"Full of grace and truth" and וְרַב־חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת (Exod 34:6)

Says In Exod 34:6, the Lord proclaims his name and is וְרַב־חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת (verav-khesed ve'emet, "abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness," BSB). חֶסֶד (khesed) is loyal, covenant-keeping love. אֱמֶת (emet) is firmness, reliability, and truth. The same pair occurs elsewhere, for example חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת (Gen 24:49).

Says The LXX (Swete) renders 34:6 μακρόθυμος καὶ πολυέλεος καὶ ἀληθινός ("rich in mercy and true"). It uses an ἔλεος compound and the adjective ἀληθινός. It does not use χάρις or the noun ἀλήθεια. John 1:14, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας, is therefore not a quotation of the LXX.

Implies The link is still well grounded: 1. "full of" corresponds in sense to וְרַב (verav, "and abounding"); 2. John 1:14–18 gathers Exod 33–34 themes: dwelling, glory, Moses and the law (1:17), and not seeing God (1:18); 3. χάρις does appear in this LXX context. It renders חֵן (khen, "favor") in Moses' plea "if I have found favor" (Exod 33:12–17; 34:9).

On this reading John gives the Exod 34:6 pair a Greek wording of his own, not the LXX's.

Uncertain It is uncertain whether χάρις stands for חֶסֶד directly or also absorbs the חֵן of Exod 33. The team prefers a conceptual allusion to Exod 34:6, possibly colored by 33:12–17. Confidence is moderate to high for an allusion and low for any single Hebrew equivalent.