And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
passed
Exodus 33:20-23 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live…
1 Kings 19:11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
proclaimed
Numbers 14:17-19 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, …
Isaiah 12:4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
the Lord
Exodus 3:13-16 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? …
merciful
Deuteronomy 5:10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
2 Chronicles 30:9 For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.
Nehemiah 9:17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.
abundant
Psalm 31:19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
Micah 7:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
truth
Psalm 57:10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
Psalm 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Psalm 108:4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
“The LORD, the LORD God,
The repetition of "The LORD" (YHWH) underscores the significance of God's covenant name, which denotes His eternal, self-existent nature. This name was first revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14 as "I AM WHO I AM," highlighting God's unchanging and faithful character. The addition of "God" (El) connects to His power and might, often used in contexts of His sovereignty and creative authority. This duality of names reflects both His personal relationship with Israel and His universal dominion.
is compassionate and gracious,
Compassion and grace are central attributes of God's character. Compassion (Hebrew: "rachum") conveys a deep, tender mercy, akin to a parent's love for a child. Grace (Hebrew: "chanun") involves unmerited favor, a theme that runs throughout Scripture, culminating in the New Testament with the grace offered through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). These attributes are foundational to God's dealings with Israel, as seen in His patience and provision throughout their history.
slow to anger,
This phrase highlights God's patience and long-suffering nature. The Hebrew term "erek apayim" literally means "long of nostrils," a metaphor for being slow to wrath. This attribute is evident in God's dealings with Israel, despite their repeated disobedience and idolatry. It reflects His desire for repentance and reconciliation rather than judgment, a theme echoed in the New Testament (2 Peter 3:9).
abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,
"Loving devotion" (Hebrew: "chesed") is a rich term encompassing steadfast love, mercy, and loyalty. It is a covenantal love that God consistently shows to His people, despite their failures. "Faithfulness" (Hebrew: "emet") implies truth, reliability, and trustworthiness. Together, these attributes assure Israel of God's unwavering commitment to His promises. This combination of love and faithfulness is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who embodies God's covenantal love and truth (John 1:14).
• God takes the initiative to reveal Himself; Moses does not climb to heaven—he stands as God descends (Exodus 33:19-23).
• The passing presence is personal, not abstract; the same God later comes “in a gentle whisper” to Elijah (1 Kings 19:11-13).
• Worship begins with God’s self-disclosure; our response is always second.
• Repetition underscores certainty: “Yahweh, Yahweh.” The Eternal One reminds Moses that the covenant Maker is still the covenant Keeper (Exodus 3:14-15).
• Declaring the divine name right after Israel’s golden-calf failure (Exodus 32) highlights mercy over abandonment.
• “Know that the LORD is God” (Psalm 100:3). His identity is settled; our world may wobble, but His throne does not (Deuteronomy 6:4).
• Compassion: God’s gut-level care for the helpless (Psalm 103:13-14).
• Grace: favor unearned, mirroring how He chose Israel “not because you were numerous” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).
• Joel 2:13 holds these same words as an invitation to return; the character of God fuels repentance, not fear alone.
• Literally “long of nose,” picturing controlled breathing instead of flaring nostrils; patience is built into His nature (Nahum 1:3).
• His slowness is not indifference; it is space for sinners to repent (Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).
• Israel has already tested this patience, yet the fire of Sinai does not consume them—mercy tempers majesty.
• Loving devotion (ḥesed): covenant love that never quits; every verse of Psalm 136 repeats, “His loving devotion endures forever.”
• Faithfulness (’emet): reliability, truth; “Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
• The pairing appears again in John 1:14, 17—Jesus is “full of grace and truth,” the living embodiment of Exodus 34:6.
• God is not merely adequate in love; He overflows. Our need is met by His surplus.
Exodus 34:6 is God’s own self-portrait: the eternal LORD personally reveals Himself as compassionate, gracious, patient, and overflowing with loyal love and steady faithfulness. Spoken after a national failure, these words assure every generation that the God who descends to sinners offers more mercy than we can exhaust and more truth than we can deny.
(6) The Lord passed by before him.--In this brief phrase we have the entire historical narrative of the manifestation to Moses of God's glory. For details we must refer to the terms of the promise (Exodus 33:21-23), which are also characterised by brevity, but still add something to the bare statements of the present passage. Moses was, no doubt, hidden and protected by God's hand in a "clift of the rock" while God's glory passed by. He was only allowed to look out from his hiding-place after the glory had passed, when he saw the remains of it--the "back parts;" even this was, however, so brilliant a vision that it left a permanent light upon his countenance, which he was fain ordinarily to conceal from the people by means of a veil (Exodus 34:29-35).The Lord, The Lord God . . .The new "name" of God is not a "name," as we understand the expression; it is rather a description of His nature by means of a series of epithets. At the bush He had revealed His eternal, self-existent character; in the descent on Sinai (Exodus 19:16-19; Exodus 20:18-21) He had shown His terribleness; now, in the act of pardoning His people and taking them once more into favour, He made known His attribute of mercy. The more to impress this feature of His character on Israel, He accumulated epithet on epithet, calling Himself Rakhum, "the tender or pitiful one;" Khannun, "the kind or gracious one," who bestows His benefits out of mere favour; Erek appayim, "the long-suffering one;" Rab khesed, "the great in mercy;" Notser khesed, "the keeper of mercy;" and Nose 'avon, "the forgiver of iniquity." Still, to prevent the fatal misapprehension that He is a Being of pure and mero benevolence (Butler, Analogy, Part I., Exodus 2, p. 41). He added, to complete the description, a reference to His justice. He "will by no means clear the guilty" (comp. Nahum 1:3), and will "visit iniquity to the third and fourth generation." (Comp. Exodus 20:5.) . . .
Verses 6, 7. - The Lord passed by before him. God did as he had promised in Exodus 33:22, 23. He made his glory pass by, Moses, as he stood in a "clift of the rock," and "covered him with his hand as he passed by," and, when he had passed, "took away his hand," and allowed Moses to look after him, and see a glorious and transcendent vision - a vision so bright and radiant, and so real, that the light which streamed from it settled on Moses face, and remained there (ver. 20). And proclaimed. In his passage God proclaimed his name; not however, as in the burning bush, an actual name contained in a single word - but a description in many words of his essential nature - a description setting forth especially his three qualities of mercy, truth, and justice, but dwelling most upon the first of the three - perhaps, as most essential, for" God is love" (1 John 4:8) - certainly, as moot needing to be prominently set forth at the time, when his favour had been justly forfeited, and but for ]]is mercy could not have been restored. Note the accumulation of terms that are nearly synonymous -1. Merciful (or pitiful);
2. Gracious;
3. Long-suffering; . . .
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