Exodus 33:16

16 in quo enim scire poterimus ego et populus tuus invenisse nos gratiam in conspectu tuo nisi ambulaveris nobiscum ut glorificemur ab omnibus populis qui habitant super terram

Exodus 33:16 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 33:16

For wherein shall it be known here
At Sinai, among the mountains in the wilderness:

that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight:
were acceptable to him, highly esteemed by him, and had received peculiar favours from him; what evidence would there be of this? how would it appear to others? what knowledge could they have of it?

[is it] not in that thou goest with us?
in such a grand majestic manner, and so visible as in a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night: this is a full proof, and a strong and convincing argument, even to a demonstration, that they were a special and peculiar people, the favourites of God, highly esteemed and honoured by him; but should this be discontinued, as seemed to be threatened, there would be nothing to demonstrate that they had found more grace and favour than other people; but this being the case,

so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people
[that are] upon the face of the earth;
distinguished by this favour from them, and that in a very wonderful and marvellous manner, as the word signifies; and so some render it, "marvellously separated" F1; for the pillar of cloud and fire was a very marvellous thing, and distinguished the people of Israel from all others in a surprising manner, none having been ever favoured in the like manner.


FOOTNOTES:

F1 (wnylpn) "marvellously separated", Ainsworth.

Exodus 33:16 In-Context

14 dixitque Dominus facies mea praecedet te et requiem dabo tibi
15 et ait Moses si non tu ipse praecedes ne educas nos de loco isto
16 in quo enim scire poterimus ego et populus tuus invenisse nos gratiam in conspectu tuo nisi ambulaveris nobiscum ut glorificemur ab omnibus populis qui habitant super terram
17 dixit autem Dominus ad Mosen et verbum istud quod locutus es faciam invenisti enim gratiam coram me et te ipsum novi ex nomine
18 qui ait ostende mihi gloriam tuam
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.