GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

EXEGESIS OF EXODUS 34:5-7:

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE DIVINE NAME
SUBMITTED TO DR. DONNA PETTER
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
OT627 - EXEGESIS OF EXODUS
BY
LARRY HACKMAN
BOX 182-B
14 NOVEMBER 2011
PART 1: THE BIG PICTURE OF EXODUS
The introduction to the book of Exodus in the ESV Study Bible describes the main theme of
book to be that of fulfillment of Gods promises to the patriarchs that he would make their
descendants a great nation.
1
While this certainly seems to permeate the narrative of Exodus, it
seems like it would be a more fitting theme for the whole of the Pentateuch, and does not take
into account the specific narrative flow of the book of Exodus around two events: the exodus and
the encounter at Sinai. These two events encompass the one idea of a people being rescued for
relationship.
2
The people of Israel are set free from their slavery to the Egyptians so that they
may serve the LORD their God (Exodus 10:7, ESV).
Exodus carries on the narrative of Genesis and stands as part of the larger narrative of the
Pentateuch. There are several references in the Pentateuch to Moses writing down records, such
as the Book of the Covenant (24:7) and the recording of the words of the law (Deuteronomy
31:24-26). The Pentateuch was written as a memorial
3
for the Israelite to remember the several
covenants that God makes with the Patriarchs and the Israelites, and Exodus supplies its part of
the narrative in the larger narrative in the Pentateuch.
The authorship of Exodus is contested by critical scholars as taking place much later than
the traditionally understood date, as well as being written by a number of different authors. The
traditional understanding of Exodus authorship and dating place it as having been written by
Moses,
4
possibly around the dates of 1440 B.C. to 1260 B.C., the respective dates depending on
! L Hackman 1
1
Wayne Grudem, ESV Study Bible (Harpercollins Pub Ltd, 2008), 140.
2
Dr. Donna Petter, notes from Exegesis of Exodus class, Fall 2011.
3
cf. Exodus 17:14
4
cf. Deuteronomy 31:9, Joshua 1:7, Joshua 23:6, 2 Corinthians 3:15, etc.
the dating from 1 Kings 6:1 or archaeological evidence.
5
This paper will take the traditional
position on the dating and authorship of Exodus. If it was written by Moses, then it was likely
composed in the wilderness wanderings before his death on Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 34:1-8).
The book of Exodus is a historical narrative as well as a law document. Chapters 1
through 19, chapter 24, and the golden calf narrative in 32 through 34 follow the events of the
exodus from Egypt and the divine encounter on Sinai. The rest of the book contains detailed
instructions concerning the obligations of Yahwehs covenant with the Jews. The historical
context is set in the beginning of the book of Exodus by describing the sons of Israels rapid
growth as a people after Joseph makes possible their emigration to Egypt. Over many
generations, they become slaves to the Egyptians. God hears their cry and remembers his
covenant with Abraham and sets into motion the events that will free the Israelites to serve him.
The events of Exodus take place primarily in Egypt and in the wilderness area of the Sinai
peninsula.
SITUATE THE PASSAGE
The passage of this paper is located within the Golden Calf narrative (chapters 32-34), a
depiction of Israels rebellion against God at the foot of Sinai. This narrative itself seems to
interrupt the giving of the law and instructions for the priests and tabernacle that begin in chapter
24 and resume in chapter 35. It acts as an extension of the historical narrative from the first part
of the book.
Within the previous chapter, Moses requests to see Gods glory (33:18). Yahweh responds
that he will do this, specifically that he would make all of his goodness pass in front of Moses
! L Hackman 2
5
Gordon D. Fee, and Douglas K. Stuart, How to Read the Bible Book by Book: A Guided Tour (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 2002), 34.
and that he would proclaim His name to Moses. Exodus 33:21-23 describes the manner of his
passing in front of Moses, a passing revelation limited by Moses inability to survive a full
revelation of Yahwehs glory. Moses request is part of his greater role as the one mediating for
Israels sin, a quest that involves Moses reminding Yahweh about His covenant with Abraham
and reminding Him who He is, as a God who forgives. The passage at hand serves as the
description of the actual passing of God and the revelation of Gods name promised to Moses
from 33:18.
! What precedes the passage, in broad narrative terms, is the rebellion of the people of
hard neck after which Moses plays the role of a covenant mediator and argues with Yahweh to
remember his covenant to Abraham. What immediately follows the passage is the actual
renewal of the covenant which the Israelites had broken. What helps unite these two parts is the
breaking of the tablets on which the covenant was written (32:19), symbolizing the fact that
Israel had broken the covenant, and the rewriting of these tablets by God (34:28), marking
Yahwehs renewal of the covenant with the Israelites.
