Exodus 33

Jehovah bids Moses lead the people on to the promised land, but refuses to go with them personally Himself, vv. 1–3. The people strip themselves of their ornaments, vv. 4–6. How Moses used to pitch the Tent of Meeting at some distance outside the camp, and how Jehovah used to speak with him there, vv. 7–11. Moses again entreats Jehovah, partly (vv. 12, 14–16) to let him know whom He will send with him on the way to Canaan, partly (vv. 13, 17–23) to vouchsafe him a vision of His glory.

Exodus 33:1-3

1–3. Jehovah commands Moses to lead the people on to Canaan, but refuses to go with them personally Himself.

Exodus 33:2

2. an angel] in the place of Jehovah, and exclusive of Him (see v. 3): not, therefore, as Exodus 23:20, where Jehovah is in some sense present in the angel (v. 21 ‘my name is in him’). As was remarked on Exodus 32:34, this is not the usual idea of the ‘angel’: it can, however, be avoided here only by some such supposition as that the words ‘behold, mine angel shall go before thee’ in Exodus 32:34, and v. 2 here, are later insertions in the text, made on the basis of Exo 23:20, without regard to the contradiction which, if ‘angel’ is used here as in Exodus 23:20, they involve with v. 3b (‘I will not go up with thee’). There are independent reasons for thinking that v. 2 here may be a gloss: it interrupts the connexion between v. 1 and v. 3 (notice ‘unto the land’ &c. at the beginning of v. 3); the list of nations is found elsewhere in passages that are probably secondary; and the verse seems inconsistent with v. 12 (where Moses apparently asks to be told what he has already been told here). I will drive out] LXX. (codd. A, F, Luc.) he will drive out, which suits the context better: Jehovah does not personally go with the people into Canaan (v. 3). the Canaanite, &c.] On the list of nations, see on Exodus 3:8.

Exodus 33:3

3. a land flowing, &c.] See on Exodus 3:8. in the midst of] v. 5, Exodus 17:7, Exodus 34:9, Numbers 11:20; Numbers 14:14; Numbers 14:42. a stiffnecked people] Exodus 32:9. lest I consume thee, &c.] in consequence of some outburst of wilfulness or rebellion on thy part.

Exodus 33:4-6

4–6. The people strip themselves of their ornaments.

Exodus 33:5

5. The people are here told to do what they have already done (v. 4b), a clear proof that two narratives have been combined. In v. 4 the removal of the ornaments is a spontaneous token of grief; in v. 5 it is done at Jehovah’s command. It is true, LXX. omit v. 4b: but the omission is open to the suspicion of having been made to avoid the awkward anticipation of v. 5b. Ye are, &c.] The compiler (so Di.) emphasizes afresh (see v. 3) Israel’s stiffneckedness. The entire context of the words assigned to E has naturally not been preserved. go up in the midst of thee] viz. towards Canaan (as v. 3). what to do unto thee] i.e. how o deal with thee.

Exodus 33:6

6. Horeb] E’s term: see on Exodus 3:1. There can be little doubt that, as Di. remarks, according to E the ornaments were to be used in the construction or decoration of the Tent of Meeting (cf., in P, Exodus 25:2-8, Exodus 35:22-29): some account of the construction of the Tent would naturally precede the notice of its use in vv. 7–11. But E’s account of the Tent of Meeting, ‘which originally followed here, and which certainly differed greatly from that of P, was omitted by the compiler, who preferred that of P (chs. 25–27); and only its conclusion is preserved in vv. 7–11.’ Whether (Di. al.) the ark in its tent was intended originally as a substitute for the immediate presence of Jehovah on Sinai, after the people had left Sinai (just as in P, after the Tent of Meeting is erected, Jehovah speaks to Moses not on Sinai, but from the Tent), is more perhaps than we can say.

