Exodus 34:8 — Word Study
WLCוַיְמַהֵ֖ר מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּקֹּ֥ד אַ֖רְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ׃
BSAMosesMôsheh [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] immediatelymâhar▸ [with haste, quickly] bowed downqâdad▸ [prostrated himself, shriveled up] to the groundʼerets [the earth, land] and worshipedshâchâh▸ [showing respect, reverence, adoring]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיְמַהֵ֖ר | and he hurried | Verb, Piel, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| מֹשֶׁ֑ה | Moses | Noun proper masculine |
| וַיִּקֹּ֥ד | and he bowed low | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| אַ֖רְצָה | [the] ground towards | Noun common feminine singular absolute, suffix |
| וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ׃ | and he bowed down | Verb pilpel, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Moses immediately bowed down to the ground and worshiped. |
| KJV | And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. |
| ASV | And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. |
| YLT | And Moses hasteth, and boweth to the earth, and doth obeisance, |
| WEB | Moses hurried and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. |
| BBE | Then Moses quickly went down on his face in worship. |
Where they part company is in the interpretation of urgency in Moses' actions — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured with a main action followed by a subordinate action, emphasizing the immediacy of Moses' worship.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
subjectמֹשֶׁה
verbמָהַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Exodus 34:8
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Moses' Response to God's Revelationgenerated
Exodus 34:8 describes Moses' immediate reaction to God's declaration of His attributes. In this moment, Moses exemplifies humility and reverence, bowing down to worship God. This passage highlights the importance of recognizing God's holiness and responding appropriately, as seen in other instances throughout the Scriptures, such as in Exodus 3:6 and Joshua 5:14.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 4:31 | and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped. |
| 2 | Genesis 17:3 | Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, |
| 3 | 2 Chronicles 20:18 | Then Jehoshaphat bowed facedown, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down before the LORD to worship Him. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מָהַר, vay.ma.Hergenerated
The verb מָהַר (mahar) is a Piel form, indicating an action done with urgency. It conveys a sense of hastening or rushing to fulfill an obligation or response, as seen here with Moses.
This word is not just about speed; it reflects the emotional intensity behind the action. Moses is not merely hurrying; he is responding to the divine presence with a sense of urgency and respect.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, the verse is read in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term immediately to convey the urgency of Moses' actions.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is straightforward, with one main action governing the rest: וַיְמַהֵ֖ר, and he hurried. This is followed by a series of phrases detailing what Moses did: he bowed down and worshiped.
The order of the actions emphasizes Moses' immediate response, reflecting the urgency of his worship in the presence of God.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מָהַר as σπεύσας (speusas), which also conveys a sense of haste. This choice underscores the urgency in Moses' actions, aligning with the Hebrew meaning.
The Greek word carries similar connotations of quickness and readiness, reinforcing the significance of Moses' prompt worship.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 34:8 shows Moses quickly bowing down to the ground and worshiping God. This act of humility demonstrates Moses' respect and reverence for God's presence and authority.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Moses' quick action signifies his immediate recognition of God's holiness and his deep respect for the divine presence.
Bowing down is an important act in worship as it symbolizes humility, submission, and reverence before God.
This verse reflects Moses' character as a leader who understands the importance of worship and humility before God.
We can learn the value of responding to God's presence with urgency and reverence, as Moses did.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I show urgency in my own worship and relationship with God?
- What does bowing down symbolize in my life when I approach God?
- In what ways can I demonstrate humility in my daily actions?
- How can I encourage others to recognize the importance of worshiping God with reverence?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 34:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Moses made haste,.... Perceiving the voice ceased, and the Lord was passing on, lest he should be gone, and he lose the favourable opportunity he had: and bowed his head toward the earth, and
Read John Gill on Exodus 34 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. Moses ... bowed ... and worshipped.
Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 34 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsExodus 34:8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.Ver. 8. And Moses made haste.] It was time for him. The more any man sees of God, the lower he falls in his own eyes: as he that hath looked intently upon the sun, sees little when he looks down again.
Read John Trapp on Exodus 34 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) Moses made haste, and bowed his head.—As the Divine glory passed before him, Moses bowed his head in adoration, worshipping God, and not daring to look until the glory had gone by. It is thus seen that with his ardent desire to look into the things of God he combined the highest and deepest reverence.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 34 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. Moses now reverently does obeisance (cf. Exodus 4:31, Exodus 12:27).
Read Cambridge on Exodus 34 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Moses immediately bowed down to the ground and worshiped.
Moses hurried and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.
Moses immediately bowed down to the ground and worshiped.
Moses quickly bowed to the ground and worshiped
Tyndale line
And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
And Moses made haste, and bowed his head towards the earth, and worshiped.