When Moses asks God to reveal his glory to him, he is asking God to reveal his character
to him. It was his character, revealed in the divine revelation, which determined Gods ongoing
grace and mercy to Moses and the Jews as they moved onward to Canaan.
6
God has already told
Moses that he is compassionate (22:27) and this must have also been apparent through his
dealings with the people of Israel. In a sense, Moses is echoing the argument that Abraham had
with God in Genesis 18:22-33 wherein Abraham essentially assumes the mercy of Yahweh in
interceding for Sodom. Moses, too, depends on the mercy of Yahweh as he calls upon Him to
! L Hackman 3
6
Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006), 715.
reveal his glory, his essence, to Moses. The passage in Exodus 34:5-7 thus provides the basis on
why God does indeed renew His covenant with His people.
PART 2: OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION
THE HEBREW TEXT
: c::
7
; c: :: ::: :::
8
Ex. 34:5
cc j : c
9
; :c: :: Ex. 34:6
::: c:
: ;c ;: ;: c ::c :
10
::
11
cc c :: Ex. 34:7
:c::: c::: c:: ::: c::: ::
Text-Critical Interpretive Summary
The Hebrew text for this passage is almost completely devoid of any text-critical issues
and easily stands as is. Where other translations differ from the Masoretic text they tend to do so
as editorial emendations that serve to clarify the text or emend it for particular theological
concerns (especially the Targum).
12
The LXX does omit the second Yahweh, along with the few
other emendations the editors of the LXX made to this passage. This seems to be done in an
effort to clarify the text, possibly to reduce a perceived redundancy in this case. That the text
! L Hackman 4
7
In both the Vulgate and the Targum, Moses is the one calling the name Yahweh, while the MT remains somewhat
ambiguous. It seems best to carry on the subject from the first part of the verse as Yahweh. John I. Durham, Word
Biblical Commentary: Exodus (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1987), 453.
8
The Targum changes this verb to revealed but this seems to be a editorial emendation that does not reflect the
original text.
9
The LXX omits this second Yahweh. Other translations do not and there is no reason to think that the original text
did not include both names.
10
The Targum includes a number of additional phrases from here centered around conditional forgiveness based on
obedience to the Torah. These are clearly editorial emendations and should not be considered as part of the original
text.
11
The Targum and the Peshitta include the noun generations, perhaps to bring continuity to the second half of the
verse. This appears to be an editorial emendation for clarity.
12
See appendix 1.
seems to be so well preserved may be because of its poetic nature and distinctive grammar, along
with the important part that it plays in the narrative of Exodus.
TRANSLATION - The Proclamation of the Divine Name
v.5
13
And Yahweh
14
descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed in the name
of Yahweh.
15
v.6 And Yahweh passed on before him and proclaimed, Yahweh, Yahweh, a God
16

compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and faithfulness,
17
v.7 keeping lovingkindness to thousands and forgiving offense
18
and rebellion and sin. But he
will surely not
19
leave the guilty unpunished, avenging
20
the offense of the fathers on the sons,
and on the sons of the sons, to the third generation and to the fourth generation.
21
! L Hackman 5
13
My method of translation is to try to retain the original word order from the Hebrew while also seeking to use
reasonably colloquial meanings for individual words.
14
I retain the use of Yahweh as a proper noun because it avoids the awkward articular use of The LORD that
English translations take.
15
Most translations seem not to translate the inseparable preposition : here (NASB is a notable exception). c:: is
commonly translated in Scripture as the phrase in the name of the LORD (see Genesis 13:4, Deuteronomy 18:5, 1
Samuel 17:45 and many more) and I have chosen that rendering here. Merrill C. Tenney, and Steven Barabas, eds.,
The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1975), 364, 366.
16
I agree with the ESVS and NRSV here in seeking to retain the original word order by placing the noun God
before the attributes. The NASB seems to attach Yahweh and but I believe the emphasis in the original text goes
onto the double pronouncement of Gods proper name, Yahweh, the impact of which is diluted with the rendering
Yahweh, Yahweh God. In addition, because adjectives do not normally qualify proper nouns in Hebrew, it is clear
that was included to allow the string of adjectives to describe Yahweh within normal Hebrew usage. Paul Joon,
A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew, trans. By T. Muraoka, (Rome: Editrce Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 2006), 141 488;
Stuart, Exodus, 715.
17
The NASB translates this truth but I agree with the ESV, NIV, and NRSV with the rendering faithfulness as it
retains the sense of relational aspect that all the other attributes have.
18
Offense remains in the range of meaning for : but is far more colloquial, thus provides easier reader
comprehension. The same holds true for translating ::c as rebellion instead of transgression as the ESV,
NRSV, and NASB do. William L Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, (Grand
Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, Co., 1988), 268, 300.
19
Here there is an infinitive absolute followed by a negative particle then an imperfect with the same verb root,
which is typically translated as an emphatic. Bruce K. Waltke and M. OConnor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew
Syntax, (Eisenbrauns, 1990), 583.
