Numbers 4:4-16

4:4 This is the service of the Kohathites in the tent of meeting, relating to the most holy things. ¹  4:5 When it is time for the camp to journey, ²  Aaron and his sons must come and take down the screening curtain and cover the ark of the testimony with it. 4:6 Then they must put over it a covering of fine leather ³  and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue, and then they must insert its poles.

4:7 “On the table of the presence ⁴  they must spread a blue ⁵  cloth, and put on it the dishes, the pans, the bowls, and the pitchers for pouring, and the Bread of the Presence must be on it continually. 4:8 They must spread over them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of fine leather; and they must insert its poles.

4:9 “They must take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand of the light, with its lamps, its wick-trimmers, its trays, and all its oil vessels, with which they service it. 4:10 Then they must put it with all its utensils in a covering of fine leather, and put it on a carrying beam. ⁶ 

4:11 “They must spread a blue cloth on the gold altar, and cover it with a covering of fine leather; and they must insert its poles. 4:12 Then they must take all the utensils of the service, with which they serve in the sanctuary, put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of fine leather, and put them on a carrying beam. 4:13 Also, they must take away the ashes from the altar ⁷  and spread a purple cloth over it. 4:14 Then they must place on it all its implements with which they serve there – the trays, the meat forks, the shovels, the basins, and all the utensils of the altar – and they must spread on it a covering of fine leather, and then insert its poles. ⁸ 

4:15 “When Aaron and his sons have finished ⁹  covering ¹⁰  the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is ready to journey, then ¹¹  the Kohathites will come to carry them; ¹²  but they must not touch ¹³  any ¹⁴  holy thing, or they will die. ¹⁵  These are the responsibilities ¹⁶  of the Kohathites with the tent of meeting.

4:16 “The appointed responsibility of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is for the oil for the light, and the spiced incense, and the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil; he also has ¹⁷  the appointed responsibility over all the tabernacle with ¹⁸  all that is in it, over the sanctuary and over all its furnishings.” ¹⁹ 

Exodus 25:10-40

The Ark of the Covenant

25:10 ²⁰ “They are to make an ark ²¹  of acacia wood – its length is to be three feet nine inches, its width two feet three inches, and its height two feet three inches. ²²  25:11 You are to overlay ²³  it with pure gold – both inside and outside you must overlay it, ²⁴  and you are to make a surrounding border ²⁵  of gold over it. 25:12 You are to cast four gold rings for it and put them on its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. 25:13 You are to make poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold, 25:14 and put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them. 25:15 The poles must remain in the rings of the ark; they must not be removed from it. 25:16 You are to put into the ark the testimony ²⁶  that I will give to you.

25:17 “You are to make an atonement lid ²⁷  of pure gold; ²⁸  its length is to be three feet nine inches, and its width is to be two feet three inches. 25:18 You are to make two cherubim ²⁹  of gold; you are to make them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid. 25:19 Make ³⁰  one cherub on one end ³¹  and one cherub on the other end; from the atonement lid ³²  you are to make the cherubim on the two ends. 25:20 The cherubim are to be spreading their wings upward, overshadowing ³³  the atonement lid with their wings, and the cherubim are to face each other, ³⁴  looking ³⁵  toward the atonement lid. 25:21 You are to put the atonement lid on top of the ark, and in the ark you are to put the testimony I am giving you. 25:22 I will meet with you there, ³⁶  and ³⁷  from above the atonement lid, from between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will command you for the Israelites.

The Table for the Bread of the Presence

25:23 ³⁸ “You are to make a table of acacia wood; its length is to be three feet, its width one foot six inches, and its height two feet three inches. 25:24 You are to overlay it with ³⁹  pure gold, and you are to make a surrounding border of gold for it. 25:25 You are to make a surrounding frame ⁴⁰  for it about three inches broad, and you are to make a surrounding border of gold for its frame. 25:26 You are to make four rings of gold for it and attach ⁴¹  the rings at the four corners where its four legs are. ⁴²  25:27 The rings are to be close to the frame to provide places ⁴³  for the poles to carry the table. 25:28 You are to make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so that the table may be carried with them. ⁴⁴  25:29 You are to make its plates, ⁴⁵  its ladles, ⁴⁶  its pitchers, and its bowls, to be used in pouring out offerings; ⁴⁷  you are to make them of pure gold. 25:30 You are to set the Bread of the Presence ⁴⁸  on the table before me continually.

The Lampstand

25:31 ⁴⁹ “You are to make a lampstand ⁵⁰  of pure gold. The lampstand is to be made of hammered metal; its base and its shaft, its cups, ⁵¹  its buds, and its blossoms are to be from the same piece. ⁵²  25:32 Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand, ⁵³  three branches of the lampstand from one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it. ⁵⁴  25:33 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on the next ⁵⁵  branch, and the same ⁵⁶  for the six branches extending from the lampstand. 25:34 On the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms, 25:35 with a bud under the first ⁵⁷  two branches from it, and a bud under the next ⁵⁸  two branches from it, and a bud under the third ⁵⁹  two branches from it, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. 25:36 Their buds and their branches will be one piece, ⁶⁰  all of it one hammered piece of pure gold.

25:37 “You are to make its seven lamps, ⁶¹  and then set ⁶²  its lamps up on it, so that it will give light ⁶³  to the area in front of it. 25:38 Its trimmers and its trays ⁶⁴  are to be ⁶⁵  of pure gold. 25:39 About seventy-five pounds ⁶⁶  of pure gold is to be used for it ⁶⁷  and for all these utensils. 25:40 Now be sure to make ⁶⁸  them according to the pattern you were shown ⁶⁹  on the mountain. ⁷⁰ 

Exodus 31:1--35:29

Willing Artisans

31:1 ⁷¹ The Lord spoke to Moses: ⁷²  31:2 “See, I have chosen ⁷³  Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31:3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God ⁷⁴  in skill, ⁷⁵  in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds ⁷⁶  of craftsmanship, 31:4 to make artistic designs ⁷⁷  for work with gold, with silver, and with bronze, 31:5 and with cutting and setting stone, and with cutting wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship. 31:6 Moreover, ⁷⁸  I have also given him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and I have given ability to all the specially skilled, ⁷⁹  that they may make ⁸⁰  everything I have commanded you: 31:7 the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the atonement lid that is on it, all the furnishings ⁸¹  of the tent, 31:8 the table with its utensils, the pure lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, 31:9 the altar for the burnt offering with all its utensils, the large basin with its base, 31:10 the woven garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons, to minister as priests, 31:11 the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the Holy Place. They will make all these things just as I have commanded you.”

Sabbath Observance

31:12 ⁸² The Lord said to Moses, ⁸³  31:13 “Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, ⁸⁴  for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. ⁸⁵  31:14 So you must keep the Sabbath, for it is holy for you. Everyone who defiles it ⁸⁶  must surely be put to death; indeed, ⁸⁷  if anyone does ⁸⁸  any ⁸⁹  work on it, then that person will be cut off from among his ⁹⁰  people. 31:15 Six days ⁹¹  work may be done, ⁹²  but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, ⁹³  holy to the Lord; anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death. 31:16 The Israelites must keep the Sabbath by observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 31:17 It is a sign between me and the Israelites forever; for in six days ⁹⁴  the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” ⁹⁵ 

31:18 He gave Moses two tablets of testimony when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, tablets of stone written by the finger of God. ⁹⁶ 

The Sin of the Golden Calf

32:1 ⁹⁷ When the people saw that Moses delayed ⁹⁸  in coming down ⁹⁹  from the mountain, they ¹⁰⁰  gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Get up, ¹⁰¹  make us gods ¹⁰²  that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses, ¹⁰³  the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what ¹⁰⁴  has become of him!”

32:2 So Aaron said to them, “Break off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” ¹⁰⁵  32:3 So all ¹⁰⁶  the people broke off the gold earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. 32:4 He accepted the gold ¹⁰⁷  from them, ¹⁰⁸  fashioned ¹⁰⁹  it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf. ¹¹⁰  Then they said, “These are your gods, ¹¹¹  O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

32:5 When ¹¹²  Aaron saw this, ¹¹³  he built an altar before it, ¹¹⁴  and Aaron made a proclamation ¹¹⁵  and said, “Tomorrow will be a feast ¹¹⁶  to the Lord.” 32:6 So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, ¹¹⁷  and they rose up to play. ¹¹⁸ 

32:7 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go quickly, descend, ¹¹⁹  because your ¹²⁰  people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly. 32:8 They have quickly turned aside ¹²¹  from the way that I commanded them – they have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.’”

32:9 Then the Lord said to Moses: “I have seen this people. ¹²²  Look ¹²³  what a stiff-necked people they are! ¹²⁴  32:10 So now, leave me alone ¹²⁵  so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.”

32:11 But Moses sought the favor ¹²⁶  of the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 32:12 Why ¹²⁷  should the Egyptians say, ¹²⁸  ‘For evil ¹²⁹  he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy ¹³⁰  them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger, and relent ¹³¹  of this evil against your people. 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, ‘I will multiply your descendants ¹³²  like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about ¹³³  I will give to your descendants, ¹³⁴  and they will inherit it forever.’” 32:14 Then the Lord relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people.

32:15 Moses turned and went down from the mountain with ¹³⁵  the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. The tablets were written on both sides – they were written on the front and on the back. 32:16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 32:17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, ¹³⁶  he said to Moses, “It is the sound of war in the camp!” 32:18 Moses ¹³⁷  said, “It is not the sound of those who shout for victory, ¹³⁸  nor is it the sound of those who cry because they are overcome, ¹³⁹  but the sound of singing ¹⁴⁰  I hear.” ¹⁴¹ 

32:19 When he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became extremely angry. ¹⁴²  He threw the tablets from his hands and broke them to pieces at the bottom of the mountain. ¹⁴³  32:20 He took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, ground it ¹⁴⁴  to powder, poured it out on the water, and made the Israelites drink it. ¹⁴⁵ 

32:21 Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought on them so great a sin?” 32:22 Aaron said, “Do not let your anger burn hot, my lord; ¹⁴⁶  you know these people, that they tend to evil. ¹⁴⁷  32:23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ 32:24 So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, break it off.’ So they gave it ¹⁴⁸  to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.” ¹⁴⁹ 

32:25 Moses saw that the people were running wild, ¹⁵⁰  for Aaron had let them get completely out of control, causing derision from their enemies. ¹⁵¹  32:26 So Moses stood at the entrance of the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come ¹⁵²  to me.” ¹⁵³  All the Levites gathered around him, 32:27 and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Each man fasten ¹⁵⁴  his sword on his side, and go back and forth ¹⁵⁵  from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and each one kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’” ¹⁵⁶ 

32:28 The Levites did what Moses ordered, ¹⁵⁷  and that day about three thousand men of the people died. ¹⁵⁸  32:29 Moses said, “You have been consecrated ¹⁵⁹  today for the Lord, for each of you was against his son or against his brother, so he has given a blessing to you today.” ¹⁶⁰ 

32:30 The next day Moses said to the people, ¹⁶¹  “You have committed a very serious sin, ¹⁶²  but now I will go up to the Lord – perhaps I can make atonement ¹⁶³  on behalf of your sin.”

32:31 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, ¹⁶⁴  and they have made for themselves gods of gold. 32:32 But now, if you will forgive their sin…, ¹⁶⁵  but if not, wipe me out ¹⁶⁶  from your book that you have written.” ¹⁶⁷  32:33 The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me – that person I will wipe out of my book. 32:34 So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See, ¹⁶⁸  my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin.” ¹⁶⁹ 

32:35 And the Lord sent a plague on the people because they had made the calf ¹⁷⁰  – the one Aaron made. ¹⁷¹ 

33:1 The Lord said to Moses, “Go up ¹⁷²  from here, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land I promised on oath ¹⁷³  to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ ¹⁷⁴  33:2 I will send an angel ¹⁷⁵  before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. ¹⁷⁶  33:3 Go up ¹⁷⁷  to a land flowing with milk and honey. But ¹⁷⁸  I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you ¹⁷⁹  on the way.”

33:4 When the people heard this troubling word ¹⁸⁰  they mourned; ¹⁸¹  no one put on his ornaments. 33:5 For ¹⁸²  the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I went up among you for a moment, ¹⁸³  I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments, ¹⁸⁴  that I may know ¹⁸⁵  what I should do to you.’” ¹⁸⁶  33:6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments by Mount Horeb.

The Presence of the Lord

33:7 ¹⁸⁷ Moses took ¹⁸⁸  the tent ¹⁸⁹  and pitched it outside the camp, at a good distance ¹⁹⁰  from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. Anyone ¹⁹¹  seeking ¹⁹²  the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp.

