Exodus 34:12-16

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 34:10-17

Reconciliation being made, a covenant of friendship is here settled between God and Israel. The traitors are not only pardoned, but preferred and made favourites again. Well may the assurances of this be ushered in with a behold, a word commanding attention and admiration: Behold, I make a covenant. When the covenant was broken, it was Israel that broke it; now that it comes to be renewed, it is God that makes it. If there be quarrels, we must bear all the blame; if there be peace, God must... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:12

Take heed to thyself ,.... This is said not to Moses, but to the people of Israel, as a caution to them when they should enter the land of Canaan, and possess it: lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest : enter into a league and alliance, to live friendly and amicably, and support and assist each other against the common enemy; whereas they were to smite the seven nations and destroy them, and show them no mercy, Deuteronomy 7:1 . lest it be for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:13

But ye shall destroy their altars ,.... On which they had sacrificed to their idols; since, if they were allowed to continue, they might be temptations to offer sacrifice thereon, contrary to the command of God: break their images : of gold or silver, wood or stone, which they made for themselves, and worshipped as deities; seeing if these continued, the sight of them might lead to the worship of them, and so bring under the divine displeasure, as a breach of the command of God given... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:14

For thou shall worship no other god ,.... Than the Lord their God, the one only living and true God, which was the first command given to the people of Israel, and binding upon all men: for the Lord whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God ; his name and nature answer to one another; he admits of no rival or competitor in worship; he will not give his glory to another god, or one so called, nor his praise to graven images; and in this he is distinguished from all nominal and fictitious... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:15

Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land ,.... A marriage covenant, taking their daughters in marriage to their sons, and "vice versa", as the following words show; here the caution is to be understood and the words supplied from Exodus 34:12 and inserted and connected thus, "take heed to thyself, lest thou make", &c.; and they go a whoring after their gods ; that is, the inhabitants of the land, and particularly those with whom the Israelites made a covenant, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 34:16

And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons ,.... That is, marry them to them, which explains what is meant by making a covenant with them, entering into such a near relation, and joining families, and thus intermixing with one another: and their daughters go a whoring after their gods ; the worship of whom they have been trained up in from their infancy, and therefore hanker after them, and commit whoredom in a spiritual sense with them: and make thy sons go a whoring after their... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 34:13

Ye shall destroy their images - See the subjects of this and all the following verses, to Exodus 34:28 , treated at large in the notes on Exodus 23 (note). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 34:1-28

Renewal of the tables, and fourth intercession. One more mighty effort of intercession, and Moses will bear away the blessing which he seeks. It needs, however, that it be a mighty one. The covenant is not yet restored in its integrity. The people's sin is not yet perfectly forgiven. God, indeed, has promised to go with them, but he has not said, as of old, " I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God" ( Exodus 6:7 ). The new relations are not those of perfected... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 34:9-26

1 . That he would go up with them; 2 . That he would pardon them; and 3 . That he would once more take them as his inheritance ( Exodus 34:9 ). Without replying separately to these requests, God formally renews the covenant; promises not only to go up with the people, but to work miracles for them ( Exodus 34:10 ), and to drive out the nations before them when they have arrived ( Exodus 34:11 ); and makes a brief summary of the chief points of positive observance, which he... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 34:9-26

The covenant renewed. That God should have consented to renew the covenant with Israel after it had been violated so flagrantly is evidence of two things: 1 . His faithfulness towards his true followers, which makes him "merciful unto thousands of those that love him," and renders him tender to the children for the sake of the fathers; 2 . The value that he sets on intercessory prayer, when offered earnestly by a believer. In the renewal itself we may notice:— I. THAT THE ... read more

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