20
I have used the translation avenging instead of visiting (ESV, NRSV, NASB) because I have rendered the
object of the verb offense as I did earlier in v. for : and avenging the offense of the fathers sounds more
smooth than visiting the offense of the fathers and remains in the range of meaning for ;c. Ludwig Koehler and
Walter Baumgartner, eds., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 2 vols., rev. by Walter
Baumgartner and Johann Jakob Stamm, trans. and ed. by M. E. J. Richardson (Boston: Brill, 2001), 1.956. Hereafter,
HALOT.
21
I retain all of the words from the Hebrew in the translation of this clause instead of smoothing it out for the sake of
retaining the flow of syntax.
Grammatical Interpretive Summary
Several features of the grammar and syntax of the passage hint at a cultic nature to the
text. One of the more striking features of the passage is that Yahweh pronounces his own name in
third person in an extremely formalized manner. The phrase c:: appears to be a formulaic
introduction that is used often elsewhere in Scripture. The use of Yahwehs name twice also
seems like a formalized pronouncement, similar to Yahwehs calling of Moses in Exodus 3:4.
The clipped string of adjectives, distinct participle clauses, unusual phonetically poetic sound of
the infinitive absolute clause, and the progressive repetition of : all make for an easy to
memorize and reproduce passage. This passage was meant to be handed down from generation to
generation, it was meant to be remembered. This only highlights its importance within the
narrative of Exodus.
Lexical Interpretive Summary
c:: is used very frequently
22
throughout the Old Testament by those who are
calling on, or doing something in the name of Yahweh. What is unique about this passage is that
apparently Yahweh is calling in his own name, something that is not done elsewhere. The unique
self-reference combined with the other formalities of the passage make it seem like perhaps God
is modeling a confession for the Israelites, saying it from their point of view for their benefit and
to make apparent that they are to confess this with him.
! L Hackman 6
22
Forty-six times, using a search done in the Accordance Bible software. It is distributed almost evenly through the
Pentateuch, Historical books, Prophets, and the Poets.
When c is used with the noun :: it has a specific usage as lovingkindness and
faithfulness.
23
This usage has a particular connotation in relation to God remembering his
promises to the Patriarchs and to his people. This bears relationship to the context surrounding
the passage, that of the people of Israel forsaking their covenant and God considering his renewal
of the covenant. Why would he renew his covenant? Because of his :: c.
Another word combination that appears in this passage is : ::, which often appears in
the Pentateuch and the Prophets in relation to the carrying out of the Torah.
24
It is understood to
mean to bear, suffer
25
when the referent is a human, but when the referent is God it is
translated in many English versions as to forgive as he is the one removing the transgression.
Perhaps the Israelites had no concept of bearing their sins like Christians do now with the
revelation of the Christ, but it is intriguing to think of the lexical hint of God bearing the
offenses of his people. For the purposes of this paper, however, :: will be translated in the
traditional manner: forgive.
Similarly to ::, ;: (in the piel verbal stem only) is often related to carrying out the
regulations of the Law and means to leave unpunished.
26
However, most of the time it is used
it is joined by a negative particle and the context is usually that of the offender not getting away
with his offense, i.e. to not leave unpunished.
27
In other words, the point of ;: is to say that
the justice of God will most certainly be done.
! L Hackman 7
23
HALOT, 1.336; Francis Brown, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, MA:
Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2006), 2616 p338-39.
24
Seven times within each corpus.
25
HALOT, 14.726.
26
HALOT, 1:720.
27
cf. Num. 5:31, Prov. 11:21, Jer. 49:12
The nouns and verbs of this passage work together to create a proclamation of Yahwehs
name, which could be boiled down to the essential elements of mercy and justice, as exemplified
by the phrases :: c and ;: ;:. The frequency of which many of the phrases in this
passage occur elsewhere bear testimony to the enduring importance that this passage has in the
rest of the Old Testament.
Structure and Narrative Art Interpretive Summary
The passage acts as a hinge within the surrounding context. As mentioned previously, from
chapter 25 God has been giving instructions to Moses on the House of God and these instructions
are seemingly interrupted by the rebellion of the Israelites. Chapters 32 to 34 comprise a
showcase of how the Israelites fail to meet their part of the recently agreed-upon covenant and of
how Yahweh counters their failure with his glorious mercy. The passage at hand acts as a
proclamation of this divine mercy and justice and serves to hinge the surrounding context around
it. It is the turning point upon which the covenant is renewed and the peoples relationship to
God is healed. In the grander scheme of the book, it is the basis on which Israel is even freed
from the grasp of the Egyptians in the first place, and within the narrative of the Pentateuch as a
whole it is the basis on which the covenant with the Patriarchs is fulfilled.
