Éxodo 33:3

3 Ve a la tierra donde abundan la leche y la miel. Yo no los acompañaré, porque ustedes son un pueblo terco, y podría yo destruirlos en el camino».

Éxodo 33:3 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 33:3

Unto a land flowing with milk and honey
Abounding with all the necessaries and good things of life, a description of the land of Canaan frequently made, see ( Exodus 3:8 ) :

for I will not go up in the midst of thee;
would not grant them his presence in so near, visible, and respectable a manner as he had before done, though he would not utterly forsake them: the tabernacle was before in the midst of the camp, that is, that which was erected until the large one, ordered to be made, was finished, but now it was removed without the camp, ( Exodus 33:7 )

for thou art a stiffnecked people; (See Gill on Exodus 32:9):

lest I consume them in the way;
in the way to the land of Canaan, and so never get there; the meaning is, that the Lord being in the midst of them, their sin would be the more aggravated to be committed in his presence, before his face; and the glory of his majesty would require that immediate notice be taken of it, and just punishment inflicted; so that by this step God both consulted his own honour and their safety.

Éxodo 33:3 In-Context

1 El SEÑOR le dijo a Moisés: «Anda, vete de este lugar, junto con el pueblo que sacaste de Egipto, y dirígete a la tierra que bajo juramento prometí a Abraham, Isaac y Jacob que les daría a sus descendientes.

2 Enviaré un ángel delante de ti, y desalojaré a cananeos, amorreos, hititas, ferezeos, heveos y jebuseos.

3 Ve a la tierra donde abundan la leche y la miel. Yo no los acompañaré, porque ustedes son un pueblo terco, y podría yo destruirlos en el camino».

4 Cuando los israelitas oyeron estas palabras tan demoledoras, comenzaron a llorar y nadie volvió a ponerse sus adornos,

5 pues el SEÑOR le había dicho a Moisés: «Diles a los israelitas que son un pueblo terco. Si aun por un momento tuviera que acompañarlos, podría destruirlos. Diles que se quiten esas joyas, que ya decidiré qué hacer con ellos».