Exodus-34-6-7
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Please Note: Some alterations or (additions) have been made relating to
‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been
corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2.
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben
Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
This study covers an important question, yet there is an answer:
שְׁמוֹת - Shemot - Exodus Chapter 34: 6-7. (JPS-1917 version of the Torah).
“And יְהוָה - the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed: ‘יְהוָה - the LORD, יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and unto the fourth generation’”.
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Below is a structured commentary that draws on classical Hebraic understanding.
Exodus 34:6-7: Commentary and Insights:
1. The Context: ‘A Second Revelation’.
These verses occur immediately after the episode of the Golden Calf. Moshe - Moses has shattered the first tablets, pleaded for forgiveness, and asked to understand אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s ways. What follows is not a philosophical explanation but a self-revelation, אֱלֹהִים “passes before” Moses and proclaims His own attributes. This moment becomes foundational for Hebrew prayer, especially the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy recited on fast days and during our High Holy Days.
2. “יְהוָה - the LORD, יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim…” The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy:
We attribute the ‘thirteen attributes’ in this proclamation. They are not abstract qualities but modes of Divine relationship.
A few key elements:.
“יְהוָה - the LORD, יְהוָה - the LORD”.
The repetition is interpreted as: אֱלֹהִים before a person sins, and אֱלֹהִים after a person sins, still offering compassion. This is a radical idea: Divine mercy is not reactive but intrinsic.
“Merciful and gracious, long suffering…”
These terms emphasize patience and a willingness to give us space to return. אֱלֹהִים is portrayed as slow to anger, and not quick to punish.
“Abundant in goodness and truth”.
The pairing of ‘chesed’ (lovingkindness) and ‘emet’ (truth) is important. Mercy is not sentimental; it is grounded in reliability and moral order.
3. “Keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation…”
This is a striking contrast to what follows. Mercy extends to the thousandth generation, while consequences for wrongdoing extend only to the third and fourth.
The asymmetry is intentional: Divine compassion vastly outweighs Divine judgment.
A note:.
This does not mean children are punished for their parents’ sins arbitrarily. Rather, consequences ripple through generations when the children continue the same destructive patterns.
It is a statement about the social and moral fabric of human life, not a decree of inherited guilt.
4. “Forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin…”.
Three Hebrew terms appear:
עָוֹן (avon) - intentional wrongdoing.
פֶּשַׁע (pesha) - rebellious wrongdoing.
חַטָּאָה (chattah) - unintentional sin.
The order moves from most severe to least severe, emphasizing the breadth of Divine forgiveness.
5. “…and that will by no means clear the guilty”.
This line balances the previous ones. Mercy does not erase moral responsibility. אֱלֹהִים forgives, but אֱלֹהִים does not trivialize wrongdoing.
This reads this as:.
אֱלֹהִים forgives those who seek forgiveness. אֱלֹהִים does not “clear” those who refuse to repent or persist in injustice.
It is a theology of accountability, not vengeance.
6. The Tension: Mercy and Justice.
These verses hold together two truths: אֱלֹהִים is overwhelmingly merciful, leaning toward forgiveness. אֱלֹהִים is just, and moral actions have consequences.
Rather than resolving the tension, the Torah preserves it. Jewish thought often sees this as the heart of Divine mystery: mercy and justice are not opposites but complementary forces.
7. Why These Verses Matter.
These attributes become:
A liturgical formula.
A theological anchor.
A model for human behavior.
Just as אֱלֹהִים is merciful, so you be
merciful’.
The attributes are not only descriptions of אֱלֹהִים, they are an ethical
blueprint.
I pray that the above has revealed more than you may have anticipated.
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Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following via several of our prophets...
“Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. (JPS).
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שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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