33:8 And when Moses went out ¹⁹³  to the tent, all the people would get up ¹⁹⁴  and stand at the entrance to their tents ¹⁹⁵  and watch ¹⁹⁶  Moses until he entered the tent. ¹⁹⁷  33:9 And ¹⁹⁸  whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord ¹⁹⁹  would speak with Moses. ²⁰⁰  33:10 When all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people, each one at the entrance of his own tent, would rise and worship. ²⁰¹  33:11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, ²⁰²  the way a person speaks ²⁰³  to a friend. Then Moses ²⁰⁴  would return to the camp, but his servant, Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent. ²⁰⁵ 

33:12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have been saying to me, ‘Bring this people up,’ ²⁰⁶  but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. But you said, ‘I know you by name, ²⁰⁷  and also you have found favor in my sight.’ 33:13 Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me ²⁰⁸  your way, that I may know you, ²⁰⁹  that I may continue to find ²¹⁰  favor in your sight. And see ²¹¹  that this nation is your people.”

33:14 And the Lord ²¹²  said, “My presence ²¹³  will go with you, ²¹⁴  and I will give you rest.” ²¹⁵ 

33:15 And Moses ²¹⁶  said to him, “If your presence does not go ²¹⁷  with us, ²¹⁸  do not take us up from here. ²¹⁹  33:16 For how will it be known then that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not by your going with us, so that we will be distinguished, I and your people, from all the people who are on the face of the earth?” ²²⁰ 

33:17 The Lord said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you have requested, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know ²²¹  you by name.”

33:18 And Moses ²²²  said, “Show me your glory.” ²²³ 

33:19 And the Lord ²²⁴  said, “I will make all my goodness ²²⁵  pass before your face, and I will proclaim the Lord by name ²²⁶  before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.” ²²⁷  33:20 But he added, “You cannot see my face, for no one can ²²⁸  see me and live.” ²²⁹  33:21 The Lord said, “Here ²³⁰  is a place by me; you will station yourself ²³¹  on a rock. 33:22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and will cover ²³²  you with my hand ²³³  while I pass by. ²³⁴  33:23 Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back, ²³⁵  but my face must not be seen.” ²³⁶ 

The New Tablets of the Covenant

34:1 ²³⁷ The Lord said to Moses, “Cut out ²³⁸  two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write ²³⁹  on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you smashed. 34:2 Be prepared ²⁴⁰  in the morning, and go up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and station yourself ²⁴¹  for me there on the top of the mountain. 34:3 No one is to come up with you; do not let anyone be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks or the herds may graze in front of that mountain.” 34:4 So Moses ²⁴²  cut out two tablets of stone like the first; ²⁴³  early in the morning he went up ²⁴⁴  to Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded him, and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone.

34:5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Lord by name. ²⁴⁵  34:6 The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: ²⁴⁶  “The Lord, the Lord, ²⁴⁷  the compassionate and gracious ²⁴⁸  God, slow to anger, ²⁴⁹  and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, ²⁵⁰  34:7 keeping loyal love for thousands, ²⁵¹  forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression ²⁵²  of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”

34:8 Moses quickly bowed ²⁵³  to the ground and worshiped 34:9 and said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord ²⁵⁴  go among us, for we ²⁵⁵  are a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

34:10 He said, “See, I am going to make ²⁵⁶  a covenant before all your people. I will do wonders such as have not been done ²⁵⁷  in all the earth, nor in any nation. All the people among whom you live will see the work of the Lord, for it is a fearful thing that I am doing with you. ²⁵⁸ 

34:11 “Obey ²⁵⁹  what I am commanding you this day. I am going to drive out ²⁶⁰  before you the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 34:12 Be careful not to make ²⁶¹  a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it become a snare ²⁶²  among you. 34:13 Rather you must destroy their altars, smash their images, and cut down their Asherah poles. ²⁶³  34:14 For you must not worship ²⁶⁴  any other god, ²⁶⁵  for the Lord, whose name ²⁶⁶  is Jealous, is a jealous God. 34:15 Be careful ²⁶⁷  not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when ²⁶⁸  they prostitute themselves ²⁶⁹  to their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone invites you, ²⁷⁰  you will eat from his sacrifice; 34:16 and you then take ²⁷¹  his daughters for your sons, and when his daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will make your sons prostitute themselves to their gods as well. 34:17 You must not make yourselves molten gods.

34:18 “You must keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days ²⁷²  you must eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you; do this ²⁷³  at the appointed time of the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out of Egypt.

34:19 “Every firstborn of the womb ²⁷⁴  belongs to me, even every firstborn ²⁷⁵  of your cattle that is a male, ²⁷⁶  whether ox or sheep. 34:20 Now the firstling ²⁷⁷  of a donkey you may redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then break its neck. ²⁷⁸  You must redeem all the firstborn of your sons.

“No one will appear before me empty-handed. ²⁷⁹ 

34:21 “On six days ²⁸⁰  you may labor, but on the seventh day you must rest; ²⁸¹  even at the time of plowing and of harvest ²⁸²  you are to rest. ²⁸³ 

34:22 “You must observe ²⁸⁴  the Feast of Weeks – the firstfruits of the harvest of wheat – and the Feast of Ingathering at the end ²⁸⁵  of the year. 34:23 At three times ²⁸⁶  in the year all your men ²⁸⁷  must appear before the Lord God, ²⁸⁸  the God of Israel. 34:24 For I will drive out ²⁸⁹  the nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one will covet ²⁹⁰  your land when you go up ²⁹¹  to appear before the Lord your God three times ²⁹²  in the year.

34:25 “You must not offer the blood of my sacrifice with yeast; the sacrifice from the feast of Passover must not remain until the following morning. ²⁹³ 

34:26 “The first of the firstfruits of your soil you must bring to the house of the Lord your God.

You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” ²⁹⁴ 

34:27 The Lord said to Moses, “Write down ²⁹⁵  these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 34:28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; ²⁹⁶  he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. ²⁹⁷ 

The Radiant Face of Moses

34:29 ²⁹⁸ Now when Moses came down ²⁹⁹  from Mount Sinai with ³⁰⁰  the two tablets of the testimony in his hand ³⁰¹  – when he came down ³⁰²  from the mountain, Moses ³⁰³  did not know that the skin of his face shone ³⁰⁴  while he talked with him. 34:30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone; ³⁰⁵  and they were afraid to approach him. 34:31 But Moses called to them, so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and Moses spoke to them. 34:32 After this all the Israelites approached, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. 34:33 When Moses finished ³⁰⁶  speaking ³⁰⁷  with them, he would ³⁰⁸  put a veil on his face. 34:34 But when Moses went in ³⁰⁹  before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he came out. ³¹⁰  Then he would come out and tell the Israelites what he had been commanded. ³¹¹  34:35 When the Israelites would see ³¹²  the face of Moses, that ³¹³  the skin of Moses’ face shone, Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with the Lord. ³¹⁴ 

Sabbath Regulations

35:1 Moses assembled the whole community of the Israelites and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. ³¹⁵  35:2 In six days ³¹⁶  work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a holy day ³¹⁷  for you, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord. ³¹⁸  Anyone who does work on it will be put to death. 35:3 You must not kindle a fire ³¹⁹  in any of your homes ³²⁰  on the Sabbath day.” ³²¹ 

Willing Workers

35:4 ³²² Moses spoke to the whole community of the Israelites, “This is the word that the Lord has commanded: 35:5 ‘Take ³²³  an offering for the Lord. Let everyone who has a willing heart ³²⁴  bring ³²⁵  an offering to the Lord: ³²⁶  gold, silver, bronze, 35:6 blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, fine linen, goat’s hair, 35:7 ram skins dyed red, fine leather, ³²⁷  acacia wood, 35:8 olive oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 35:9 onyx stones, and other gems ³²⁸  for mounting ³²⁹  on the ephod and the breastpiece. 35:10 Every skilled person ³³⁰  among you is to come and make all that the Lord has commanded: 35:11 the tabernacle with ³³¹  its tent, its covering, its clasps, its frames, its crossbars, its posts, and its bases; 35:12 the ark, with its poles, the atonement lid, and the special curtain that conceals it; 35:13 the table with its poles and all its vessels, and the Bread of the Presence; 35:14 the lampstand for ³³²  the light and its accessories, its lamps, and oil for the light; 35:15 and the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense; the hanging for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle; 35:16 the altar for the burnt offering with its bronze grating that is on it, its poles, and all its utensils; the large basin and its pedestal; 35:17 the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and its bases, and the curtain for the gateway to the courtyard; 35:18 tent pegs for the tabernacle and tent pegs for the courtyard and their ropes; 35:19 the woven garments for serving in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to minister as priests.”

35:20 So the whole community of the Israelites went out from the presence of Moses. 35:21 Everyone ³³³  whose heart stirred him to action ³³⁴  and everyone whose spirit was willing ³³⁵  came and brought the offering for the Lord for the work of the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. ³³⁶  35:22 They came, men and women alike, ³³⁷  all who had willing hearts. They brought brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments, all kinds of gold jewelry, ³³⁸  and everyone came who waved ³³⁹  a wave offering of gold to the Lord.

35:23 Everyone who had ³⁴⁰  blue, purple, or ³⁴¹  scarlet yarn, fine linen, goats’ hair, ram skins dyed red, or fine leather ³⁴²  brought them. ³⁴³  35:24 Everyone making an offering of silver or bronze brought it as ³⁴⁴  an offering to the Lord, and everyone who had acacia wood ³⁴⁵  for any work of the service brought it. ³⁴⁶  35:25 Every woman who was skilled ³⁴⁷  spun with her hands and brought what she had spun, blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen, 35:26 and all the women whose heart stirred them to action and who were skilled ³⁴⁸  spun goats’ hair.

35:27 The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted ³⁴⁹  for the ephod and the breastpiece, 35:28 and spices and olive oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense.

35:29 The Israelites brought a freewill offering to the Lord, every man and woman whose heart was willing to bring materials for all the work that the Lord through ³⁵⁰  Moses had commanded them ³⁵¹  to do.

Exodus 37:1-24

The Making of the Ark

37:1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was three feet nine inches, its width two feet three inches, and its height two feet three inches. 37:2 He overlaid it with pure gold, inside and out, and he made a surrounding border ³⁵²  of gold for it. 37:3 He cast four gold rings for it that he put ³⁵³  on its four feet, with ³⁵⁴  two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. 37:4 He made poles of acacia wood, overlaid them with gold, 37:5 and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark.

37:6 He made ³⁵⁵  an atonement lid of pure gold; its length was three feet nine inches, and its width was two feet three inches. 37:7 He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid, 37:8 one cherub on one end ³⁵⁶  and one cherub on the other end. ³⁵⁷  He made the cherubim from the atonement lid on its two ends. 37:9 The cherubim were spreading their wings ³⁵⁸  upward, overshadowing the atonement lid with their wings. The cherubim ³⁵⁹  faced each other, ³⁶⁰  looking toward the atonement lid. ³⁶¹ 

The Making of the Table

37:10 He made the table of acacia wood; its length was three feet, its width one foot six inches, and its height two feet three inches. 37:11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and he made a surrounding border of gold for it. 37:12 He made a surrounding frame for it about three inches wide, and he made a surrounding border of gold for its frame. 37:13 He cast four gold rings for it and attached the rings at the four corners where its four legs were. 37:14 The rings were close to the frame to provide places for the poles to carry the table. 37:15 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 37:16 He made the vessels which were on the table out of pure gold, its ³⁶²  plates, its ladles, its pitchers, and its bowls, to be used in pouring out offerings.

The Making of the Lampstand

37:17 He made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered metal; its base and its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its blossoms were from the same piece. ³⁶³  37:18 Six branches were extending from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it. 37:19 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the first branch, and three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the next ³⁶⁴  branch, and the same ³⁶⁵  for the six branches that were extending from the lampstand. 37:20 On the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms, 37:21 with a bud under the first two branches from it, and a bud under the next two branches from it, and a bud under the third two branches from it; according to the six branches that extended from it. ³⁶⁶  37:22 Their buds and their branches were of one piece; ³⁶⁷  all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 37:23 He made its seven lamps, its trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. 37:24 He made the lampstand ³⁶⁸  and all its accessories with seventy-five pounds of pure gold.

Exodus 39:33-42

39:33 They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings, clasps, frames, bars, posts, and bases; 39:34 and the coverings of ram skins dyed red, the covering of fine leather, ³⁶⁹  and the protecting ³⁷⁰  curtain; 39:35 the ark of the testimony and its poles, and the atonement lid; 39:36 the table, all its utensils, and the Bread of the Presence; 39:37 the pure ³⁷¹  lampstand, its lamps, with the lamps set in order, and all its accessories, and oil for the light; 39:38 and the gold altar, and the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense; and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; 39:39 the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils; the large basin with its pedestal; 39:40 the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and its bases, and the curtain for the gateway of the courtyard, its ropes and its tent pegs, and all the furnishings ³⁷²  for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 39:41 the woven garments for serving ³⁷³  in the sanctuary, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to minister as priests.

39:42 The Israelites did all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

Exodus 40:2-16

40:2 “On the first day of the first month you are to set up ³⁷⁴  the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. 40:3 You are to place the ark of the testimony in it and shield the ark with the special curtain. 40:4 You are to bring in the table and set out the things that belong on it; ³⁷⁵  then you are to bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 40:5 You are to put ³⁷⁶  the gold altar for incense in front of the ark of the testimony and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 40:6 You are to put the altar for the burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. 40:7 You are to put the large basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. ³⁷⁷  40:8 You are to set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the gate of the courtyard. 40:9 And take ³⁷⁸  the anointing oil, and anoint ³⁷⁹  the tabernacle and all that is in it, and sanctify ³⁸⁰  it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 40:10 Then you are to anoint the altar for the burnt offering with ³⁸¹  all its utensils; you are to sanctify the altar, and it will be the most holy altar. 40:11 You must also anoint the large basin and its pedestal, and you are to sanctify it. ³⁸² 

40:12 “You are to bring ³⁸³  Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 40:13 Then you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments and anoint him and sanctify him so that he may minister as my priest. 40:14 You are to bring ³⁸⁴  his sons and clothe them with tunics 40:15 and anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may minister as my priests; their anointing will make them a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.” 40:16 This is what Moses did, according to all the Lord had commanded him – so he did.

Exodus 40:30

40:30 Then he put the large basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it ³⁸⁵  for washing.

[4:4]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text simply has “the holy of holies,” or “the holy of the holy things” (קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים, qodesh haqqodashim). The context indicates that this refers to all the sacred furnishings.

[4:5]  ² tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive construct in an adverbial clause of time; literally it says “in the journeying of the camp.” The genitive in such constructions is usually the subject. Here the implication is that people would be preparing to transport the camp and its equipment.

[4:6]  ³ tn The exact meaning of the Hebrew word here is difficult to determine. The term תַּחַשׁ (takhash) has been translated “badgers’ [skins]” by KJV. ASV has “sealskin” while RSV uses “goatskin”; NEB and NASB have “porpoise skin,” and NIV has “hides of sea cows.” This is close to “porpoise,” and seems influenced by the Arabic. The evidence is not strong for any of these meanings, and some of the suggestions would be problematic. It is possible the word is simply used for “fine leather,” based on the Egyptian ths. This has been followed by NRSV (“fine leather”) and NLT (“fine goatskin leather”) along with the present translation. See further HALOT 1720-21 s.v. תַּחַשׁ.

[4:7]  ⁴ sn The Hebrew actually has the “table of faces,” and this has been traditionally rendered “table of shewbread.”

[4:7]  ⁵ tn The Greek has “violet” instead of blue. This is also the case in vv. 8, 10, and 14.

[4:10]  ⁶ tn The “pole” or “bar” (מוֹט, mot) is of a different style than the poles used for transporting the ark. It seems to be a flexible bar carried by two men with the implements being transported tied to the bar. The NEB suggests the items were put in a bag and slung over the bar, but there is no indication of the manner.

[4:13]  ⁷ tc The Greek text has “and he must place the cover upon the altar” instead of “and they must take away the ashes from the altar.” The verb is the Piel form; its nuance seems to be privative, i.e., stating that the object is deprived of the material – the ashes are removed. This is the main altar in the courtyard.

[4:14]  ⁸ tc For this passage the Greek and Smr have a substantial addition concerning the purple cloth for the laver and its base, and a further covering of skin (see D. W. Gooding, “On the Use of the LXX for Dating Midrashic Elements in the Targums,” JTS 25 [1974]: 1-11).

[4:15]  ⁹ tn The verb form is the Piel perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive; it continues the future sequence, but in this verse forms a subordinate clause to the parallel sequential verb to follow.

[4:15]  ¹⁰ tn The Piel infinitive construct with the preposition serves as the direct object of the preceding verbal form, answering the question of what it was that they finished.

[4:15]  ¹¹ tn Heb “after this.”

[4:15]  ¹² tn The form is the Qal infinitive construct from נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to lift, carry”); here it indicates the purpose clause after the verb “come.”

[4:15]  ¹³ tn The imperfect tense may be given the nuance of negated instruction (“they are not to”) or negated obligation (“they must not”).

[4:15]  ¹⁴ tn Here the article expresses the generic idea of any holy thing (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §92).

[4:15]  ¹⁵ tn The verb is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, following the imperfect tense warning against touching the holy thing. The form shows the consequence of touching the holy thing, and so could be translated “or they will die” or “lest they die.” The first is stronger.

[4:15]  ¹⁶ tn The word מַשָּׂא (massa’) is normally rendered “burden,” especially in prophetic literature. It indicates the load that one must carry, whether an oracle, or here the physical responsibility.

[4:16]  ¹⁷ tn This is supplied to the line to clarify “appointed.”

[4:16]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and.”

[4:16]  ¹⁹ sn One would assume that he would prepare and wrap these items, but that the Kohathites would carry them to the next place.

[25:10]  ²⁰ sn This section begins with the ark, the most sacred and important object of Israel’s worship. Verses 10-15 provide the instructions for it, v. 16 has the placement of the Law in it, vv. 17-21 cover the mercy lid, and v. 22 the meeting above it. The point of this item in the tabernacle is to underscore the focus: the covenant people must always have God’s holy standard before them as they draw near to worship. A study of this would focus on God’s nature (he is a God of order, precision, and perfection), on the usefulness of this item for worship, and on the typology intended.

[25:10]  ²¹ tn The word “ark” has long been used by English translations to render אָרוֹן (’aron), the word used for the wooden “box,” or “chest,” made by Noah in which to escape the flood and by the Israelites to furnish the tabernacle.

[25:10]  ²² tn The size is two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. The size in feet and inches is estimated on the assumption that the cubit is 18 inches (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 267).

[25:11]  ²³ tn The verbs throughout here are perfect tenses with the vav (ו) consecutives. They are equal to the imperfect tense of instruction and/or injunction.

[25:11]  ²⁴ tn Here the verb is an imperfect tense; for the perfect sequence to work the verb would have to be at the front of the clause.

[25:11]  ²⁵ tn The word זֵר (zer) is used only in Exodus and seems to describe something on the order of a crown molding, an ornamental border running at the top of the chest on all four sides. There is no indication of its appearance or function.

[25:16]  ²⁶ sn The “testimony” is the Decalogue (Exod 24:12; 31:18; Deut 4:13; 9:9; 1 Kgs 8:9); the word identifies it as the witness or affirmation of God’s commandments belonging to his covenant with Israel. It expressed God’s will and man’s duty. In other cultures important documents were put at the feet of the gods in the temples.

[25:17]  ²⁷ tn The noun is כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporet), translated “atonement lid” or “atonement plate.” The traditional translation “mercy-seat” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) came from Tyndale in 1530 and was also used by Luther in 1523. The noun is formed from the word “to make atonement.” The item that the Israelites should make would be more than just a lid for the ark. It would be the place where atonement was signified. The translation of “covering” is probably incorrect, for it derives from a rare use of the verb, if the same verb at all (the evidence shows “cover” is from another root with the same letters as this). The value of this place was that Yahweh sat enthroned above it, and so the ark essentially was the “footstool.” Blood was applied to the lid of the box, for that was the place of atonement (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 269-270).

[25:17]  ²⁸ tn After verbs of making or producing, the accusative (like “gold” here) may be used to express the material from which something is made (see GKC 371 §117.hh).

[25:18]  ²⁹ tn The evidence suggests that the cherubim were composite angelic creatures that always indicated the nearness of God. So here images of them were to be crafted and put on each end of the ark of the covenant to signify that they were there. Ezekiel 1 describes four cherubim as each having human faces, four wings, and parts of different animals for their bodies. Traditions of them appear in the other cultures as well. They serve to guard the holy places and to bear the throne of God. Here they were to be beaten out as part of the lid.

[25:19]  ³⁰ tn The text now shifts to use an imperative with the vav (ו) conjunction.

[25:19]  ³¹ tn The use of זֶה (zeh) repeated here expresses the reciprocal ideas of “the one” and “the other” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 26, §132).

[25:19]  ³² sn The angels were to form one piece with the lid and not be separated. This could be translated “of one piece with” the lid, but it is likely the angels were simply fastened to it permanently.

[25:20]  ³³ tn The verb means “overshadowing, screening” in the sense of guarding (see 1 Kgs 8:7; 1 Chr 28:18; see also the account in Gen 3:24). The cherubim then signify two things here: by their outstretched wings they form the throne of God who sits above the ark (with the Law under his feet), and by their overshadowing and guarding they signify this as the place of atonement where people must find propitiation to commune with God. Until then they are barred from his presence. See U. Cassuto, Exodus, 330-35.

[25:20]  ³⁴ tn Heb “their faces a man to his brother.”

[25:20]  ³⁵ tn Heb “the faces of the cherubim will be” (“the cherubim” was moved to the preceding clause for smoother English).

[25:22]  ³⁶ sn Here then is the main point of the ark of the covenant, and the main point of all worship – meeting with God through atonement. The text makes it clear that here God would meet with Moses (“you” is singular) and then he would speak to the people – he is the mediator of the covenant. S. R. Driver (Exodus, 272) makes the point that the verb here is not the word that means “to meet by chance” (as in Exod 3:18), but “to meet” by appointment for a purpose (וְנוֹעַדְתִּי, vÿno’adti). The parallel in the NT is Jesus Christ and his work. The theology is that the Law condemns people as guilty of sin, but the sacrifice of Christ makes atonement. So he is the “place of propitiation (Rom 3:25) who gains communion with the Father for sinners. A major point that could be made from this section is this: At the center of worship must be the atoning work of Christ – a perpetual reminder of God’s righteous standard (the testimony in the ark) and God’s gracious provision (the atonement lid).

[25:22]  ³⁷ tn The verb is placed here in the text: “and I will speak”; it has been moved in this translation to be closer to the direct object clause.

[25:23]  ³⁸ sn The Table of the Bread of the Presence (Tyndale’s translation, “Shewbread,” was used in KJV and influenced ASV, NAB) was to be a standing acknowledgment that Yahweh was the giver of daily bread. It was called the “presence-bread” because it was set out in his presence. The theology of this is that God provides, and the practice of this is that the people must provide for constant thanks. So if the ark speaks of communion through atonement, the table speaks of dedicatory gratitude.

[25:24]  ³⁹ tn “Gold” is an adverbial accusative of material.

[25:25]  ⁴⁰ sn There is some debate as to the meaning of מִסְגֶּרֶת (misgeret). This does not seem to be a natural part of the table and its legs. The drawing on the Arch of Titus shows two cross-stays in the space between the legs, about halfway up. It might have been nearer the top, but the drawing of the table of presence-bread from the arch shows it half-way up. This frame was then decorated with the molding as well.

[25:26]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “give.”

[25:26]  ⁴² tn Heb “which [are] to four of its feet.”

[25:27]  ⁴³ tn Heb “houses”; NAB, NASB “holders.”

[25:28]  ⁴⁴ tn The verb is a Niphal perfect with vav consecutive, showing here the intended result: “so that [the table] might be lifted up [by them].” The noun “the table” is introduced by what looks like the sign of the accusative, but here it serves to introduce or emphasize the nominative (see GKC 365 §117.i).

[25:29]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “a deep gold dish.” The four nouns in this list are items associated with the table and its use.

[25:29]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “cups” (NAB, TEV).

[25:29]  ⁴⁷ tn The expression “for pouring out offerings” represents Hebrew אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ בָּהֵן (’asher yussakh bahen). This literally says, “which it may be poured out with them,” or “with which [libations] may be poured out.”

[25:30]  ⁴⁸ sn The name basically means that the bread is to be set out in the presence of Yahweh. The custom of presenting bread on a table as a thank offering is common in other cultures as well. The bread here would be placed on the table as a symbol of the divine provision for the twelve tribes – continually, because they were to express their thanksgiving continually. Priests could eat the bread after certain times. Fresh bread would be put there regularly.