Then Moses made haste and bowed him selfe to the earth, and worshipped,
Strictly literal
And Moses made haste, and bowed his head to the earth and worshipped,
And Moses hasteth, and boweth to the earth, and doth obeisance,
And Moses hurries, and bows to the earth, and pays respect,
And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and prostrated himself.
Moses quickly bowed his head to the ground and worshiped.
From the Latin
And Moses making haste, bowed down prostrate unto the earth, and adoring,
Simplified
Moses quickly bowed down to the ground, and worshiped.
Then Moses quickly went down on his face in worship.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the essential wording of the verse, with the Septuagint reflecting the same actions described in the Hebrew. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly, using the form ישׁתחוי for 'bow down', but the overall meaning remains consistent across these texts.
וַיְמַהֵ֖ר מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּקֹּ֥ד אַ֖רְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
וימהר משׁה ויקד ארצה וישׁתחוי
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: ישׁתחוי (bow down)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Exodus 34:8
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
מָהַר (mahar) primarily means to hasten or hurry, conveying a sense of urgency or quickness. It can describe being anxious or impetuous, as well as the act of preparing or bringing something quickly. Additionally, it has a secondary meaning related to acquiring something by payment. The lexicons agree on these definitions without notable disagreement.
[מָהַר] vb. hasten
Niph. be hurried = anxious, disturbed; hasty, precipitate; impetuous
Pi.
hasten, make haste = go or come quickly
hasten vb.
trans. hasten, = prepare quickly; = bring quickly; = do quickly
base
מָהַר vb. denom. acquire by paying purchase-price
base
H4116a [מָהַר] hasten . be hurried = anxious, disturbed; hasty, precipitate; impetuous
. . hasten, make haste = go or come quickly
. hasten vb.
. trans. hasten, = prepare quickly; = bring quickly; = do quickly
H4116b מָהַר vb. denom. acquire by paying purchase-price
4116 mahar maw-har'
a primitive root; properly, to be liquid or flow easily, i.e.
(by implication); to hurry (in a good or a bad sense); often
used (with another verb) adverbially, promptly:--be carried
headlong, fearful, (cause to make, in, make) haste(-n, -ily),
(be) hasty, (fetch, make ready) X quickly, rash, X shortly,
(be so) X soon, make speed, X speedily, X straightway, X
suddenly, swift.
מָהַר (ma.har) — to hasten.
1)(Qal) to hasten
1a) (Niphal) to be hurried, be anxious
1a) hasty, precipitate, impetuous
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to hasten, make haste
1b2) hasten (used as adverb with another verb)
1b3) to hasten, prepare quickly, do quickly, bring quickly
מָהַר (ma.har) — to buy.
acquire by paying purchase-price
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vpw3ms
מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh) refers to Moses, the prominent Hebrew leader, prophet, and lawgiver. The name is derived from the root meaning 'drawing out,' indicating his rescue from water. He is a key figure in the Old Testament, first mentioned in Exodus 2:10, and is known for leading the Israelites during the Exodus.
מֹשֶׁה 767 n.pr.m. Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver
base
H4872 מֹשֶׁה Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver
4872 Mosheh mo-sheh'
from 4871; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh,
the Israelite lawgiver:--Moses.
see HEBREW for 04871
מֹשֶׁה (mo.sheh) — Moses.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.10;
son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115);
brother of: Aaron (H0175) and Miriam (H4813); married to Zipporah (H6855);
father of: Gershom (H1647) and Eliezer (H0461H); also called Manasseh at Jdg.18.30(?)
§ Moses = "drawn"
the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
mo'-zez, mo'-ziz (mosheh; Egyptian mes, "drawn out," "born"; Septuagint Mouse(s)). The great Hebrew national hero, leader, author, law-giver and prophet.
I. LIFE
1. Son of Levi
2. Foundling Prince
3. Friend of the People
4. Refuge in Midian
5. Leader of Israel
II. WORK AND CHARACTER
1. The Author
2. The Lawgiver
3. The Prophet
LITERATURE
The traditional view of the Jewish church and of the Christian church, that Moses was a person and that the narrative with which his life-story is interwoven is real history, is in the main sustained by commentators and critics of all classes.
It is needless to mention the old writers among whom these questions were hardly under discussion. Among the advocates of the current radical criticism may be mentioned Stade and Renan, who minimize the historicity of the Bible narrative at this point. Renan thinks the narrative "may be very probable." Ewald, Wellhausen…
Moses
Drawn (or Egypt. mesu, “son;” hence Rameses, royal son). On the invitation of Pharaoh (Gen. 45:17-25), Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. This immigration took place probably about 350 years before the birth of Moses. Some centuries before Joseph, Egypt had been conquered by a pastoral Semitic race from Asia, the Hyksos, who brought into cruel subjection the native Egyptians, who were an African race. Jacob and his retinue were accustomed to a shepherd’s life, and on their arrival in Egypt were received with favour by the king, who assigned them the “best of the land”, the land of Goshen, to dwell in. The Hyksos or “shepherd” king who thus showed favour to Joseph and his family was in all probability the Pharaoh Apopi (or Apopis).
