The Meaning of Exodus 34:29 Explained

Exodus 34:29

KJV: And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, when Moses is coming down from mount Sinai (and the two tables of the testimony are in the hand of Moses in his coming down from the mount), that Moses hath not known that the skin of his face hath shone in His speaking with him,

Darby: And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai and the two tables of testimony were in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mountain that Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone through his talking with him.

ASV: And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of the testimony in Moses hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone by reason of his speaking with him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, when Moses  came down  from mount  Sinai  with the two  tables  of testimony  in Moses'  hand,  when he came down  from the mount,  that Moses  wist  not that the skin  of his face  shone  while he talked  with him. 

What does Exodus 34:29 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 34:29 mean?

And it was so when came down Moses from Mount Sinai and two the tablets of the Testimony [were] in hand Moses' when he came down from the mountain that Moses not did know that shone the skin of his face while he talked with Him
וַיְהִ֗י בְּרֶ֤דֶת מֹשֶׁה֙ מֵהַ֣ר סִינַ֔י וּשְׁנֵ֨י לֻחֹ֤ת הָֽעֵדֻת֙ בְּיַד־ מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּרִדְתּ֖וֹ מִן־ הָהָ֑ר וּמֹשֶׁ֣ה לֹֽא־ יָדַ֗ע כִּ֥י קָרַ֛ן ע֥וֹר פָּנָ֖יו בְּדַבְּר֥וֹ אִתּֽוֹ

וַיְהִ֗י  And  it  was  so 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בְּרֶ֤דֶת  when  came  down 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
מֹשֶׁה֙  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
מֵהַ֣ר  from  Mount 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
סִינַ֔י  Sinai 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: סִינַי  
Sense: the mountain where Moses received the Law from Jehovah; located at the southern end of the Sinai peninsula between the horns of the Red Sea; exact site unknown.
וּשְׁנֵ֨י  and  two 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, mdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
לֻחֹ֤ת  the  tablets 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: לוּחַ  
Sense: board, slab, tablet, plank.
הָֽעֵדֻת֙  of  the  Testimony  [were] 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדוּת  
Sense: testimony.
בְּיַד־  in  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מֹשֶׁ֔ה  Moses' 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
בְּרִדְתּ֖וֹ  when  he  came  down 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
הָהָ֑ר  the  mountain 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
וּמֹשֶׁ֣ה  that  Moses 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
יָדַ֗ע  did  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כִּ֥י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
קָרַ֛ן  shone 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרַן  
Sense: to shine.
ע֥וֹר  the  skin 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹור  
Sense: skin, hide.
פָּנָ֖יו  of  his  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
בְּדַבְּר֥וֹ  while  he  talked 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אִתּֽוֹ  with  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.