[25:31]  ⁴⁹ sn Clearly the point here is to provide light in the tent for access to God. He provided for his worshipers a light for the way to God, but he also wanted them to provide oil for the lamp to ensure that the light would not go out. Verses 31-36 describe the piece. It was essentially one central shaft, with three branches on either side turned out and upward. The stem and the branches were ornamented every so often with gold that was formed into the shape of the calyx and corolla of the almond flower. On top of the central shaft and the six branches were the lamps.

[25:31]  ⁵⁰ tn The word is מְנֹרָה (mÿnorah) – here in construct to a following genitive of material. The main piece was one lampstand, but there were seven lamps on the shaft and its branches. See E. Goodenough, “The Menorah among the Jews of the Roman World,” HUCA 23 (1950/51): 449-92.

[25:31]  ⁵¹ sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 342-44) says that the description “the cups, knobs and flowers” is explained in vv. 32-36 as three decorations in the form of a cup, shaped like an almond blossom, to be made on one branch. Every cup will have two parts, (a) a knob, that is, the receptacle at the base of the blossom, and (b) a flower, which is called the corolla, so that each lamp rests on top of a flower.

[25:31]  ⁵² tn Heb “will be from/of it”; the referent (“the same piece” of wrought metal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:32]  ⁵³ tn Heb “from the sides of it.”

[25:32]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “from the second side.”

[25:33]  ⁵⁵ tn The text uses “one” again; “the one…the one” means “the one…and the next” in the distributive sense.

[25:33]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “thus.”

[25:35]  ⁵⁷ tn For clarity the phrase “the first” has been supplied.

[25:35]  ⁵⁸ tn For clarity the phrase “the next” has been supplied.

[25:35]  ⁵⁹ tn For clarity the phrase “the third” has been supplied.

[25:36]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “will be from it.”

[25:37]  ⁶¹ tn The word for “lamps” is from the same root as the lampstand, of course. The word is נֵרוֹת (nerot). This probably refers to the small saucer-like pottery lamps that are made very simply with the rim pinched over to form a place to lay the wick. The bowl is then filled with olive oil as fuel.

[25:37]  ⁶² tn The translation “set up on” is from the Hebrew verb “bring up.” The construction is impersonal, “and he will bring up,” meaning “one will bring up.” It may mean that people were to fix the lamps on to the shaft and the branches, rather than cause the light to go up (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 277).

[25:37]  ⁶³ tn This is a Hiphil perfect with vav consecutive, from אוֹר (’or, “light”), and in the causative, “to light, give light.”

[25:38]  ⁶⁴ sn The first word refers to something like small tongs or tweezers used to pull up and trim the wicks; the second word refers to fire-pans or censers.

[25:38]  ⁶⁵ tn “are to be” has been supplied.

[25:39]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “a talent.”

[25:39]  ⁶⁷ tn The text has “he will make it” or “one will make it.” With no expressed subject it is given a passive translation.

[25:40]  ⁶⁸ tn The text uses two imperatives: “see and make.” This can be interpreted as a verbal hendiadys, calling for Moses and Israel to see to it that they make these things correctly.

[25:40]  ⁶⁹ tn The participle is passive, “caused to see,” or, “shown.”

[25:40]  ⁷⁰ sn The message of this section surely concerns access to God. To expound this correctly, though, since it is an instruction section for building the lampstand, the message would be: God requires that his people ensure that light will guide the way of access to God. The breakdown for exposition could be the instructions for preparation for light (one lamp, several branches), then instructions for the purpose and maintenance of the lamps, and then the last verse telling the divine source for the instructions. Naturally, the metaphorical value of light will come up in the study, especially from the NT. So in the NT there is the warning that if churches are unfaithful God will remove their lampstand, their ministry (Rev 2-3).

[31:1]  ⁷¹ sn The next unit describes the preparation of skilled workers to build all that has been listed now for several chapters. This chapter would have been the bridge to the building of the sanctuary (35-39) if it were not for the idolatrous interlude. God called individuals and prepared them by his Spirit to be skilled to do the work for the tabernacle. If this were the substance of an exposition, it would clearly be a message on gifted people doing the work – close to the spiritual lesson of Ephesians 4. There would be two levels of meaning: the physical, which looks at the skilled artisans providing for a place to worship Yahweh, and the spiritual, which would bring in the Spirit-filled servants of God participating in building up his kingdom.

[31:1]  ⁷² tn Heb “and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying.”

[31:2]  ⁷³ tn Heb “called by name.” This expression means that the person was specifically chosen for some important task (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 342). See the expression with Cyrus in Isa 45:3-4.

[31:3]  ⁷⁴ sn The expression in the Bible means that the individual was given special, supernatural enablement to do what God wanted done. It usually is said of someone with exceptional power or ability. The image of “filling” usually means under the control of the Spirit, so that the Spirit is the dominant force in the life.

[31:3]  ⁷⁵ sn The following qualities are the ways in which the Spirit’s enablement will be displayed. “Skill” is the ability to produce something valuable to God and the community, “understanding” is the ability to distinguish between things, to perceive the best way to follow, and “knowledge” is the experiential awareness of how things are done.

[31:3]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “and in all work”; “all” means “all kinds of” here.

[31:4]  ⁷⁷ tn The expression is לַחְשֹׁב מַחֲשָׁבֹת (lakhshov makhashavot, “to devise devices”). The infinitive emphasizes that Bezalel will be able to design or plan works that are artistic or skillful. He will think thoughts or devise the plans, and then he will execute them in silver or stone or whatever other material he uses.

[31:6]  ⁷⁸ tn The expression uses the independent personal pronoun (“and I”) with the deictic particle (“behold”) to enforce the subject of the verb – “and I, indeed I have given.”

[31:6]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “and in the heart of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom.”

[31:6]  ⁸⁰ tn The form is a perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. The form at this place shows the purpose or the result of what has gone before, and so it is rendered “that they may make.”

[31:7]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “all the vessels of the tent.”

[31:12]  ⁸² sn There are some questions about the arrangement of the book. The placement of this section here, however, should come as no surprise. After the instructions and preparation for work, a Sabbath day when work could not be done had to be legislated. In all that they were going to do, they must not violate the Sabbath,

[31:12]  ⁸³ tn Heb “and Yahweh said (אָמַר, ’amar) to Moses, saying.”

[31:13]  ⁸⁴ sn The instruction for the Sabbath at this point seems rather abrupt, but it follows logically the extended plans of building the sanctuary. B. Jacob, following some of the earlier treatments, suggests that these are specific rules given for the duration of the building of the sanctuary (Exodus, 844). The Sabbath day is a day of complete cessation; no labor or work could be done. The point here is that God’s covenant people must faithfully keep the sign of the covenant as a living commemoration of the finished work of Yahweh, and as an active part in their sanctification. See also H. Routtenberg, “The Laws of Sabbath: Biblical Sources,” Dor le Dor 6 (1977): 41-43, 99-101, 153-55, 204-6; G. Robinson, “The Idea of Rest in the OT and the Search for the Basic Character of Sabbath,” ZAW 92 (1980): 32-42; M. Tsevat, “The Basic Meaning of the Biblical Sabbath, ZAW 84 (1972): 447-59; M. T. Willshaw, “A Joyous Sign,” ExpTim 89 (1978): 179-80.

[31:13]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “your sanctifier.”

[31:14]  ⁸⁶ tn This clause is all from one word, a Piel plural participle with a third, feminine suffix: מְחַלְלֶיהָ (mÿkhalleha, “defilers of it”). This form serves as the subject of the sentence. The word חָלַל (khalal) is the antonym of קָדַשׁ (qadash, “to be holy”). It means “common, profane,” and in the Piel stem “make common, profane” or “defile.” Treating the Sabbath like an ordinary day would profane it, make it common.

[31:14]  ⁸⁷ tn This is the asseverative use of כִּי (ki) meaning “surely, indeed,” for it restates the point just made (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §449).

[31:14]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “the one who does.”

[31:14]  ⁸⁹ tn “any” has been supplied.

[31:14]  ⁹⁰ tn Literally “her” (a feminine pronoun agreeing with “soul/life,” which is grammatically feminine).

[31:15]  ⁹¹ tn This is an adverbial accusative of time, indicating that work may be done for six days out of the week.

[31:15]  ⁹² tn The form is a Niphal imperfect; it has the nuance of permission in this sentence, for the sentence is simply saying that the six days are work days – that is when work may be done.

[31:15]  ⁹³ tn The expression is שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן (shabbat shabbaton), “a Sabbath of entire rest,” or better, “a sabbath of complete desisting” (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 404). The second noun, the modifying genitive, is an abstract noun. The repetition provides the superlative idea that complete rest is the order of the day.

[31:17]  ⁹⁴ tn The expression again forms an adverbial accusative of time.

[31:17]  ⁹⁵ sn The word “rest” essentially means “to cease, stop.” So describing God as “resting” on the seventh day does not indicate that he was tired – he simply finished creation and then ceased or stopped. But in this verse is a very bold anthropomorphism in the form of the verb וַיִּנָּפַשׁ (vayyinnafash), a Niphal preterite from the root נָפַשׁ (nafash), the word that is related to “life, soul” or more specifically “breath, throat.” The verb is usually translated here as “he was refreshed,” offering a very human picture. It could also be rendered “he took breath” (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 345). Elsewhere the verb is used of people and animals. The anthropomorphism is clearly intended to teach people to stop and refresh themselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally on this day of rest.

[31:18]  ⁹⁶ sn The expression “the finger of God” has come up before in the book, in the plagues (Exod 8:15) to express that it was a demonstration of the power and authority of God. So here too the commandments given to Moses on stone tablets came from God. It too is a bold anthropomorphism; to attribute such a material action to Yahweh would have been thought provoking to say the least. But by using “God” and by stating it in an obviously figurative way, balance is maintained. Since no one writes with one finger, the expression simply says that the Law came directly from God.

[32:1]  ⁹⁷ sn This narrative is an unhappy interlude in the flow of the argument of the book. After the giving of the Law and the instructions for the tabernacle, the people get into idolatry. So this section tells what the people were doing when Moses was on the mountain. Here is an instant violation of the covenant that they had just agreed to uphold. But through it all Moses shines as the great intercessor for the people. So the subject matter is the sin of idolatry, its effects and its remedy. Because of the similarities to Jeroboam’s setting up the calves in Dan and Bethel, modern critics have often said this passage was written at that time. U. Cassuto shows how the language of this chapter would not fit an Iron Age setting in Dan. Rather, he argues, this story was well enough known for Jeroboam to imitate the practice (Exodus, 407-10). This chapter can be divided into four parts for an easier exposition: idolatry (32:1-6), intercession (32:7-14), judgment (32:15-29), intercession again (32:30-33:6). Of course, these sections are far more complex than this, but this gives an overview. Four summary statements for expository points might be: I. Impatience often leads to foolish violations of the faith, II. Violations of the covenant require intercession to escape condemnation, III. Those spared of divine wrath must purge evil from their midst, and IV. Those who purge evil from their midst will find reinstatement through intercession. Several important studies are available for this. See, among others, D. R. Davis, “Rebellion, Presence, and Covenant: A Study in Exodus 32-34,” WTJ 44 (1982): 71-87; M. Greenberg, “Moses’ Intercessory Prayer,” Ecumenical Institute for Advanced Theological Studies (1978): 21-35; R. A. Hamer, “The New Covenant of Moses,” Judaism 27 (1978): 345-50; R. L. Honeycutt, Jr., “Aaron, the Priesthood, and the Golden Calf,” RevExp 74 (1977): 523-35; J. N. Oswalt, “The Golden Calves and the Egyptian Concept of Deity,” EvQ 45 (1973): 13-20.

[32:1]  ⁹⁸ tn The meaning of this verb is properly “caused shame,” meaning cause disappointment because he was not coming back (see also Judg 5:28 for the delay of Sisera’s chariots [S. R. Driver, Exodus, 349]).

[32:1]  ⁹⁹ tn The infinitive construct with the lamed (ל) preposition is used here epexegetically, explaining the delay of Moses.

[32:1]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “the people.”

[32:1]  ¹⁰¹ tn The imperative means “arise.” It could be serving here as an interjection, getting Aaron’s attention. But it might also have the force of prompting him to get busy.

[32:1]  ¹⁰² tn The plural translation is required here (although the form itself could be singular in meaning) because the verb that follows in the relative clause is a plural verb – that they go before us).

[32:1]  ¹⁰³ tn The text has “this Moses.” But this instance may find the demonstrative used in an earlier deictic sense, especially since there is no article with it.

[32:1]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The interrogative is used in an indirect question (see GKC 443-44 §137.c).

