Exodus 34:10 is God announcing a covenant with Israel in which He promises to do wonders that the whole world has never seen, so that the people will witness His work and recognize that it is an awesome thing He does with them. The verse is God speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, right after Israel’s sin with the golden calf and Moses’s plea that God would stay among a stiff-necked people.
He said, “Behold, I make a covenant: before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been worked in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among which you are shall see the work of the LORD; for it is an awesome thing that I do with you.
Exodus 34:10 (WEB)
What Exodus 34:10 Means
The verse opens with God saying He is making a covenant, a binding agreement in which He takes on responsibility for what happens next. Covenants in the ancient Near East were serious promises between parties, and here God Himself is the one committing. The promise is not that Israel will earn His favor, but that He will act in a way that cannot go unnoticed.
The “marvels” are acts so remarkable that “such as have not been worked in all the earth, nor in any nation.” God is pointing to something beyond ordinary events, a display of His power that other peoples would recognize. The phrase “the work of the LORD” tells us the point is that the people would see who God is through what He does for them.
What the verse does not promise is that Israel will be free from trouble or that every step will feel easy. It promises that God will act in a way that makes His character visible to everyone around them, and that this work is awesome, meaning something to be feared and honored, not merely admired.
The Context of Exodus 34:10
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses and tells the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and their formation as a people at Sinai. The book was written for the Israelites who had come out of slavery and were learning what it meant to belong to the God who had rescued them. Chapter 34 comes immediately after the golden calf episode in chapter 32, where the people broke their covenant commitment almost as soon as it was made.
Just before verse 10, God proclaims His own character in verses 6 and 7, describing Himself as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and forgiving, while also refusing to leave the guilty unpunished. Moses responds by pleading for God to go among them and forgive their sin (verse 9). Verse 10 is God’s answer: He will renew the covenant and show His power openly. Read this way, the marvels are an expression of mercy as much as might, given to a people who had failed.
Key Phrases in Exodus 34:10
Exodus 34:6
The LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, “The LORD! The LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth…
(WEB)
This verse comes just before the covenant announcement and describes the merciful and gracious character of God who makes the covenant. Reading it alongside verse 10 helps you see that the marvels God promises flow from the same compassionate nature He reveals here.
Deuteronomy 7:6
For you are a holy people to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth.
(WEB)
Moses later reminds Israel that they are a people chosen by the LORD for His own possession. This passage deepens the idea in Exodus 34:10 that God’s covenant with Israel is rooted in His choice and love rather than in any merit Israel brings.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 34:10
Lord, you are the one who keeps covenant and renews your promises even when we have fallen short. Thank you that your work among your people is awesome and that you choose to show your character through what you do. Help me to notice your faithfulness in ordinary days and to trust that you are at work in ways I can rely on. Teach me to live in reverent gratitude for the relationship you have made with me. Amen.
