So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Moses' obedience here isn't just about following orders; it's a profound act of humility and dependence. By hewing the stone himself, he acknowledges that he, not God, broke the original covenant, and he’s actively participating in the restoration. This detail highlights that the work of receiving God's law requires our own effort and repentance before it can be divinely inscribed upon us.
So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After the devastating incident with the golden calf and the shattering of the first tablets, God offers Moses reconciliation and a renewed covenant. As part of this, God promises to rewrite the commandments on new stone tablets, and Moses, obeying precisely, rises early to prepare and carry the fresh stone slabs up Mount Sinai to meet with God again. This act marks Moses' faithful obedience in the wake of Israel's failure and God's profound grace.
Moses had just seen God's immense glory and heard His character proclaimed. Yet, before receiving the renewed covenant, he had a task to do. What does this tell us about following God?
The Command to Renew
God doesn't just offer forgiveness; He calls us back to obedience. After revealing His compassionate nature, God tells Moses, "Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first." This wasn't just a casual suggestion – it was a direct command.
Moses' Swift Response
Verse 4 highlights Moses' immediate and thorough obedience: "he rose early in the morning... and went up... as the LORD had commanded him." His promptness shows a deep respect for God's word and a readiness to engage in the hard work of obedience, even after the broken covenant.
Significance of the Effort
Hewing stone is not an easy task. It required effort and intention, mirroring how our own spiritual lives demand diligence. The text emphasizes that these new tablets were to be like the first, suggesting a desire for restoration and a return to God's original intent, not a lesser imitation.
Moses prepares the stone, but who actually writes the law? Discover the beautiful partnership between human effort and God's sovereign power in restoring His covenant.
Human Preparation, Divine Inscription
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While Moses diligently hews the stone tablets, the crucial part – the writing of the law – is reserved for God. "I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables." This emphasizes that our obedience is a preparation, a willing vessel for God's divine work.
The Promise of Renewal
The repetition of the law being written signifies God's faithfulness. Even after Israel's massive failure, God initiates the renewal of the covenant. He doesn't say, 'Now you must write it yourselves,' but promises to re-inscribe His commands, showing that restoration ultimately comes from Him.
The Law as God's Word
These tablets weren't just reminders; they were the direct word of God. The fact that God Himself would write them underscores their divine authority and the profound significance of the covenant relationship He was re-establishing with His people.
This passage directly echoes Exodus 34:4, highlighting that Moses received the stone tablets with the Law written on them by God's own finger, just as he ascended Mount Sinai with them.
Exodus 31:18This verse immediately precedes the breaking of the first tablets and provides context for their replacement, emphasizing that the tablets were divine in origin and given 'by the finger of God'.
2 Corinthians 3:3Paul uses the imagery of the stone tablets and the Law written on them as a contrast to the new covenant, illustrating how the Spirit writes God's law on the heart rather than on stone.
Hebrews 8:10This passage, quoting Jeremiah, describes the new covenant where God promises to put His laws into their minds and write them on their hearts, drawing a parallel to the physical inscription of the law on stone tablets in Exodus.
pulpitExodus 34:4: "And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone."
Verse 4. - Moses obeys all the directions given him to the letter - hews, or causes to be hewn, the two tables, making them as like as he can to the former ones - rises early, and ascends the mountain to the appointed spot - and takes with him the tables, for God to perform his prom…
gillExodus 34:4: "And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone."
And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first,.... Which may be an emblem of the ministry of men, which God makes use of in hewing of his people, and bringing them to a sense of their sins, the breach of his law, and repentance for them, Hosea 6:5 , and Moses rose up early in…
Moses' obedience here isn't just about following orders; it's a profound act of humility and dependence. By hewing the stone himself, he acknowledges that he, not God, broke the original covenant, and he’s actively participating in the restoration. This detail highlights that the work of receiving God's law requires our own effort and repentance before it can be divinely inscribed upon us.
After the devastating incident with the golden calf and the shattering of the first tablets, God offers Moses reconciliation and a renewed covenant. As part of this, God promises to rewrite the commandments on new stone tablets, and Moses, obeying precisely, rises early to prepare and carry the fresh stone slabs up Mount Sinai to meet with God again. This act marks Moses' faithful obedience in the wake of Israel's failure and God's profound grace.
After the devastating incident with the golden calf and the shattering of the first tablets, God offers Moses reconciliation and a renewed covenant. As part of this, God promises to rewrite the commandments on new stone tablets, and Moses, obeying precisely, rises early to prepare and carry the fresh stone slabs up Mount Sinai to meet with God again. This act marks Moses' faithful obedience in the wake of Israel's failure and God's profound grace.
"So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone." — Moses' obedience here isn't just about following orders; it's a profound act of humility and dependence. By hewing the stone himself, he acknowledges that he, not God, broke the original covenant, an…
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Last reviewed October 2026