[32:2]  ¹⁰⁵ sn B. Jacob (Exodus, 937-38) argues that Aaron simply did not have the resolution that Moses did, and wanting to keep peace he gave in to the crowd. He also tries to explain that Aaron was wanting to show their folly through the deed. U. Cassuto also says that Aaron’s request for the gold was a form of procrastination, but that the people quickly did it and so he had no alternative but to go through with it (Exodus, 412). These may be right, since Aaron fully understood what was wrong with this, and what the program was all about. The text gives no strong indication to support these ideas, but there are enough hints from the way Aaron does things to warrant such a conclusion.

[32:3]  ¹⁰⁶ tn This “all” is a natural hyperbole in the narrative, for it means the large majority of the people.

[32:4]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Here “the gold” has been supplied.

[32:4]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “from their hand.”

[32:4]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The verb looks similar to יָצַר (yatsar), “to form, fashion” by a plan or a design. That is the verb used in Gen 2:7 for Yahweh God forming the man from the dust of the ground. If it is here, it is the reverse, a human – the dust of the ground – trying to form a god or gods. The active participle of this verb in Hebrew is “the potter.” A related noun is the word יֵצֶּר (yetser), “evil inclination,” the wicked designs or intent of the human heart (Gen 6:5). But see the discussion by B. S. Childs (Exodus [OTL], 555-56) on a different reading, one that links the root to a hollow verb meaning “to cast out of metal” (as in 1 Kgs 7:15).

[32:4]  ¹¹⁰ sn The word means a “young bull” and need not be translated as “calf” (although “calf” has become the traditional rendering in English). The word could describe an animal three years old. Aaron probably made an inner structure of wood and then, after melting down the gold, plated it. The verb “molten” does not need to imply that the image was solid gold; the word is used in Isa 30:22 for gold plating. So it was a young bull calf that was overlaid with gold, and the gold was fashioned with the stylus.

[32:4]  ¹¹¹ tn The word could be singular here and earlier; here it would then be “this is your god, O Israel.” However, the use of “these” indicates more than one god was meant by the image. But their statement and their statue, although they do not use the holy name, violate the first two commandments.

[32:5]  ¹¹² tn The preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive is subordinated as a temporal clause to the next preterite.

[32:5]  ¹¹³ tn The word “this” has been supplied.

[32:5]  ¹¹⁴ tn “Before it” means before the deity in the form of the calf. Aaron tried to redirect their worship to Yahweh, but the people had already broken down the barrier and were beyond control (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 413).

[32:5]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “called.”

[32:5]  ¹¹⁶ sn The word is חַג (khag), the pilgrim’s festival. This was the word used by Moses for their pilgrimage into the wilderness. Aaron seems here to be trying to do what Moses had intended they do, make a feast to Yahweh at Sinai, but his efforts will not compete with the idol. As B. Jacob says, Aaron saw all this happening and tried to rescue the true belief (Exodus, 941).

[32:6]  ¹¹⁷ tn The second infinitive is an infinitive absolute. The first is an infinitive construct with a lamed (ל) preposition, expressing the purpose of their sitting down. The infinitive absolute that follows cannot take the preposition, but with the conjunction follows the force of the form before it (see GKC 340 §113.e).

[32:6]  ¹¹⁸ tn The form is לְצַחֵק (lÿtsakheq), a Piel infinitive construct, giving the purpose of their rising up after the festal meal. On the surface it would seem that with the festival there would be singing and dancing, so that the people were celebrating even though they did not know the reason. W. C. Kaiser says the word means “drunken immoral orgies and sexual play” (“Exodus,” EBC 2:478). That is quite an assumption for this word, but is reflected in some recent English versions (e.g., NCV “got up and sinned sexually”; TEV “an orgy of drinking and sex”). The word means “to play, trifle.” It can have other meanings, depending on its contexts. It is used of Lot when he warned his sons-in-law and appeared as one who “mocked” them; it is also used of Ishmael “playing” with Isaac, which Paul interprets as mocking; it is used of Isaac “playing” with his wife in a manner that revealed to Abimelech that they were not brother and sister, and it is used by Potiphar’s wife to say that her husband brought this slave Joseph in to “mock” them. The most that can be gathered from these is that it is playful teasing, serious mocking, or playful caresses. It might fit with wild orgies, but there is no indication of that in this passage, and the word does not mean it. The fact that they were festive and playing before an idol was sufficient.

[32:7]  ¹¹⁹ tn The two imperatives could also express one idea: “get down there.” In other words, “Make haste to get down.”

[32:7]  ¹²⁰ sn By giving the people to Moses in this way, God is saying that they have no longer any right to claim him as their God, since they have shared his honor with another. This is God’s talionic response to their “These are your gods who brought you up.” The use of these pronoun changes also would form an appeal to Moses to respond, since Moses knew that God had brought them up from Egypt.

[32:8]  ¹²¹ tn The verb is a perfect tense, reflecting the present perfect nuance: “they have turned aside” and are still disobedient. But the verb is modified with the adverb “quickly” (actually a Piel infinitive absolute). It has been only a matter of weeks since they heard the voice of God prohibiting this.

[32:9]  ¹²² sn This is a bold anthropomorphism; it is as if God has now had a chance to get to know these people and has discovered how rebellious they are. The point of the figure is that there has been discernible evidence of their nature.

[32:9]  ¹²³ tn Heb “and behold” or “and look.” The expression directs attention in order to persuade the hearer.

[32:9]  ¹²⁴ sn B. Jacob says the image is that of the people walking before God, and when he called to them the directions, they would not bend their neck to listen; they were resolute in doing what they intended to do (Exodus, 943). The figure describes them as refusing to submit, but resisting in pride.

[32:10]  ¹²⁵ tn The imperative, from the word “to rest” (נוּחַ, nuakh), has the sense of “leave me alone, let me be.” It is a directive for Moses not to intercede for the people. B. S. Childs (Exodus [OTL], 567) reflects the Jewish interpretation that there is a profound paradox in God’s words. He vows the severest punishment but then suddenly conditions it on Moses’ agreement. “Let me alone that I may consume them” is the statement, but the effect is that he has left the door open for intercession. He allows himself to be persuaded – that is what a mediator is for. God could have slammed the door (as when Moses wanted to go into the promised land). Moreover, by alluding to the promise to Abraham God gave Moses the strongest reason to intercede.

[32:11]  ¹²⁶ tn S. R. Driver (Exodus, 351) draws on Arabic to show that the meaning of this verb (חָלָה, khalah) was properly “make sweet the face” or “stroke the face”; so here “to entreat, seek to conciliate.” In this prayer, Driver adds, Moses urges four motives for mercy: 1) Israel is Yahweh’s people, 2) Israel’s deliverance has demanded great power, 3) the Egyptians would mock if the people now perished, and 4) the oath God made to the fathers.

[32:12]  ¹²⁷ tn The question is rhetorical; it really forms an affirmation that is used here as a reason for the request (see GKC 474 §150.e).

[32:12]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “speak, saying.” This is redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[32:12]  ¹²⁹ tn The word “evil” means any kind of life-threatening or fatal calamity. “Evil” is that which hinders life, interrupts life, causes pain to life, or destroys it. The Egyptians would conclude that such a God would have no good intent in taking his people to the desert if now he destroyed them.

[32:12]  ¹³⁰ tn The form is a Piel infinitive construct from כָּלָה (kalah, “to complete, finish”) but in this stem, “bring to an end, destroy.” As a purpose infinitive this expresses what the Egyptians would have thought of God’s motive.

[32:12]  ¹³¹ tn The verb “repent, relent” when used of God is certainly an anthropomorphism. It expresses the deep pain that one would have over a situation. Earlier God repented that he had made humans (Gen 6:6). Here Moses is asking God to repent/relent over the judgment he was about to bring, meaning that he should be moved by such compassion that there would be no judgment like that. J. P. Hyatt observes that the Bible uses so many anthropomorphisms because the Israelites conceived of God as a dynamic and living person in a vital relationship with people, responding to their needs and attitudes and actions (Exodus [NCBC], 307). See H. V. D. Parunak, “A Semantic Survey of NHM,” Bib 56 (1975): 512-32.

[32:13]  ¹³² tn Heb “your seed.”

[32:13]  ¹³³ tn “about” has been supplied.

[32:13]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “seed.”

[32:15]  ¹³⁵ tn The disjunctive vav (ו) serves here as a circumstantial clause indicator.

[32:17]  ¹³⁶ sn See F. C. Fensham, “New Light from Ugaritica V on Ex, 32:17 (br’h),” JNSL 2 (1972): 86-7.

[32:18]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:18]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “the sound of the answering of might,” meaning it is not the sound of shouting in victory (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 418).

[32:18]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “the sound of the answering of weakness,” meaning the cry of the defeated (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 415).

[32:18]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “answering in song” (a play on the twofold meaning of the word).

[32:18]  ¹⁴¹ sn See A. Newman, “Compositional Analysis and Functional Ambiguity Equivalence: Translating Exodus 32, 17-18,” Babel 21 (1975): 29-35.

[32:19]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “and the anger of Moses burned hot.”

[32:19]  ¹⁴³ sn See N. M. Waldham, “The Breaking of the Tablets,” Judaism 27 (1978): 442-47.

[32:20]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Here “it” has been supplied.

[32:20]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Here “it” has been supplied.

[32:22]  ¹⁴⁶ sn “My lord” refers to Moses.

[32:22]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “that on evil it is.”

[32:24]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Here “it” has been supplied.

[32:24]  ¹⁴⁹ sn Aaron first tried to blame the people, and then he tried to make it sound like a miracle – was it to sound like one of the plagues where out of the furnace came life? This text does not mention it, but Deut 9:20 tells how angry God was with Aaron. Only intercession saved his life.

[32:25]  ¹⁵⁰ tn The word is difficult to interpret. There does not seem to be enough evidence to justify the KJV’s translation “naked.” It appears to mean something like “let loose” or “lack restraint” (Prov 29:18). The idea seems to be that the people had broken loose, were undisciplined, and were completely given over to their desires.

[32:25]  ¹⁵¹ tn The last two words of the verse read literally “for a whispering among those who rose up against them.” The foes would have mocked and derided them when they heard that they had abandoned the God who had led them out of Egypt (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 354).

[32:26]  ¹⁵² tn “come” is not in the text, but has been supplied.

[32:26]  ¹⁵³ tn S. R. Driver suggests that the command was tersely put: “Who is for Yahweh? To me!” (Exodus, 354).

[32:27]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “put.”

[32:27]  ¹⁵⁵ tn The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys: “pass over and return,” meaning, “go back and forth” throughout the camp.

[32:27]  ¹⁵⁶ tn The phrases have “and kill a man his brother, and a man his companion, and a man his neighbor.” The instructions were probably intended to mean that they should kill leaders they knew to be guilty because they had been seen or because they failed the water test – whoever they were.

[32:28]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “did according to the word of Moses.”

[32:28]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “fell.”

[32:29]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “Your hand was filled.” The phrase “fill your hands” is a familiar expression having to do with commissioning and devotion to a task that is earlier used in 28:41; 29:9, 29, 33, 35. This has usually been explained as a Qal imperative. S. R. Driver explains it “Fill your hand today,” meaning, take a sacrifice to God and be installed in the priesthood (Exodus, 355). But it probably is a Piel perfect, meaning “they have filled your hands today,” or, “your hand was filled today.” This was an expression meant to say that they had been faithful to God even though it turned them against family and friends – but God would give them a blessing.

[32:29]  ¹⁶⁰ tn The text simply has “and to give on you today a blessing.” Gesenius notes that the infinitive construct seems to be attached with a vav (ו; like the infinitive absolute) as the continuation of a previous finite verb. He reads the verb “fill” as an imperative: “fill your hand today…and that to bring a blessing on you, i.e., that you may be blessed” (see GKC 351 §114.p). If the preceding verb is taken as perfect tense, however, then this would also be perfect – “he has blessed you today.”

[32:30]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “and it was on the morrow and Moses said to the people.”

[32:30]  ¹⁶² tn The text uses a cognate accusative: “you have sinned a great sin.”

[32:30]  ¹⁶³ tn The form אֲכַפְּרָה (’akhappÿrah) is a Piel cohortative/imperfect. Here with only a possibility of being successful, a potential imperfect nuance works best.

[32:31]  ¹⁶⁴ tn As before, the cognate accusative is used; it would literally be “this people has sinned a great sin.”

[32:32]  ¹⁶⁵ tn The apodosis is not expressed; it would be understood as “good.” It is not stated because of the intensity of the expression (the figure is aposiopesis, a sudden silence). It is also possible to take this first clause as a desire and not a conditional clause, rendering it “Oh that you would forgive!”

[32:32]  ¹⁶⁶ tn The word “wipe” is a figure of speech indicating “remove me” (meaning he wants to die). The translation “blot” is traditional, but not very satisfactory, since it does not convey complete removal.

[32:32]  ¹⁶⁷ sn The book that is referred to here should not be interpreted as the NT “book of life” which is portrayed (figuratively) as a register of all the names of the saints who are redeemed and will inherit eternal life. Here it refers to the names of those who are living and serving in this life, whose names, it was imagined, were on the roster in the heavenly courts as belonging to the chosen. Moses would rather die than live if these people are not forgiven (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 356).

[32:34]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “behold, look.” Moses should take this fact into consideration.

[32:34]  ¹⁶⁹ sn The Law said that God would not clear the guilty. But here the punishment is postponed to some future date when he would revisit this matter. Others have taken the line to mean that whenever a reckoning was considered necessary, then this sin would be included (see B. Jacob, Exodus, 957). The repetition of the verb traditionally rendered “visit” in both clauses puts emphasis on the certainty – so “indeed.”

[32:35]  ¹⁷⁰ tn The verse is difficult because of the double reference to the making of the calf. The NJPS’s translation tries to reconcile the two by reading “for what they did with the calf that Aaron had made.” B. S. Childs (Exodus [OTL], 557) explains in some detail why this is not a good translation based on syntactical grounds; he opts for the conclusion that the last three words are a clumsy secondary addition. It seems preferable to take the view that both are true, Aaron is singled out for his obvious lead in the sin, but the people sinned by instigating the whole thing.

[32:35]  ¹⁷¹ sn Most commentators have difficulty with this verse. W. C. Kaiser says the strict chronology is not always kept, and so the plague here may very well refer to the killing of the three thousand (“Exodus,” EBC 2:481).

[33:1]  ¹⁷² tn The two imperatives underscore the immediacy of the demand: “go, go up,” meaning “get going up” or “be on your way.”

[33:1]  ¹⁷³ tn Or “the land which I swore.”

[33:1]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “seed.”

[33:2]  ¹⁷⁵ sn This seems not to be the same as the Angel of the Presence introduced before.

[33:2]  ¹⁷⁶ sn See T. Ishida, “The Structure and Historical Implications of Lists of Pre-Israelite Nations,” Bib (1979): 461-90.

[33:3]  ¹⁷⁷ tn This verse seems to be a continuation of the command to “go up” since it begins with “to a land….” The intervening clauses are therefore parenthetical or relative. But the translation is made simpler by supplying the verb.

[33:3]  ¹⁷⁸ tn This is a strong adversative here, “but.”

[33:3]  ¹⁷⁹ tn The clause is “lest I consume you.” It would go with the decision not to accompany them: “I will not go up with you…lest I consume (destroy) you in the way.” The verse is saying that because of the people’s bent to rebellion, Yahweh would not remain in their midst as he had formerly said he would do. Their lives would be at risk if he did.

[33:4]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Or “bad news” (NAB, NCV).

[33:4]  ¹⁸¹ sn The people would rather have risked divine discipline than to go without Yahweh in their midst. So they mourned, and they took off the ornaments. Such had been used in making the golden calf, and so because of their association with all of that they were to be removed as a sign of remorse.

[33:5]  ¹⁸² tn The verse simply begins “And Yahweh said.” But it is clearly meant to be explanatory for the preceding action of the people.

[33:5]  ¹⁸³ tn The construction is formed with a simple imperfect in the first half and a perfect tense with vav (ו) in the second half. Heb “[in] one moment I will go up in your midst and I will destroy you.” The verse is certainly not intended to say that God was about to destroy them. That, plus the fact that he has announced he will not go in their midst, leads most commentators to take this as a conditional clause: “If I were to do such and such, then….”

[33:5]  ¹⁸⁴ tn The Hebrew text also has “from on you.”

[33:5]  ¹⁸⁵ tn The form is the cohortative with a vav (ו) following the imperative; it therefore expresses the purpose or result: “strip off…that I may know.” The call to remove the ornaments must have been perceived as a call to show true repentance for what had happened. If they repented, then God would know how to deal with them.

[33:5]  ¹⁸⁶ tn This last clause begins with the interrogative “what,” but it is used here as an indirect interrogative. It introduces a noun clause, the object of the verb “know.”

[33:7]  ¹⁸⁷ sn This unit of the book could actually include all of chap. 33, starting with the point of the Lord’s withdrawal from the people. If that section is not part of the exposition, it would have to be explained as the background. The point is that sinfulness prevents the active presence of the Lord leading his people. But then the rest of chap. 33 forms the development. In vv. 7-11 there is the gracious provision: the Lord reveals through his faithful mediator. The Lord was leading his people, but now more remotely because of their sin. Then, in vv. 12-17 Moses intercedes for the people, and the intercession of the mediator guarantees the Lord’s presence. The point of all of this is that God wanted the people to come to know that if he was not with them they should not go. Finally, the presence of the Lord is verified to the mediator by a special revelation (18-23). The point of the whole chapter is that by his grace the Lord renews the promise of his presence by special revelation.

[33:7]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “and Moses took.”

[33:7]  ¹⁸⁹ sn A widespread contemporary view is that this section represents a source that thought the tent of meeting was already erected (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 359). But the better view is that this is a temporary tent used for meeting the Lord. U. Cassuto explains this view very well (Exodus, 429-30), namely, that because the building of the tabernacle was now in doubt if the Lord was not going to be in their midst, another plan seemed necessary. Moses took this tent, his tent, and put some distance between the camp and it. Here he would use the tent as the place to meet God, calling it by the same name since it was a surrogate tent. Thus, the entire section was a temporary means of meeting God, until the current wrath was past.

[33:7]  ¹⁹⁰ tn The infinitive absolute is used here as an adverb (see GKC 341 §113.h).

[33:7]  ¹⁹¹ tn The clause begins with “and it was,” the perfect tense with the vav conjunction. The imperfect tenses in this section are customary, describing what used to happen (others describe the verbs as frequentative). See GKC 315 §107.e.

[33:7]  ¹⁹² tn The form is the Piel participle. The seeking here would indicate seeking an oracle from Yahweh or seeking to find a resolution for some difficulty (as in 2 Sam 21:1) or even perhaps coming with a sacrifice. B. Jacob notes that the tent was even here a place of prayer, for the benefit of the people (Exodus, 961). It is not known how long this location was used.

[33:8]  ¹⁹³ tn The clause is introduced again with “and it was.” The perfect tense here with the vav (ו) is used to continue the sequence of actions that were done repeatedly in the past (see GKC 331-32 §112.e). The temporal clause is then formed with the infinitive construct of יָצָא (yatsa’), with “Moses” as the subjective genitive: “and it was according to the going out of Moses.”

[33:8]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Or “rise up.”

[33:8]  ¹⁹⁵ tn The subject of this verb is specified with the individualizing use of “man”: “and all Israel would station themselves, each person (man) at the entrance to his tent.”

[33:8]  ¹⁹⁶ tn The perfect tense with the vav (ו) continues the sequence of the customary imperfect. The people “would gaze” (after) Moses until he entered the tent.

[33:8]  ¹⁹⁷ tn This is a temporal clause using an infinitive construct with a suffixed subject.

[33:9]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “and it was when.”

[33:9]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:9]  ²⁰⁰ tn Both verbs, “stand” and “speak,” are perfect tenses with vav (ו) consecutive.

[33:10]  ²⁰¹ tn All the main verbs in this verse are perfect tenses continuing the customary sequence (see GKC 337 §112.kk). The idea is that the people would get up (rise) when the cloud was there and then worship, meaning in part bow down. When the cloud was not there, there was access to seek God.

[33:11]  ²⁰² tn “Face to face” is circumstantial to the action of the verb, explaining how they spoke (see GKC 489-90 §156.c). The point of this note of friendly relationship with Moses is that Moses was “at home” in this tent speaking with God. Moses would derive courage from this when he interceded for the people (B. Jacob, Exodus, 966).

[33:11]  ²⁰³ tn The verb in this clause is a progressive imperfect.

[33:11]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:11]  ²⁰⁵ sn Moses did not live in the tent. But Joshua remained there most of the time to guard the tent, it seems, lest any of the people approach it out of curiosity.

[33:12]  ²⁰⁶ tn The Hiphil imperative is from the same verb that has been used before for bringing the people up from Egypt and leading them to Canaan.

[33:12]  ²⁰⁷ tn That is, “chosen you.”

[33:13]  ²⁰⁸ tn The prayer uses the Hiphil imperative of the verb “to know.” “Cause me to know” is “show me, reveal to me, teach or inform me.” Moses wanted to know more of God’s dealings with people, especially after all that has happened in the preceding chapter.

[33:13]  ²⁰⁹ tn The imperfect tense of the verb “to know” with the vav follows the imperative of this root, and so this indicates the purpose clause (final imperfect): “in order that I may know you.” S. R. Driver summarizes it this way: that I may understand what your nature and character is, and shape my petitions accordingly, so that I may find grace in your sight, and my future prayers may be answered (Exodus, 361).

[33:13]  ²¹⁰ tn The purpose clause simply uses the imperfect, “that I may find.” But since he already has found favor in God’s eyes, he is clearly praying that it be so in the future as well as now.

[33:13]  ²¹¹ tn The verb “see” (an imperative) is a request for God to acknowledge Israel as his people by providing the divine leadership needed. So his main appeal will be for the people and not himself. To underscore this, he repeats “see” the way the section opened.

[33:14]  ²¹² tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:14]  ²¹³ sn Heb “my face.” This represents the presence of Yahweh going with the people (see 2 Sam 17:11 for an illustration). The “presence” probably refers to the angel of the presence or some similar manifestation of God’s leading and caring for his people.

[33:14]  ²¹⁴ tn The phrase “with you” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[33:14]  ²¹⁵ sn The expression certainly refers to the peace of mind and security of knowing that God was with them. But the expression came to mean “settle them in the land of promise” and give them rest and peace from their enemies. U. Cassuto (Exodus, 434) observes how in 32:10 God had told Moses, “Leave me alone” (“give me rest”), but now he promises to give them rest. The parallelism underscores the great transition through intercession.

[33:15]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:15]  ²¹⁷ tn The construction uses the active participle to stress the continual going of the presence: if there is not your face going.

[33:15]  ²¹⁸ tn “with us” has been supplied.

[33:15]  ²¹⁹ tn Heb “from this.”

[33:16]  ²²⁰ sn See W. Brueggemann, “The Crisis and Promise of Presence in Israel,” HBT 1 (1979): 47-86; and N. M. Waldman, “God’s Ways – A Comparative Note,” JQR 70 (1979): 67-70.

[33:17]  ²²¹ tn The verb in this place is a preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive, judging from the pointing. It then follows in sequence the verb “you have found favor,” meaning you stand in that favor, and so it means “I have known you” and still do (equal to the present perfect). The emphasis, however, is on the results of the action, and so “I know you.”

[33:18]  ²²² tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:18]  ²²³ sn Moses now wanted to see the glory of Yahweh, more than what he had already seen and experienced. He wanted to see God in all his majesty. The LXX chose to translate this without a word for “glory” or “honor”; instead they used the pronoun seautou, “yourself” – show me the real You. God tells him that he cannot see it fully, but in part. It will be enough for Moses to disclose to him the reality of the divine presence as well as God’s moral nature. It would be impossible for Moses to comprehend all of the nature of God, for there is a boundary between God and man. But God would let him see his goodness, the sum of his nature, pass by in a flash. B. Jacob (Exodus, 972) says that the glory refers to God’s majesty, might, and glory, as manifested in nature, in his providence, his laws, and his judgments. He adds that this glory should and would be made visible to man – that was its purpose in the world.

[33:19]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:19]  ²²⁵ sn The word “goodness” refers to the divine appearance in summary fashion.

[33:19]  ²²⁶ tn The expression “make proclamation in the name of Yahweh” (here a perfect tense with vav [ו] consecutive for future) means to declare, reveal, or otherwise make proclamation of who Yahweh is. The “name of Yahweh” (rendered “the name of the Lord” throughout) refers to his divine attributes revealed to his people, either in word or deed. What will be focused on first will be his grace and compassion.

