Exodus 33:1-11

1 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said, Go, and go up from this place (Get up, and go forth from this place), thou, and thy people, that thou hast led out of the land of Egypt, into the land, which I have sworn to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, I shall give it to thy seed.
2 And I shall send thy before-goer, an angel, that I cast out Canaanite, and Amorite, and Hittite, and Perizzite, and Hivite, and Jebusite; (And I shall send an angel before thee, and I shall throw out the Canaanites, and Amorites, and Hittites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites;)
3 and that thou enter into the land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up with thee, for thou art a people of hard noll, lest peradventure I lose thee in the way. (and thou shalt enter into the land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up with thee, for thou art a hard-headed, or a stubborn, people, and I might destroy thee on the way.)
4 The people heard this worst word, and mourned, and none was clothed with his adorning, that is, (his) precious clothes, (as) by custom.
5 And the Lord said to Moses, Speak thou to the sons of Israel, (and say,) Thou art a people of hard noll; (at) once I shall go up in the midst of thee, and I shall do away thee; right now put thou away thine adorning, that is, crowns which they made in(to) receiving of the law, that I know, what I shall do to thee. (For the Lord had said to Moses, Speak thou to the Israelites, and say, Thou art a hard-headed, or a stubborn, people; and at once I shall go up into the midst of thee, and I shall do thee away; so right now, put away thy adornment, that is, the crowns which they had made to wear when they received the Law, and then I shall decide what I shall do to thee.)
6 Therefore the sons of Israel putted away their adorning, from the hill of Horeb (onwards). (And so, the Israelites put away their adornment, from that day at Mount Sinai, and forevermore.)
7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and set it far without the tents, and he called the name thereof the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace. And all the people that had any question, went out to the tabernacle of the bond of peace, without the tents. (And Moses took the Tabernacle, and set it up far away from the tents, and he called it the Tabernacle of the Covenant, that is, the Tabernacle of the Witnessing. And all the people, who had any question, went out to the Tabernacle of the Covenant, which was pitched far away from the camp.)
8 And when Moses went out to the tabernacle, all the people rose, and each man stood in the door of his tent, and they beheld after Moses, till he entered into the tent. (And when Moses went out to the Tabernacle, all the people rose up, and they all stood at the entrance to their tents, and they watched Moses, until he entered into the Tent.)
9 Soothly when he entered into the tabernacle of the bond of peace, a pillar of cloud came down, and stood at the door of the tabernacle; and the Lord spake with Moses, (And when he entered into the Tabernacle of the Covenant, that is, the Tabernacle of the Witnessing, a pillar of cloud came down, and stood at the entrance to the Tabernacle; and the Lord spoke with Moses,)
10 while all men saw that the pillar of cloud stood at the door of the tabernacle; and they stood, and worshipped, at the doors of their tabernacles. (while everyone saw that the pillar of cloud stood at the entrance to the Tabernacle; and they stood, and worshipped, at the entrance to their tents.)
11 Forsooth the Lord spake to Moses face to face, that is openly, as a man is wont to speak with his friend; and when Moses turned again into his tabernacle, Joshua, his servant, the son of Nun, a young man, went not out of the tabernacle (but when Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, a young man, the son of Nun, remained in the Tabernacle).

Exodus 33:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.