New English Translation
Exodus 32:15
15Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. The tablets were written on both sides – they were written on the front and on the back.
Exodus 32:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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 sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
- New International Version (NIV)Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written.
Context of Exodus 32:15
13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.’” 14Then the Lord relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people. Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. The tablets were written on both sides – they were written on the front and on the back. 16Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “It is the sound of war in the camp!”
Read all of Exodus 32Exodus 32:15 word by word
וַיִּ֜פֶן וַיֵּ֤רֶד מֹשֶׁה֙ מִן־הָהָ֔ר וּשְׁנֵ֛י לֻחֹ֥ת הָעֵדֻ֖ת בְּיָד֑וֹ לֻחֹ֗ת כְּתֻבִים֙ מִשְּׁנֵ֣י עֶבְרֵיהֶ֔ם מִזֶּ֥ה וּמִזֶּ֖ה הֵ֥ם כְּתֻבִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- turnedפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
- and went downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- from the mountהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- and the twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- tablesלוּחַlûach lûach · tabletH3871
- of the testimonyעֵדוּת‛êdûth · testimonyH5715
- in his handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- writtenכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
- their sidesעֵ֫בֶר‛êber · side: besideH5676
Cross-references for Exodus 32:15
- Exodus 24:18Moses went into the cloud when he went up the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
- Deuteronomy 9:15So I turned and went down the mountain while it was blazing with fire; the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands.
- Exodus 16:34Just as the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the Testimony for safekeeping.
- Exodus 40:20He took the testimony and put it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark, and then put the atonement lid on the ark.
- Deuteronomy 5:22The Lord said these things to your entire assembly at the mountain from the middle of the fire, the cloud, and the darkness with a loud voice, and that was all he said. Then he inscribed the words on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
- Psalms 19:7The law of the Lord is perfect and preserves one’s life. The rules set down by the Lord are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.
- Revelation 5:1Then I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back and sealed with seven seals.
Commentaries on Exodus 32:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15The tables were written on both their sides - If we take this literally, it was certainly a very unusual thing; for in ancient times the two sides of the same substance were never written over. However, some rabbins suppose that by the writing on both sides is meant the letters were cut through the tables, so that they might be read on both sides, though on one side they would appear reversed. Supposing this to be correct, if the letters were the same…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7-35Verses 7-35 The faithfulness of Moses in the office that had been entrusted to him was now to be put to the test. It was to be made manifest whether he loved his own glory better than he loved the brethren who were under his charge; whether he would prefer that he should himself become the founder of a “great nation,” or that the Lord‘s promise should be fulfilled in the whole people of Israel. This may have been especially needful for Moses, in…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-20Verses 15-20 What a change it is, to come down from the mount of communion with God, to converse with a wicked world. In God we see nothing but what is pure and pleasing; in the world nothing but what is sinful and provoking. That it might appear an idol is nothing in the world, Moses ground the calf to dust. Mixing this powder with their drink, signified that the backslider in heart should be filled with his own ways.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-29When Moses saw what was happening, he became much less calm than he was on the mountain. He smashed the two tablets (32:15–19). He destroyed the calf (32:20). He confronted Aaron (32:21–25). He ordered the death of the rebellious leaders (32:26–29).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1815-18. Moses turned, and went down from the mount--The plain, Er-Raheh, is not visible from the top of Jebel Musa, nor can the mount be descended on the side towards that valley; hence Moses and his companion, who on duty had patiently waited his return in the hollow of the mountain's brow, heard the shouting some time before they actually saw the camp.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 32:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 32
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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