Exodus 34:3

34:1-4 When God made man in his own image, the moral law was written in his heart, by the finger of God, without outward means. But since the covenant then made with man was broken, the Lord has used the ministry of men, both in writing the law in the Scriptures, and in writing it in the heart. When God was reconciled to the Israelites, he ordered the tables to be renewed, and wrote his law in them. Even under the gospel of peace by Christ, the moral law continues to bind believers. Though Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, yet not from the commands of it. The first and the best evidence of the pardon of sin, and peace with God, is the writing the law in the heart.

Before, Aaron and his two sons, and the seventy elders of Israel, went up with Moses, though they did not go so near the Lord as he did; but now having sinned in the matter of the golden calf, though a reconciliation was made, they were not allowed to go with him, nor even Joshua his servant, though he had no concern in the sin; Moses must be alone, that the ministration of the law might be by him only, and in order to receive a peculiar favour in answer to his request: neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; in any part of it, as Joshua was before in some part of it, even all the while that Moses was there; but now not a single person must be seen anywhere, not only because of the giving of the law to Moses, but because of the display of the divine glory, which was to be made particularly to him: neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount; or over against it, or rather "near" it (f); which was ordered, not so much on the account of the flocks themselves, who were not capable of any moral guilt; nor that they might not come to any hurt, since they were to be stoned or thrust through with a dart if they touched it, which order it is highly probable was in force as before; but on the account of their keepers, that there might be none of them on the spot, or near, to observe what passed; and chiefly this was said to command fear and reverence in the minds of the people, while this solemn affair was transacting between God and Moses, and to check all cu

(3) No man shall come up with thee . . . — These stringent commands were new. On the previous occasion, Aaron, Hur, and the elders had ascended the mount part of the way ( Exodus 24:9-11 ); and Joshua had accompanied his master almost to the summit ( Exodus 24:13 ), and had apparently remained in some part of the mountain during the whole time of Moses’ stay ( Exodus 32:17 ). Now Moses was to be quite alone, and no one was to be seen in any part of the mount. The stringency of the new orders must be connected with the promised revelation to Moses of God’s glory ( Exodus 33:21-23 ).

Verse 3. - No man shall come up with thee. This time, no one, not even Joshua, was to accompany Moses. The new manifestation of the glory of God was to be made to him alone. Neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount , etc. Compare the injunctions given in Exodus 19:12, 13 . The present orders are even more stringent. Exodus 34:3

3 . The precautions are similar to those taken in Exodus 19:12 f. before ] rather, in front of , i.e. on the slopes in front of the mountain, towards its foot. As was pointed out on p. 347, the historical retrospect in Deuteronomy 9:8-29 is based largely upon Exodus 32, and contains numerous verbal excerpts from it; and a comparison of Deuteronomy 10:1-3 with Exodus 34:1 ; Exodus 34:4 makes it practically certain that in the text of Exodus 34:1 ; Exodus 34:4 which lay before the author of Dt., there was mention of the ark as made at this time by Moses. Here is the text of Deuteronomy 10:1-3 , with the words excerpted from Exodus 34:1-2 ; Exodus 34:4 printed in italics:—‘( Deuteronomy 10:1 ) At that time Jehovah said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first , and come up unto me to the mount , and make thee an ark of wood; (2) that I may write upon the tables the words that were on the first tables, which thou brakest , and thou shalt put them in the ark. (3) And I made an ark of acacia-wood; and I hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and I went up to the mount ; and the two tables were in my hand .’ Thus in Dt.

Moses is instructed to make, and actually does make, the ark, before ascending the mount the second time to receive the tables of stone ( Exodus 34:4 ); whereas in Ex. the command to make the ark is both given to Bezalel and executed by him, after Moses’ return from the mountain ( Exodus 35:30 ff., Exodus 36:2 , Exodus 37:1 —all passages belonging to P). The two accounts are evidently discrepant: and there can be no reasonable doubt that the notices of the ark contained in the original text of Exodus 34:1 ; Exodus 34:4 were omitted by the compiler, as inconsistent with the more detailed particulars, which he preferred, contained in the narrative of P.

3. no man shall come up with thee … neither … flocks nor herds—All these enactments were made in order that the law might be a second time renewed with the solemnity and sanctity that marked its first delivery. The whole transaction was ordered so as to impress the people with an awful sense of the holiness of God; and that it was a matter of no trifling moment to have subjected Him, so to speak, to the necessity of re-delivering the law of the ten commandments.