The passage itself can be structured fairly simply.
28
Verse five acts as a summary statement
of the revelation of Yahwehs name: he descends, stands with Moses, and proclaims his name.
Verses 6 and 7, as the actual proclamation of the name, are in three parts: Gods title, his merciful
attributes, and his just attributes. The majority of the passage is dedicated to the character of
! L Hackman 8
28
See appendix 2.
Yahweh as expressed in his name. God is merciful and just, and this is why the covenant with the
Israelites is renewed.
General Interpretive Summary
The fate of the Israelites rests on the character of Yahweh as expressed in his divine
name. The passage reveals his name, and thus his character, and explains his actions throughout
the whole of the Pentateuch and into the rest of the Old Testament. Because his character is
revealed as both merciful and just, this means that the rebellion of the Israelites will not
ultimately frustrate the fulfillment of the covenant. It will be renewed and carried out under the
auspices of Yahwehs mercy and justice.
PART III: BIBLICAL, CULTURAL, AND THEOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
THE PASSAGE IN OLD TESTAMENT LITERATURE
The literary setting of the passage is historical narrative, but it is a relatively brief passage
within a larger section of legal documentation which begins in 25, instructions for the building of
the tabernacle and the order of priests. Before this, Yahweh had set down the conditions of the
covenant in chapters 20 through 22, which are confirmed by the Israelites in chapter 24. In terms
of the literary flow, then, the Israelites confirm the covenant and Moses is ordered up the
mountain to receive the tablets of the Law and the instructions for the tabernacle which will
allow the presence of God to be in the midst of the Israelites. The Golden Calf narrative then
interrupts these instructions, but immediately after the events of the betrayal and renewal at the
foot of Sinai the instructions for the tabernacle are given to the Israelites post-haste, almost as
though nothing had happened. In fact, one could excise the Golden Calf narrative completely
from the document and the literary flow would be the better for it.
! L Hackman 9
The question remains of why it was included here when it seems so anachronistic in the
literary flow. Besides its historical value in the formation of the nation of Israel, I believe it is
included because it relates directly to the fulfillment of the covenant which the Israelites had just
ratified. The Golden Calf narrative makes shockingly clear that the sons of Jacob are apparently
unable to fulfill their end of the covenant. On the other hand, the revelation of the divine name
makes it abundantly clear that God is able, and willing, to fulfill the covenant. The revelation of
the divine name stands as a lynchpin which applies to the rest of the narrative of the Old
Testament and explains his dealings with the Israelites in the wilderness and beyond. Because of
this, it serves a very important purpose in the larger narrative of the Pentateuch.
In the rest of the Old Testament,
29
the proclamation of Yahwehs character (verses 6 and
7) becomes a kind of formula that is used to understand Gods dealings with the people of Israel,
from the Wilderness to the Exile. Within the Pentateuch, an almost parallel situation to that of the
Golden Calf appears in Numbers 14. The Jews have just received a bad report from the spies
who entered Canaan and they rebel, desiring to go back to Egypt. As in the Golden Calf
narrative, God threatens to desert and destroy the people, but again Moses steps in as a mediator.
Interestingly, he quotes almost the entire proclamation formula to remind Yahweh of his
character in dealing with the Israelites. As before, God is indeed merciful to the Israelites.
As the nation of Israel stumbles on through its history and finds itself under Gods justice
for the weight of its sins during the period of the Exile, the proclamation is repeated in the books
of the prophets. When God tells Jeremiah to buy a field, Jeremiah is confused, but recalls Gods
dealings with the Israelites, quoting Gods merciful and just attributes from the proclamation, as
! L Hackman 10
29
See appendix 3
he asks Yahweh what his plans are (Jeremiah 32:18). God proceeds to tell Jeremiah of his plan to
redeem his people and make them his once again (32:36-44), presumably based upon his
abounding lovingkindness and faithfulness. As Joel pleads for Judah to turn to God, he
reminds them that God is slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over
disaster (Joel 2:13, ESV). Joel is banking on the same mercy that God showed to the Israelites
in the wilderness to motivate them now. Perhaps he will turn and relent (2:14, ESV). In
Daniel 9:4, as Daniel prays for the restoration of Israel, he includes a partial quotation of the
proclamation from Deuteronomy 5:10. Daniel is keenly aware of Gods character in his dealings
with his people. Even as the remnant returns from Babylon, they recall Gods merciful attributes
from the proclamation in the face of their rebellion on the foothold of Canaan and at the foot of
Sinai (Nehemiah 9:17-19). Gods merciful character is what allows the remnant to return to
Jerusalem and renew their part in the covenant once again. Throughout the nations history, the
proclamation of Yahwehs character from Exodus 34:5-7 is the guiding principle of Gods
dealings with Israel throughout its history.
