Exodus 34:30

Verse

Aaron and all the Israelites looked at Moses, and behold, his face was radiant. And they were afraid to approach him.

American Standard Version (1901)

And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

Bible in Basic English

But when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, and the shining of his face, they would not come near him for fear.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And Aaron and the children of Israel seeing the face of Moses horned, were afraid to come near.

Free Bible Version

When Aaron and the Israelites saw Moses with his face shining so brightly they were frightened to approach him.

Geneva Bible 1599

And Aaron and all the children of Israel looked vpon Moses, and beholde, the skin of his face shone bright, and they were afraid to come neere him)

King James (Authorized) Version

And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

One Unity Resource Bible

When Aaron [Light-bringer] and all the children of Israel [God prevails] saw Moses [Drawn out], behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come near him.

Translation for Translators

When Aaron and the other Israeli people saw Moses/me, they were amazed/surprised that his/my face was shining. So they were afraid to come near him/me.

Unlocked Literal Bible

When Aaron and the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.

Noah Webster Bible

And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come nigh him.

World English Bible

When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come near him.

Young's Literal Translation

and Aaron seeth — all the sons of Israel also — Moses, and lo, the skin of his face hath shone, and they are afraid of coming nigh unto him.

Context

The LORD Renews the Covenant

²⁹And when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was unaware that his face had become radiant from speaking with the LORD.³⁰Aaron and all the Israelites looked at Moses, and behold, his face was radiant. And they were afraid to approach him.

Summary

In Exodus 34:30, we see Moses coming down from Mount Sinai after being in the presence of God, and his face is radiant with the glory of the Lord. This radiant glow symbolizes the divine authority and holiness that Moses carried as a leader chosen by God. It also serves as a visible sign of the intimate relationship Moses had with God, reflecting the transformative power of being in God's presence. This verse reminds us of the importance of spending time in God's presence to be filled with His glory and to reflect His light in the world.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

They were afraid to come nigh him - A sight of his face alarmed them; their consciences were still guilty from their late transgression, and they had not yet received the atonement. The very appearance of superior sanctity often awes the guilty into respect.

John Gill Bible Commentary

And till Moses had done speaking with them,.... Not when he had done, as the Septuagint version, for then there would have been no occasion for it; but when he first began to speak to Aaron and the "rulers", and continued to speak to the congregation until he had finished what he had to say; even he did what follows, as soon as he perceived there was a glory on his face, which they could not bear to look at: he put a vail on his face; something that covered it in a good measure, a mask, or linen cloth, or some such thing. The obscurity of the law may be signified by this vail, both of the moral and ceremonial law; the moral law, which though it makes known the mind and will of God, with respect to what is to be done, or not done, yet not with respect to the affair of life and salvation: it makes known the one God as the object of worship, but gives no account of a trinity of persons in the Godhead; no hint of God in Christ, nor revelation of the Son of God; no view of a Saviour, no notion of pardon; nor does it point out the righteousness of Christ unto us; nor do we from it hear anything of the Spirit of God, and his grace, nor of eternal life and glory: the ceremonial law, and its ordinances, did give some light into evangelical things, and did point out Christ, and the blessings of his grace, yet but darkly and obscurely; they were shadows of good things to come, and gave some dark and distant views of them, but were not so much as the image of the things, and did not bring them near, and set them in a clear light: likewise this vail may be an emblem of the darkness of the minds of men, with respect to the law, and the knowledge of divine things; especially of the Jews, who, as the apostle says, "could not steadfastly look at the end of that which is abolished": of the ceremonial law, which is disannulled, the end of which was Christ; he is the end for which it was made, the scope or mark at which it aimed, the term in which it issued, and in whom it had its complete fulfilment; but this they had not a perfect view of, and could not steadfastly behold: the moral law also is in some sense abolished by Christ, as the ministration of Moses, as a covenant of works, and as to the curse and condemnation of it to those that believe; and Christ he is the end of this, the fulfilling end of it, by conformity of nature, and obedience of life unto it, and by suffering the penalty of it; but such was the blindness of the Jews, that they were ignorant of the nature of this law, of the spirituality and perfection of it, of its use to convince men of sin, to condemn for it, but not to justify from it; were ignorant of the righteousness of God which the law required, and of Christ, and of the way of life and righteousness by him; and so of the Spirit of God, and his work, and of the mysteries of the Gospel, and of the books of the Old Testament; see Co2 3:14.

Exodus 34:30

The LORD Renews the Covenant

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

Aaron and all the Israelites looked at Moses, and behold, his face was radiant. And they were afraid to approach him.

American Standard Version (1901)

And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

Bible in Basic English

But when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, and the shining of his face, they would not come near him for fear.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And Aaron and the children of Israel seeing the face of Moses horned, were afraid to come near.

Free Bible Version

When Aaron and the Israelites saw Moses with his face shining so brightly they were frightened to approach him.

Geneva Bible 1599

And Aaron and all the children of Israel looked vpon Moses, and beholde, the skin of his face shone bright, and they were afraid to come neere him)

King James (Authorized) Version

And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

One Unity Resource Bible

When Aaron [Light-bringer] and all the children of Israel [God prevails] saw Moses [Drawn out], behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come near him.

Translation for Translators

When Aaron and the other Israeli people saw Moses/me, they were amazed/surprised that his/my face was shining. So they were afraid to come near him/me.

Unlocked Literal Bible

When Aaron and the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.

Noah Webster Bible

And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come nigh him.

World English Bible

When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come near him.

Young's Literal Translation

and Aaron seeth — all the sons of Israel also — Moses, and lo, the skin of his face hath shone, and they are afraid of coming nigh unto him.

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Exodus 34:30

Verse

Context

The LORD Renews the Covenant

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Exodus 34:30

The LORD Renews the Covenant

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary