Exode 23:20

20 Voici, j'envoie un ange devant toi, pour te garder dans le chemin, et pour t'introduire au lieu que j'ai préparé.

Exode 23:20 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 23:20

Behold, I send an angel before thee
Not a created angel, but the uncreated one, the Angel of God's presence, that was with the Israelites at Sinai, and in the wilderness; who saved, redeemed, bore, and carried them all the days of old, whom they rebelled against and tempted in the wilderness; as appears by all the characters after given of him, which by no means agree with a created angel: Aben Ezra observes, that some say this is the book of the law, because it is said, "my name is in him", or "in the midst of it"; others say, the ark of the covenant; but he says this angel is Michael; and if indeed by Michael is intended the uncreated angel, as he always is in Scripture, he is right: Jarchi remarks, that their Rabbins say, this is Metatron, whose name is as the name of his master; Metatron, by gematry, is Shaddai, which signifies almighty or all-sufficient, and is an epithet of the divine Being; and Metatron seems to be a corruption of the word "mediator": some of the ancient Jewish writers say ^F11, this is the Angel that is the Redeemer of the world, and the keeper of the children of men: and Philo the Jew ^F12 applies the word unto the divine Logos, and says,

``he (God) uses the divine Word as the guide of the way; for the oracle is, "behold, I send my Angel"''

which agrees with what follows:

to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have
prepared;
to preserve the Israelites in their journey through the wilderness, from all their enemies that should set upon them, and to bring them safe at last to the land of Canaan, which he had appointed for them, and promised to them, and had prepared both in his purpose and gift for them, and would make way for their settlement in it by driving out the nations before them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 In Zohar in Gen. fol. 124. 4.
F12 "De migratione" Abraham, p. 415.

Exode 23:20 In-Context

18 Tu n'offriras point avec du pain levé le sang de mon sacrifice; et la graisse de ma fête ne passera point la nuit jusqu'au matin.

19 Tu apporteras les prémices des premiers fruits de la terre à la maison de l'Éternel ton Dieu. Tu ne feras point cuire le chevreau dans le lait de sa mère

20 Voici, j'envoie un ange devant toi, pour te garder dans le chemin, et pour t'introduire au lieu que j'ai préparé.

21 Prends garde à toi en sa présence, et écoute sa voix, ne lui sois point rebelle; car il ne pardonnera point votre péché, parce que mon nom est en lui

22 Mais si tu écoutes attentivement sa voix, et si tu fais tout ce que je dirai, je serai l'ennemi de tes ennemis et l'adversaire de tes adversaires;