This holds true for Yahwehs interaction with other nations as well, as Jonah finds out. In
his famously petulant remark after God spares his judgement of Nineveh upon their repentance,
he tells Yahweh, I knew you were a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in
steadfast love, and relenting from disaster (Jonah 4:2, ESV). In marked contrast, about 100
years later Nahum warns the people of Nineveh to repent, saying The LORD is slow to anger
and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty (Nahum 1:3, ESV). God
remains the same to the Ninevites as he does to the Israelites, a God who deals with mercy in the
face of repentance and justice in the face of rebellion.
! L Hackman 11
Throughout the Old Testament the proclamation of Gods name in Exodus 34:6-7 serves
as a bass line, a steady beat that reminded the sons of Jacob that Yahweh was eager to have them
turn to him, but able to act with justice if they did not. In this way, the proclamation serves as an
outline of Israels history. God was certainly slow to anger, compassionate and gracious with the
Israelites, but for those who hated him, he did not let their sin go unpunished.
THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF THE PASSAGE
An understanding of the importance of naming in the Ancient Near Eastern culture of the
Israelites is important to understanding the proclamation of Yahwehs name. To the ancients,
naming had an essential place in determining who a person was. A name was not merely an
arbitrarily set phonetic means of identifying someone, but the sum total of a persons internal
and external pattern of behavior was gathered up into his name.
30
This illuminates passages in
the Old Testament such as Jacobs naming as cheat when he was a baby (Genesis 25:26), and
his later renaming as Israel, or strives with God (32:27). Jacob is not merely renamed Israel, he
became Israel.
God has already given himself the proper name Yahweh in Exodus 3:14 to Moses as an
identifier for the Egyptians and the Israelites to know him by. In that case, it serves to let them
know that I am is, that he is in exclusion to all other gods and that he is present and aware of
the situation that his people were in. In Exodus 34, Gods revelation of his name serves to further
explicate who exactly he is and how he could be expected to behave. The Israelites understood
that to know Gods name was to know him as a gracious and merciful God. Thus in Psalms 9:6,
! L Hackman 12
30
Tenney and Barabas, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 363.
the Psalmist declares that those who know [Yahwehs] name put their trust in [him] (ESV)
surely because his name is abounding in lovingkindness and faithfulness.
The importance of naming was underscored in other cultures as well, particularly as it
related to the naming of deities. Within Egyptian culture, the names of a god could be a closely
guarded secret by the god, kept from even their devoted followers but that imbued the god with
his or her powers.
31
The god Re-Atum even states that Magic is my name.
32
By retaining the
power to itself, no other god could use it. In the Legend of Isis and the Name of Re, a legend
dating from between 1350-1200 B.C.,
33
Isis seeks to find out Res name so that she can have his
power. She fashions a snake that wounds Re, forcing him to seek her for help. She offers to heal
him in exchange for his name. When he first tells her his name, it is not just a name but a string
of his accomplishments as a god, highlighting his creativity and power. This turns out not to be
his secret name, which he soon divulges to Isis but is not actually divulged within the text.
A text like this, having been written extremely close to the proposed dates of the exodus
from Egypt, bears some resemblance to the proclamation of Yahwehs name. When Re claims to
reveal his name, it comes as essentially a list of his divine attributes (I am he who made
heaven and earth, who knotted together the mountains, etc.).
34
This recalls both the revelation of
the divine name in Exodus 3:6 and Exodus 34:6-7 through the use of I am and the stating of
divine attributes. Of course, Re does not straightaway reveal his deepest name, the magic of his
name, because this would weaken him. In contrast, Yahweh does not need to fear this scenario
! L Hackman 13
31
William W. Hallo, The Context of Scripture: Canonical Compositions, Monumental Inscriptions and Archival
Documents from the Biblical World. Vol. 1, Canonical Compositions from the Biblical World, (Leiden: Brill, 1997),
33.
32
Ibid.
33
James B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton
University Press, 1955), 12.
34
Ibid., 13.
because he does not share his power with anyone, and his name does not hold some magical
power. His power resides within his being and his name only illuminates his being and thus he is
free to share with everyone. When Moses asks to see Gods glory (33:18), to be a witness to the
essence of Yahweh, this does not threaten Yahweh in the slightest. Gods main concern seems to
be that Moses will not be obliterated by being exposed to the fullness of Yahwehs unmitigated
presence.
Gods essential character, his name, is not held back from the Israelites, but is revealed
for them on Mount Sinai to know, understand, and respond to. Judging from the Legend of Isis,
Egyptian culture had a conception of gods who kept part of themselves secret to maintain their
power within a complex polytheistic hierarchy. Yahweh resembles nothing like these gods,
instead freely revealing his nature and character for the Jews to experience. Before he reveals his
name, God makes this freedom clear by saying, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious,
and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy (33:19, ESV), showing that it is not even by
Moses request that God reveals his name, but by the pure grace of God that he does so. In
essence, because God is who he is, he reveals himself to the Israelites and Moses as such.
