Exodus 33:21

21 Here," he said, "is a place near me; stand on the rock.

Exodus 33:21 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 33:21

And the Lord said, behold, [there is] a place by me
Near him, not in or by the tabernacle, where it may be the pillar of cloud now was, as it had been, ( Exodus 33:9 Exodus 33:10 ) but upon the rock, where it had been for many days, and near to which there was a fit place for Moses to be in, and have that view of the goodness and glory of God he would favour him with:

and thou shall stand upon a rock;
in Horeb, typical of Christ the rock, the rock of Israel, and the rock of ages, the rock of refuge, salvation, and strength; comparable to one for shelter, solidity, firmness, strength, and duration; and happy are they who stand upon this rock; they are safe and secure, they stand on high, and have noble prospects of the perfections of God, and of the riches of his grace and goodness, see ( Psalms 50:2 Psalms 50:3 ) ( Isaiah 33:16 Isaiah 33:17 ) ( Matthew 7:24 Matthew 7:25 ) .

Exodus 33:21 In-Context

19 He replied, "I will cause all my goodness to pass before you, and in your presence I will pronounce the name of ADONAI. Moreover, I show favor to whomever I will, and I display mercy to whomever I will.

20 But my face," he continued, "you cannot see, because a human being cannot look at me and remain alive.

21 Here," he said, "is a place near me; stand on the rock.

22 When my glory passes by, I will put you inside a crevice in the rock and cover you with my hand, until I have passed by.

23 Then I will remove my hand, and you will see my back, but my face is not to be seen."