Exodus 34:34 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded,

NIV: But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,

NASB: But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded,

CSB: But whenever Moses went before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he came out. After he came out, he would tell the Israelites what he had been commanded,

NLT: But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the Lord had given him,

KJV: But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.

NKJV: But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded.

Exodus 34:29–35 says that after speaking with God on Sinai (Exodus 34:1–2), Moses' face was shining. This is more than an intimidating attitude or a happy expression. The text notes that Moses' actual skin was "shining." This was a result of his close encounter with God's glory (Exodus 33:18–23; 34:5–7). The people are afraid to look at him (Genesis 32:30), so Moses covers his face when speaking to them. Scripture does not indicate how long this condition lasted.

Moses obeys God's command to bring new stone tablets (Exodus 32:19) onto Mount Sinai. There, God fulfills His earlier promise to reveal more of His glory to Moses (Exodus 33:18–23). The Lord renews the covenant with Israel and gives additional details on subjects such as idolatry, the Sabbath, and certain festivals. When Moses returns, the people are intimidated by his now-shining face.

Israel quickly broke God's laws (Exodus 20:3–6) by committing idolatry (Exodus 32:1–6). This caused a rift between them and God. One consequence was a removal of God's direct presence (Exodus 33:1–3). In this chapter, the covenant is renewed. The remaining chapters (Exodus 35—40) mirror the instructions for building the tabernacle (Exodus 25—31).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.