[33:19]  ²²⁷ sn God declares his mercy and grace in similar terms to his earlier self-revelation (“I am that I am”): “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.” In other words, the grace and mercy of God are bound up in his own will. Obviously, in this passage the recipients of that favor are the penitent Israelites who were forgiven through Moses’ intercession. The two words are at the heart of God’s dealings with people. The first is חָנַן (khanan, “to be gracious, show favor”). It means to grant favor or grace to someone, grace meaning unmerited favor. All of God’s dealings are gracious, but especially in forgiving sins and granting salvation it is critical. Parallel to this is רָחַם (rakham), a word that means “show compassion, tender mercy.” It is a word that is related to the noun “womb,” the connection being in providing care and protection for that which is helpless and dependent – a motherly quality. In both of these constructions the verbs simply express what God will do, without explaining why. See further, J. R. Lundbom, “God’s Use of the Idem per idem to Terminate Debate,” HTR 71 (1978): 193-201; and J. Piper, “Prolegomena to Understanding Romans 9:14-15: An Interpretation of Exodus 33:19,” JETS 22 (1979): 203-16.

[33:20]  ²²⁸ tn In view of the use of the verb “can, be able to” in the first clause, this imperfect tense is given a potential nuance.

[33:20]  ²²⁹ tn Gesenius notes that sometimes a negative statement takes the place of a conditional clause; here it is equal to “if a man sees me he does not live” (GKC 498 §159.gg). The other passages that teach this are Gen 32:30; Deut 4:33, 5:24, 26; Judg 6:22, 13:22, and Isa 6:5.

[33:21]  ²³⁰ tn The deictic particle is used here simply to call attention to a place of God’s knowing and choosing.

[33:21]  ²³¹ tn Heb “and you will,” or interpretively, “where you will.”

[33:22]  ²³² sn Note the use in Exod 40:3, “and you will screen the ark with the curtain.” The glory is covered, veiled from being seen.

[33:22]  ²³³ tn The circumstantial clause is simply, “my hand [being] over you.” This protecting hand of Yahweh represents a fairly common theme in the Bible.

[33:22]  ²³⁴ tn The construction has a preposition with an infinitive construct and a suffix: “while [or until] I pass by” (Heb “in the passing by of me”).

[33:23]  ²³⁵ tn The plural “my backs” is according to Gesenius an extension plural (compare “face,” a dual in Hebrew). The word denotes a locality in general, but that is composed of numerous parts (see GKC 397 §124.b). W. C. Kaiser says that since God is a spirit, the meaning of this word could just as easily be rendered “after effects” of his presence (“Exodus,” EBC 2:484). As S. R. Driver says, though, while this may indicate just the “afterglow” that he leaves behind him, it was enough to suggest what the full brilliancy of his presence must be (Exodus, 363; see also Job 26:14).

[33:23]  ²³⁶ tn The Niphal imperfect could simply be rendered “will not be seen,” but given the emphasis of the preceding verses, it is more binding than that, and so a negated obligatory imperfect fits better: “it must not be seen.” It would also be possible to render it with a potential imperfect tense: “it cannot be seen.”

[34:1]  ²³⁷ sn The restoration of the faltering community continues in this chapter. First, Moses is instructed to make new tablets and take them to the mountain (1-4). Then, through the promised theophany God proclaims his moral character (5-8). Moses responds with the reiteration of the intercession (8), and God responds with the renewal of the covenant (10-28). To put these into expository form, as principles, the chapter would run as follows: I. God provides for spiritual renewal (1-4), II. God reminds people of his moral standard (5-9), III. God renews his covenant promises and stipulations (10-28).

[34:1]  ²³⁸ tn The imperative is followed by the preposition with a suffix expressing the ethical dative; it strengthens the instruction for Moses. Interestingly, the verb “cut out, chisel, hew,” is the same verb from which the word for a “graven image” is derived – פָּסַל (pasal).

[34:1]  ²³⁹ tn The perfect tense with vav consecutive makes the value of this verb equal to an imperfect tense, probably a simple future here.

[34:2]  ²⁴⁰ tn The form is a Niphal participle that means “be prepared, be ready.” This probably means that Moses was to do in preparation what the congregation had to do back in Exod 19:11-15.

[34:2]  ²⁴¹ sn The same word is used in Exod 33:21. It is as if Moses was to be at his post when Yahweh wanted to communicate to him.

[34:4]  ²⁴² tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified here and the name “Moses,” which occurs later in this verse, has been replaced with the pronoun (“he”), both for stylistic reasons.

[34:4]  ²⁴³ sn Deuteronomy says that Moses was also to make an ark of acacia wood before the tablets, apparently to put the tablets in until the sanctuary was built. But this ark may not have been the ark built later; or, it might be the wood box, but Bezalel still had to do all the golden work with it.

[34:4]  ²⁴⁴ tn The line reads “and Moses got up early in the morning and went up.” These verbs likely form a verbal hendiadys, the first one with its prepositional phrase serving in an adverbial sense.

[34:5]  ²⁴⁵ tn Some commentaries wish to make Moses the subject of the second and the third verbs, the first because he was told to stand there and this verb suggests he did it, and the last because it sounds like he was worshiping Yahweh (cf. NASB). But it is clear from v. 6 that Yahweh was the subject of the last clause of v. 5 – v. 6 tells how he did it. So if Yahweh is the subject of the first and last clauses of v. 5, it seems simpler that he also be the subject of the second. Moses took his stand there, but God stood by him (B. Jacob, Exodus, 981; U. Cassuto, Exodus, 439). There is no reason to make Moses the subject in any of the verbs of v. 5.

[34:6]  ²⁴⁶ tn Here is one of the clearest examples of what it means “to call on the name of the Lord,” as that clause has been translated traditionally (וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם יְהוָה, vayyiqra’ vÿshem yÿhvah). It seems more likely that it means “to make proclamation of Yahweh by name.” Yahweh came down and made a proclamation – and the next verses give the content of what he said. This cannot be prayer or praise; it is a proclamation of the nature or attributes of God (which is what his “name” means throughout the Bible). Attempts to make Moses the subject of the verb are awkward, for the verb is repeated in v. 6 with Yahweh clearly doing the proclaiming.

[34:6]  ²⁴⁷ sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 439) suggests that these two names be written as a sentence: “Yahweh, He is Yahweh.” In this manner it reflects “I am that I am.” It is impossible to define his name in any other way than to make this affirmation and then show what it means.

[34:6]  ²⁴⁸ tn See Exod 33:19.

[34:6]  ²⁴⁹ sn This is literally “long of anger.” His anger prolongs itself, allowing for people to repent before punishment is inflicted.

[34:6]  ²⁵⁰ sn These two words (“loyal love” and “truth”) are often found together, occasionally in a hendiadys construction. If that is the interpretation here, then it means “faithful covenant love.” Even if they are left separate, they are dual elements of a single quality. The first word is God’s faithful covenant love; the second word is God’s reliability and faithfulness.

[34:7]  ²⁵¹ tn That is, “for thousands of generations.”

[34:7]  ²⁵² sn As in the ten commandments (20:5-6), this expression shows that the iniquity and its punishment will continue in the family if left unchecked. This does not go on as long as the outcomes for good (thousands versus third or fourth generations), and it is limited to those who hate God.

[34:8]  ²⁵³ tn The first two verbs form a hendiadys: “he hurried…he bowed,” meaning “he quickly bowed down.”

[34:9]  ²⁵⁴ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” two times here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[34:9]  ²⁵⁵ tn Heb “it is.” Hebrew uses the third person masculine singular pronoun here in agreement with the noun “people.”

[34:10]  ²⁵⁶ tn Here again is a use of the futur instans participle; the deictic particle plus the pronoun precedes the participle, showing what is about to happen.

[34:10]  ²⁵⁷ tn The verb here is בָּרָא (bara’, “to create”). The choice of this verb is to stress that these wonders would be supernaturally performed, for the verb is used only with God as the subject.

[34:10]  ²⁵⁸ sn The idea is that God will be doing awesome things in dealing with them, i.e., to fulfill his program.

[34:11]  ²⁵⁹ tn The covenant duties begin with this command to “keep well” what is being commanded. The Hebrew expression is “keep for you”; the preposition and the suffix form the ethical dative, adding strength to the imperative.

[34:11]  ²⁶⁰ tn Again, this is the futur instans use of the participle.

[34:12]  ²⁶¹ tn The exact expression is “take heed to yourself lest you make.” It is the second use of this verb in the duties, now in the Niphal stem. To take heed to yourself means to watch yourself, be sure not to do something. Here, if they failed to do this, they would end up making entangling treaties.

[34:12]  ²⁶² sn A snare would be a trap, an allurement to ruin. See Exod 23:33.

[34:13]  ²⁶³ tn Or “images of Asherah”; ASV, NASB “their Asherim”; NCV “their Asherah idols.”

[34:14]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “bow down.”

[34:14]  ²⁶⁵ sn In Exod 20:3 it was “gods.”

[34:14]  ²⁶⁶ sn Here, too, the emphasis on God’s being a jealous God is repeated (see Exod 20:5). The use of “name” here is to stress that this is his nature, his character.

[34:15]  ²⁶⁷ tn The sentence begins simply “lest you make a covenant”; it is undoubtedly a continuation of the imperative introduced earlier, and so that is supplied here.

[34:15]  ²⁶⁸ tn The verb is a perfect with a vav consecutive. In the literal form of the sentence, this clause tells what might happen if the people made a covenant with the inhabitants of the land: “Take heed…lest you make a covenant…and then they prostitute themselves…and sacrifice…and invite…and you eat.” The sequence lays out an entire scenario.

[34:15]  ²⁶⁹ tn The verb זָנָה (zanah) means “to play the prostitute; to commit whoredom; to be a harlot” or something similar. It is used here and elsewhere in the Bible for departing from pure religion and engaging in pagan religion. The use of the word in this figurative sense is fitting, because the relationship between God and his people is pictured as a marriage, and to be unfaithful to it was a sin. This is also why God is described as a “jealous” or “impassioned” God. The figure may not be merely a metaphorical use, but perhaps a metonymy, since there actually was sexual immorality at the Canaanite altars and poles.

[34:15]  ²⁷⁰ tn There is no subject for the verb. It could be rendered “and one invites you,” or it could be made a passive.

[34:16]  ²⁷¹ tn In the construction this verb would follow as a possible outcome of the last event, and so remain in the verbal sequence. If the people participate in the festivals of the land, then they will intermarry, and that could lead to further involvement with idolatry.

[34:18]  ²⁷² tn This is an adverbial accusative of time.

[34:18]  ²⁷³ tn The words “do this” have been supplied.

[34:19]  ²⁷⁴ tn Heb “everything that opens the womb.”

[34:19]  ²⁷⁵ tn Here too: everything that “opens [the womb].”

[34:19]  ²⁷⁶ tn The verb basically means “that drops a male.” The verb is feminine, referring to the cattle.

[34:20]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “and the one that opens [the womb of] the donkey.”

[34:20]  ²⁷⁸ sn See G. Brin, “The Firstling of Unclean Animals,” JQR 68 (1971): 1-15.

[34:20]  ²⁷⁹ tn The form is the adverb “empty.”

[34:21]  ²⁸⁰ tn This is an adverbial accusative of time.

[34:21]  ²⁸¹ tn Or “cease” (i.e., from the labors).

[34:21]  ²⁸² sn See M. Dahood, “Vocative lamed in Exodus 2,4 and Merismus in 34,21,” Bib 62 (1981): 413-15.

[34:21]  ²⁸³ tn The imperfect tense expresses injunction or instruction.

[34:22]  ²⁸⁴ tn The imperfect tense means “you will do”; it is followed by the preposition with a suffix to express the ethical dative to stress the subject.

[34:22]  ²⁸⁵ tn The expression is “the turn of the year,” which is parallel to “the going out of the year,” and means the end of the agricultural season.

[34:23]  ²⁸⁶ tn “Three times” is an adverbial accusative.

[34:23]  ²⁸⁷ tn Heb “all your males.”

[34:23]  ²⁸⁸ tn Here the divine name reads in Hebrew הָאָדֹן יְהוָה (ha’adon yÿhvah), which if rendered according to the traditional scheme of “Lord” for “Yahweh” would result in “Lord Lord.” A number of English versions therefore render this phrase “Lord God,” and that convention has been followed here.

[34:24]  ²⁸⁹ tn The verb is a Hiphil imperfect of יָרַשׁ (yarash), which means “to possess.” In the causative stem it can mean “dispossess” or “drive out.”

[34:24]  ²⁹⁰ sn The verb “covet” means more than desire; it means that some action will be taken to try to acquire the land that is being coveted. It is one thing to envy someone for their land; it is another to be consumed by the desire that stops at nothing to get it (it, not something like it).

[34:24]  ²⁹¹ tn The construction uses the infinitive construct with a preposition and a suffixed subject to form the temporal clause.

[34:24]  ²⁹² tn The expression “three times” is an adverbial accusative of time.

