Exodus 33:11-21

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).
12 Forsooth Moses said to the Lord, Thou commandest, that I lead out this people, and thou hast not showed to me, whom thou shalt send with me, namely since thou saidest, I knew thee by name, and thou hast found grace before me. (And Moses said to the Lord, Thou commandest, that I lead out this people, but thou hast not shown me, whom thou shalt send with me; yet thou hast said to me, I know thee by name, and thou hast found grace before me.)
13 Therefore if I have found grace in thy sight, show thy face to me, that I know thee, and find grace before thine eyes; behold thy people, and this folk. (And so, if I have found grace before thee, show thy face to me, so that I can know thee, and continue to find grace before thee; and remember, Lord, that this nation is thy people.)
14 And God said, My face shall go before thee, and I shall give rest to thee.
15 And Moses said, If thou thyself shalt not go before us, lead thou not us out of this place; (And Moses said, If thou shalt not go before us, then do not thou lead us out of this place;)
16 for in what thing may we know, I and thy people, that we have found grace in thy sight, if thou shalt not go with us (unless thou shalt go with us), (and) that we be glorified (out) of all (the) peoples that dwell on [the] earth?
17 Forsooth the Lord said to Moses, I shall do also this word, that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found grace before me, and I know thyself by name. (And the Lord said to Moses, I shall do what thou hast asked; for thou hast found grace before me, and I know thee by name.)
18 And Moses said, Lord, show thou thy glory to me.
19 God answered, I shall show all (my) good(ness) to thee, and I shall call in the name of the Lord before thee, and I shall do mercy to whom I will, and I shall be merciful, either goodly, on whom it pleaseth me. (God answered, I shall show all my goodness to thee, and I shall declare the name of the Lord before thee, and I shall do mercy to whom I will, and I shall be merciful, or forgiving, to whom it pleaseth me.)
20 And again God said, Thou mayest not see my face, for a man shall not see me, and live. (And then God said, But thou cannot see my face, for no one can see me, and live.)
21 And again God said, A place is with me, and thou shalt stand upon a stone; (And God said, Here is a place beside me, and thou shalt stand on a rock;)

Exodus 33:11-21 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.