New International Version
Exodus 24:4
4Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
Exodus 24:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then Moses carefully wrote down all the Lord’s instructions. Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Context of Exodus 24:4
2but Moses alone is to approach the Lord; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.” 3When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. 6Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar.
Read all of Exodus 24Exodus 24:4 word by word
וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֵ֚ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וַיִּ֥בֶן מִזְבֵּ֖חַ תַּ֣חַת הָהָ֑ר וּשְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה לִשְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- wroteכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
- all the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and rose up earlyשָׁכַםshâkam · to riseH7925
- in the morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
- and buildedבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- an altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- under the hillהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- and twelve pillarsמַצֵּבָהmatstsêbâh · pillarH4676
- according to the twelveעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
- according to the twelveשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
Cross-references for Exodus 24:4
- Deuteronomy 31:9So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.
- Joshua 24:26And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.
- Exodus 20:24“ ‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you.
- Genesis 28:18Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.
- Genesis 31:45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.
- Joshua 24:27“See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”
- Galatians 2:9James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.
- Exodus 28:21There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.
- Leviticus 24:5“Take the finest flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf.
- Numbers 17:2“Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff.
- Joshua 4:2“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,
- 1 Kings 11:30and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.
- Ezra 6:17For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel.
- Luke 22:30so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
- Revelation 21:14The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Commentaries on Exodus 24:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Moses wrote all the words of the Lord - After the people had promised obedience, ( Exodus 24:3;), and so entered into the bonds of the covenant, "it was necessary," says Calmet, "to draw up an act by which the memory of these transactions might be preserved, and confirm the covenant by authentic and solemn ceremonies." And this Moses does. As legislator, he reduces to writing all the articles and conditions of the agreement, with the people's act of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Twelve pillars - As the altar was a symbol of the presence of Yahweh, so these twelve pillars represented the presence of the Twelve tribes with whom He was making the covenant.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Pillars were set up as memorial stones. They showed that something important had happened at that place and time. In Hittite treaties, people called on their pagan gods to witness the agreement. The gods were believed to see and confirm the treaty. However, the Hebrews were not allowed to recognize other gods. Instead of calling on false gods as witnesses, they used stone pillars to mark the agreement.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-183-4. Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord--The rehearsal of the foregoing laws and the ten commandments, together with the promises of special blessings in the event of their obedience, having drawn forth from the people a unanimous declaration of their consent, it was forthwith recorded as the conditions of the national covenant. The next day preparations were made for having it (the covenant) solemnly ratified, by building an altar…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 24:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 24
- 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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