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Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

Exodus 34

Exodus 34:1

EXODUS CHAPTER 34 God commands Moses to hew two tables of stone like the former, wherein he promises to write, EXODUS 34:1. Moses goes with these tables up to the mount, EXODUS 34:4. God descends in a cloud, EXODUS 24:5. He proclaims his name, EXODUS 34:6,7. Moses worships, EXODUS 34:8,9. God making... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:3

This is said, not for the beasts, which are not capable of a law, but to restrain the presumption and curiosity of the people, by this argument, that even the beasts that come too near shall be destroyed, and much more man, whose knowledge aggravates his sin and punishment.... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:5

IN THE CLOUD; in the cloudy pillar, which ordinarily stood up in the air above the mount, but came down to the top of it when God spake with Moses. See EXODUS 33:9 NUMBERS 11:17,25. STOOD WITH HIM THERE, to wit, in the mount, EXODUS 34:2,4, and the clift of a rock, EXODUS 33:22, which was in the mou... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:6

THE LORD GOD: this title shows his glorious being, power, and authority; the following titles note his goodness to men. ABUNDANT IN GOODNESS AND TRUTH; in fulfilling all his gracious promises made to Abraham, and to his seed, and to all his people; wherein he is said to be abundant, because he gener... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:7

FOR THOUSANDS; the Chaldee and some others render it, _for a thousand generations_. INIQUITY, AND TRANSGRESSION, AND SIN; sins of all sorts and sizes, secret or open, infirmities or presumptions, against God or men, as the heap of various words here put together signifies. THAT WILL BY NO MEANS CLEA... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:9

IT IS A STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE, and therefore need thy glorious and powerful presence to rule them. Or rather, THOUGH IT BE A STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE, as thou sayest, yet forsake them not. The Hebrew particle _chi_ oft signifies _though_, as EXODUS 5:11 ISAIAH 44:6. TAKE US FOR THINE INHERITANCE, i.e. deal... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:10

BEHOLD, I MAKE A COVENANT, i.e. I do hereby renew my covenant with thy people which they had violated and voided by their sin. But the shortness of the phrase, there being no mention here of any with whom this covenant is made or renewed, and the following words, make it more probable that this cove... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:13

Which at first were used by good men for their devotion, as GENESIS 21:33; but afterwards being horribly abused to superstition and idolatry, were by God,'s command to be destroyed.... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:14

WHOSE NAME IS JEALOUS; who hath made himself known by, and glories in that name, The _jealous_ God, who cannot endure any competitor or corrival; whereas the false and puny gods of the heathens were contented with multitudes of partners. So this is properly said to be the name of God, whereby he is... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:15

A COVENANT, for cohabitation, or to suffer them quietly to live among you, whom you should drive out. GO A WHORING, i.e. commit idolatry, which is oft called and compared to spiritual whoredom. See JER 2 JER 3 EZE 16. AND THOU EAT OF HIS SACRIFICE to wit of the parts or remainders of his sacrifice,... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:17

Nor graven, nor any other, as it plainly appears both from the nature of the things, and from many parallel scriptures; but he mentions molten, because their late idol was of that kind.... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:19

Heb. _And_ (for _that is_, as the particle and is oft used; the words following here, and EXODUS 34:20, being a particular explication of the general sentence in the beginning of this verse) ALL THY CATTLE which (a particle oft understood) SHALL BE BORN MALE, (as it is also explained EXODUS 13:12) t... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:21

Which times are expressed, because the great profit and seeming necessity of working at that time was likely to be a powerful temptation to make men break the sabbath.... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:22

THE FEAST OF WEEKS, i.e. which is numbered by weeks being just seven weeks after the passover, whence it is called _pentecost_, i.e. the fiftieth day, to wit, after the passover. See LEVITICUS 23:15, LEVITICUS 25:8. THE FIRST-FRUITS OF WHEAT HARVEST; so this is a designation of the time and business... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:24

I WILL CAST OUT THE NATIONS; so thou shalt have no intestine enemy to do time or thine mischief. This God promised to do, but upon condition of Israel's discharge of their duty in following God in this work of driving them out, which they neglecting, it was not fully done. NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN DESI... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:26

FIRST OF THE FIRST-FRUITS; thou shalt not delay to do this, but shalt bring the very first of them. Or, the _first-fruits_, even the _first-fruits of thy land_; which limitation seems here conveniently added, because they were not bound to bring thither all their first-fruits, to wit, those of their... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:27

OBJECT. God saith, _I will write_, EXODUS 34:1. ANSW. 1. Moses was to write the ritual precepts mentioned here above, God wrote the moral law. 2. Moses wrote what he wrote in a book; see EXODUS 24:7; but what was written upon the tables of stone was written by God himself, not by Moses, who had no... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:28

HE WAS THERE FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS; as he had been before, being now to renew the broken covenant. This forty days fast of his is mentioned four times, EXODUS 24:18, and here, and DEUTERONOMY 9:18, DEUTERONOMY 10:10, but it is evident it was performed but twice, as the occasion of it happened... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:29

QUEST. Why now, and not when he came down from God before? ANSW. 1. Because now he obtained what he did not before, to wit, a glimpse of the Divine glory, which, though but very transient, left its print upon his face. 2. Now it was more necessary than before, to procure the greater honour to Mose... [ Continue Reading ]

Exodus 34:31

UNTO HIM, to the tabernacle, which was still at a distance from the camp, though afterwards, God being reconciled, it was set up in the camp, EXODUS 40:34.... [ Continue Reading ]

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