The Horns of Moses: Light or Misreading?

When Moses descended from Mount Sinai, carrying in his hands the tablets of the covenant, something extraordinary is said about his face. The Hebrew text of Exodus 34:29 reads very literally:

“And it was, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain—that Moses did not know that the skin of his face qaran because of his speaking with Him.”

The crucial word here is קָרַן (qaran). It comes from the root קֶרֶן (qeren), meaning “horn.” But in Hebrew thought, a “horn” is not merely an animal’s horn. It also symbolizes a ray, a beam, an extension of light or power. Thus, the verb qaran in this context means “to emit rays,” “to shine forth.” Moses’ face radiated with divine brightness after speaking with God.

And yet, in the history of translation, this verse took a strange turn. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate (late 4th century CE) rendered it as cornuta esset facies sua — “his face was horned.” Jerome, brilliant though he was, did not possess strong Hebrew knowledge. Influenced by the primary sense of qeren (“horn”), he produced a translation that shaped Christian imagination for centuries. Many medieval paintings and sculptures, even the famous Michelangelo’s Moses, show the prophet with literal horns!

What a difference one word can make.

This reminds us of the importance of accuracy in reading Scripture. A small misunderstanding in language can shift theology, art, and imagination for generations. But it also teaches us something deeper: God’s Word deserves our careful attention. Each root, each nuance matters.

Moses’ shining face is not a symbol of strangeness or fear, but of intimacy. He had been in the presence of the living God — and it left a visible trace. And here lies the lesson for us today: every genuine encounter with God will transform us, not with horns, but with a radiance that others can sense.

Perhaps this is the call for our daily walk with God. We may not come down from a mountain with tablets of Testimony, but in prayer, in meditation, and in quiet listening, we, too, can “shine forth.” The sanctuary presence of God is not locked in stone, tent, or temple — it is reflected in the lives of those who have spoken with Him.

So, let us take time to read carefully, to live deeply, and to allow the qaran of God’s presence to radiate through us.