Exodus 34:29

And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Moses	מֹשֶׁה֙ mo.Sheh	H4872	Mosheh · proper noun, a man's name
down	בְּרֶ֤דֶת be.Re.det	H3381	to descend (literally · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
mount	מֵהַ֣ר me.Har	H2022	a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figurative… · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
Sinai	סִינַ֔י si.Nai	H5514	Sinai · proper noun, a place name
two	וּשְׁנֵ֨י u.she.Nei	H8147	two · conjunction + cardinal number, both genders dual construct
tables	לֻחֹ֤ת lu.Chot	H3871	probably meaning to glisten · noun, common feminine plural construct
testimony	הָֽעֵדֻת֙ ha.'e.Dut	H5715	testimony · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
Moses’	מֹשֶׁ֔ה mo.Sheh	H4872	Mosheh · proper noun, a man's name
hand	בְּיַד be.yad-	H3027	a hand (the open one (indicating power · preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct
down	בְּרִדְתּ֖וֹ be.rid.To	H3381	to descend (literally · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
mount	הָהָ֑ר ha.Har	H2022	a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figurative… · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
Moses	וּמֹשֶׁ֣ה u.mo.Sheh	H4872	Mosheh · conjunction + proper noun, a man's name
wist	יָדַ֗ע ya.Da'	H3045	to know (properly · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
skin	ע֥וֹר or	H5785	skin (as naked) · noun, common masculine singular construct
face	פָּנָ֖יו pa.Nav	H6440	the face (as the part that turns) · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
shone	קָרַ֛ן ka.Ran	H7160	to shoot out horns · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
talked	בְּדַבְּר֥וֹ be.da.be.Ro	H1696	perhaps properly · preposition + verb, piel infinitive construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Matthew 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
Luke 9:29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.
Exodus 32:15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their…
Revelation 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in hi…
2 Corinthians 3:7-9 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold t…
2 Corinthians 3:13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolishe…
Revelation 10:1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the…
Acts 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Exodus 34:28–end

Here is, I. The continuance of Moses in the mount, where he was miraculously sustained, Exo 34:28. He was there in very intimate communion with God, without interruption, forty days and forty nights, and did not think it long. When we are weary of an hour or two spent in attendance upon God and adoration of him, we should think how many days and nights Moses spent with him, and of the eternal day we hope to spend in praising him. During all this time Moses did neither eat nor drink. Though he had before been kept so long fasting, yet he did not, this second time, take up so many days' provision along with him, but believed that man lives not by bread alone, and encouraged himself with the ex…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 34:29

Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him--It was an intimation of the exalted presence into which he had been admitted and of the glory he had witnessed (Co2 3:18); and in that view, it was a badge of his high office as the ambassador of God. No testimonial needed to be produced. He bore his credentials on his very face; and whether this extraordinary effulgence was a permanent or merely temporary distinction, it cannot be doubted that this reflected glory was given him as an honor before all the people.

Adam Clarke on Exodus 34:29

The skin of his face shone - קרן karan, was horned: having been long in familiar intercourse with his Maker, his flesh, as well as his soul, was penetrated with the effulgence of the Divine glory, and his looks expressed the light and life which dwelt within. Probably Moses appeared now as he did when, in our Lord's transfiguration, he was seen with Elijah on the mount, Matthew 17. As the original word קרן karan signifies to shine out, to dart forth, as horns on the head of an animal, or rays of light reflected from a polished surface, we may suppose that the heavenly glory which filled the soul of this holy man darted out from his face in coruscations, in that manner in which light is gener…

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The Church Fathers

In Moses he depicted for you a parable: his cheeks, ashen with age, became shining and fair, a symbol of old age that in Eden again becomes young.
— Ephrem the Syrian, HYMNS ON PARADISE 7.10

Every soul is beautiful which is considered by the standard of its own virtues. But most beautiful, true and lovely, which can be contemplated by him alone who has purified his mind, is that of the divine and blessed nature. He who gazes steadfastly at the splendor and graces of it receives some share from it, as if from an immersion, tinging his own face with a sort of brilliant radiance. Whence Moses also was made resplendent in face by receiving some share of beauty when he held converse with God. Therefore he who is conscious of his own beauty utters this act of thanksgiving: "O Lord, in your favor, you gave strength to my beauty."
— Basil of Caesarea, EXEGETIC HOMILIES 14.5

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Countenance · Transfigure — Transfigure
Decalogue · TABLES OF TESTIMONY — TABLES OF TESTIMONY
Desert, Journey Of Israel Through The · The tables of testimony renewed — The tables of testimony renewed
Face · .Moses — .Moses
Law · .Engraved on stone — .Engraved on stone
Miracles · .The transfiguration of the face of Moses — .The transfiguration of the face of Moses
Table · 3. Of testimony — 3. Of testimony
Transfiguration · Of Moses — Of Moses

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Exodus 34:29

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Exodus 34:28–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 34:29

Adam Clarke on Exodus 34:29

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Exodus 34:29

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Exodus 34:28–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 34:29

Adam Clarke on Exodus 34:29

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Exodus 34:29

John Calvin on Exodus 34:26–end

Keil & Delitzsch on Exodus 34:27–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Exodus 34:29-35

Rashi on Exodus 34:29