The Shining Face of Moses
Exodus 34:29-35
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
Jude
Revelation
Exo.34.29 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ברדת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מהר: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- סיני: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושני: CONJ+NUM,card,m,pl
- לחת: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- העדת: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ברדתו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- מן: PREP
- ההר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ומשה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- ידע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- קרן: VERB,piel,perf,3,m,sg
- עור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פניו: NOUN,m,pl,cons+3,m,sg
- בדברו: PREP+VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
Parallels
- Exodus 34:30 (verbal): Immediate narrative repetition: restates that Moses' face shone and the people's reaction, directly continuing the same scene.
- Exodus 34:33-35 (structural): Narrative continuation explaining Moses' use of a veil to hide the radiant skin of his face when not speaking with Israel.
- Exodus 33:18-23 (thematic): Background theophany: Moses requests to see God's glory and God shelters him, providing the theological context for why Moses' face bears divine radiance.
- 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 (allusion): Paul explicitly alludes to Moses' shining face and the veil, using the episode to contrast the fading glory of the old covenant with the surpassing glory of the new covenant in the Spirit.
- Matthew 17:1-2 (thematic): Transfiguration parallel: Jesus' face and garments radiate divine light after a divine encounter, thematically echoing Moses' transformed appearance after speaking with God.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it happened, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he came down from the mountain, that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been speaking with him.
- And it happened, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand as he came down from the mountain, that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been speaking with him.
Exo.34.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וירא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אהרן: NOUN,m,sg,abs,prop
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- והנה: ADV
- קרן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פניו: NOUN,m,pl,cons+3,m,sg
- וייראו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- מגשת: VERB,qal,ptcp,3,f,sg
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Exod.34:29 (verbal): Same episode immediately preceding: explicitly states Moses' face 'shone' (קרן עור פניו), the closest verbal parallel in the Pentateuch.
- Exod.34:33-35 (structural): Describes Moses putting on and removing a veil after speaking with the people, explaining the practice that follows his radiant face.
- 2 Cor.3:13-18 (allusion): Paul directly alludes to Moses' shining face and the veil, using the episode as an allegory about the fading glory of the old covenant and the transforming glory of the Spirit.
- Matt.17:2 (thematic): Transfiguration narrative where Jesus' face shines like the sun; thematically parallels the manifestation of divine glory on a human face.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.
- And Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to draw near to him.
Exo.34.31 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקרא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אלהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- וישבו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- אהרן: NOUN,m,sg,abs,prop
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- הנשאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- בעדה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- וידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Exodus 4:29 (verbal): Moses and Aaron gather the elders and speak to them — similar wording and action (calling/assembling the leaders and addressing them).
- Exodus 19:7 (verbal): Moses 'called for the elders of the people' to communicate God’s words — parallels the act of summoning community leaders to receive instruction from Moses.
- Numbers 11:16 (thematic): God instructs Moses to gather seventy elders to share leadership and counsel — thematically parallels Moses assembling the leaders for instruction and decision-making.
- Deuteronomy 31:10–13 (structural): Moses commands the priests and elders to assemble the people for public reading of the law — a structurally similar situation in which leaders are gathered to hear and transmit Moses’ words.
Alternative generated candidates
- But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke to them.
- But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the assembly returned to him, and Moses spoke to them.
Exo.34.32 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואחרי: CONJ
- כן: ADV
- נגשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויצום: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- אשר: PRON,rel
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- בהר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- סיני: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 24:3 (verbal): Both describe the people's collective acceptance/obedience of God's words at Sinai—"All the words which the LORD hath said will we do" echoes the statement that Israel did all that the LORD commanded.
- Exodus 19:8 (verbal): Earlier declaration of the people, "All that the LORD hath spoken we will do," parallels the same communal assent/obedience found in 34:32.
- Deuteronomy 5:27-29 (allusion): Moses is told to have the people 'go near and hear' and they pledge to 'hear and do' what the LORD commands—echoes the 'came near' and obedience language of Exod 34:32.
