tablets of stone
Moses's mountain acquisition
Tablets of stone refers to rules or principles treated as absolute and unchangeable, from the biblical story of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments carved on stone tablets.
The phrase usually appears in negative constructions to suggest something shouldn't be considered permanent: These guidelines aren't tablets of stone—we can revise them.
Also *written in stone* or *set in stone*.
- Ten CommandmentsScriptural moral code
- commandmentsAuthoritative rules demanding compliance
- MosesHebrew prophet, liberator
- Mount SinaiBiblical mountain of law
- SinaiEgyptian peninsula, biblical peak
burning bush · covenant · scripture · holy writ · Old Testament · carved · engraved · law · mountain · God · ancient · sacred · inscription · chisel · Hebrew · etched · divine · Exodus
- Biblical imageryLamb of God, Good Shepherd, bread of life, light of the world, living water
- commandmentsTen Commandments, no other gods, honor thy parents, honor parents, no stealing
- Mosaic lawMoses, Mosaic law, Ten Commandments, commandment, commandments
- Bible visionswheels within wheels, valley of dry bones, valley of bones, dry bones, burning bush
- Covenantsold covenant, everlasting covenant, pact, accord, compact
tablets of stoneguidelines
Suggested rules for behavior
suggestions · rough draft · recommendations · non-binding agreements · pencil sketch
tablets of stonepaper scrolls
Wound sheets with writing
papyrus · parchment · ephemera · pencil marks · wet clay
tablet, stone, tablets, stones, stoned, stoning, stony, stonework, stonecutter