Exodus 33:7-11

7–11. The Tent of Meeting, and the use made of it by Moses. The sudden introduction of this notice of the Tent of Meeting is extremely surprising; and it is difficult to explain it, except by the conjecture mentioned on v. 6. The notice is a highly interesting and remarkable one, preserving, as it does, the oldest representation that we possess—that of E—of the Tent of Meeting, and differing in many particulars from the representation given by P (chs. 25–31, &c.). The ‘tent’ is obviously much simpler in structure than that of P; it is guarded by one attendant, the Ephraimite Joshua, instead of by the host of Levites pictured by P (Numbers 3-4); and it is outside the camp (so Numbers 11:26 f., Exodus 12:4), at some distance from it, not in its centre, as in P (Numbers 2:17). The tenses, throughout the section, are frequentative, and describe what was Moses’ habitual practice—no doubt, in E’s view, during the whole time of Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness. Used in v. 7 is intended to rule the whole section: but would go out, would rise up, &c., with whenever for when in vv. 8, 9, would be clearer.

Exodus 33:8

8. Whenever Moses went out to the Tent, all the people would rise up, and follow him reverently with their eyes. The camp seems to be pictured on a much smaller scale by E than by P. door] lit. opening: so vv. 9, 10, and regularly with ‘tent.’

Exodus 33:9-10

9, 10. Whenever Moses entered the Tent, the pillar of cloud (Exodus 13:21-22), symbolizing Jehovah’s presence, would descend and stand by the entrance of the Tent (cf. Numbers 11:25; Numbers 12:5, Deuteronomy 31:15), God would speak to him there, and the people, every one at the entrance of his tent—in the East a common place for sitting in (Genesis 18:1)—would rise up and worship,—or rather, do obeisance (cf. on Exodus 34:14).

Exodus 33:11

11. would speak unto Moses face to face] not from the distant heaven, or with the comparative indistinctness of a vision or a dream (Numbers 12:8), but ‘face to face’ (so Deuteronomy 34:10; cf. Deuteronomy 5:4), or ‘mouth to mouth’ (Nu. l.c.), like one friend speaking to another. Moses would then return into the camp; but his minister (Exodus 24:13), Joshua, remained permanently in charge of the Tent (cf. Samuel, 1 Samuel 3:3; 1 Samuel 3:15).

Exodus 33:12-23

12–23. Moses resumes the intercession broken off at v. 3; and starting from the command given him in Exodus 32:34 a, Exodus 33:1 a obtains from Jehovah (vv. 14–16, as the text stands; see, however, on v. 14) the promise that He will not carry out the threat of v. 3, but will Himself accompany the people on their way to Canaan, and also (vv. 17–23) that He will vouchsafe Moses himself a glimpse of His glory.

Exodus 33:13

13. if, &c.] A common Heb. phrase: Genesis 18:3; Genesis 30:27 al. shew] lit. make me to know. ‘Shew’ in Old English meant not only to let see, but also to let know, or tell: see on Daniel 2:2; Daniel 4:2 in the Camb. Bible, or the writer’s Parallel Psalter, p. 481. Cf. Psalms 103:7. ways] His ways of dealing with men, Deuteronomy 32:4 : see Exodus 34:6 f. that I may know thee, &c.] understand what Thy nature and character is, and shape my petitions accordingly, that so I may find grace in thy sight, and my future prayers may be answered. is thy people] and should not, therefore, be left by Thee without a leader.

Exodus 33:14

14. Jehovah promises that His presence shall go with Moses (as the representative of His people), and that He will give him—and with him the people—rest. The words do not however seem very suitable as an answer to v. 13; and Di.’s suggestion is a plausible one, that vv. 14–16 are misplaced, and should follow Exodus 34:9 (so also McNeile, p. xxxvi), where, it may be noticed, Moses is still praying for what, if Exodus 33:14 is in its right place, has been already granted (cf. p. 367). presence] lit. face, i.e. the person himself (2 Samuel 17:11), in so far as he is present (LXX. αὐτὸςπροπορεύσομαι): cf., of God, Deuteronomy 4:37 (‘brought thee out with his presence’ [LXX. αὐτός]), Isaiah 63:9 (‘the angel of his presence saved them,’ i.e. the angel in whom His presence was manifest, cf. Exodus 23:21; but LXX. ‘No messenger or angel, (but) his presence (αὐτὸς) saved them’). The expression can hardly, however, have been intended to denote Jehovah’s entire Being: it must rather (DB. v. 639b) have denoted His Being either as manifested in an angel more fully than in the ordinary ‘angel of Jehovah’ (Bδ.), or as others think (Lagrange, Rev. Bibl. 1903, p. 215; Kennedy, Samuel, p. 323 f.), as attaching to the Ark (cf. p. 280). give thee rest] viz. in the assured possession of Canaan: cf. Deuteronomy 3:20; Deuteronomy 12:10, Joshua 22:4.

