Shemot 33

1 3 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Depart, and go from here, thou and HaAm which thou hast brought up out of Eretz Mitzrayim, unto HaAretz which I swore unto Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya’akov, saying, Unto thy zera will I give it;

2 And I will send a Malach before thee; and I will drive out the Kena’ani, the Emori, the Chitti, the Perizzi, the Chivi, and the Yevusi;

3 Unto an Eretz zavat cholov and devash; for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art an Am Kesheh Oref (stiffnecked, obstinate people); lest I consume thee in HaDerech.

4 And when HaAm heard these evil tidings, they mourned; and no ish did put on him his ornamental attire.

5 For Hashem had said unto Moshe, Say unto the Bnei Yisroel, Ye are an Am Kesheh Oref; I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee; therefore now put off thy ornamental attire from thee, that I may decide what to do unto thee.

6 And the Bnei Yisroel stripped themselves of their ornamental attire by Mt. Chorev.

7 And Moshe would take the Ohel, and pitch it outside the machaneh, afar off from the machaneh, and called it the Ohel Mo’ed. And it came to pass, that every one which sought Hashem went out unto the Ohel Mo’ed, which was outside the machaneh.

8 And it came to pass, when Moshe went out unto the Ohel, that kol HaAm rose up, and stood every man at his petach ohel, and watched after Moshe, until he was gone into the Ohel.

9 And it came to pass, as Moshe entered into the Ohel, the Ammud of the Anan descended, and stood at the petach Ohel, and Hashem would speak with Moshe.

10 And kol HaAm saw the Ammud of the Anan stand at the petach Ohel; and kol HaAm rose up and worshiped, every man in his petach ohel.

11 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe face to face, as an ish speaketh unto his re’a. And he returned into the machaneh; but his mesharet Yehoshua ben Nun, a na’ar, departed not out of the Ohel.

12 And Moshe said unto Hashem, See, Thou sayest unto me, Bring this people onward; and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said, I know thee by shem, and thou hast also found chen (grace, unmerited favor) in My sight.

13 Therefore, now, if I have found chen in Thy sight, show me now Thy Derech, that I may have da’as of Thee, that I may find chen in Thy sight; and consider that this nation is Thy people.

14 And He said, My Presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

15 And he said unto Him, If Thy Presence go not with me, bring us not up from here [Sinai].

16 For how then shall it be known that I and Thy people have found chen in Thy sight? Is it not in that Thou goest with us? So shall we be made distinct as separate, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of ha’adamah.

17 And Hashem said unto Moshe, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found chen in My sight, and I know thee by shem.

18 And he said, show me now Thy kavod.

19 And He said, I will make kol tuvi (all My goodness) pass in front of thee, and I will call out with the Shem of Hashem before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show rachamim on whom I will show rachamim.

20 And He said, Thou canst not see My face; for there shall no adam see Me, and live.

21 And Hashem said, Hinei, there is a place near Me, and thou shalt stand upon the tzur;

22 And it shall come to pass, while My kavod passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the tzur, and will cover thee with My yad until I pass by;

23 And I will take away Mine yad, and thou shalt see My back; but My face shall not be seen.

Shemot 33 Commentary

Chapter 33

The Lord refuses to go with Israel. (1-6) The tabernacle of Moses removed without the camp. (7-11) Moses desires to see the glory of God. (12-23)

Verses 1-6 Those whom God pardons, must be made to know what their sin deserved. "Let them go forward as they are;" this was very expressive of God's displeasure. Though he promises to make good his covenant with Abraham, in giving them Canaan, yet he denies them the tokens of his presence they had been blessed with. The people mourned for their sin. Of all the bitter fruits and consequences of sin, true penitents most lament, and dread most, God's departure from them. Canaan itself would be no pleasant land without the Lord's presence. Those who parted with ornaments to maintain sin, could do no less than lay aside ornaments, in token of sorrow and shame for it.

Verses 7-11 Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp. This seems to have been a temporary building, set up for worship, and at which he judged disputes among the people. The people looked after him; they were very desirous to be at peace with God, and concerned to know what would come to pass. The cloudy pillar which had withdrawn from the camp when it was polluted with idolatry, now returned. If our hearts go forth toward God to meet him, he will graciously come to meet us.

Verses 12-23 Moses is very earnest with God. Thus, by the intercession of Christ, we are not only saved from ruin, but become entitled to everlasting happiness. Observe here how he pleads. We find grace in God's sight, if we find grace in our hearts to guide and quicken us in the way of our duty. Moses speaks as one who dreaded the thought of going forward without the Lord's presence. God's gracious promises, and mercy towards us, should not only encourage our faith, but also excite our fervency in prayer. Observe how he speeds. See, in a type, Christ's intercession, which he ever lives to make for all that come to God by him; and that it is not by any thing in those for whom he intercedes. Moses then entreats a sight of God's glory, and is heard in that also. A full discovery of the glory of God, would overwhelm even Moses himself. Man is mean, and unworthy of it; weak, and could not bear it; guilty, and could not but dread it. The merciful display which is made in Christ Jesus, alone can be borne by us. The Lord granted that which would abundantly satisfy. God's goodness is his glory; and he will have us to know him by the glory of his mercy, more than by the glory of his majesty. Upon the rock there was a fit place for Moses to view the goodness and glory of God. The rock in Horeb was typical of Christ the Rock; the Rock of refuge, salvation, and strength. Happy are they who stand upon this Rock. The cleft may be an emblem of Christ, as smitten, crucified, wounded, and slain. What follows, denotes the imperfect knowledge of God in the present state, even as revealed in Christ; for this, when compared with the heavenly sight of him. is but like seeing a man that is gone by, whose back only is to be seen. God in Christ, as he is, even the fullest and brightest displays of his glory, grace, and goodness, are reserved to another state.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 33

This chapter informs us, that the Lord refusing to go with the people, only sending an angel with them, they are filled with concern, and troubled, Ex 33:1-6. Moses upon this pitched the tabernacle without the camp, where everyone that sought the Lord went; Moses entered into it himself, and the Lord talked to him in a friendly manner in the cloudy pillar that stood at the door of it, and the people worshipped, every man at his own tent door; all which foreboded good, and tended to reconciliation, Ex 33:7-11. Moses improved the opportunity, and entreats the presence of God to go with them, which was granted, Ex 33:12-17 and that he might have a sight of the glory of God; and this is promised to pass before him, he being put into the cleft of the rock, Ex 33:18-23.