6. the Lord passed by before him--in this remarkable scene, God
performed what He had promised to Moses the day before.
proclaimed, The Lord . . . merciful and gracious--At
an earlier period He had announced Himself to Moses, in the glory of
His self-existent and eternal majesty, as "I am"
[Ex 3:14];
now He makes Himself known in the glory of His grace and
goodness--attributes that were to be illustriously displayed in the
future history and experience of the church. Being about to republish
His law--the sin of the Israelites being forgiven and the deed of
pardon about to be signed and sealed by renewing the terms of the
former covenant--it was the most fitting time to proclaim the extent of
the divine mercy which was to be displayed, not in the case of Israel
only, but of all who offend.
JFB.
Picture Study Bible