10612. 'As Jehovah had commanded him' means that such a thing should be done because of their insistence. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah had commanded' - when the subject is the kind of outward form the Word takes on account of the Israelite nation, meant by 'the two tablets of stone' hewn by Moses - as that such a thing should be done because of their insistence. Various places in the Word which refer to the Israelite nation and the representative worship established among them state that Jehovah commanded this or that. But His good pleasure is not meant by His commanding it, only His permission that such a thing should be done because of their insistence; for they were insistent that they should be led into the land of Canaan and that Jehovah should reside with them, consequently that the Church should be established among them. Regarding that insistence, see 10430, 10535. Take for instance their presentation on altars of burnt offerings, sacrifices, minchahs, and drink offerings, regarding which very many laws were laid down and which also Jehovah is said to have commanded; these were not in fact commanded or decreed, only permitted, as may be recognized from the places quoted from the Word in 2180. The like applies to their being allowed to have a number of wives and to give a certificate of divorce for any reason whatever; Jehovah did not in fact command this, although it says that He did, but only permitted it on account of their hardness of heart, Matthew 19:7-8. The same is so with very many other things that Jehovah is said to have commanded.