Exodus 24 · Verse 4

Exodus 24:4

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.

Exodus 24:4, King James Version

Exodus 24:4 in other translations

BSB	And 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.
WEB	Moses wrote all the LORD’s words, then rose up early in the morning and built an altar at the base of the mountain, with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
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.
YLT	And Moses writeth all the words of Jehovah, and riseth early in the morning, and buildeth an altar under the hill, and twelve standing pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel;
DARBY	And Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
BBE	Then Moses put down in writing all the words of the Lord, and he got up early in the morning and made an altar at the foot of the mountain, with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
Webster	And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose early in the morning, and built an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

What does Exodus 24:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 24:3-4

Ex 24:1-18. Delivery of the Law and Covenant. 3-4. Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord--The rehearsal of the foregoing laws and the ten commandments, together with the promises of special blessings in the event of their obedience, having drawn forth from the people a unanimous declaration of their consent, it was forthwith recorded as the conditions of the national covenant. The next day…

Read the full comment on Exodus 24:3-4 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 4 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. 2. As their mediator and the deputy of the Lord, he accepts on his part the resolution of the people; and Jehovah on his part engages himself to Israel, to be their God, their King, and Protector, and to fulfill to them all the promises he had made to their fathers. 3. To make this the more solemn and affecting, and to ratify the covenant, which could not be done without sacrifice, shedding and sprinkling of blood, Moses builds an altar, probably of turf, as was commanded, Exo 20:24, and erects twelve pillars, no doubt of unhewn stone, and probably set round about the altar. The altar itself represented the throne of God; the twelve stones, the twelve tribes of Israel. These were the two parties, who were to contract, or enter into covenant, on this occasion.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 24:1-8

A solemn covenant was made between God and Israel. Very solemn it was, typifying the covenant of grace between God and believers, through Christ. As soon as God separated to himself a peculiar people, he governed them by a written word, as he has done ever since. God's covenants and commands are so just in themselves, and so much for our good, that the more we think of them, and the more plainly and fully they are…

Read the full comment on Exodus 24:1-8 →

Exodus 24:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּכְתֹּ֣בvai.yikh.Toand he wroteH3789

מֹשֶׁ֗הmo.ShehMosesH4872

אֵ֚ת'et<obj.>H853

כָּל\־kol-allH3605

דִּבְרֵ֣יdiv.Rei[the] words ofH1697

יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068

וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣םvai.yash.Kemand he rose earlyH7925

בַּבֹּ֔קֶרba.Bo.kerin the morningH1242

וַיִּ֥בֶןvai.Yi.venand he builtH1129

מִזְבֵּ֖חַmiz.Be.achan altarH4196

תַּ֣חַתTa.chatunderH8478

הָהָ֑רha.Harthe mountainH2022

וּשְׁתֵּ֤יםu.she.Teimand two [plus]H8147

עֶשְׂרֵה֙'es.RehtenH6240

מַצֵּבָ֔הma.tze.Vahpillar[s]H4676

לִשְׁנֵ֥יםlish.Neimfor two [plus]H8147

עָשָׂ֖ר'a.SartenH6240

שִׁבְטֵ֥יshiv.Tei[the] tribes ofH7626

יִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 24:4

Genesis 28:18
And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
Deuteronomy 31:9
And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and unto all the elders of Israel.
Revelation 21:14
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Galatians 2:9
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Luke 22:30
That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Joshua 4:8-9
And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
Numbers 17:2
Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.
Joshua 4:2-3
Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
Exodus 28:21
And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
Genesis 28:22
And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
1 Kings 11:30
And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
Leviticus 24:5
And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

wrote.
De 31:9; Jos 24:26
and builded.
20:24-26
twelve pillars.
Ge 28:18,22; 31:45; Jos 24:27; Ga 2:9
according.
28:21; Le 24:5; Nu 17:2; Jos 4:2,3,8,9,20; 1Ki 11:30; Ezr 6:17
Lu 22:30; Re 21:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Exodus 24:3
And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.
Exodus 24:4
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.
Exodus 24:5
And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord.

Read all of Exodus 24

Exodus 24:4 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y Moisés escribió todas las palabras de Jehová, y levantándose de mañana edificó un altar al pie del monte, y doce columnas, según las doce tribus de Israel.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et Moïse écrivit toutes les paroles de l’ Éternel; et il se leva de bon matin, et bâtit un autel au pied de la montagne, et dressa douze stèles pour les douze tribus d’Israël;
German Elberfelder 1871	Und Mose schrieb alle Worte Jehovas nieder. Und er machte sich des Morgens früh auf und baute einen Altar unten am Berge und zwölf Denksteine nach den zwölf Stämmen Israels.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Scripsit autem Moyses universos sermones Domini: et mane consurgens, ædificavit altare ad radices montis, et duodecim titulos per duodecim tribus Israël.