Exodus 24:4

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.

a. NLT: Then Moses carefully wrote down all the LORD’s instructions. Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

b. NIV: Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel.

c. 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;

d. Amplified Bible: Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Then he got up early in the morning, and built an altar [for worship] at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars (memorial stones) representing the twelve tribes of Israel.

e. Septuagint: And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and [set up] twelve stones for the twelve tribes of Israel.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Moses wrote the words of HASHEM. He arose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.

1. “And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD…”

a. And Moses [4872 * Mosheh] [Strong: from 4871; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver:--Moses.]

b. wrote [3789 * kathab] [Strong: a primitive root; to grave, by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe):--describe, record, prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten).]

c. all the words [1697 * dabar] [Strong: from 1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause:--act, advice, affair, answer, X any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, + chronicles, commandment, X commune(-ication), + concern(-ing), + confer, counsel, + dearth, decree, deed, X disease, due, duty, effect, + eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-)ness, + glory, + harm, hurt, + iniquity, + judgment, language, + lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, X ought, X parts, + pertaining, + please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, X (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, + sign, + so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, + song, speech, X spoken, talk, task, + that, X there done, thing (concerning), thought, + thus, tidings, what(-soever), + wherewith, which, word, work.]

d. of the LORD [3068 * Yhovah] [Strong: from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]

1). Up to this point as far as the Law is concerned there was only Exodus 20-23. Everything concerning the five books of Moses from Exodus 25 through Deuteronomy had not been written yet. It is possible that “the words of the LORD” including the LORD calling him in Exodus 3 and onward were also included. What must be acknowledged is that the tablets of stone were not written until later in Exodus 31:18.

2. “…and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill…”

a. and rose up early [7925 * shakam] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to incline (the shoulder to a burden); but used only as denominative from 7926; literally, to load up (on the back of man or beast), i.e. to start early in the morning:--(arise, be up, get (oneself) up, rise up) early (betimes), morning.]

b. in the morning [1242 * boqer] [Strong: from 1239; properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning:--(+) day, early, morning, morrow.]

c. and builded [1129 * banah] [Strong: a primitive root; to build (literally and figuratively):--(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), X surely.]

d. and altar [4196 *  mizbeach] [Strong: from 2076; an altar:--altar.]

e. under [8478 * tachath] [Strong: from the same as 8430; the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.:--as, beneath, X flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, X unto, X when...was mine, whereas, (where-)fore, with.]

f. the hill [2022 * har] [Strong: a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X promotion.]

3. “…and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.”

a. pillars [4676 * matstsebah] [Strong:  feminine (causatively) participle of 5324; something stationed, i.e. a column or (memorial stone); by analogy, an idol:--garrison, (standing) image, pillar.]

b. according to the twelve [8147 * shnayim] [Strong: dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also (as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, + twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.]

c. twelve [6240 *  `asar] [Strong: for 6235; ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth:--(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-, six-, thir-)teen(-th), + eleven(-th), + sixscore thousand, + twelve(-th).]

d. tribes [7626 * shebet] [Strong: from an unused root probably meaning to branch off; a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan:--X correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.]

e. of Israel [3478 * Yisra'el] [Strong: from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity: --Israel.]

1). The location of the altar and the pillars have all been identified and photographed inside Saudi Arabia at Jabal al Lawz. See The Mountain of God , Robert Carnuke and David Halbrook.