The Meaning of Exodus 34:8 Explained

Exodus 34:8

KJV: And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

YLT: And Moses hasteth, and boweth to the earth, and doth obeisance,

Darby: And Moses made haste, and bowed his head to the earth and worshipped,

ASV: And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Moses  made haste,  and bowed his head  toward the earth,  and worshipped. 

What does Exodus 34:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 34:1-17 - The Covenant Of The Law Renewed
Before we can behold the vision of Eternal Love we must be willing to fulfill three conditions: (1) Earliness: "My soul, be ready in the morning." (2) Solitude: "No man shall come up with thee." (3) The open heart: "That God may write there what He will." God is always passing by and covering us with the shadow of His hand, and proclaiming His loving kindness and tender mercy. He keeps mercy for thousands, and limits the entail of sin to the third and fourth generation.
Whenever we get near to God we should begin to think of and pray for others. As the last notes of the divine procession were dying away Moses bowed his head and worshiped, saying, "Let the Lord go in the middle of us and forgive." It was as though he said, "If thou art a God like that, thou art the God that stiff-necked people need. Go with us, therefore, for thou canst bear with us." He went on to ask that they might be pardoned, and that God would account them His heritage. His request was more than granted! God entered into covenant with them and promised to drive out their enemies on conditions which He proceeded to enumerate.
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Chapter Summary: Exodus 34

1  The tablets are replaced
5  The name of the Lord proclaimed
8  Moses entreats God to go with them
10  God makes a covenant with them, repeating certain duties
28  Moses after forty days on the mount, comes down with the tablets
29  His face is radiant, and he covers it with a veil

What do the individual words in Exodus 34:8 mean?

So made haste Moses and bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped
וַיְמַהֵ֖ר מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּקֹּ֥ד אַ֖רְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ

וַיְמַהֵ֖ר  So  made  haste 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָהַר  
Sense: (Qal) to hasten.
מֹשֶׁ֑ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
וַיִּקֹּ֥ד  and  bowed  his  head 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָדַד  
Sense: (Qal) to bow down.
אַ֖רְצָה  toward  the  earth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ  and  worshiped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.

What are the major concepts related to Exodus 34:8?

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