“Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh said to me, “They have well said that which they have spoken.
- KJV And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken 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.
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 5:28Yahweh heard the voice of your words, when you spoke to me; and Yahweh said to me, “I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. 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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