Exodus 34:6
Listen to this page
Open the MP3 directly
The context
Exodus 34 follows the golden calf, the breaking of the tablets, and Moses's intercession on the mountain. Moses asks to see God's glory, and the answer is a proclamation of the divine name. Verse 6 gives that proclamation in a formula Israel would repeat for centuries, and it is immediately followed by a line about guilt that is not cleared.
What it establishes
It establishes Israel's central confession about God's character: compassion, patience, and fidelity are named as the content of the name itself. The formula is quoted or echoed by later prophets and psalms.
What it does not establish
It does not cancel the sentence that follows. The same speech goes on to say that guilt is not simply cleared, and the covenant renewal that follows includes demands. The verse is a confession of mercy, not a promise that every consequence is removed.
Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.
Cited in these answers
Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.