Exodus 34:29

“And it happened, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in the hand of Moses as he came down from the mountain, that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had spoken with him.”
Exodus 34:29 · direct translation from the Hebrew

Study it in the app

With the Hebrew beneath

And it happened,וַיְהִיwhen Mosesבְּ מֹשֶׁהcame downרֶדֶתfrom MountמֵהַרSinai,סִינַיwith the twoוּשְׁנֵיtabletsלֻחֹתof the testimonyהָעֵדֻתin the handבְּיַדof Mosesמֹשֶׁהas he came downבְּרִדְתּוֹfrom the mountain,מִן הָהָרthat Mosesוּמֹשֶׁהdid notלֹאknowיָדַעthatכִּיthe skinעוֹרof his faceפָּנָיוshoneקָרַןbecause he had spokenבְּדַבְּרוֹwith him.אִתּוֹ

Allusion · 2 Corinthians 3:7

Go to 2 Corinthians 3:7

Paul rereads Exodus 34:29-35: the sons of Israel could not look at the face of Moses, which shone. That this glory “was being set aside” is Paul’s statement; Exodus does not say it.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

פָּנָיpanayH6440πρόσωπονprosōponG4383“face; presence”
מֹשֶׁהmosheH4872ΜωϋσέωςMōyseōsG3475“Moses”

Exodus 34:29, word by word

And it happenedיְהִיyehi

happen

For something to occur or take place; many stories open with this word.

Where else “yehi” appears

when Mosesמֹשֶׁהmoshe

Moses

Moses, the man God called to bring Israel out of Egypt and through whom he gave the Law. His name sounds like "draw out" (Exodus 2:10).

Where else “moshe” appears

came downרֶדֶתredet

go down

To go from a higher place to a lower one, like from the mountain to the valley.

Where else “redet” appears

from Mountהַרhar

mountain

A great rise of land, like Sinai or Zion.

Where else “har” appears

Sinaiסִינַיsinay

Sinai

See it on the map Where else “sinay” appears

with the twoשְׁנֵיshene

both

The two together, both of them.

Where else “shene” appears

tabletsלֻחֹתluchot

tablet

Tablet, a flat piece of stone, wood or metal to write on; also a board or plank.

Where else “luchot” appears

of the testimonyעֵדֻתedut

testimony

Testimony: the tablets of the covenant, which bear witness to what God commanded; "the ark of the testimony" holds them.

Where else “edut” appears

in the handיַדyad

hand

The part of the body with which one takes, gives and works; also what one does.

Where else “yad” appears

knowיָדַעyada

know

To know something, realize.

Where else “yada” appears

the skinעוֹרor

skin, leather

Skin, hide; leather.

Where else “or” appears

of his faceפָּנָיpanay

face

The front of the head, of someone or of God.

Where else “panay” appears

shoneקָרַןkaran

shine

Send out rays of light.

Where else “karan” appears

because he had spokenדַבְּרdabr

speak

To speak, say something; above all God to his people.

Where else “dabr” appears

Translation note

The verb “shine” (qaran) appears with this meaning only in this passage; it comes from the word “horn,” which also means “ray” (Habakkuk 3:4).

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Sinai ?
Today: disputed; traditionally Jebel Musa, Sinai, Egypt
A mountain in the wilderness; which one it was is not known for certain, and its location is disputed.
There God spoke with Moses and gave the law to Israel (Exod 19:20; 24:16).
Exodus 19:20 Exodus 19:11 Exodus 24:16 Acts 7:38

The context

28And he was there with YHWH forty days and forty nights; bread he did not eat, and water he did not drink. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten words.

29 · This verse (above)

30And Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, and look, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near to him.

Read all of Exodus 34

How to use it