(Heb. Mosheh , "drawn," i.e. from the water; in the Coptic it means "saved from the water"), the legislator of the Jewish people, and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion. The immediate pedigree of Moses is as follows: Levi was the father of: Gershon -- Kohath -- Merari Kohath was the father of: Amram = Jochebed Amram = Jochebed was the father of: Hur = Miriam -- Aaron = Elisheba -- Moses = Zipporah Aaron = Elisheba was the father of: Nadab -- Abihu -- Eleazar -- Ithamar Eleazar was the father of: Phineas Moses = Zipporah was the father of: Gershom -- Eliezer Gershom was the father of: Jonathan The history of Moses naturally divides itself into three periods of 40 years each. Moses was born at Goshen, In Egypt, B.C. 1571. The story of his birth is thoroughly Egyptian in its scene. His mother made extraordinary efforts for his preservation from the general destruction of…
The name of the illustrious prophet and legislator of the Hebrews, who led them from Egypt to the Promised Land. Having been originally imposed by a native Egyptian princess, the word is no doubt Egyptian in its origin, and Josephus gives its true derivation—from the two Egyptian words, MO, water, and USE, saved. With this accords the Septuagint form, MOUSES. The Hebrews by a slight change accommodated it to their own language, as they did also in the case of some other foreign words; calling it MOSHIE, from the verb MASHA, to draw. See Ex 2:10. Moses was born about 15.71 B. C., the son of Amram and Jochebed, of the tribe of Levi, and the younger brother of Miriam and Aaron. His history is too extensive to permit insertion here, and in general too well known to need it. It is enough simply to remark, that it is divided into three…
קָדַד (qadad) is a primitive root meaning to bow down or stoop, often in a gesture of deference. The entries consistently emphasize the physical act of bending the body or neck, particularly in relation to bowing the head.
[קָדַד] vb. bow down
base
H6915 קָדַד
6915 qadad kaw-dad'
a primitive root; to shrivel up, i.e. contract or bend the
body (or neck) in deference:--bow (down) (the) head, stoop.
קָדַד (qa.dad) — to bow.
(Qal) to bow down
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.
אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land
earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
earth, opp. to heaven, sky
earth = inhabitants of earth
land =
country, territory
district, region
trial territory
piece of ground
specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
= inhabitants of land
used even of Shᵉʼôl
ground, surface of ground
soil, as productive
אֶרֶץ in phrases
people of the land
in measurements of distance
the country of the plain, level or plain country
land of the living
end(s) of the earth
pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
base
H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
. earth, opp. to heaven, sky
. earth = inhabitants of earth
. land = . country, territory
. district, region
. trial territory
. piece of ground
. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
. = inhabitants of land
. used even of Shᵉʼôl
. . ground, surface of ground
. soil, as productive
. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land
. in measurements of distance
. the country of the plain, level or plain country
. land of the living
. end(s) of the earth
. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
776 'erets eh'-rets
from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth
(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,
field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.
: country/field
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
1b2) district, region
1b3) tribal territory
1b4) piece of ground
1b5) land of Canaan, Israel
1b6) inhabitants of land
1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world
1b8) city (-state)
1c) ground, surface of the earth
1c1) ground
1c2) soil
1d) (in phrases)
1d1) people of the land
1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)
1d3) level or plain country
1d4) land of the living
1d5) end(s) of the earth
1e) (almost wholly late in usage)
1e1) lands, countries
1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.
: soil
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular absolute · suffixHNcfsa/Sd
The Hebrew word שָׁחָה (*shachah*) is a primitive root meaning to bow down or prostrate oneself, particularly in homage to a superior or in worship before God. It can also imply a figurative sense of being depressed by anxiety. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, including worship of both God and false gods.
[שָׁחָה] 172 vb. bow down
Qal bow down
Hiph. fig., anxiety depresses it
Hithpa‛lēl
bow down, prostrate oneself, before a monarch or superior, in homage, etc.
before God, in worship
before other gods
base
H7812 שָׁחָה bow down .bow down
. fig., anxiety depresses it
.. bow down, prostrate oneself, before a monarch or superior, in homage, etc.
. before God, in worship
. before other gods
7812 shachah shaw-khaw'
a primitive root; to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially
reflexive, in homage to royalty or God):--bow (self) down,
crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance,
do reverence, make to stoop, worship.
שָׁחָה (sha.chah) — to bow.
1) to bow down
1a) (Qal) to bow down
1b)(Hiphil) to depress (fig)
1c) (Hithpael)
1c1) to bow down, prostrate oneself
1c1a) before superior in homage
1c1b) before God in worship
1c1c) before false gods
1c1d) before angel
Conj | V-Hithpael-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb pilpel · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vvw3ms