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The Torah · Old Testament

Exodus 33

Moses asks for the Lord’s presence and a sight of his glory

General context

The Lord tells Moses to lead Israel toward the land promised to the ancestors, with an angel going ahead. He says he will not go in their midst lest he consume this stubborn people. They mourn and remove their ornaments. The account then describes a meeting tent outside the camp, where people seeking the Lord go. When Moses enters, the cloud pillar descends and the Lord speaks with him; the people worship at their own tent doors. The conversation is described as face to face, like speaking with a friend. Joshua remains at the tent when Moses returns to camp. Moses asks to know the Lord's way and who will accompany him. The Lord promises his presence and rest. Moses insists that they should not depart without that presence, which distinguishes him and the people, and the Lord grants his request. Moses then asks to see God's glory. The reply promises passing goodness and proclamation of the divine name, while refusing a view of the face that no person can see and live. Moses is promised shelter in a rock cleft and a view described as God's back after he passes.

Cited passages: Exodus 33:1, Exodus 33:2, Exodus 33:3, Exodus 33:4, Exodus 33:5, Exodus 33:6, Exodus 33:7, Exodus 33:8, Exodus 33:9, Exodus 33:10, Exodus 33:11, Exodus 33:12, Exodus 33:13, Exodus 33:14, Exodus 33:15, Exodus 33:16, Exodus 33:17, Exodus 33:18, Exodus 33:19, Exodus 33:20, Exodus 33:21, Exodus 33:22, Exodus 33:23

Exodus 33 (KJV)

1And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:

2And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:

3Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.

4And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.

5For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.

6And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.

7And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

8And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.

9And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.

10And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

11And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

12And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.

13Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

14And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

15And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.

16For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

17And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

18And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

19And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

20And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

21And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

22And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

23And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The meeting tent is explicitly outside and far from the camp. The chapter does not narrate construction of the sanctuary previously specified, and the guide does not simply identify this scene as that completed project. Joshua is identified as a young attendant and son of Nun. The language of speaking 'face to face' includes a comparison with friendly conversation; later the same chapter says that God's face cannot be seen and survived. Both statements are preserved without adding a detailed theory of divine appearance. The rock, covering hand and back are part of the promised encounter, not a modern physical diagram. No completed vision is narrated at the chapter's close.

Cited passages: Exodus 33:7, Exodus 33:8, Exodus 33:9, Exodus 33:10, Exodus 33:11, Exodus 33:12, Exodus 33:13, Exodus 33:14, Exodus 33:15, Exodus 33:16, Exodus 33:17, Exodus 33:18, Exodus 33:19, Exodus 33:20, Exodus 33:21, Exodus 33:22, Exodus 33:23

Literary context

Distance and presence organize the chapter. The warning that the Lord will not go in Israel's midst is followed by mourning and the tent outside the camp. Moses' dialogue then centers on the presence he says is necessary for the journey. References to knowing Moses by name and his finding favor recur around the request. The final exchange moves from accompaniment to seeing glory, joining a promise of disclosure with a limit on what may be seen. The ending leaves that promised encounter ahead.

Cited passages: Exodus 33:3, Exodus 33:4, Exodus 33:5, Exodus 33:6, Exodus 33:7, Exodus 33:9, Exodus 33:11, Exodus 33:12, Exodus 33:13, Exodus 33:14, Exodus 33:15, Exodus 33:16, Exodus 33:17, Exodus 33:18, Exodus 33:19, Exodus 33:20, Exodus 33:21, Exodus 33:22, Exodus 33:23

Key moments

  1. The meeting tent stands outside the camp (Exodus 33:7). Those seeking the Lord go to the tent placed far from the camp.
  2. Presence and rest are promised (Exodus 33:14). The Lord answers Moses with a promise of his presence and rest.
  3. Moses asks to see glory (Exodus 33:18). Moses asks the Lord to show him his glory.
  4. A limit is placed on seeing (Exodus 33:20). The Lord says that no person can see his face and live.

For reflection

Why does Moses make the Lord's presence central to his request about continuing the journey?

People in this chapter

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