Exodus 31:18

Exodus 31:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
• New International Version (NIV)When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Context of Exodus 31:18

16So the sons of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a permanent covenant.’ 17It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.” When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

Exodus 31:18 word by word

וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה כְּכַלֹּתוֹ֙ לְדַבֵּ֤ר אִתּוֹ֙ בְּהַ֣ר סִינַ֔י שְׁנֵ֖י לֻחֹ֣ת הָעֵדֻ֑ת לֻחֹ֣ת אֶ֔בֶן כְּתֻבִ֖ים בְּאֶצְבַּ֥ע אֱלֹהִֽים׃Read the interlinear

• When He had finishedכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: finishH3615
• speakingדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• with him on Mountהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• Sinaiסִינַיsîynay · SinaiH5514
• He gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• the twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• tabletsלוּחַlûach lûach · tabletH3871
• of the testimonyעֵדוּת‛êdûth · testimonyH5715
• of stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• writtenכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
• by the fingerאֶצְבַּע'etsba‛ · fingerH676
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Exodus 31:18

• Exodus 24:12Now the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the Law and the commandments which I have written for their instruction.”
• Exodus 32:15Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one side and the other.
• Exodus 34:1Now the Lord said to Moses, “Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you smashed.
• Deuteronomy 4:13So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.
• Deuteronomy 5:22“These words the Lord spoke to your whole assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, from the cloud, and from the thick darkness, with a great voice, and He added nothing more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.
• Deuteronomy 9:9When I went up to the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I remained on the mountain for forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water.
• 2 Corinthians 3:3revealing yourselves, that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
• Exodus 8:19Then the soothsayer priests said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.
• Exodus 32:16The tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing engraved on the tablets.
• Jeremiah 31:33“For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
• Matthew 12:28But if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
• Luke 11:20But if I cast out the demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
• 2 Corinthians 3:7But if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stones, came with glory so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,

Commentaries on Exodus 31:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18When he had made an end of communing - When the forty days and forty nights were ended. Two tables of testimony - See Clarke's note on Exodus 34:1. Tables of stone - That the record might be lasting, because it was a testimony that referred to future generations, and therefore the materials should be durable. Written with the finger of God - All the letters cut by God himself. Dr. Winder, in his History of Knowledge, thinks it probable that this was the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Two tables of testimony - See Exodus 25:16; Exodus 32:15. The tables of stone which represented the covenant between Yahweh and His people, and which, when covered with the mercy-seat were to give the sanctuary its significance, are now delivered to Moses in accordance with the promise in Exodus 24:12. The history of what relates to the construction of the sanctuary is here interrupted, and is taken up again in Exodus 35:1.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18Verse 18 The law was written in tables of stone, to show how lasting it is: to denote likewise the hardness of our hearts; one might more easily write on stone, than write any thing good on our corrupt natural hearts. It was written with the finger of God; by his will and power. God only can write his law in the heart: he gives a heart of flesh; then, by his Spirit, which is the finger of God, writes his will in the heart, 2Co 3:3.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18Normally, each party to a covenant received a written copy of the terms of the covenant. So it may be that the two stone tablets were identical, one being God’s copy and the other the people’s copy, to be kept together in the ark of the covenant. finger of God: See 34:28.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. tables of stone, written with the finger of God--containing the ten commandments (Ex 24:12), called "tables of testimony," because God testified His will in them.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 31:18

• Decalogue
• Law
• Stones
• Table
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• God
• Moses
• Sinai
• Call
• Therein
• Wisdom
• Workmanship
• Write
• Exodus, the Book of
• Finger (1)

Commentaries on Exodus 31

• 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