THE PASSAGE IN NEW TESTAMENT LITERATURE
There are no direct quotations of this passage within the New Testament, but there are
two possible allusions, the first of which is in the Gospel of John. As John introduces Jesus in the
beginning of the Gospel, he makes several theological statements about him. In John 1:14 he
says, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of
the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (ESV). The two phrases that stand out here
are seen his glory and grace and truth. These echo Moses request in Exodus 33:18 for God
! L Hackman 14
to show him his glory, which John says, they have indeed seen. Not just any glory, but glory full
of grace and truth (carito kai alhqeia), words which, while not exactly the same, echo
the Septuagints polueleo kai alhqino\ from Exodus 34:6. That this is an allusion to this
passage becomes clearer in John 1:17 when John then tells his readers that the law was given
through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (ESV). John is contrasting the grace
and truth (:: c) revealed in Jesus Christ and the very name of God, with the Law that was
given through Moses.
35
Further, John says, No one has ever seen God, but God the One and
Only, who is at the Fathers side, has made him known (John 1:18, NIV) which has strong
connotations from Exodus 33:20, as God tells Moses, you cannot see my face, for man shall not
see me and live (ESV). Apparently, John sees parallels in the revelation on Mt. Sinai of
Yahwehs name to Moses to the revelation of Jesus Christ to humanity. The grace and truth that
exemplified the name of Yahweh are fully revealed in Jesus, and men have lived to tell the tale.
The same allusion to the revelation of Gods glory that Moses experienced are clear also
in 2 Corinthians 3:12-18. There Paul speaks of the veil that Moses wore over his face after he
witnesses the divine proclamation of Yahwehs name (Exodus 34:29-35). To Paul, the Israelites,
then and now, are unable to view Gods glory shining through the mediator, whether that be Jesus
or Moses.
36
Christians turning their faces to Jesus Christ are able to behold the full glory of
Yahweh, and be transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another (2
Corinthians 3:18, ESV). Christians are to be transformed into the very likeness of Yahwehs
name, his goodness (Exodus 33:19). The revealed grace and truth of Jesus that John talks about
! L Hackman 15
35
G.K. Beale, and D.A. Carson, eds, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids,
MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 422.
36
G.K. Beale, Ed., The Right Doctrine from the Wrong Texts? / Essays on the Use of the Old Testament in the New,
(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1994). 302.
are further expounded by Paul to be the means of the believers transformation into Christs
image.
THE BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE PASSAGE
The glory of Yahwehs name revealed in Exodus 34:5-7 was, in many senses, only a
partial revealing. Only Moses could be present as Yahweh passed by from the cloud and he had
to be covered by Yahwehs hand so as not to be destroyed by the presence of God, even what was
only exhibited by Yahwehs backside. As Moses himself descends the mountain the be present
with the Jews, they cannot handle the reflected glory on Moses face; it too must be veiled for
them. Gods presence, while there, is always limited in some respect.
37
Whether, through the
fingers of Gods hand, by the curtain in the Tabernacle, or in the cloud, the presence of God is
always veiled in Exodus.
For all that, God does reveal himself and make his presence known with the Israelites. He
is revealed, through his actions and through his self-proclamation, as indeed a God who is
merciful and just, forgiving threefold yet not letting those who hate him get away with their open
rebellion. As such, the God of the Old Testament is also the God of the New Testament,
unchanging through the ages (Malachi 3:6).
But instead of the partial unveiling that the Jews were privy to, Christians are witnesses
to the full glory of God unveiled in the person of Jesus Christ. To understand what abounding
lovingkindness and faithfulness really mean, one only has to look at the person of Jesus to
know. And as believers, Christians are not only privy as witnesses to Gods glory in Jesus Christ,
! L Hackman 16
37
Stuart, Exodus, 40.
but they are partakers as well, being transformed into the likeness and goodness of Yahweh
himself.
PART IV: THE PASSAGE IN THE MODERN WORLD
38
One of the many unique things about this passage is that it is one of the few examples of
a personal encounter with the presence of God that occur in the Old Testament. In other words, it
is a theophany, a visible manifestation of God. In this case, the one witness of this personal
encounter is Moses. It is not hard to put the imagination to work, putting in the minds eye the
rocky crags of Mount Sinai, envisioning a swirling cloud encircling the top of the mountain,
occasional flashes of lightning illuminating the dark nimbus and sending out crashing peals of
thunder. Imagine Moses working his way up into the maelstrom, wind whipping at his robes,
staff in hand. His thoughts are full of the fate of his people who have come perilously close to
inciting the full wrath of the creator-God. Was he afraid? Was he wondering what he would see
when Yahweh revealed his presence to him?
