And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

EXODUS 34:4KJV
Know the Bible

Exodus 34:4 (KJV)

What does Exodus 34:4 mean?

Exodus 34:4 describes Moses making two new stone tablets, like the first ones, and then getting up early to climb Mount Sinai, carrying these tablets, just as the LORD had instructed him. This verse shows Moses carefully following God's command after the first tablets were broken.

In this setting, Moses is responding to God's instructions after Israel’s earlier disobedience, when the first tablets with the Ten Commandments were shattered. The verse highlights Moses’ obedience and the careful preparation involved as he returns to meet God on Mount Sinai, emphasizing the seriousness and importance of this renewed encounter.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 34:4

  • "hewed" (פָּסַל, pasal): This word means to carve or cut out, often with care and effort. It shows that Moses personally shaped the new tablets, underlining his direct involvement and the physical work required.
  • "tables" (לוּחַ, luach): This word refers to flat slabs or tablets, usually of stone. The use of this term connects directly to the earlier giving of the law and the physical form in which God's covenant was recorded.
  • "commanded" (צָוָה, tsavah): This word means to order or instruct. Its use here stresses that Moses’ actions are not his own idea but a response to a clear directive from the LORD.

Why Exodus 34:4 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the new tablets are intentionally made to match the first set, showing continuity in God’s covenant despite Israel’s earlier failure.
  • The detail that Moses rises early and personally prepares the tablets emphasizes his dedication and the seriousness of restoring the relationship between God and the people.
  • Exodus 34:4 sets the stage for the renewal of the covenant, connecting the reader to the larger story of forgiveness and restoration that unfolds in the following verses.

Where else these words appear

“hewed” Hebrew H6458 · used in 6 verses

  • Exodus 34:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
  • Deuteronomy 10:1 At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood.
  • 1 Kings 5:18 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.

“tables” Hebrew H3871 · used in 33 verses

  • Exodus 24:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
  • Deuteronomy 4:13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
  • Deuteronomy 10:5 And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.

“Sinai” Hebrew H5514 · used in 34 verses

  • Exodus 16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
  • Exodus 34:32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
  • Numbers 9:5 And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

“early” Hebrew H7925 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 19:2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
  • Judges 7:1 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
  • 2 Chronicles 36:15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: