Exodus 34:8 kjv
And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
Exodus 34:8 nkjv
So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.
Exodus 34:8 niv
Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.
Exodus 34:8 esv
And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.
Exodus 34:8 nlt
Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped.
Exodus 34 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 17:3 | Then Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him... | Abram's similar response to God's appearance. |
| Gen 24:26 | The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord... | Eliezer's prostration in gratitude to God. |
| Exo 3:5-6 | Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals... Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God." | Moses' initial reverence before God's holiness. |
| Exo 12:27 | ...Then the people bowed their heads and worshiped. | Israel's worship at the institution of Passover. |
| Exo 33:18-19 | Then Moses said, "Please show me Your glory." And He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you..." | The preceding request for God's full revelation. |
| Exo 34:6-7 | The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness... | The specific divine revelation eliciting the response. |
| Num 14:18 | "The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression..." | Reiteration of God's character attributes. |
| Num 16:22 | But they fell on their faces and said, "O God, God of the spirits of all flesh..." | Moses and Aaron's similar prostration in intercession. |
| Josh 5:14-15 | He said, "No; but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped... | Joshua's humble worship before divine authority. |
| 1 Sam 1:3 | ...to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts... | Example of general worship practice. |
| 2 Chron 29:30 | And the assembly worshiped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. | Corporate worship involving physical acts. |
| Neh 9:17 | ...You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love... | Echoing God's attributes in a time of repentance. |
| Psa 86:15 | But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. | Another direct quote of God's attributes. |
| Psa 95:6 | Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. | Exhortation to physically demonstrate worship. |
| Psa 103:8 | The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. | Summary of God's gracious character. |
| Isa 6:1-5 | ...I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up... "Woe is me, for I am ruined!...for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." | Isaiah's similar overwhelming response to God's holiness. |
| Jer 32:17 | 'Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You...' | Response of awe to God's creative power. |
| Joel 2:13 | ...Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love... | Prophetic call to repentance based on God's character. |
| Jonah 4:2 | ...for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. | Jonah's acknowledgment of God's merciful character. |
| Matt 2:11 | And going into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him... | Magi's worship of the infant Jesus. |
| Phil 2:9-10 | Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... | Universal prostration ultimately due to Jesus Christ. |
| Heb 12:28-29 | Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. | The appropriate worship in the New Covenant, with reverence. |
| Rev 4:10 | the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever... | Heavenly worship involving prostration. |
| Rev 5:14 | And the four living creatures said, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped. | Further examples of worship in heavenly scenes. |
Exodus 34 verses
Exodus 34 8 Meaning
Exodus 34:8 describes Moses' immediate and profound response to the Lord's revelation of His glorious character. Upon hearing God proclaim His name and attributes of mercy, grace, slowness to anger, steadfast love, and faithfulness, Moses quickly bowed down in an act of deep reverence, humility, and worship. This swift prostration signifies his overwhelming awe and total submission to the Most High God.
Exodus 34 8 Context
Exodus 34:8 is situated immediately after the Lord reveals His glory and proclaims His attributes of compassion, grace, slowness to anger, and abounding steadfast love and faithfulness (Exo 34:6-7). This momentous declaration follows the catastrophic sin of the golden calf (Exo 32), the breaking of the first set of tablets, and Moses' fervent intercession for Israel. God's willingness to renew His covenant with a rebellious people, purely out of His own gracious character, is profoundly significant. Moses' response in verse 8 is therefore not just to a display of power, but to the unveiling of God's compassionate nature despite human failure. It highlights the profound personal impact of a genuine encounter with God's holiness and mercy.
Exodus 34 8 Word analysis
- And Moses: The individual who stood in unique proximity to God, mediator of the covenant. His personal and immediate reaction serves as an exemplary response for all who encounter divine truth.
- made haste (וַיְמַהֵר, vaymahér): Conveys urgency, immediacy, and an instinctive, unhesitating reaction. It implies a rush of reverence, an urgent compulsion to respond appropriately to the sacred presence. This was not a calculated move, but an overwhelmed heart's instant action.
- and bowed his head (וַיִּקֹּד, vayyiqqód): Denotes a deep, submissive bow, typically indicating humility, respect, and awe. It's more than a slight nod; it often implies bowing low enough for the head to meet the knees or ground.
- toward the earth: Specifies the depth of the bowing, emphasizing total prostration. It signifies an acknowledgement of one's own humble status as dust before the glorious Creator, a complete self-abasement and surrender of the ego.
- and worshiped (וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ, vayyishtacháv): This is the most common Hebrew verb for worship, literally meaning "to prostrate oneself" or "to bow down low." It encapsulates both the physical act of bowing down to the ground and the spiritual posture of adoration, reverence, and complete submission to a divine being. It is the ultimate expression of devotion and recognition of absolute sovereignty.
Words-group analysis:
- "made haste and bowed his head": This phrase emphasizes the swiftness of Moses' humble and reverent submission. It portrays an immediate, unmediated, and deeply internal reaction to the awe-inspiring revelation of God's character. His humility was prompt and unreserved.
- "bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped": This forms a composite picture of profound reverence. The action of bowing toward the earth is a tangible demonstration of complete abasement and surrender, while "worshiped" signifies the deeper, spiritual act of adoration and allegiance to God. Together, these phrases depict a full and complete acknowledgment of God's majesty and grace, physically expressed and spiritually offered.
Exodus 34 8 Bonus section
The spontaneous nature of Moses' worship (made haste) reveals an immediate internal processing of God's identity—it wasn't commanded or ritualized at this moment, but a heartfelt outpouring. This verse powerfully illustrates the essence of reverential fear: not dread, but an overwhelming awe that compels humility and adoration. Moses' act of worship here sets a standard for all future encounters with God, whether for Israel or individuals, indicating that the only fitting response to God's self-revelation, especially concerning His attributes of grace and truth, is absolute surrender and adoration. This particular act foreshadows the deep, wholehearted devotion that God desires from His people.
Exodus 34 8 Commentary
Exodus 34:8 is a powerful and concise account of appropriate human response to divine revelation. Following God's breathtaking declaration of His mercy and grace, Moses' immediate and total prostration serves as a quintessential model of true worship. It is not just an outward act, but a deeply felt inner response of reverence and submission that finds expression in profound humility. His swift action underscores the overwhelming nature of encountering the Holy God, especially a God who is both just and merciful. This verse acts as a stark contrast to Israel's recent idol worship, demonstrating that authentic worship stems from a proper understanding of God's character and evokes an instinctive posture of humility and adoration, recognizing His sovereign authority and covenant faithfulness. It highlights that God's grace leads not to presumption, but to deeper awe and worship.