While most people may be able to imagine this, most people would never imagine
themselves in a similar situation. Who would dare say that they enter the presence of God in the
manner that Moses does? Better yet, who would say that they want to enter the presence like
Moses did? Maybe Moses was bold enough, or crazy enough, but I would be remembering what
I said to my wife yesterday, or that lust issue that still sometimes crops up, or that thing I did in
high school that I still have not told nobody about. Why anybody want to enter Gods presence
with all of that stuff inside them?
! L Hackman 17
38
I had in mind for this application veteran Christians who are either legalistic or lax because of sin. Specifically I
had in mind the Christianized culture of the Southern USA .
The Israelites, upon seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder, were probably filled
with these kinds of thoughts (Exodus 20:18-19). Their refusal to come near the mountain and
their request for Moses to speak to them in the stead of God set the tone for their interactions
with God, and indeed sets the tone for many of us today. We are afraid of God. We would rather
have someone else talk to him for us, maybe read about him in a book, have someone talk about
him to us on Sunday mornings or feel something nice about him during the occasional weekend
conference. But we simply do not want to see him face to face, like Moses did. For the Israelites
this meant increasing distance from God, a distance that only kept increasing throughout their
history until even when they kept the Torah diligently in the time of Jesus, even that kept them
away from the presence of God. We are not too unlike the Israelites. We are eager to put other
things in between us and him.
But Moses was different. Moses was the crazy one, boldly asking Yahweh to Please
show me your glory (33:18, ESV). Why? Moses knew that Gods presence meant blessing. If
your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I
have found favor in your sight, I and your people? (33:15-16, ESV). Moses knew that it was
better to be as close to God as possible, the opposite reaction that the people of Israel had. Thats
because Moses the Murderer (2:12) knew that Yahweh was a forgiving God. Maybe Moses had
no idea what he would see when he went up the mountain, but he knew who God is. Over and
over again, Moses had seen God show his love to the slaves of Egypt, rescuing them for
relationship.
The irony of the theophany on Sinai is that the very thing that God reveals to Moses is the
reason why the theophany is even possible. Moses is no less a sinful man than most of us (how
! L Hackman 18
often does someone meet a person who has taken a human life?), yet he is able to bear witness
and confess concerning Yahweh, Yahweh, a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger,
and abounding in lovingkindness and faithfulness, keeping lovingkindness to thousands and
forgiving offense and rebellion and sin.
Fast forward about 1400 years and the theophany happens all over again, but happens in a
way it could not have happened before. God is again making himself present to mankind,
tenting among them, revealing his full glory, unabated by clouds or tents or a hand but become
flesh (John 1:18). Is he still compassionate? Is he still gracious? Has he changed? He has not, he
is still full of grace and truth, giving to all grace upon grace (1:16, ESV).
And yet, we still shrink back from his presence to this day. The irony is that the very
things that hold us back, our sin which seems so big or the standards that we must meet before
we are okay to see Christ, are the very things that entering Christs presence are meant to
answer. It is not our standards of how good or bad we are that allow us to go up the mountain,
but it is Yahwehs standard of forgiveness, compassion, and enduring love. For you have not
come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the
sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be
spoken to them. But you have come to Mount Zion and to Jesus, the mediator of a new
covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Hebrews
12:18-19, 22, 24, ESV).
The challenge of Exodus 34:5-7 for us is to enter the presence of God for ourselves, to
encounter the divine name for ourselves. The blood of Christ has made it possible, but do we as
Christians take advantage of this day in and day out? I am challenged as I read this passage to
! L Hackman 19
ask, the next time I open the words of Scripture, to say, Please show me your glory! I am
challenged to say, the next time I bend my knees to prayer to say, Please show me your glory!
The next time I fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ to say, Please, please, please, show
me your glory! How else will I know your blessing unless you go with me?
! L Hackman 20
APPENDIX 1: Translation Differences
LXX Samaritan
Pentateuch
Targum Peshitta Vulgate
v. 5 v. 5 v. 5
v. 6 v. 6 v. 6
v. 7 v. 7 v. 7 v. 7 v. 7 v. 7
revealed vs.
