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Exodus 32:16

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Exodus 32:16 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
Exodus 32:16 — American Standard Version

Context — Exodus 32

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
14And Jehovah repented of the evil which he said he would do unto his people.
15And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand; tables that were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
16And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
17And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.
18And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome; but the noise of them that sing do I hear.
19And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing: and Moses` anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
← Exodus 32:15Exodus 32:17 →
← Full Chapter 32 Exodus Overview

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the tables were the work of God, etc.] And not of angels or men; the stones were made and formed by God into the shape they were: and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables; the letters in which the law was written were of his framing, devising, and engraving; and this was to show that this law was his own, and contained his mind and will; and to give the greater dignity and authority to it, and to deter men from breaking it.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The faithfulness of Moses in the office that had been entrusted to him was now to be put to the test. It was to be made manifest whether he loved his own glory better than he loved the brethren who were under his charge; whether he would prefer that he should himself become the founder of a “great nation,” or that the Lord’s promise should be fulfilled in the whole people of Israel. This may have been especially needful for Moses, in consequence of his natural disposition. See Numbers 12:3; and compare Exodus 3:11. With this trial of Moses repeated in a very similar manner Numbers 14:11-23, may be compared the trial of Abraham Genesis 22:0 and of our Saviour Matthew 4:8-10. Exodus 32:8 These…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“The writing of God - Very probably the first writing in the world. Exodus 32:19”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“32:16 These tablets were God’s work: The covenant was not merely a human agreement.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Exo 31:18, Exo 34:1, Exo 34:4; Deu 9:9-11, Deu 9:15, Deu 10:1; Co2 3:3, Co2 3:7; Heb 8:10 Exodus 32:17”
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Related study paths

Read Exodus 32 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification