Exodus 34

The chapter moves from the re-establishment of the covenant at the mountain top to the practical implementation of that covenant in the life of Israel, ending with the visible sign of God's glory resting upon the mediator.

• I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables (v. 1)
• I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels (v. 10)
• I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite... (v. 11)
• Neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord (v. 24)

• Hew thee two tables of stone (v. 1)
• Observe thou that which I command thee this day (v. 11)
• Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land (v. 12)
• Thou shalt worship no other god (v. 14)
• Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest (v. 21)

• No man shall come up with thee (v. 3)
• Lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee (v. 12)
• Thou shalt make thee no molten gods (v. 17)
• Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk (v. 26)

• The setting is the aftermath of the golden calf apostasy, necessitating a renewal of the covenant (Exodus 32-33).
• The list of nations (Amorite, Canaanite, etc.) reflects the geopolitical reality of the land Israel was preparing to enter.

• Ancient Near Eastern treaty documents often contained stipulations similar to those listed here (festivals, sacrifice, purity).
• The veiling of the face was a unique sign of glory and the overwhelming nature of the divine presence.

• This chapter concludes the major block of legislation and covenant making at Sinai, bridging the gap between the law's giving and the construction of the Tabernacle.
• The reference to the law being 'written' mirrors the creation of the moral law on the hearts of humanity, now codified in stone.

• This passage is famously cited in 2 Corinthians 3:7-13, where Paul contrasts the fading glory of the Old Covenant (Moses' face) with the surpassing glory of the New Covenant in Christ.
• Matthew Henry observes that the renewal of the tables proves that although the covenant was broken by the people, God’s grace allows for restoration through a mediator, foreshadowing the work of Christ.

• Exodus 34:6-7 is one of the most cited passages in the Old Testament, appearing in Numbers 14:18, Psalm 103:8, Psalm 145:8, Joel 2:13, and Jonah 4:2, serving as a canonical summary of God's character.

• שָׁבַר (H7665, 'broke') is used to describe the first tables; it signifies a forceful, shattering break, underscoring the severity of the people's covenantal betrayal.
• קַנָּא (Jealous, H7067/H7072 - root related to the concept of Jealous in v. 14) implies the exclusivity of a husband-wife relationship, framing Israel's apostasy as 'whoring' (v. 15-16).
• כּוּן (H3559, 'ready') implies an act of preparation or setting upright, suggesting that Moses' ascent required purposeful, holy preparation.

• Moses did not write the ten commandments; God provided the writing (v. 1, 28).
• Moses fasted for 40 days and nights, a feat of supernatural endurance indicating the intensity of his intercession and communion.
• The presence of the 'veil' (v. 33) is often misunderstood as a sign of shame; rather, it protected the people from the blinding, residual glory radiating from the mountain encounter.

• The precise meaning of 'seethe a kid in his mother's milk' (v. 26) is debated; some suggest it was a Canaanite fertility ritual, while others see it as a general prohibition against cruelty or mixing life-giving sources.
• While Matthew Henry reflects the Reformed view that the moral law continues to bind believers, there is historic debate (e.g., within Dispensational or some Lutheran frameworks) regarding the extent to which the Mosaic legislation, including the specific festivals listed here, continues to apply to the New Testament church.