New International Version
Exodus 32:15
15Moses 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.
Context of Exodus 32:15
13Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ” 14Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. 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. 16The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There 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 24:18Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
- Deuteronomy 9:15So I turned and went down from the mountain while it was ablaze with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands.
- Exodus 16:34As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law, so that it might be preserved.
- Exodus 40:20He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it.
- Deuteronomy 5:22These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
- Psalms 19:7The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
- Revelation 5:1Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides 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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