New American Standard Bible 1995

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Exodus

31

:

18

When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
When He had finished to be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent Verb H3615 כְּכַלֹּתֹו֙ ke·chal·lo·tov
speaking to speak Verb H1696 לְדַבֵּ֤ר le·dab·ber
with him upon Mount mountain, hill, hill country Noun H2022 בְּהַ֣ר be·har
Sinai, the mountain where the law was given Noun H5514 סִינַ֔י si·nai,
Analysis:
Read more about: Sinai
He gave to give, put, set Verb H5414 וַיִּתֵּ֣ן vai·yit·ten
Moses a great Isr. leader, prophet and lawgiver Noun H4872 מֹשֶׁ֗ה mo·sheh
Analysis:
Read more about: Moses
the two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 שְׁנֵ֖י she·nei
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

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tablets a tablet, board or plank, a plate Noun H3871 לֻחֹ֣ת lu·chot
of the testimony, testimony Noun H5715 הָעֵדֻ֑ת ha·'e·dut;
tablets a tablet, board or plank, a plate Noun H3871 לֻחֹ֣ת lu·chot
of stone, a stone Noun H68 אֶ֔בֶן e·ven,
written to write Verb H3789 כְּתֻבִ֖ים ke·tu·vim
by the finger a finger Noun H676 בְּאֶצְבַּ֥ע be·'etz·ba
of God. God, god Noun H430 אֱלֹהִֽים׃ e·lo·him.

Locations

Mount Sinai

SINAIsi'-ni, si'-na-i (cinay; Codex Alexandrinus Sina, Codex Vaticanus Seina):1. The Name:The name comes probably from a root meaning "to shine," which occurs in Syriac, and which in Babylonian is found in the name sinu for "the moon." The old explanation, "clayey," is inappropriate to any place in the Sinaitic desert, though it might apply to Sin (Ezekiel 3... View Details

Sinai

SINAIsi'-ni, si'-na-i (cinay; Codex Alexandrinus Sina, Codex Vaticanus Seina):1. The Name:The name comes probably from a root meaning "to shine," which occurs in Syriac, and which in Babylonian is found in the name sinu for "the moon." The old explanation, "clayey," is inappropriate to any place in the Sinaitic desert, though it might apply to Sin (Ezekiel 3... View Details

People

Moses

Moses, a leader of Israel who led the Israelites out of Egypt.

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
King James Bible When He And he gave unto Moses, when he had finished speaking made an end of communing with him upon Mount mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets tables of the testimony, tablets tables of stone, written by with the finger of God.
Hebrew Greek English When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.