Christian Standard Bible
Exodus 34:29
29As Moses descended from Mount Sinai — with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands as he descended the mountain — he did not realize that the skin of his face shone as a result of his speaking with the Lord.
Exodus 34:29 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.
Context of Exodus 34:29
27The Lord also said to Moses, “Write down these words, for I have made a covenant with you and with Israel based on these words.” 28Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat food or drink water. He wrote the Ten Commandments, the words of the covenant, on the tablets. As Moses descended from Mount Sinai — with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands as he descended the mountain — he did not realize that the skin of his face shone as a result of his speaking with the Lord. 30When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone! They were afraid to come near him. 31But Moses called out to them, so Aaron and all the leaders of the community returned to him, and Moses spoke to them.
Read all of Exodus 34Exodus 34:29 word by word
וַיְהִ֗י בְּרֶ֤דֶת מֹשֶׁה֙ מֵהַ֣ר סִינַ֔י וּשְׁנֵ֨י לֻחֹ֤ת הָֽעֵדֻת֙ בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּרִדְתּ֖וֹ מִן־הָהָ֑ר וּמֹשֶׁ֣ה לֹֽא־יָדַ֗ע כִּ֥י קָרַ֛ן ע֥וֹר פָּנָ֖יו בְּדַבְּר֥וֹ אִתּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it came to pass, when Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- came downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- from mountהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- Sinaiסִינַיsîynay · SinaiH5514
- with the twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- tablesלוּחַlûach lûach · tabletH3871
- of testimonyעֵדוּת‛êdûth · testimonyH5715
- handיָדyâd · handH3027
- wistיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- not that the skinעוֹר‛ôr · skinH5785
- of his faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- shoneקָרַןqâran · to shineH7160
- while he talkedדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
Cross-references for Exodus 34:29
- Exodus 32:15Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides — inscribed front and back.
- Exodus 16:15When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” because they didn’t know what it was. Moses told them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.
- Joshua 2:4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they were from.
- Joshua 8:14When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, the men of the city hurried and went out early in the morning so that he and all his people could engage Israel in battle at a suitable place facing the Arabah. But he did not know there was an ambush waiting for him behind the city.
- Judges 16:20Then she cried, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” When he awoke from his sleep, he said, “I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.
- Mark 9:6because he did not know what to say, since they were terrified.
- Mark 14:40And again he came and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. They did not know what to say to him.
- Luke 2:49“Why were you searching for me?” he asked them. “Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?”
- John 5:13But the man who was healed did not know who it was, because Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
- Acts 6:15And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
- 2 Corinthians 3:7Now if the ministry that brought death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the Israelites were not able to gaze steadily at Moses’s face because of its glory, which was set aside,
- Revelation 1:16He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.
- Revelation 10:1Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face was like the sun, his legs were like pillars of fire,
Commentaries on Exodus 34:29
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 29The 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 29The two tables of testimony - Compare Exodus 31:18. The skin of his face shone - Compare Matthew 17:2. The brightness of the Eternal Glory, though Moses had witnessed it only in a modified manner Exodus 33:22-23, was so reflected in his face, that Aaron and the people were stricken with awe, and feared to approach him until he gave them words of encouragement. The word translated “shine” is closely connected with a word translated “horn”; and hence, the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 28-35Verses 28-35 Near and spiritual communion with God improves the graces of a renewed and holy character. Serious godliness puts a lustre upon a man's countenance, such as commands esteem and affection. The vail which Moses put on, marked the obscurity of that dispensation, compared with the gospel dispensation of the New Testament. It was also an emblem of the natural vail on the hearts of men respecting spiritual things. Also the vail that was and is upon…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 29-35Moses, who had asked to see the glory of God, was not aware that his own face reflected that glory.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2929. 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 (2Co 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 34:29
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 34
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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