- Joshua 24:24 (thematic): Joshua records the people’s renewed covenantal pledge to serve and obey the LORD—a later, thematically parallel affirmation of Israel's commitment to God's commands given at Sinai.
Alternative generated candidates
- And afterward all the Israelites came near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.
- And afterward all the Israelites drew near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.
Exo.34.33 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מדבר: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- ויתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- פניו: NOUN,m,pl,cons+3,m,sg
- מסוה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Exod.34.29 (structural): The immediate context: Moses' face had become radiant after speaking with God, which explains why he put a veil over his face (cause of the veil).
- Exod.34.35 (structural): Continuation of the pericope: describes Moses removing the veil when he went in to speak with the Lord and putting it back when he spoke to Israel (completes the veil motif).
- 2 Cor.3.13 (allusion): Paul explicitly alludes to Moses' practice of putting a veil over his face, using the historical episode to comment on how the glory associated with Moses was treated in later religious reflection.
- 2 Cor.3.14-16 (thematic): Paul expands the veil image theologically: the veil on Moses' face becomes a symbol of Israel's hardened minds under the old covenant and is contrasted with the unveiling in Christ (spiritualizing the Exodus motif).
Alternative generated candidates
- And when Moses finished speaking with them, he placed a veil over his face.
- And when Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.
Exo.34.34 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובבא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לפני: PREP
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לדבר: INF,qal
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- יסיר: VERB,hiph,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- המסוה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- עד: PREP
- צאתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ויצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ודבר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יצוה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Exod.34:29 (verbal): Describes Moses' radiant face after speaking with God—the reason he used a veil; directly linked to the action in v.34 of removing the veil when he entered God's presence.
- Exod.34:33-35 (structural): Immediate context that repeats and explains the veil practice: Moses put the veil on the people-facing side of his face and removed it when speaking with the Lord, then relayed God's commands.
- 2 Cor.3:13-18 (quotation): Paul explicitly cites and interprets the Moses-and-veil episode, contrasting the fading glory of Moses with the unveiled, transforming glory of Christ and the Spirit.
- Num.12:6-8 (allusion): Affirms Moses' unique face-to-face access to God—theologically related to the Exodus account of Moses' direct encounters and resultant radiance that necessitated the veil.
Alternative generated candidates
- And whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the Israelites what he was commanded.
- Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he came out; then he would come out and speak to the Israelites what he was commanded.
Exo.34.35 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וראו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- קרן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- עור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- והשיב: VERB,hip,impf,3,m,sg
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- המסוה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- על: PREP
- פניו: NOUN,m,pl,cons+3,m,sg
- עד: PREP
- באו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- לדבר: INF,qal
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
Parallels
- Exodus 34:29 (verbal): Immediate parallel in the same episode: describes Moses' face as radiant/shining after speaking with God, providing the detail that leads to the veil.
- Exodus 33:11 (structural): States that the LORD spoke to Moses 'face to face,' explaining the intimacy that occasioned Moses' radiant face and his removing the veil when he went in to speak with God.
- Numbers 12:6-8 (allusion): God contrasts Moses with other prophets, emphasizing Moses' unique, face-to-face revelation—background for why Moses' visage was transformed and treated differently (veiled) by the Israelites.
- 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 (allusion): Paul explicitly draws on the Moses/veil motif: he cites the glory on Moses' face and the veil over Israel, using it typologically to contrast the fading glory of the old covenant with the unveiled, transforming glory in Christ.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone; and Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with him.
- And the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone; and Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with him.
And it happened, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in the hand of Moses as he came down from the mountain, that Moses did not know that the skin of his face was radiant because he had been speaking with him. And Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. And Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke to them. And afterward all the Israelites drew near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. And when Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. And whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he came out; then he would come out and speak to the Israelites whatever he was commanded. And the Israelites would see Moses' face, that the skin of his face was radiant; and Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with him.