The Meaning of Exodus 34:35 Explained

Exodus 34:35

KJV: And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

YLT: and the sons of Israel have seen the face of Moses that the skin of the face of Moses hath shone, and Moses hath put back the vail on his face until his going in to speak with Him.

Darby: And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone; and Moses put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

ASV: And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the children  of Israel  saw  the face  of Moses,  that the skin  of Moses'  face  shone:  and Moses  put  the vail  upon his face  again,  until he went  in to speak  with him. 

What does Exodus 34:35 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 34:35 mean?

And whenever saw the sons of Israel - the face of Moses that shone The skin of face Moses' then would put Moses the veil on his face again until he went in to speak with Him -
וְרָא֤וּ בְנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־ פְּנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה כִּ֣י קָרַ֔ן ע֖וֹר פְּנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה וְהֵשִׁ֨יב מֹשֶׁ֤ה הַמַּסְוֶה֙ עַל־ פָּנָ֔יו עַד־ בֹּא֖וֹ לְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתּֽוֹ ס

וְרָא֤וּ  And  whenever  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
פְּנֵ֣י  the  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
מֹשֶׁ֔ה  of  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
כִּ֣י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
קָרַ֔ן  shone 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרַן  
Sense: to shine.
ע֖וֹר  The  skin 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹור  
Sense: skin, hide.
פְּנֵ֣י  of  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
מֹשֶׁ֑ה  Moses' 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
וְהֵשִׁ֨יב  then  would  put 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
מֹשֶׁ֤ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
הַמַּסְוֶה֙  the  veil 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַסְוֶה  
Sense: veil.
פָּנָ֔יו  his  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
עַד־  again  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
בֹּא֖וֹ  he  went  in 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
לְדַבֵּ֥ר  to  speak 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
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.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation