Exodus 34:27

Summary

Yehovah instructs Moses to write down "these words," stating that the covenant with Moses and with Israel has been made al pi ("according to the mouth of" / "on the basis of") these very words. The verse ties the act of writing to the legal-covenantal foundation just established.

Key words

• ketov ("write", H3789) — qal imperative, 2nd person masculine singular: a direct command to Moses, marked as an immediate action rather than a future obligation.
• pi ("mouth of", H6310K) — masculine singular construct noun, forming the idiom al pi ("according to," literally "upon the mouth of"), used to express the standard or basis for an action.
• karati ("I have made/cut", H3772H) — qal perfect, 1st person: expresses completed action, "I have [already] cut."
• berit ("a covenant", H1285) — feminine singular noun, the object of karati, forming the fixed collocation "cut a covenant."
• ki ("that/for", H3588A) — subordinating particle introducing the clause that gives the reason or basis for the command to write.

What the text says

The verse divides into two clauses joined by ki ("that/for", H3588A). The first is the direct command: ketov-lekha et-ha-devarim ha-'elleh — "write for yourself these words" — where the preposition le ("for", H9005) with the pronominal suffix -kha ("your", H9031) adds a reflexive nuance often rendered "for yourself," emphasizing Moses as the one who both receives and executes the command.

The second clause explains the basis for a covenant already enacted: al pi ha-devarim ha-'elleh karati itkha berit ve-et Yisra'el — "according to the mouth of these words I have cut a covenant with you and with Israel." The construct phrase al pi (H6310K) is idiomatic, literally invoking "mouth" to mean "according to" or "on the terms of," a usage that ties spoken/written words to legal standard. The verb karati (H3772H), from the root meaning "to cut," is paired with berit (H1285) in the standard Hebrew idiom for covenant-making — the text does not use a generic verb like "make" but specifically "cut," a detail embedded in the verb choice itself, not visible in translations that render it as "made" or "established."

Differences between versions

The LXX renders karati berit ("I have cut a covenant") with τέθειμαί ... διαθήκην ("I have placed/set a covenant"), using a verb of placing rather than cutting, so the "cutting" idiom of the Hebrew is not reflected. The Vulgate uses pepigi fœdus ("I have fastened/struck a covenant"), from pango, which preserves a physical, quasi-idiomatic verb for covenant-making distinct from both the Hebrew "cutting" image and the Greek "placing" image. The LXX also gives the divine name as Κύριος ("Lord") where the Hebrew has the name Yehovah (H3068G).