[34:25]  ²⁹³ sn See M. Haran, “The Passover Sacrifice,” Studies in the Religion of Ancient Israel (VTSup), 86-116.

[34:26]  ²⁹⁴ sn See the note on this same command in 23:19.

[34:27]  ²⁹⁵ tn Once again the preposition with the suffix follows the imperative, adding some emphasis to the subject of the verb.

[34:28]  ²⁹⁶ tn These too are adverbial in relation to the main clause, telling how long Moses was with Yahweh on the mountain.

[34:28]  ²⁹⁷ tn Heb “the ten words,” though “commandments” is traditional.

[34:29]  ²⁹⁸ sn Now, at the culmination of the renewing of the covenant, comes the account of Moses’ shining face. It is important to read this in its context first, holding off on the connection to Paul’s discussion in 2 Corinthians. There is a delicate balance here in Exodus. On the one hand Moses’ shining face served to authenticate the message, but on the other hand Moses prevented the people from seeing more than they could handle. The subject matter in the OT, then, is how to authenticate the message. The section again can be subdivided into three points that develop the whole idea: I. The one who spends time with God reflects his glory (29-30). It will not always be as Moses; rather, the glory of the Lord is reflected differently today, but nonetheless reflected. II. The glory of Yahweh authenticates the message (31-32). III. The authentication of the message must be used cautiously with the weak and immature (33-35).

[34:29]  ²⁹⁹ tn The temporal clause is composed of the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), followed by the temporal preposition, infinitive construct, and subjective genitive (“Moses”).

[34:29]  ³⁰⁰ tn The second clause begins with “and/now”; it is a circumstantial clause explaining that the tablets were in his hand. It repeats the temporal clause at the end.

[34:29]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “in the hand of Moses.”

[34:29]  ³⁰² tn The temporal clause parallels the first temporal clause; it uses the same infinitive construct, but now with a suffix referring to Moses.

[34:29]  ³⁰³ tn Heb “and Moses.”

[34:29]  ³⁰⁴ tn The word קָרַן (qaran) is derived from the noun קֶרֶן (qeren) in the sense of a “ray of light” (see Hab 3:4). Something of the divine glory remained with Moses. The Greek translation of Aquila and the Latin Vulgate convey the idea that he had horns, the primary meaning of the word from which this word is derived. Some have tried to defend this, saying that the glory appeared like horns or that Moses covered his face with a mask adorned with horns. But in the text the subject of the verb is the skin of Moses’ face (see U. Cassuto, Exodus, 449).

[34:30]  ³⁰⁵ tn This clause is introduced by the deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh); it has the force of pointing to something surprising or sudden.

[34:33]  ³⁰⁶ tn Heb “and Moses finished”; the clause is subordinated as a temporal clause to the next clause.

[34:33]  ³⁰⁷ tn The Piel infinitive construct is the object of the preposition; the whole phrase serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”

[34:33]  ³⁰⁸ tn Throughout this section the actions of Moses and the people are frequentative. The text tells what happened regularly.

[34:34]  ³⁰⁹ tn The construction uses a infinitive construct for the temporal clause; it is prefixed with the temporal preposition: “and in the going in of Moses.”

[34:34]  ³¹⁰ tn The temporal clause begins with the temporal preposition “until,” followed by an infinitive construct with the suffixed subjective genitive.

[34:34]  ³¹¹ tn The form is the Pual imperfect, but since the context demands a past tense here, in fact a past perfect tense, this is probably an old preterite form without a vav consecutive.

[34:35]  ³¹² tn Now the perfect tense with vav consecutive is subordinated to the next clause, “Moses returned the veil….”

[34:35]  ³¹³ tn Verbs of seeing often take two accusatives. Here, the second is the noun clause explaining what it was about the face that they saw.

[34:35]  ³¹⁴ tn Heb “with him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[35:1]  ³¹⁵ tn Heb “to do them”; this is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[35:2]  ³¹⁶ tn This is an adverbial accusative of time.

[35:2]  ³¹⁷ tn The word is קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holiness”). S. R. Driver suggests that the word was transposed, and the line should read: “a sabbath of entire rest, holy to Jehovah” (Exodus, 379). But the word may simply be taken as a substitution for “holy day.”

[35:2]  ³¹⁸ sn See on this H. Routtenberg, “The Laws of the Sabbath: Biblical Sources,” Dor le Dor 6 (1977): 41-43, 99-101, 153-55, 204-6; G. Robinson, “The Idea of Rest in the Old Testament and the Search for the Basic Character of Sabbath,” ZAW 92 (1980): 32-43.

[35:3]  ³¹⁹ sn Kindling a fire receives special attention here because the people thought that kindling a fire was not work, but only a preparation for some kind of work. The Law makes sure that this too was not done. But see also G. Robinson, “The Prohibition of Strange Fire in Ancient Israel: A Look at the Case of Gathering Wood and Kindling Fire on the Sabbath,” VT 28 (1978): 301-17.

[35:3]  ³²⁰ tn Heb “dwelling places”; KJV, ASV “habitations.”

[35:3]  ³²¹ sn The presence of these three verses in this place has raised all kinds of questions. It may be that after the renewal of the covenant the people needed a reminder to obey God, and obeying the sign of the covenant was the starting point. But there is more to it than this; it is part of the narrative design of the book. It is the artistic design that puts the filling of the Spirit section (31:1-11) prior to the Sabbath laws (31:12-18) before the idolatry section, and then after the renewal there is the Sabbath reminder (35:1-3) before the filling of the Spirit material (35:4-36:7).

[35:4]  ³²² sn The book now turns to record how all the work of the sanctuary was done. This next unit picks up on the ideas in Exod 31:1-11. But it adds several features. The first part is the instruction of God for all people to give willingly (35:4-19); the next section tells how the faithful brought an offering for the service of the tabernacle (35:20-29); the next section tells how God set some apart with special gifts (35:30-35), and finally, the narrative reports how the faithful people of God enthusiastically began the work (36:1-7).

[35:5]  ³²³ tn Heb “from with you.”

[35:5]  ³²⁴ tn “Heart” is a genitive of specification, clarifying in what way they might be “willing.” The heart refers to their will, their choices.

[35:5]  ³²⁵ tn The verb has a suffix that is the direct object, but the suffixed object is qualified by the second accusative: “let him bring it, an offering.”

[35:5]  ³²⁶ tn The phrase is literally “the offering of Yahweh”; it could be a simple possessive, “Yahweh’s offering,” but a genitive that indicates the indirect object is more appropriate.

[35:7]  ³²⁷ tn See the note on this phrase in Exod 25:5.

[35:9]  ³²⁸ tn Heb “and stones.”

[35:9]  ³²⁹ tn Heb “filling.”

[35:10]  ³³⁰ tn Heb “wise of heart”; here also “heart” would be a genitive of specification, showing that there were those who could make skillful decisions.

[35:11]  ³³¹ tn In Hebrew style all these items are typically connected with a vav (ו) conjunction, but English typically uses commas except between the last two items in a series or between items in a series that are somehow related to one another. The present translation follows contemporary English style in lists such as this.

[35:14]  ³³² tn “for” has been supplied.

[35:21]  ³³³ tn Heb “man.”

[35:21]  ³³⁴ tn The verb means “lift up, bear, carry.” Here the subject is “heart” or will, and so the expression describes one moved within to act.

[35:21]  ³³⁵ tn Heb “his spirit made him willing.” The verb is used in Scripture for the freewill offering that people brought (Lev 7).

[35:21]  ³³⁶ tn Literally “the garments of holiness,” the genitive is the attributive genitive, marking out what type of garments these were.

[35:22]  ³³⁷ tn The expression in Hebrew is “men on/after the women,” meaning men with women, to ensure that it was clear that the preceding verse did not mean only men. B. Jacob takes it further, saying that the men came after the women because the latter had taken the initiative (Exodus, 1017).

[35:22]  ³³⁸ tn Heb “all gold utensils.”

[35:22]  ³³⁹ tn The verb could be translated “offered,” but it is cognate with the following noun that is the wave offering. This sentence underscores the freewill nature of the offerings people made. The word “came” is supplied from v. 21 and v. 22.

[35:23]  ³⁴⁰ tn The text uses a relative clause with a resumptive pronoun for this: “who was found with him,” meaning “with whom was found.”

[35:23]  ³⁴¹ tn The conjunction in this verse is translated “or” because the sentence does not intend to say that each person had all these things. They brought what they had.

[35:23]  ³⁴² tn See the note on this phrase in Exod 25:5.

[35:23]  ³⁴³ tn Here “them” has been supplied.

[35:24]  ³⁴⁴ tn This translation takes “offering” as an adverbial accusative explaining the form or purpose of their bringing things. It could also be rendered as the direct object, but that would seem to repeat without much difference what had just been said.

[35:24]  ³⁴⁵ sn U. Cassuto notes that the expression “with whom was found” does not rule out the idea that these folks went out and cut down acacia trees (Exodus, 458). It is unlikely that they had much wood in their tents.

[35:24]  ³⁴⁶ tn Here “it” has been supplied.

[35:25]  ³⁴⁷ tn Heb “wisdom of heart,” which means that they were skilled and could make all the right choices about the work.

[35:26]  ³⁴⁸ tn The text simply uses a prepositional phrase, “with/in wisdom.” It seems to be qualifying “the women” as the relative clause is.

[35:27]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “and stones of the filling.”

[35:29]  ³⁵⁰ tn Heb “by the hand of.”

[35:29]  ³⁵¹ tn Here “them” has been supplied.

[37:2]  ³⁵² tn Or “molding.”

[37:3]  ³⁵³ tn “that he put” has been supplied.

[37:3]  ³⁵⁴ tn This is taken as a circumstantial clause; the clause begins with the conjunction vav.

[37:6]  ³⁵⁵ tn Heb “and he made.”

[37:8]  ³⁵⁶ tn Heb “from/at [the] end, from this.”

[37:8]  ³⁵⁷ tn The repetition of the expression indicates it has the distributive sense.

[37:9]  ³⁵⁸ tn The construction is a participle in construct followed by the genitive “wings” – “spreaders of wings.”

[37:9]  ³⁵⁹ tn “The cherubim” has been placed here instead of in the second clause to produce a smoother translation.

[37:9]  ³⁶⁰ tn Heb “and their faces a man to his brother.”

[37:9]  ³⁶¹ tn Heb “to the atonement lid were the faces of the cherubim.”

[37:16]  ³⁶² tn The suffixes on these could also indicate the indirect object (see Exod 25:29).

[37:17]  ³⁶³ tn Heb “from it”; the referent (“the same piece” of wrought metal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:19]  ³⁶⁴ tn Heb “the one branch.” But the repetition of “one…one” means here one after another, or the “first” and then the “next.”

[37:19]  ³⁶⁵ tn Heb “thus for six branches….”

[37:21]  ³⁶⁶ tn As in Exod 26:35, the translation of “first” and “next” and “third” is interpretive, because the text simply says “under two branches” in each of three places.

[37:22]  ³⁶⁷ tn Heb “were from it.”

[37:24]  ³⁶⁸ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the lampstand) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:34]  ³⁶⁹ tn See the note on this phrase in Exod 25:5.

[39:34]  ³⁷⁰ tn Or “shielding” (NIV); NASB “the screening veil.”

[39:37]  ³⁷¹ tn Possibly meaning “pure gold lampstand.”

[39:40]  ³⁷² tn Heb “utensils, vessels.”

[39:41]  ³⁷³ tn The form is the infinitive construct; it means the clothes to be used “to minister” in the holy place.

[40:2]  ³⁷⁴ tn Heb “you will raise,” an imperfect of instruction.

[40:4]  ³⁷⁵ tn Heb “and you will set in order its setting” or “arrange its arrangement.” See 25:29-30 for items that belonged on the table.

[40:5]  ³⁷⁶ tn Heb “give” (also four additional times in vv. 6-8).

[40:7]  ³⁷⁷ tn Heb “there.”

[40:9]  ³⁷⁸ tn Heb “you will take” (perfect with vav, ו).

[40:9]  ³⁷⁹ tn Heb “and you will anoint” (perfect with vav, ו).

[40:9]  ³⁸⁰ tn Heb “and you will sanctify” (perfect with vav, ו).

[40:10]  ³⁸¹ tn Heb “and.”

[40:11]  ³⁸² sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 480) notes that the items inside the tent did not need to be enumerated since they were already holy, but items in the courtyard needed special attention. People needed to know that items outside the tent were just as holy.

[40:12]  ³⁸³ tn The verb is “bring near,” or “present,” to Yahweh.

[40:14]  ³⁸⁴ tn The verb is also “bring near” or “present.”

[40:30]  ³⁸⁵ tn Heb “there.”