Deuteronomy 10:4-5
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This verse emphasizes that the second set of tablets bore the exact same divine inscription as the first, underscoring the immutability of God's commands despite Israel's rebellion. It reveals God's profound faithfulness, giving His law again through His own "writing" as a testament to its eternal significance.
And he wrote on the tablets, in the same writing as before, the Ten Commandments that the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. And the LORD gave them to me. Then I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark that I had made. And there they are, as the LORD commanded me.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Fresh off the devastating incident where the people worshipped a golden calf, God is giving Moses a second chance to have the Ten Commandments written on stone tablets. These aren't new laws, but a direct inscription from God, just as He spoke them to all of Israel from the fiery mountain on the day they gathered as a community. Moses is emphasizing that the Lord Himself is re-inscribing His covenant, entrusting these restored tablets back to him.
Why did God have to write the Ten Commandments a second time? It wasn't a typo correction!
This verse emphasizes a crucial detail: God Himself inscribed the Ten Commandments onto the stone tablets again. This wasn't Moses doing the writing, nor was it a mere repeat.
A Divine Affirmation
God writing them "in the same writing as before" signifies His unwavering commitment to His covenant and His law. It underscores the immense importance of these commands as the foundation of His relationship with Israel. This act testifies to the seriousness and permanence of the covenant.
A Reminder of Love and Law
Think of it like a loving parent reinforcing a crucial instruction to their child. It’s not out of frustration, but out of deep care and a desire for the child's well-being. God's re-writing demonstrated His steadfast love, even after Israel’s grievous sin of the golden calf.
Imagine hearing God's voice from the middle of a fire! What does this dramatic scene tell us about the covenant?
The description of God speaking "out of the midst of the fire" on the "day of the assembly" paints a vivid picture of the covenant's inauguration at Mount Sinai.
A Fiery Law
The "fire" wasn't just for show; it was a tangible manifestation of God's powerful and holy presence. The law given from this intense, fiery display was often referred to as a "fiery law," highlighting its purity, power, and seriousness. It was a law that consumed sin but also refined His people.
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The Day of the People
The "day of the assembly" points to the communal nature of this covenant. All of Israel was gathered together, representing the entire nation receiving God's commands directly. This wasn't a private agreement but a public declaration of God's expectations for His chosen people.
Understand the original words
aseret haddevarym · Hebrew Noun phrase
A term referring to the Decalogue, the foundational ethical and religious laws given by God at Sinai, serving as the basis for the covenantal relationship between God and Israel.
qahal · Hebrew Noun
The central gathering of the people of Israel before God, typically used to describe the epoch-defining moment at Sinai where God revealed Himself and His law to the entire nation.
This passage describes God telling Moses to come up the mountain to receive stone tablets, setting the stage for the commandments being written by God's own hand.
Exodus 31:18This verse explicitly states that the LORD gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, written with the finger of God, directly paralleling Deuteronomy 10:4.
Exodus 34:28This passage is the direct parallel in Exodus, stating Moses wrote the ten commandments after God spoke them, reinforcing the continuity of God's law across these accounts.
Jeremiah 31:31-33This prophecy speaks of a new covenant where God's law will be written on their hearts, offering a profound contrast and fulfillment to the stone tablets given here.
Hebrews 8:10The New Testament directly quotes and applies the Jeremiah passage, showing how the giving of the law on tablets in Deuteronomy foreshadows God's internal transformation through the new covenant.
clarkeDeuteronomy 10:4: "And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me."
Ten commandments - See the note on Exodus 20:1 , etc.
gillDeuteronomy 10:4: "And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me."
And he wrote on the tables according to the first writing,.... The same laws, in the same letters: the ten commandments which the Lord spake unto you in the mount; in Mount Sinai, on which he descended, and from whence he delivered the decalogue by word of mouth in…
This verse emphasizes that the second set of tablets bore the exact same divine inscription as the first, underscoring the immutability of God's commands despite Israel's rebellion. It reveals God's profound faithfulness, giving His law again through His own "writing" as a testament to its eternal significance.
Fresh off the devastating incident where the people worshipped a golden calf, God is giving Moses a second chance to have the Ten Commandments written on stone tablets. These aren't new laws, but a direct inscription from God, just as He spoke them to all of Israel from the fiery mountain on the day they gathered as a community. Moses is emphasizing that the Lord Himself is re-inscribing His covenant, entrusting these restored tablets back to him.
Fresh off the devastating incident where the people worshipped a golden calf, God is giving Moses a second chance to have the Ten Commandments written on stone tablets. These aren't new laws, but a direct inscription from God, just as He spoke them to all of Israel from the fiery mountain on the day they gathered as a community. Moses is emphasizing that the Lord Himself is re-inscribing His covenant, entrusting these restored tablets back to him.
"And he wrote on the tablets, in the same writing as before, the Ten Commandments that the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. And the LORD gave them to me. Then I turned and came…" — This verse emphasizes that the second set of tablets bore the exact same divine inscription as the first, underscoring the immutability of God's commands despite Israel's rebellion. It reveals God'…
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Last reviewed October 2026
