What was Written on the Two Tables of the Covenant?

Authors

Th. Laetsch, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

Publication Date

10-1-1938

Document Type

Article

Keywords

decalog, two tables, covenant, commandments, moses, israel, goethe

Submission Type

Bible Study; Lecture; Sermon Prep

Abstract

In the year 1773 Goethe published a small pamphlet entitled Was stund auf den T.feln, des Bundes? After referring briefly to the establishment of the covenant narrated Ex. 24:1 ff., he continues: ''Then the Lord said unto Moses, Come up unto Me into the mount and be there; and I will give thee tables of stone and a law and commandments which I have written. Moses ascends to the Lord and is given the specifications for the Tabernacle. Finally we are told, And when the Lord had made an end of communing with him, He gave him the tables. What was written on them no one finds out. The disorder with the calf occurs, and Moses breaks the tables before we can even surmise their contents." From Ex. 34:12-26 Goethe then draws the conclusion that the Ten Commandments, the Mosaic Decalog, was transmitted in a twofold tradition, the contents of the Decalog varying essentially in the two forms.

Disciplines

Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Scripture References in this Resource (separated by semi-colons)

Exodus 34:12-26; Exodus 24:1 ff; Exodus 23:14-19; Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 4:11-13, 33; Deuteronomy 5:4-5, 22-26; 1 Samuel 17:40; Exodus 24:12; Exodus 19:5-9;

Submission Cost

Free

Submission Audience

Laity; Ministers; Scholars

Recommended Citation

Laetsch, Th. (1938) "What was Written on the Two Tables of the Covenant?," Concordia Theological Monthly: Vol. 9, Article 70.
Available at: https://scholar.csl.edu/ctm/vol9/iss1/70