Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The detail that the tablets were written on "both their sides" is unusual and suggests they weren't simply flat stones but perhaps more like wax tablets hinged together, or that the inscriptions were so dense they filled all available space, emphasizing the totality and importance of God's law. This richness of inscription underscores the profoundness of the covenant being delivered, even as it was about to be shattered.
Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After forty days and nights on Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments inscribed on two stone tablets, God tells Moses to go down because the Israelites have already created and worshipped a golden calf. As Moses descends, carrying the tablets, he encounters the sounds of celebration and singing from the camp below. He and Joshua, who was waiting for him, hear this noise, and as they get closer, Moses sees the shocking reality of the people's idolatry.
Imagine holding God's very words in your hands. What does it mean that these divine instructions were inscribed on both sides of the tablets?
The inscription on both sides of the tablets of stone is a fascinating detail that speaks volumes about the completeness and authority of God's law.
Completeness of the Law
Commentators suggest that writing on both sides signifies the full scope of God's commands. It implies that nothing was left out, and nothing could be added. The entire will of God for His people was contained within these two tablets.
Divine Authority
This dual inscription also underscores the immense importance and divine origin of the Law. Unlike human documents, which typically only utilize one side, these sacred tablets held God's message in its entirety, presenting it as a complete and unalterable testimony.
Moses descended from the mountain, not just with stone tablets, but with the weight of his people's sin and his own profound sorrow.
This moment, as Moses comes down from his encounter with God, is fraught with tension and emotion. He holds the very words of the covenant, yet he is walking back into a scene of rebellion.
The Shock of Rebellion
Having just received the Law directly from God's hand, Moses is about to witness its immediate and utter rejection by the Israelites. The contrast between the divine holiness he experienced and the people's debauchery is stark and deeply painful.
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A Symbol of Broken Covenant
The act of breaking the tablets, which will happen shortly after this descent, is a physical manifestation of the spiritual reality: the covenant between God and His people has been shattered by their idolatry. The weight of this brokenness is what Moses carries as he walks down the mountain.
Understand the original words
eduth · Hebrew Noun
The legal or authoritative record of God’s covenant with Israel. It serves as a witness or evidence of the holy standards God established for His people.
This passage recounts the same event, emphasizing that Moses held the two tables in his 'two hands,' giving a clearer picture of their physical presence and weight as he descended.
Exodus 34:1This verse immediately follows the account of Moses breaking the first set of tablets, showing God's instruction to Moses to hew new ones, highlighting the significance of the original divinely inscribed law and the transition to a new phase.
Jeremiah 31:31-33This prophetic passage speaks of a new covenant written not on stone but on human hearts, contrasting with the physical tablets of the law given to Moses and pointing to a deeper, internal transformation.
Romans 2:14-15This New Testament passage discusses the law written on the hearts of Gentiles, echoing the concept of an inner law that mirrors the external commandments given on the tablets, showing the internalization of God's will.
1 Corinthians 10:7This verse directly references the people's idolatry with the golden calf as a warning against idolatry, connecting the act of disobedience described in Exodus to ongoing struggles with worship and faithfulness.
cambridgeExodus 32:15: "And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written."
15 . of the testimony ] The expression is P’s (see on Exodus 25:16 ); and will have been introduced here by RP[219] on the basis of Exodus 31:18 a, Exodus 34:29 . E would have written ‘the tables of stone ’ ( Exodus 31:18 b). [219] See pp. xi, xii. written on both their sides , &c.]…
wesleyExodus 32:15: "And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written."
32:15 On both their sides - Some on one table and some on the other, so that they were folded together like a book, to be deposited in the ark.
The detail that the tablets were written on "both their sides" is unusual and suggests they weren't simply flat stones but perhaps more like wax tablets hinged together, or that the inscriptions were so dense they filled all available space, emphasizing the totality and importance of God's law. This richness of inscription underscores the profoundness of the covenant being delivered, even as it was about to be shattered.
After forty days and nights on Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments inscribed on two stone tablets, God tells Moses to go down because the Israelites have already created and worshipped a golden calf. As Moses descends, carrying the tablets, he encounters the sounds of celebration and singing from the camp below. He and Joshua, who was waiting for him, hear this noise, and as they get closer, Moses sees the shocking reality of the people's idolatry.
After forty days and nights on Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments inscribed on two stone tablets, God tells Moses to go down because the Israelites have already created and worshipped a golden calf. As Moses descends, carrying the tablets, he encounters the sounds of celebration and singing from the camp below. He and Joshua, who was waiting for him, hear this noise, and as they get closer, Moses sees the shocking reality of the people's idolatry.
"Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written." — The detail that the tablets were written on "both their sides" is unusual and suggests they weren't simply flat stones but perhaps more like wax tablets hinged together, or that the inscriptions were…
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Last reviewed October 2026