Exodus 31:18

“And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him on Mount Sinai, etc.] After all those laws, orders, and instructions before related, which having done, he ceased to converse with him any longer in that manner he had, and at parting gave him two tables of testimony; the two tables of the law, which is a testimony of the will of God, and contained the duty of the Israelites both towards God and man, and are reducible to these two, love to God, and love to our neighbour: five of the commands of the decalogue were written on one table, and five on the other; or it may be rather four on one table, the first being the largest, and containing the duty owing to God, and six on…”

“tables of stone, written with the finger of God--containing the ten commandments (Exo 24:12), called "tables of testimony," because God testified His will in them. Next: Exodus Chapter 32”

“Two tables of testimony - See Exodus 25:16; Exodus 32:15. The tables of stone which represented the covenant between Yahweh and His people, and which, when covered with the mercy-seat were to give the sanctuary its significance, are now delivered to Moses in accordance with the promise in Exodus 24:12. The history of what relates to the construction of the sanctuary is here interrupted, and is taken up again in Exodus 35:1. return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliographical Information Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on Exodus 31". "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/exodus-31.html. 1870.…”

“These tables of stone, were not prepared by Moses, but probably by the ministry of angels. They were written with the finger of God - That is, by his will and power immediately, without the use of any instrument. They were written in two tables, being designed to direct us in our duty, towards God, and towards man. And they were called tables of testimony, because this written law testified the will of God concerning them, and would be a testimony against them if they were disobedient. Next: Exodus Chapter 32”

“31:18 Normally, each party to a covenant received a written copy of the terms of the covenant. So it may be that the two stone tablets were identical, one being God’s copy and the other the people’s copy, to be kept together in the Ark of the Covenant. • finger of God: See 34:28.”

“gave: Exo 24:12, Exo 24:18, Exo 32:15, Exo 32:16, Exo 34:1-4, Exo 34:28, Exo 34:29; Deu 4:13, Deu 5:22, Deu 9:9-11; Co2 3:3 the finger: Exo 8:19, Exo 32:16; Jer 31:33; Mat 12:28; Luk 11:20; Co2 3:7, Co2 3:8 Next: Exodus Chapter 32”

“When Moses had received all the instructions respecting the sanctuary to be erected, Jehovah gave him the two tables of testimony-tables of stone, upon which the decalogue was written with the finger of God. It was to receive these tables that he had been called up the mountain ( Exo 24:12). According to Exo 32:16, the tables themselves, as well as the writing, were the work of God; and the writing was engraved upon them (חרוּת from חרת = χαράττειν), and the tables were written on both their sides ( Exo 32:15). Both the choice of stone as the material for the tables, and the fact that the writing was engraved, were intended to indicate the imperishable duration of these words of God. The…”