¹sn The restoration of the faltering community continues in this chapter. First, Moses is instructed to make new tablets and take them to the mount (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).
²tn 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—lsP, pasal.
³tn The perfect tense with the vav consecutive makes the value of this verb equal to an imperfect tense, probably a simple future here.
sn Nothing is said of how God was going to write on these stone tablets at this point, but in the end it is Moses who wrote the words. This is not considered a contradiction, since God is often credited with things he has people do in his place. There is great symbolism in this command—if ever a command said far more than it actually said, this is it. The instruction means that the covenant had been renewed. Or was going to be renewed, and that the sanctuary with the tablets in the ark at its center would be built (see Deut 10:1). The first time Moses went up he was empty-handed; when he came down he smashed the tablets because of their sin. Now the people would see him go up with empty tablets, and be uncertain whether he would come back with the tablets inscribed again (B. Jacob, 977-78).
⁴tn The form is the Niphal participle of the hollow verb; it 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.
⁵sn 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.
⁶tn 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.
⁷sn Driver thinks that there is a discrepancy that shows sources here. 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.
⁸tn 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.
⁹tn 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. But it is clear that 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, 981; and Cassuto, 439). There is no reason to make Moses the subject in any of the verbs of v. 5.
¹⁰tn Here is one of the clearest examples of what it means “to call on the name of Yahweh” as the clause has been translated traditionally (hw`hy+ <v@b= ar*q=Y]w~ [wayyiqra’ b<sup>e</sup>sem YHWH]). 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.
<sup>11</sup>sn Cassuto 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 (p. 439).
<sup>12</sup>tn See Exod 33:19.
<sup>13</sup>sn This is literally “long of anger.” His anger prolongs itself, allowing for people to repent before the punishment is inflicted.
<sup>14</sup>sn These two words (“loyal love” and “truth”) are often found together, and 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.
<sup>15</sup>tn That is, “for thousands of generations.”
<sup>16</sup>sn As in the ten commandments, 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 good; and it is limited to those who hate God.
<sup>17</sup>tn The first two verbs form a hendiadys: “he hurried…he bowed,” meaning “he quickly bowed down.”
<sup>18</sup>tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” two times here is yn`d{a& (a&d{n`y).
<sup>19</sup>tn Heb “it is.” Hebrew uses the third person masculine singular pronoun here in agreement with the noun “people.”
<sup>20</sup>tn Here again is a use of the futur instans participle; the deictic particle plus the pronoun precedes the participle, showing what is going to happen, what is about to happen.
<sup>21</sup>tn The verb used here is arB (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.
<sup>22</sup>sn The idea is that God will be doing awesome things in dealing with them, i.e., to fulfill his program.
<sup>23</sup>tn The covenant duties begin with this command to “keep well” what is being commanded. The expression is “keep for you”; the suffix and the preposition form the ethical dative, adding strength to the imperative.
<sup>24</sup>tn Again, this is the futur instans use of the participle.
<sup>25</sup>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 do not do this, they would end up making entangling treaties.
<sup>26</sup>sn A snare would be a trap, an allurement to ruin. See Exod 23:33.
<sup>27</sup>sn The Asherah poles were some kind of cultic object named after Asherah, a Canaanite deity. The poles seemed to be connected with a fertility ritual.
<sup>28</sup>tn Heb “bow down.”
<sup>29</sup>sn In Exod 20:3 it was “gods.”
<sup>30</sup>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.
<sup>31</sup>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.
<sup>32</sup>tn The verb is the perfect tense 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.
<sup>33</sup>tn The verb hnz (zana) means “to play the prostitute; to commit whoredom; to be a harlot” or something similar. It is used here and in the Bible for departing from pure religion and engaging in pagan religion. The use of the word in that 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 fornication at the Canaanite altars and poles.
<sup>34</sup>tn There is no subject for the verb. It could be rendered “and one invites you,” or it could be made a passive.
<sup>35</sup>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.
<sup>36</sup>tn This is an adverbial accusative of time.
<sup>37</sup>tn The words “do this” have been supplied.
