Exodus 34 1

Exodus 34:1 kjv

And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

Exodus 34:1 nkjv

And the LORD said to Moses, "Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke.

Exodus 34:1 niv

The LORD said to Moses, "Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.

Exodus 34:1 esv

The LORD said to Moses, "Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.

Exodus 34:1 nlt

Then the LORD told Moses, "Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed.

Exodus 34 verses

Exodus 34 1 Meaning

Exodus 34:1 presents a profound act of divine grace and covenant renewal. Following Israel's egregious sin with the golden calf, God, demonstrating His mercy and steadfast love, instructs Moses to prepare new stone tablets. This divine command signifies God's willingness to restore the broken covenant and re-inscribe His unchanging laws. It highlights the divine initiative in forgiveness and reconciliation, laying the groundwork for God's self-revelation in the subsequent verses. Despite human failure, God's commitment to His people and His word remains firm.

Exodus 34 1 Context

Exodus 34:1 is delivered at a critical juncture in Israel's history. Chapters 32 and 33 describe the people's grievous sin of worshipping the golden calf while Moses was receiving the Law on Mount Sinai. This idolatry provoked God's wrath, leading to Moses breaking the first tablets—a symbolic representation of Israel's shattered covenant with God. Following Moses' passionate intercession, God, though withdrawing His direct, consuming presence due to the people's "stiff-necked" nature, agrees to proceed with them and reveal His glory. This verse, therefore, marks the initial step in the restoration of the broken covenant, not a new one, but a re-affirmation of God's enduring commitment despite human failure. It establishes the physical means through which God will re-establish the covenant signs, leading directly into the profound revelation of God's compassionate character in the subsequent verses (Exod 34:6-7). Historically, it shows God's unique relationship with Israel, giving them specific laws unlike any other nation, meant to distinguish them from the prevalent polytheism and immoral practices of surrounding cultures.

Exodus 34 1 Word analysis

• And the Lord said (וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה - Vayomer YHWH): The opening emphasizes divine initiative. YHWH (Yahweh), God's personal, covenant name, signifies His unchanging, self-existent nature and His faithfulness to His promises. The immediate engagement after the calf incident underscores His unmerited grace.
• to Moses (אֶל־מֹשֶׁה - El-Mosheh): Moses remains the privileged mediator chosen by God. Despite Moses' human anger leading him to break the first tables, God entrusts him again, highlighting his unique role.
• "Cut for yourself (פְּסָל־לְךָ - Pəsal-ləḵā): This imperative "cut" (פסל, pasal, meaning to hew or carve) places an active responsibility on Moses. While God provides the words, human effort is required in preparing to receive divine revelation. It's a collaborative divine-human process. The "for yourself" signifies a personal commission, perhaps linking to Moses' renewed commitment.
• two tables of stone (שְׁנֵי־לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים - Šənê luḥot avanim): The "tables" (luḥot) are durable, heavy, and suitable for lasting inscription. This reinforces the enduring nature of the divine law and covenant, unlike perishable human traditions. The number two implies completeness and agreement between two parties.
• like the first ones (כָּרִאשֹׁנִים - Karishonim): This crucial phrase signifies that the Law itself remains unchanged. The content of the covenant is immutable, despite its initial physical breaking due to Israel's disobedience. It's a renewal, not a new covenant with altered terms, showing God's consistency.
• and I will write (וְכָתַבְתִּי - Vəḵātavtî): Emphasizes divine authorship. God explicitly states He will do the writing, not Moses. This divine act bestows supreme authority and sanctity upon the commands, contrasting with pagan deities whose laws were often inscribed by human scribes.
• on the tables the words (עַל־הַלֻּחֹת אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים - Al-halluḥot et-haddevārîm): The "words" (d'varim) encompass more than mere commandments; they represent God's decrees, His utterances, and His covenant stipulations—His entire revelation. The consistency of these words implies God's unchanging nature and unwavering expectations.
• that were on the first tables (אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ עַל־הַלֻּחֹת הָרִאשֹׁנִים - Asher hayu al-halluḥot harishonim): Reiterates that the content of the Law is precisely the same. The breaking of the physical tables did not erase or invalidate the divine requirements.
• which you broke (אֲשֶׁר שִׁבַּרְתָּ - Asher šibbartā): A blunt reminder of human failure and the consequence of sin. It highlights Moses' righteous indignation, which nevertheless resulted in the destruction of the first divine gift. It also underscores God's acknowledgment of the specific events that necessitated this renewal, setting the stage for the revelation of His forgiving nature.
• Words-group Analysis:
  • "Cut for yourself two tables of stone like the first ones": This sequence of instructions details Moses' human responsibility in preparing the physical medium for God's Law. The parallelism "like the first ones" is key: the sin necessitates a re-creation of the medium, but the divine message remains identical, symbolizing God's faithfulness despite human unfaithfulness.
  • "and I will write on the tables the words... which you broke": This contrast emphasizes divine sovereignty. While Moses prepared the physical tablets, God ensures the divine inscription. The direct mention of Moses' breaking them serves as a stark memory of the immediate cause for this renewal, making God's subsequent action a powerful demonstration of mercy and covenant commitment.

Exodus 34 1 Bonus section

The Hebrew word for "words," devarim (דְּבָרִים), also commonly translates to "things" or "matters." In the context of the Ten Commandments, often referred to as "The Ten Words," it denotes not just individual commands but the totality of divine utterances and declarations of covenant principles. The act of writing devarim on stone by God himself establishes the foundation of Torah as eternally binding and divinely authored. This is in direct contrast to how many ancient Near Eastern cultures received laws (e.g., through human kings inspired by deities), thus underscoring the unique nature of Israel's revelation. Furthermore, the meticulous specification that these new tablets must be "like the first ones" strongly refutes any idea that Israel's sin necessitated a dilution or softening of God's righteous standards. Instead, it affirms that God's holy requirements are intrinsic to His character and His relationship with His people.

Exodus 34 1 Commentary

Exodus 34:1 powerfully sets the stage for the renewal of God's covenant with Israel following the catastrophe of the golden calf. The verse reveals several crucial theological points: God's initiative in grace, His unwavering faithfulness to His word, and the pattern of divine-human cooperation. Instead of abandoning His people after their profound betrayal, God actively extends reconciliation, commanding Moses to prepare new tablets like the first ones. This emphasizes the immutability of God's Law; the divine requirements are not changed because of human sin, only physically renewed. God’s act of writing on the new tables highlights that the Law originates entirely from His sovereign will and possesses absolute divine authority. The inclusion of "which you broke" serves as a crucial reminder of Israel's recent failure and the gravity of sin, against which God's subsequent declaration of His character (Exo 34:6-7) of being "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" shines even brighter. It illustrates that forgiveness and restoration begin with God's move towards the repentant, but not without acknowledging the human brokenness. This pattern of God's relentless pursuit of His people, despite their repeated failures, permeates the entire biblical narrative, ultimately culminating in the new covenant where God writes His laws on human hearts by the Spirit (Jer 31; Heb 8).