākhan), meaning "to dwell, to settle down, to abide." It signifies a permanent, residential presence, not a temporary visit. This root is the source of the term "Shekinah" (שכינה), used in rabbinic Judaism to describe the glorious divine presence of God, emphasizing the tangible manifestation of God's glory. It conveys God's profound desire for an enduring, close relationship with His chosen people, a divine condescension.
- among (בְּתוֹכָם - bəṯôḵām): This preposition means "in their midst" or "within them." It emphasizes not just proximity, but an internal, embedded presence. God's dwelling is not distant or outside their sphere of life, but intricately woven into their existence as a people, establishing a unique identity for Israel.
- the children of Israel (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - bənê yiśrāʾēl): This refers to the covenant people, the descendants of Jacob (Israel), whom God chose and delivered from Egyptian bondage. It specifies the unique recipients of this extraordinary divine privilege, setting them apart from all other nations.
- and will be their God (וְהָיִיתִי לֵאלֹהִים - wəhāyîtî lêlōhîm): This is a crucial element of the covenant formula found throughout Scripture. The verb "to be" (hāya) expresses existence and becoming. The term "Elohim" (אֱלֹהִים) denotes God's divine power and sovereignty. When linked with the pronoun "their," it declares an exclusive and proprietary relationship. It signifies God's absolute claim over Israel and His commitment to be their deliverer, protector, provider, and supreme authority. It implicitly demands their exclusive allegiance and worship, distinguishing Him from all false gods.
- "I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.": This phrase collectively captures the essence of God's covenant with Israel. The divine indwelling (through the Tabernacle) makes possible and manifests the covenant relationship where Yahweh truly is Israel's God, and Israel, in turn, is His treasured people. It underscores the profound theological truth that God seeks intimate fellowship with humanity, yet this intimacy is predicated on His holiness and His gracious initiative.
Exodus 29 45 Bonus section
The promise of God's dwelling in Exodus 29:45 forms a significant polemic against the idolatrous practices of surrounding nations. Unlike the pagan deities who required appeasement to merely "visit" a temple or who were confined to inanimate idols, Yahweh, the Living God, declares His intent to establish a continuous, personal residence among His chosen people. This underscores His dynamic character, accessibility, and sovereign freedom to enter into relationship with humanity on His terms. The emphasis on the portable nature of the Tabernacle in the wilderness also highlights that God is not tied to a specific geographic location or a static shrine, but His presence moves with His people, signifying His guidance and faithfulness throughout their journey. The shift from a mobile Tabernacle to a fixed Temple (and eventually to the indwelling Spirit in believers) showcases a progression in God's demonstration of His desire for greater intimacy, leading to the ultimate state of "God with us" (Immanuel).
Exodus 29 45 Commentary
Exodus 29:45 articulates the climactic purpose of the elaborate Tabernacle construction and the consecration of the priesthood. All the detailed divine commands for sanctuary design, sacrifices, and ritual purity converged on one singular goal: enabling a holy God to dwell among a sinful people. This wasn't merely a symbolic gesture but a promise of active, personal presence that validated God's covenant commitment. His dwelling signified not only His grace in being accessible but also the necessity of holiness in human life. This foundational promise found various expressions throughout biblical history: from the cloud and fire in the wilderness to the glory in Solomon's Temple. Ultimately, this divine desire to indwell finds its complete fulfillment in Christ, the incarnate Word who "tabernacled" among us (John 1:14), in the Church as the Spirit's temple, and fully realized in the new creation where God's dwelling place will forever be with humanity (Revelation 21:3). This verse, therefore, undergirds the entire trajectory of redemptive history, pointing to God's ceaseless desire for communion with His creation.