The LORD said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Notice the subtle but significant shift: previously, God provided the stone and wrote on it. Now, Moses must "hew" the tables himself, and only the writing remains God's direct work. This signifies that while God's law is eternal, its restoration after sin requires human participation and effort, carrying the "scar" of the rupture.
The LORD said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After the devastating sin of the golden calf and Moses' passionate intercession, God is ready to renew His covenant with Israel. God instructs Moses to prepare new stone tablets, unlike the first ones which were God's own handiwork. This time, Moses must hew them himself, and God will rewrite the words of the covenant onto them, signifying a restored but remembered covenant.
The first tablets holding God's law were a direct gift, made and written by God Himself. But something shifts when they are renewed. What does this change signify?
In Exodus 32, we see the first set of stone tablets were entirely God's work: He provided them, and He wrote the law upon them (Exodus 32:16). However, after Israel's sin and Moses' intercession, God instructs Moses to 'hew for yourself two tablets of stone like the first.'
A Shift in Responsibility
The first tablets were broken, but the words on them weren't lost forever. God promises to rewrite them. What does this tell us about the nature of His law and His covenant?
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Despite the dramatic breaking of the first tablets, God's immediate instruction is to replace them and rewrite the exact same words. This underscores a profound truth about God's law and His covenant faithfulness.
Law's Persistence
Understand the original words
Yahweh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, denoting His self-existence, eternal nature, and faithfulness to His people. It is the name by which He revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush.
luhot · Hebrew Noun
Flat slabs used for inscriptions, in this context specifically referring to the material upon which God inscribed the Ten Commandments. They symbolize the permanent, written nature of God's covenant law.
This passage describes Moses hewing new stone tablets, just as God commands in Exodus 34:1, showing the direct continuation of God's covenant after a significant breach.
Exodus 32:19This verse describes the breaking of the first tablets, directly setting the stage for God's command in Exodus 34:1 to replace them, highlighting the consequence of sin and the need for renewal.
Romans 7:12This passage speaks about the law being holy, righteous, and good, reflecting the divine origin and inherent goodness of the words God intended to write on the tablets, even after they were broken.
Jeremiah 31:33This verse describes God's new covenant where His law will be written on the hearts of His people, providing a contrast and fulfillment to the physical stone tablets being renewed in Exodus 34:1.
jfbExodus 34:1: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest."
CHAPTER 34Ex 34:1-35. The Tables Are Renewed.1. the like unto the first—God having been reconciled to repentant Israel, through the earnest intercession, the successful mediation of Moses, means were to be taken for the restoration of the broken covenant. Intimation was given, however, in a most intelligibl…
cambridgeExodus 34:1: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest."
1–5 . Moses is commanded to hew two tables of stone, similar to those which he had broken ( Exodus 32:19 ), and bring them up Sinai to Jehovah. The former tables are said ( Exodus 32:16 ) to have been themselves God’s handiwork: in the new tables only the writing is to be His.
Notice the subtle but significant shift: previously, God provided the stone and wrote on it. Now, Moses must "hew" the tables himself, and only the writing remains God's direct work. This signifies that while God's law is eternal, its restoration after sin requires human participation and effort, carrying the "scar" of the rupture.
After the devastating sin of the golden calf and Moses' passionate intercession, God is ready to renew His covenant with Israel. God instructs Moses to prepare new stone tablets, unlike the first ones which were God's own handiwork. This time, Moses must hew them himself, and God will rewrite the words of the covenant onto them, signifying a restored but remembered covenant.
After the devastating sin of the golden calf and Moses' passionate intercession, God is ready to renew His covenant with Israel. God instructs Moses to prepare new stone tablets, unlike the first ones which were God's own handiwork. This time, Moses must hew them himself, and God will rewrite the words of the covenant onto them, signifying a restored but remembered covenant.
"The LORD said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke." — Notice the subtle but significant shift: previously, God provided the stone and wrote on it. Now, Moses must "hew" the tables himself, and only the writing remains God's direct work. This signifi…
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Last reviewed October 2026