Exodus 34 9

Exodus 34:9 kjv

And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O LORD, let my LORD, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

Exodus 34:9 nkjv

Then he said, "If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance."

Exodus 34:9 niv

"Lord," he said, "if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance."

Exodus 34:9 esv

And he said, "If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance."

Exodus 34:9 nlt

And he said, "O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people, but please forgive our iniquity and our sins. Claim us as your own special possession."

Exodus 34 verses

Exodus 34 9 Meaning

Moses, after God's revelation of His gracious character, makes an earnest plea for the Lord's continued presence with Israel despite their rebellion. He appeals to God's own nature (His grace and mercy) to pardon their deep-seated iniquity and sin, and to confirm His claim over them as His cherished inheritance. This prayer acknowledges Israel's profound unworthiness while simultaneously trusting in God's abundant willingness to forgive and maintain His covenant.

Exodus 34 9 Context

Exodus chapter 34 follows the profound breach of the covenant through Israel's worship of the golden calf (Exo 32). God initially threatens to abandon His presence with them (Exo 33:3) due to their "stiff-necked" nature. Moses, however, successfully intercedes, appealing to God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In chapter 34, Moses ascends Mount Sinai again, bringing new tablets of stone. Here, God reiterates His covenant and, crucially, declares His character to Moses (Exo 34:5-7) – a God of abundant mercy, grace, long-suffering, and forgiveness, though also just. Moses' response in verse 9 is a direct, humble, and profound appeal, immediately applying this revelation of God's character to the dire need of his sinful people. It’s a prayer born of the tension between Israel's stubborn rebellion and God's compassionate nature, with Moses bridging that gap as a mediator.

Exodus 34 9 Word analysis

• And he said: Signifies Moses' humble and urgent response directly following the majestic self-revelation of God (Exo 34:6-7). This is a priestly intercession.
• If now I have found grace: Hebrew: אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן (im-na matzati chen).
  • אִם־נָא (im-na): "If indeed," or "Since indeed." It is an earnest plea asserting a premise of divine favor rather than expressing doubt.
  • מָצָאתִי חֵן (matzati chen): "I have found favor." This indicates Moses resting his petition on God's prior display of grace toward him and Israel.
• in Your sight, O Lord: Hebrew: בְעֵינֶיךָ אֲדֹנָי (b'eineikha Adonai).
  • אֲדֹנָי (Adonai): "My Lord" or "My Master." This sacred title acknowledges God's absolute sovereignty and Moses' submission. Its use here emphasizes reverence and positions the plea within a framework of worship.
• let my Lord, please, go: Hebrew: יֵלֶךְ נָא אֲדֹנָי (yelekh na Adonai).
  • נָא (na): "Please" or "pray." This particle adds urgency and intensity to the request.
  • go in the midst of us: Hebrew: בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ (b'qirbenu). This signifies God's active, protective, and leading presence, foundational to the covenant and tabernacle theology. It's a request for intimate, sustaining divine presence.
• for it is a stiff-necked people: Hebrew: כִּי עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹרֶף הוּא (ki am q'sheh-'oref hu).
  • קְשֵׁה־עֹרֶף (q'sheh-'oref): "Stiff of neck," meaning obstinate, stubborn, rebellious. It metaphorically describes resistance to divine guidance. Moses' confession of Israel's persistent unworthiness underscores why they need God's presence, rather than providing an excuse for His departure.
• and pardon our iniquity: Hebrew: וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲוֹנֵנוּ (v'salah-ta la'avonenu).
  • וְסָלַחְתָּ (v'salah-ta): "And You will forgive." The verb "salach" (סָלַח) specifically refers to divine forgiveness, a sovereign act of grace to remit sin.
  • לַעֲוֹנֵנוּ (la'avonenu): "Our iniquity." עָוֹן (avon) refers to moral distortion, perversity, or guilt – the inner bent toward evil. Moses includes himself ("our").
• and our sin: Hebrew: וְלַחַטָּאתֵנוּ (v'lachata'teinu).
  • לַחַטָּאתֵנוּ (lachata'teinu): "Our sin." חַטָּאת (chaṭṭā’t) refers to missing the mark or transgression – the specific act of sin. The combination of "iniquity" and "sin" captures both the root of rebellion and its manifest actions.
• and take us as Your inheritance: Hebrew: וּנְחַלְתָּנוּ (un'ḥaltanu).
  • וּנְחַלְתָּנוּ (un'ḥaltanu): "And possess us" or "take us as Your inheritance." The verb "naḥal" (נָחַל) means to possess or inherit. This is a profound plea for God to reaffirm His original covenantal claim over Israel as His special, cherished possession, despite their failings.

Exodus 34 9 Bonus section

• Moses' prayer models effective intercession: it acknowledges the problem truthfully ("stiff-necked"), relies entirely on God's character and promises ("found grace," "pardon," "inheritance"), and pleads for His presence.
• The progression in the request from God's presence to forgiveness and then to inheritance shows Moses' desire for a full restoration of relationship – from God walking with them, to the healing of their sin, to the re-establishment of their unique covenant status.
• This verse illustrates a foundational theological principle: God’s continued covenant relationship with His people is based on His grace and faithfulness, not on their merit or sustained obedience. It is through God's persistent grace that rebellious people can become His inheritance.

Exodus 34 9 Commentary

Exodus 34:9 stands as a pivotal prayer of intercession, encapsulating Moses' deep understanding of both Israel's depravity and God's profound character. Having just witnessed God proclaim Himself as "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Exo 34:6), Moses immediately applies this divine truth. He does not base his appeal on Israel's merit, but entirely on God's revealed grace. His plea for God's continuous presence ("go in the midst of us") is critical, acknowledging that a "stiff-necked people" are paradoxically the very ones most desperately in need of divine guidance and correction, not abandonment. He bravely and humbly identifies with their corporate "iniquity and sin," laying bare their profound rebellion and appealing to God's attribute of forgiveness. The climax, "and take us as Your inheritance," is a plea for God to uphold His original purpose – to possess Israel as His treasured people, reaffirming the covenant that extends beyond their faithfulness to rest solely on His sovereign love and choice. It demonstrates that genuine prayer for forgiveness often flows from a humble recognition of one's and one's community's unworthiness, coupled with unwavering trust in God's gracious character revealed in His Word.