The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss is that God's repeating "The LORD, the LORD" isn't just for emphasis; it's a profound announcement that this is the essence of who He is, especially as He reveals Himself in His "passing by" – a transient glimpse of His eternal nature. This declaration of mercy and grace isn't merely a list of attributes, but a revelation of the very name and heart of God in response to human frailty and sin.
The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
English Standard Version (ESV)
God reveals Himself to Moses in a dramatic theophany, promising to show him His glory in response to Moses' request. As God passes by, He proclaims His name and essential character, emphasizing His profound mercy and faithfulness. This declaration serves to reassure Moses and the people of Israel, especially after the recent sin of the golden calf, that God's covenant love and readiness to forgive far outweigh His judgment.
Moses asked to see God's glory. What he received was far more profound than a visual spectacle. It was a revelation of God's very nature.
The repetition of 'The LORD, The LORD' isn't just emphasis; it's a powerful declaration. When God proclaims His name, He is revealing who He fundamentally is. This isn't a new name, but a deeper understanding of the covenant name revealed at the burning bush. It signifies His eternal existence and His active, relational presence with His people.
A Name of Being and Action
This proclamation sets the stage for the attributes that follow. God's essence is revealed through His actions and His relational heart.
God doesn't just possess mercy and faithfulness; He abounds in them. What does this abundance truly mean for us?
This verse unpacks God's core character with a series of descriptive terms that paint a picture of His boundless love. These aren't just abstract qualities; they are active, relational aspects of God's heart towards humanity, especially His people.
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Attributes of Grace:
Understand the original words
Yahweh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God, revealed to Moses, representing His self-existence and eternal faithfulness to His people.
rachum · Hebrew Adjective
Compassion or pity, often associated with the womb, describing God's deep, protective affection for His people despite their unworthiness.
channun · Hebrew Adjective
Favor shown to the undeserving; God's generous, unearned kindness and goodness toward His creation.
erek appayim · Hebrew Phrase
A phrase describing God’s patience, showing that He is not quick to execute judgment but allows time for repentance.
chesed · Hebrew Noun
God’s covenantal loyalty, steadfastness, and faithful love; a committed, reliable love that keeps its promises.
emeth · Hebrew Noun
Reliability, firmness, and truth; it describes God as completely dependable and in accordance with reality.
This passage directly quotes Exodus 34:6, emphasizing God's character as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, even in response to rebellion.
Psalm 103:8This psalm echoes the proclamation of Exodus 34:6, describing the LORD as merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, reinforcing these divine attributes in the context of praise.
Nehemiah 9:17During a prayer of confession and remembrance, Nehemiah recounts God's character as revealed in Exodus 34:6, highlighting His readiness to forgive, His compassion, mercy, and slowness to anger.
Joel 2:13This verse calls for repentance and uses similar language to describe God's compassionate nature, urging people to return to the LORD because He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.
Romans 3:23-24Paul quotes or alludes to God's abundant faithfulness and mercy when explaining justification by faith, showing how this core aspect of God's character, revealed in Exodus, is the basis for salvation through Christ.
cambridgeExodus 34:6: "And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,"
6–8 . Description of the theophany promised in Exodus 33:19-23 . The theophany consists essentially in a proclamation of the glories of Jehovah’s moral nature, developed with special reference to the occasion giving rise to the theophany, and emphasizing the predominance of the Divine attributes of mercy above those of judgement. Ech…
gillExodus 34:6: "And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,"
And the Lord passed by before him,.... Or caused his Shechinah, his divine Majesty, and the glory of it, to pass before him, as the Targums; his glory and goodness, which he had promised should pass before him, Exodus 33:19 and it is but a transient passing view the greatest of men, God's peculiar favourites, have of him in this life…
What's easy to miss is that God's repeating "The LORD, the LORD" isn't just for emphasis; it's a profound announcement that this is the essence of who He is, especially as He reveals Himself in His "passing by" – a transient glimpse of His eternal nature. This declaration of mercy and grace isn't merely a list of attributes, but a revelation of the very name and heart of God in response to human frailty and sin.
God reveals Himself to Moses in a dramatic theophany, promising to show him His glory in response to Moses' request. As God passes by, He proclaims His name and essential character, emphasizing His profound mercy and faithfulness. This declaration serves to reassure Moses and the people of Israel, especially after the recent sin of the golden calf, that God's covenant love and readiness to forgive far outweigh His judgment.
God reveals Himself to Moses in a dramatic theophany, promising to show him His glory in response to Moses' request. As God passes by, He proclaims His name and essential character, emphasizing His profound mercy and faithfulness. This declaration serves to reassure Moses and the people of Israel, especially after the recent sin of the golden calf, that God's covenant love and readiness to forgive far outweigh His judgment.
"The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness," — What's easy to miss is that God's repeating "The LORD, the LORD" isn't just for emphasis; it's a profound announcement that this is the essence of who He is, especially as He reveals Himself in His…
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Last reviewed October 2026