<sup>38</sup>tn Heb “everything that opens the womb.”
<sup>39</sup>tn Here too: everything that “opens [the womb].”
<sup>40</sup>tn The verb basically means “that drops a male.” The verb is feminine, referring to the cattle.
<sup>41</sup>tn Heb “and the one that opens [the womb of] the donkey.”
<sup>42</sup>sn See G. Brin, “The Firstling of Unclean Animals,” JQR 68 (1971): 1-15.
<sup>43</sup>tn The form is the adverb “empty.”
<sup>44</sup>tn This is an adverbial accusative of time.
<sup>45</sup>tn Or “cease” (i.e., from the labors).
<sup>46</sup>sn See M. Dahood, “Vocative lamed in Exodus 2,4 and Merismus in 34,21,” Bib 62 (1981): 413-15.
<sup>47</sup>tn The imperfect tense expresses injunction or instruction.
<sup>48</sup>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.
<sup>49</sup>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.
<sup>50</sup>tn “three times” is an adverbial accusative.
<sup>51</sup>tn Heb “all your males.”
<sup>52</sup>tn Here the divine Name reads in Hebrew hw`hy+ /d)a*h* (h*a*d{/ y+hw*h), 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.
sn The title “Lord” (h*a*d{/) is included here before the divine Name (translated “God” here; see Exod 23:17), perhaps to form a contrast with Baal (which means “lord” as well) and to show the sovereignty of Yahweh. But the distinct designation “the God of Israel” is certainly the point of the renewed covenant relationship.
⁵³tn The verb is the Hiphil imperfect of vry (yaras), which meabs “to possess.” In the causative stem it can mean “dispossess” or “drive out.”
⁵⁴sn 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).
⁵⁵tn The construction uses the infinitive construct with a preposition and a suffixed subject to form the temporal clause.
⁵⁶tn The expression “three times” is an adverbial accusative of time.
⁵⁷sn See M. Haran, “The Passover Sacrifice,” in Studies in the Religion of Ancient Israel (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1972), 86-116.
⁵⁸tn See the tn on this same command above in 23:19.
⁵⁹tn Once again the preposition with the suffix follows the imperative, adding some emphasis to the subject of the verb.
⁶⁰tn These too are adverbial in relation to the main clause, telling how long Moses was with Yahweh on the mountain.
⁶¹sn 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).
⁶²tn The temporal clause is composed of the temporal indicator (“and it happened”) with the infinitive construct following the temporal preposition, and then the subjective genitive (“Moses”).
⁶³tn 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.
⁶⁴tn Heb “in the hand of Moses.”
⁶⁵tn The temporal clause parallels the first temporal clause; it uses the same infinitive construct, but now with a suffix referring to Moses.
⁶⁶tn Heb “and Moses.”
⁶⁷tn The word /r^q* (qaran) is derived from the noun /r#q# (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 reflect the idea that he had horns, the primary meaning of the word from which this word is derived. Some have tried to defend this view 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 Cassuto, 449).
⁶⁸tn This clause is introduced by the deictic particle hN@h! (hinneh); it has the forced of pointing to something surprising or sudden.
⁶⁹tn Heb “and Moses finished”; the clause is subordinated as a temporal clause to the next clause.
⁷⁰tn The Piel infinitive construct is the object of the preposition; the whole phrase serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”
⁷¹tn Throughout this section the actions of Moses and the people are frequentative. The text tells what happened regularly.
⁷²tn The construction uses the infinitive construct for the temporal clause; it is prefixed with the temporal preposition: “and in the going in of Moses.”
⁷³tn The clause is the temporal clause beginning with the temporal preposition “until” and comprising the infinitive construct with the suffixed subjective genitive.
⁷⁴tn 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.
⁷⁵tn Now the perfect tense with the vav consecutive is subordinated to the next clause, “Moses returned the veil….”
⁷⁶tn Verbs of seeing often will take two accusatives. Here, the second, is the noun clause explaining what it was about the face that they saw.
⁷⁷tn The same temporal clause construction occurs here with the preposition and the infinitive construct.