Deuteronomy 10:3

So I made an ark of acacia wood, chiseled out two stone tablets like the originals, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hands.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites while recounting his immediate response to God’s command to renew the covenant. He describes preparing the materials and ascending the mountain to receive the restored tablets.

The words — אֲרוֹן ('a.rOn) literally means "an ark" or chest, and אֶפְסֹל (va./'ef.Sol) translates to "and I cut out," describing the physical chiseling of the stone tablets.

The thread — This event directly parallels Exodus 34:4, where Moses similarly prepares two stone tablets like the originals. The ark’s construction also references the tabernacle materials outlined in Exodus 25:10 and 25:5.

Why it lands — The text records Moses’ physical preparation before his spiritual ascent, establishing that divine instruction requires deliberate human action. It requires the reader to acknowledge that receiving God’s word demands active obedience prior to revelation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וָאַ֤עַשׂva./'A.'asand/ I made אֲרוֹן֙'a.rOnan ark of עֲצֵ֣י'a.Tzeiwood<s> of שִׁטִּ֔יםshi.Timacacia וָאֶפְסֹ֛לva./'ef.Soland/ I cut out שְׁנֵי־she.nei-two לֻחֹ֥תlu.Chottablets of אֲבָנִ֖ים'a.va.Nimstone<s>כָּרִאשֹׁנִ֑יםka./ri.sho.Nimlike the/ former [tablets]וָאַ֣עַלva./'A.'aland/ I went up הָהָ֔רָהha./Ha.ra/hthe/ mountain/ towards וּשְׁנֵ֥יu./she.Neiand/ [the] two הַלֻּחֹ֖תha./lu.Chotthe/ tablets בְּיָדִֽי׃be./ya.D/i[were] in/ hand/ my

King James Version

And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand.

Cross-references

Exodus 34:4 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the originals. He rose early in the morning, and taking the two stone tablets in his hands, he went up Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him.
Exodus 25:5 ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood;
Exodus 25:10 And they are to construct an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
Exodus 37:1 Bezalel went on to construct the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
Deuteronomy 10:1 At that time the LORD said to me, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the originals, come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood.