Exodus 24:4
in Exodus 24And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early the next morning he got up and built an altar at the base of the mountain, along with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the mount, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
KJV
And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
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This verse in Exodus 24
Commentary
6 notes on this versePillars according to the number of the tribes - These were to represent the people, the other party to the covenant; and we may suppose they were set up over against the altar, and that Moses as mediator passed to and fro between them. Probably each tribe set up and knew its own pillar, and their elders stood by it. He then appointed sacrifices to be offered upon the altar.
This site's exposition
And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD
This is the first occurrence of the word wrote in Scripture, and here Moses writes the covenant. The altar stands for one party to the agreement and the twelve pillars for the other, one pillar to a tribe.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), that there might be no mistake; probably he had written them as God dictated them on the mount. As soon as ever God had separated to himself a peculiar people in the world, he governed them by a written word, as he has done ever since, and will do while the world stands and the church in it.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Moses wrote all the words of the Lord - After the people had promised obedience, (Exo 24:3), and so entered into the bonds of the covenant, “it was necessary,” says Calmet, “to draw up an act by which the memory of these transactions might be preserved, and confirm the covenant by authentic and solemn ceremonies.” And this Moses does. 1. As legislator, he reduces to writing all the articles and conditions of the agreement, with the people’s act of consent.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Twelve pillars - As the altar was a symbol of the presence of Yahweh, so these twelve pillars represented the presence of the Twelve tribes with whom He was making the covenant.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב | vaiyikhto | and he wrote | H3789 → | 224 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֗ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| אֵ֚ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֣י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם | vaiyashkem | and he rose early | H7925 → | 65 times |
| בַּבֹּ֔קֶר | baboker | in the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| וַיִּ֥בֶן | vaiyiven | and he built | H1129 → | 376 times |
| מִזְבֵּ֖חַ | mizbeach | an altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| תַּ֣חַת | tachat | under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| הָהָ֑ר | hahar | the mountain | H2022 → | 546 times |
| וּשְׁתֵּ֤ים | usheteim | and two [plus] | H8147 → | 768 times |
| עֶשְׂרֵה֙ | ʾesreh | ten | H6240 → | 338 times |
| מַצֵּבָ֔ה | matzevah | pillar[s] | H4676 → | 32 times |
| לִשְׁנֵ֥ים | lishneim | for two [plus] | H8147 → | 768 times |
| עָשָׂ֖ר | ʾasar | ten | H6240 → | 338 times |
| שִׁבְטֵ֥י | shivtei | [the] tribes of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיִּכְתֹּ֣בand he wrote
vaiyikhtoH3789 →224 times
מֹשֶׁ֗הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
אֵ֚ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
דִּבְרֵ֣י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣םand he rose early
vaiyashkemH7925 →65 times
בַּבֹּ֔קֶרin the morning
babokerH1242 →214 times
וַיִּ֥בֶןand he built
vaiyivenH1129 →376 times
מִזְבֵּ֖חַan altar
mizbeachH4196 →401 times
תַּ֣חַתunder
tachatH8478 →505 times
הָהָ֑רthe mountain
haharH2022 →546 times
וּשְׁתֵּ֤יםand two [plus]
usheteimH8147 →768 times
עֶשְׂרֵה֙ten
ʾesrehH6240 →338 times
מַצֵּבָ֔הpillar[s]
matzevahH4676 →32 times
לִשְׁנֵ֥יםfor two [plus]
lishneimH8147 →768 times
עָשָׂ֖רten
ʾasarH6240 →338 times
שִׁבְטֵ֥י[the] tribes of
shivteiH7626 →190 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 28:18Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had placed under his head, and he set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it,
it leads to
- Genesis 35:14
So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where God had spoken with him—a stone marker—and he poured out a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil.
- Genesis 31:45
So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,
- Genesis 31:13
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”
- Genesis 35:14
Through
Galatians 2:9And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John—those reputed to be pillars—gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and…
it leads to
- Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure…
- Revelation 3:12
The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the…
- Ephesians 3:8
Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
- Romans 12:3
Through
Revelation 21:14The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
it leads to
- Hebrews 11:10
For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
- Ephesians 2:20
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
- Hebrews 11:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
On this verse
On this chapter
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Chuck Missler, Learn the Bible in 24 Hours; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.