And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh said to me, “They have well said that which they have spoken.
- BSB Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well.
- NKJV “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good.
- NASB And the Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well.
- NLT “Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God affirms that the people's request for a mediator was right. He honors a humble awareness of one's inability to stand before His holiness.
Overview
The LORD tells Moses the people spoke well in asking for a mediator rather than direct exposure to His glory. Their fear rightly acknowledged the gulf between holy God and sinful people. God's approval shows that recognizing our need for a mediator is fitting, and He graciously meets that need.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Deut 5:28And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 18:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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