Exodus 33
33
The Command to Leave Sinai
1The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you #ch. 32:7 and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To #ch. 32:13; See Gen. 12:7your offspring I will give it.’ 2I will send an #See ch. 14:19 angel before you, #See ch. 13:5and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3#See ch. 3:8 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; #[ver. 15-17] but I will not go up among you, #ch. 32:10; Num. 16:21, 45 lest I consume you on the way, for you are a #See ch. 32:9stiff-necked people.”
4When the people heard this disastrous word, they #Num. 14:39 mourned, and #[Ezek. 24:17, 23; 26:16]no one put on his ornaments. 5For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a #[See ver. 3 above] stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would #ch. 32:12 consume you. So now #[See ver. 4 above]take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” 6Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
The Tent of Meeting
7Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and #ch. 29:42, 43 he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who #Deut. 4:29; 2 Sam. 21:1; 1 Chr. 16:10, 11; Ps. 40:16sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and #[Num. 16:27]each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9When Moses entered the tent, the #See ch. 13:21pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord#33:9 Hebrew he would speak with Moses. 10And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11Thus #Num. 12:8; Deut. 34:10; See Gen. 32:30 the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his #ch. 17:9, 10; 24:13; 32:17assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
Moses’ Intercession
12Moses said to the Lord, “See, #ch. 32:34 you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, #ver. 17‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please #Ps. 25:4; [Ps. 103:7] show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is #Deut. 9:29; [Joel 2:17]your people.” 14And he said, #Josh. 1:5; Isa. 63:9; See ch. 40:34-38 “My presence will go with you, and #Deut. 3:20; Josh. 21:44; 22:4; 23:1; [Ps. 95:11]I will give you rest.” 15And he said to him, #[ver. 1-3]“If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? #Num. 14:14 Is it not in your going with us, #ch. 19:5, 6; 1 Kgs. 8:53so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
17And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, #ver. 12, 13for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18Moses said, “Please #[ver. 20; 1 Tim. 6:16]show me your glory.” 19And he said, #Ps. 31:19; Jer. 31:14; [ch. 34:5-7] “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And #Cited Rom. 9:15I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for #Gen. 32:30; Deut. 5:24; Judg. 6:22, 23; 13:22; Isa. 6:5; Rev. 1:17; [ch. 24:10, 11]man shall not see me and live.” 21And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a #Isa. 2:21 cleft of the rock, and I will #Ps. 91:1, 4cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall #ver. 20; John 1:18; 1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 4:12not be seen.”
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Exodus 33
33
The Command to Leave Sinai
1#Ge 12:7; Ex 32:13Then the Lord said to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ 2#Ex 32:34; Jos 24:11I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 3#Ex 3:8; 32:9–10Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. However, I will not go up in your midst, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way.”
4#Nu 14:39; 14:1When the people heard this disturbing word, they mourned. And no one put on his ornaments. 5For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I went up among you for one moment, I might destroy you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, so that I may know what I will do to you.’ ” 6#Ex 33:4The children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.
The Tent of Meeting
7#Ex 29:42–43; Dt 4:29Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and called it the tent of meeting. And anyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. 8#Nu 16:27So whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up and stand, every man at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent. 9#Ps 99:7; Ex 31:18And whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord spoke with Moses. 10When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people rose up and worshipped, every man at the entrance of his tent. 11#Nu 12:8; Dt 34:10The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When he returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tent.
The Glory of God
12#Ex 33:17; 32:34Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 13#Dt 9:29; Ps 25:4Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You, and that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too that this nation is Your people.”
14#Jos 21:44; 22:4And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15#Ex 33:3Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16#Nu 14:14; Ex 19:5–6For how will it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we will be distinguished, I and Your people, from all the people who are on the face of the earth?”
17#Ge 19:21; Ex 33:12The Lord said to Moses, “I will do this thing of which you have spoken, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.”
18#Ex 33:20; 1Ti 6:16Then Moses said, “I pray, show me Your glory.”
19#Ex 34:5–7; Isa 7:14Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” 20#Isa 6:5; Ge 32:30; Ex 24:10He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live.”
21Then the Lord said, “Indeed, there is a place by Me. You must stand on the rock. 22#Ps 91:4; 91:1While My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23#Ex 33:20; Jn 1:18Then I will take away My hand, and you will see My back, but My face may not be seen.”
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