The Meaning of Exodus 34:28 Explained

Exodus 34:28

KJV: And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

YLT: And he is there with Jehovah forty days and forty nights; bread he hath not eaten, and water he hath not drunk; and he writeth on the tables the matters of the covenant -- the ten matters.

Darby: And he was there with Jehovah forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread, and drank no water. And he wrote on the tables the words of the covenant, the ten words.

ASV: And he was there with Jehovah forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he was there with the LORD  forty  days  and forty  nights;  he did neither eat  bread,  nor drink  water.  And he wrote  upon the tables  the words  of the covenant,  the ten  commandments. 

What does Exodus 34:28 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 34:18-35 - Moses Brings The Renewed Tables Of The Law
For forty days, with no sustenance from bread or water, Moses abode on the Mount-absorbed with a passion of love and awe-not counting the hours which passed like a dream. He talked with God as a man face to face with His friend; but he was completely unaware of the marvelous transformation which this holy intercourse was effecting. At God's dictation he wrote out the covenant, as we have it in this Book, and finally God gave him the two tables of stone, on which He had imprinted His autograph.
With these in his hand Moses descended to the plain, unconscious that his face shone. See 2 Corinthians 3:18, r.v. The Apostle urges that we, as Christians, should first behold, and then reflect the glory of Jesus. We must be mirrors, for the purpose of shedding His light among our fellow-men; and in the effort to do this we shall become transfigured into His glorious beauty from one degree to another. The crowning glory of that transfiguration will be our unconsciousness: "He wist not." [source]

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 34:28 mean?

So he was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights bread neither he ate and water nor drank And He wrote on the tablets - the words of the covenant Ten the Commandments
וַֽיְהִי־ שָׁ֣ם עִם־ יְהוָ֗ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔ל וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֣א שָׁתָ֑ה וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב עַל־ הַלֻּחֹ֗ת אֵ֚ת דִּבְרֵ֣י הַבְּרִ֔ית עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים

וַֽיְהִי־  So  he  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אַרְבָּעִ֥ים  forty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
יוֹם֙  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים  and  forty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
לַ֔יְלָה  nights 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
לֶ֚חֶם  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
לֹ֣א  neither 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אָכַ֔ל  he  ate 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וּמַ֖יִם  and  water 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
לֹ֣א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁתָ֑ה  drank 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב  And  He  wrote 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
הַלֻּחֹ֗ת  the  tablets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: לוּחַ  
Sense: board, slab, tablet, plank.
אֵ֚ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דִּבְרֵ֣י  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַבְּרִ֔ית  of  the  covenant 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת  Ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
הַדְּבָרִֽים  the  Commandments 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.