Exodus 33:15

15. Moses replies that if Jehovah will not go with them, they prefer to remain where they are, in the neighbourhood of their God (Exodus 19:4), at Sinai.

Exodus 33:16

16. For how can it be known that they stand in Jehovah’s favour except by His personally accompanying them, and thereby shewing that they are distinguished from all other nations of the earth? separated, &c.] The word, as Exodus 8:22, Exodus 9:4, Exodus 11:7 (Heb.): for the thought, cf. Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 7:6, 1 Kings 8:53 (a different Heb. word).

Exodus 33:17

17. this thing also] i.e., as the text stands, accompany you personally to Canaan (v. 16): but, if vv. 14–16 (see on v. 14) stood originally after Exodus 34:9, give Moses a knowledge of His ‘ways’ (v. 13). In either case, the new paragraph would begin better at v. 18. and I know thee by name] See on v. 12.

Exodus 33:18-23

18–23. Moses repeats, in a more definite form, his request of v. 13. He asks to be allowed to see Jehovah’s glory; but is told in reply that he cannot see this in its fulness (v. 20); he may, however, have a glimpse of it, sufficient to disclose to him God’s moral nature.

Exodus 33:19

19. goodness] goodliness or comeliness, viz. of the Divine appearance; cf. Hosea 10:11 (lit. ‘the goodness, i.e. comeliness, of her neck’). ‘It is to be a spectacle of outward beauty as a visible sign of His moral perfection’ (McNeile). proclaim the name of Jehovah] and so manifest the character implied in it—here, in particular, Jehovah’s moral character. The name was regarded by the Hebrews as the expression of the character of the person denoted by it: see e.g. Isaiah 1:26; Isaiah 4:3; Isaiah 61:3 b (the names here mentioned are to be given to Zion or Israel, because they will possess the qualities denoted by them). and I will be gracious, &c.] In virtue of the graciousness implicit in His name (Exodus 34:6 f.), He will shew grace and mercy to such as deserve it. Who these are, is not expressly stated; but fallen and penitent Israel is what is intended. For the form of sentence called the idem per idem construction, which is idiomatic in both Heb. and Arabic, where the means, or the desire, to be more explicit does not exist, cf. Exodus 3:14, Exodus 4:13, Exodus 16:23, 1 Samuel 23:13 (lit. and they went where they went), 2 Samuel 15:20 (‘seeing I am going whither I am going’), 2 Kings 8:1 (‘and sojourn where thou wilt sojourn’); and see the writer’s Notes on Samuel, on 1 S. l.c. The second ‘will’ in each sentence is a simple future: it must not be emphasized as though it meant ‘wish to’ (èÝëù). The quotation (from LXX.) in Romans 9:15 (‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy &c.’) expresses the sense exactly.

All that is said here is that God is gracious to those to whom He is gracious: on the motives which may prompt Him to be gracious, the passage is silent. See further p. 54.

Exodus 33:20

20. The thought that no one could ‘see God,’ at least in His full glory, ‘and live,’ is often expressed in the OT.: cf. Genesis 32:30, Deuteronomy 4:33; Deuteronomy 5:24; Deuteronomy 5:26, Judges 6:22 f., Exodus 13:22, Isaiah 6:5.

Exodus 33:21-23

21–23. Jehovah accordingly bids Moses stand where he may see, as He passes by, not His full glory, but only His back, or hinder parts (Exodus 26:12 Heb.), i.e., so to say, only the afterglow, which He leaves behind Him, but which may still suggest faintly what the full brilliancy of His presence must be (cf. Job 26:14).