UTN uW Translation Notes:

Exodus 34 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

* v. 1–4 Yahweh orders Moses to return to the mountain* v. 5–9 Yahweh reveals himself to Moses and Moses reacts* v. 10–28 Covenant renewal* v. 29–34 Moses reports to Israel

Translation Issues in This Chapter

* In verse 1, Yahweh says he will write on stone tablets, yet later (v. 27–28) he commands Moses to write and the text says Moses writes.* Yahweh reveals something significant about himself or his character to Moses. There are a number of difficult terms and concepts.* The biblical metaphor of true worship as sexual fidelity appears in v. 14–16.* Several verses are repeated either exactly or closely from earlier chapters.* In v. 12–26 Yahweh appears to give a different 10 commandments from those in Exodus 20 (but also largely repeated from other earlier parts of Exodus), raising the question of what was actually written on the stone tablets in v. 28.* The concept of Moses’s shining face may be difficult in some cultures.

“He will bring the punishment for the fathers’ sin on their children”

This phrase does not mean that a child is necessarily punished for the sins of their parents. Many scholars believe that this passage indicates that a parent’s sins will have consequences that will affect their children and grandchildren. (See: sin)