Exodus 33

The Command to Leave Sinai

1 The Lord said to Moses, "Depart; go up from here, you *ch. 32:7and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To *ch. 32:13;See Gen. 12:7your offspring I will give it.’ 2 I will send an *See ch. 14:19angel before you, *See ch. 13:5and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3 *See ch. 3:8Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; *[ver. 15-17]but I will not go up among you, *ch. 32:10;Num. 16:21,45lest I consume you on the way, for you are a *See ch. 32:9stiff-necked people."

4 When the people heard this disastrous word, they *Num. 14:39mourned, and *[Ezek. 24:17,23;26:16]no one put on his ornaments. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, "Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a *[See ver. 3above] stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would *ch. 32:12consume you. So now *[See ver. 4above]take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’" 6 Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.

The Tent of Meeting

7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and *ch. 29:42,43he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who *Deut. 4:29;2 Sam. 21:1;1 Chr. 16:10,11;Ps. 40:16sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and *[Num. 16:27]each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the *See ch. 13:21pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord*33:9 Hebrew he would speak with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11 Thus *Num. 12:8;Deut. 34:10;See Gen. 32:30the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his *ch. 17:9,10;24:13;32:17assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Moses’ Intercession

12 Moses said to the Lord, "See, *ch. 32:34you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, *ver. 17‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please *Ps. 25:4;[Ps. 103:7] show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is *Deut. 9:29;[Joel 2:17]your people." 14 And he said, *Josh. 1:5;Isa. 63:9;See ch. 40:34-38"My presence will go with you, and *Deut. 3:20;Josh. 21:44;22:4;23:1;[Ps. 95:11]I will give you rest." 15 And he said to him, *[ver. 1-3]"If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? *Num. 14:14Is it not in your going with us, *ch. 19:5,6;1 Kgs. 8:53so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?"

17 And the Lord said to Moses, "This very thing that you have spoken I will do, *ver. 12, 13for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name." 18 Moses said, "Please *[ver. 20; 1 Tim. 6:16]show me your glory." 19 And he said, *Ps. 31:19;Jer. 31:14;[ch. 34:5-7] "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And *Cited Rom. 9:15I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for *Gen. 32:30;Deut. 5:24;Judg. 6:22,23;13:22;Isa. 6:5;Rev. 1:17;[ch. 24:10, 11]man shall not see me and live." 21 And the Lord said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a *Isa. 2:21cleft of the rock, and I will *Ps. 91:1,4cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall *ver. 20;John 1:18;1 Tim. 6:16;1 John 4:12not be seen."