descended
Moses stands
with God
Moses calls on
the name
Moses calls on
the name
shekinah is
added
before his
face
by his face
Lord only
one time
thousands of
generations
thousands of
generations
forgiving those
who return to
His Torah
Adds the noun
guilty
to those who
do not return
no man of
himself is
innocent before
thee
rebellious
grandchildren
Adds the noun
generations
! L Hackman 21
APPENDIX 2: Outline of Exodus 34:5-7
I. Summary sentence:
A. Descended in the cloud
B. Stood with him there
C. Proclaimed the name of Yahweh
II. Proclamation: And Yahweh passed on before him and proclaimed
A. Title: Yahweh, Yahweh,
B. Merciful attributes:
1. Compassionate and gracious
2. Slow to anger
3. Abounding in lovingkindness and faithfulness
4. Keeping lovingkindness to thousands
5. Forgiving
a)Offense
b)Rebellion
c)Sin
C. Just Attributes:
1. Does not leave guilty unpunished
2. Avenges offense of fathers
a)On sons
b)On sons of sons
c)To the third generation
d)To the fourth generation
! L Hackman 22
APPENDIX 3: OT Allusions and Quotations of Passage With Notes
I. Numbers 14:18; Almost a repeat of the golden calf narrative. The people rebel after they hear
the bad report about the giants in the land, God threatens to destroy them, and Moses recalls to
Yahweh his revelation of his name at Sinai, quoting the revelation nearly exactly. God shows
mercy and justice in his reaction.
z. Deuteronomy 5:9-10; In the renumeration of the Law, this passage is included with the 10
commandments on the commandment against idolatry, except that it is reversed. The justice
part is first and added is the line to those who hate me. As well, those who love me and
keep my commandments is added to the part about showing steadfast love to thousands.
-. Nehemiah 9:17; Recalled in part of a larger summary narrative describing the wickedness of
the Israelites throughout their nations history and the mercy and justice of God in response to
their repeated stiff-nakedness. Interestingly, only the part about Gods mercy is quoted.
+. Jeremiah 32:18-19; As part of an address to Yahweh concerning his command to Jeremiah to
buy a field. Jeremiah is confused, but begins his address with a truncated version including
HESED and the repayment of sin to the children of fathers after them. God promises to restore
the fortunes of the Jews and have a people for himself under the new covenant.
. Daniel 9:4; Daniel hints at Gods steadfast love for those who keep his commandments
when praying for the restoration of Israel.
t. Joel 2:13; Joel is pleading to the Israelites to return to Yahweh, because of his merciful
attributes. He opens up the possibility that Yahweh will relent in his anger if there is
repentance.
:. Jonah 4:2; Jonah knew that God would forgive the Nineties if they repented from their deeds
(and is unhappy about it). He quotes the attributes, and includes the line relenting from
disaster.
s. Lamentations 3:32; Though God is punishing the Jews, he will have compassion according to
the abundance of his steadfast love. Jeremiah seems to put his mercy above his justice. He
will not cast off forever.
v. Nahum 1:3; In contrast to Jonah, here Nahum echoes the revelation of Yahweh to warn
Nineveh of Gods wrath. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will
by no means clear the guilty.
Iu. Psalms 86:15; David here is praying for deliverance from his enemies, quotes Gods merciful
attributes.
II. Psalms 103:8, 17; Quotes the merciful attributes of God, but seems to clarify that the steadfast
love is for those who fear him, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his
covenants. Part of a Psalm of praise by David.
Iz. Psalms 145:8; Another psalm of praise extolling Gods grace and mercy.
! L Hackman 23
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brown, Francis. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody, MA:
Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2006.
Beale, G.K., and D.A. Carson, Editors. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old
Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.
Beale, G.K. Ed. The Right Doctrine from the Wrong Texts? / Essays on the Use of the Old
Testament in the New. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1994.
Durham, John I. Word Biblical Commentary: Exodus. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1987.
Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas K. Stuart. How to Read the Bible Book by Book: A Guided Tour.
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.
Grudem, Wayne. Ed. ESV Study Bible. Harpercollins Pub Ltd, 2008.
Hallo, William W. The Context of Scripture: Canonical Compositions, Monumental Inscriptions
and Archival Documents from the Biblical World. Vol. 1, Canonical Compositions from
the Biblical World. Leiden: Brill, 1997.
Holladay, William L. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Grand
Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, Co., 1988.
Joon, Paul. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrews.Translated by T. Muraoka. Rome: Editrce
Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 2006.
Pritchard, James B. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Princeton, N.J.:
Princeton University Press, 1955.
Ritner, Robert K. Legend of Isis and the Name of Re. In The Context of Scripture, edited by
William W. Hallo, v.1 p33-34. New York: Brill, 1997.
Stuart, Douglas K. Exodus. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006.
Tenney, Merrill C. and Steven Barabas, Eds. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible.
Vols 1-5. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1975.
Waltke, Bruce K. and M. OConnor. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Eisenbrauns,
1990.
! L Hackman 24
WORKS REFERENCED
Dozeman, Thomas B. Commentary on Exodus. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 2009.
Glueck, Nelson. Hesed in the Bible. Translated by Alfred Gottschalk. Edited by Elias L. Epstein.
Cincinnati, OH: The Hebrew Union College Press, 1967.
NIV Archaeological Study Bible: An Illustrated Walk Through Biblical History and Culture :
New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.
! L Hackman 25