1 Afterward the Lord sayd vnto Moses, Depart, goe vp from hence, thou, and the people (which thou hast brought vp out of lande of Egypt) vnto the lande which I sware vnto Abraham, to Izhak and to Iaakob, saying, Vnto thy seede will I giue it. 2 And I will send an Angel before thee and will cast out the Canaanites, the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, the Hiuites, and the Iebusites: 3 To a lande, I say, that floweth with milke and hony: for I will not goe vp with thee, because thou art a stiffe necked people, least I consume thee in the way. 4 And when the people heard this euill tydings, they sorowed, and no man put on his best rayment. 5 (For the Lord had said to Moses, Say vnto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffe necked people, I wil come suddenly vpon thee, and consume thee: therefore now put thy costly rayment from thee, that I may know what to do vnto thee) 6 So the children of Israel layed their good raiment from them, after Moses came downe from the mount Horeb. 7 Then Moses tooke his tabernacle, and pitched it without the host farre off from the hoste, and called it Ohel-moed. And whe any did seeke to the Lord, he went out vnto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which was without the hoste. 8 And when Moses went out vnto the Tabernacle, all the people rose vp, and stood euery man at his tent doore, and looked after Moses, vntil he was gone into the Tabernacle. 9 And assoone as Moses was entred into the Tabernacle, the cloudie pillar descended and stood at the doore of the Tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. 10 Nowe when all the people saw the cloudie pillar stand at the Tabernacle doore, all the people rose vp, and worshipped euery man in his tent doore. 11 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, face to face, as a man speaketh vnto his friende. After he turned againe into the hoste, but his seruant Ioshua the sonne of Nun a yong man, departed not out of the Tabernacle. 12 Then Moses sayde vnto the Lord, See, thou sayest vnto me, Leade this people forth, and thou hast not shewed me whom thou wilt sende with mee: thou hast sayde moreouer, I knowe thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 13 Nowe therefore, I pray thee, if I haue founde fauour in thy sight, shewe mee nowe thy way, that I may knowe thee, and that I may finde grace in thy sight: consider also that this nation is thy people. 14 And he answered, My presence shall go with thee, and I will giue thee rest. 15 Then he sayd vnto him, If thy presence go not with vs, cary vs not hence. 16 And wherein nowe shall it be knowen, that I and thy people haue found fauour in thy sight? shall it not be when thou goest with vs? so I, and thy people shall haue preeminence before all the people that are vpon the earth. 17 And the Lord sayde vnto Moses, I will doe this also that thou hast saide: for thou hast founde grace in my sight, and I knowe thee by name. 18 Againe he sayde, I beseech thee, shewe me thy glory. 19 And he answered, I wil make all my good go before thee, and I wil proclaime the Name of the Lord before thee: for I will shewe mercy to whom I will shewe mercy, and will haue compassion on whom I will haue compassion. 20 Furthermore he sayde, Thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see me, and liue. 21 Also the Lord sayd, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand vpon the rocke: 22 And while my glory passeth by, I will put thee in a cleft of the rocke, and will couer thee with mine hand whiles I passe by. 23 After I will take away mine hande, and thou shalt see my backe parts: but my face shall not be seene.
Exodus 33 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Nun
The father of Joshua, whom Moses named from among the tribe of Ephraim; 1 Chronicles 7:26-27 places him in Ephraim's line after Elishama.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 33:11; Numbers 13:8; Numbers 13:16
Cross references (23)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Genesis 12:7; Exodus 32:13; Genesis 22:16–18; Genesis 26:3; Exodus 32:7
- 2 Joshua 24:11; Exodus 32:34; Exodus 3:8; Exodus 23:20; Exodus 23:27–31
- 3 Exodus 32:9–10; Exodus 3:8; Acts 7:51; Deuteronomy 9:6–13; Exodus 33:15–17
- 4 Numbers 14:39; Leviticus 10:6; Numbers 14:1; Ezekiel 24:17; Ezekiel 24:23
- 5 Deuteronomy 8:2; Exodus 33:3–4; Numbers 16:21; Numbers 16:45–46; Psalm 139:23
- 6 Exodus 33:4; Exodus 32:3; Jeremiah 2:19
- 7 Isaiah 55:6–7; Proverbs 15:29; Exodus 29:42–43; Isaiah 59:2; Deuteronomy 4:29
- 8 Numbers 16:27
- 9 Psalm 99:7; Genesis 18:33; Exodus 31:18; Ezekiel 3:22; Exodus 25:22
- 10 Exodus 4:31; 1 Kings 8:22; Luke 18:13; 1 Kings 8:14
- 11 Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 34:10; Exodus 24:13; Exodus 33:9; John 15:14–15
- 12 Exodus 33:17; John 10:14–15; 2 Timothy 2:19; Exodus 32:34; Jeremiah 1:5
- 13 Psalm 119:33; Psalm 25:4; Psalm 27:11; Psalm 86:11; Deuteronomy 9:26
- 14 Matthew 11:28; Joshua 1:5; Joshua 21:44; Isaiah 63:9; Hebrews 4:8–9
- 15 Exodus 34:9; Psalm 4:6; Exodus 33:3
- 16 Deuteronomy 4:7; Numbers 14:14; 1 Kings 8:53; Matthew 1:23; Exodus 34:10
- 17 Isaiah 65:24; 1 John 5:14–15; Exodus 33:12; Genesis 19:21; Genesis 6:8
- 18 Revelation 21:23; Titus 2:13; Exodus 33:20; 1 Timothy 6:16; 2 Corinthians 4:6
- 19 Romans 9:15–18; Ephesians 1:6–8; Jeremiah 31:14; Jeremiah 31:12; Isaiah 7:14
- 20 Genesis 32:30; John 1:18; 1 Timothy 6:16; Isaiah 6:5; Judges 13:22
- 21 Zechariah 3:7; Deuteronomy 5:31; Isaiah 56:5; Joshua 20:4; Luke 15:1
- 22 Psalm 91:1; Isaiah 2:21; Psalm 91:4; 1 Corinthians 10:4; Psalm 18:2
- 23 John 1:18; Exodus 33:20; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Timothy 6:16; Job 11:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
But when My splendour shall pass by, then thou shalt see My back parts, but My face thou shalt not see: for no man sees My face, and shall live." Two facts are thus signified: that it is impossible for man to see God; and that, through the wisdom of God, man shall see Him in the last times, in …
For, though Moses conversed with God, yet he said, "If I have found grace in Thy sight, show me Thyself, that I may see and know Thee." And as it was fit that the law, which was given, not to one man or a few enlightened men, but to the whole of a populous nation, should be accompanied by awe-inspiring …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Now if the sight of the likeness of the glory brought fear and distress upon the prophets, any one who should attempt to behold God Himself would to a certainty lose his life, according to the saying, No man shall see My face and live.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
Accordingly we find the Psalmist, even in reference to God, saying "Be Thou to me a champion God and a strong place to save me" and concerning the Spirit "behold there is place by me, and stand upon a rock." Plainly meaning the place or contemplation in the Spirit wherein, after Moses had entered thither, he was able to see …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)
For thou hast it plainly stated in the law: "And Moses spake with the Lord face to face, as a friend with his friend." Following the same scripture, thou findest Moses saying: "If I have found grace in Thy sight, show me Thyself plainly, that I may see Thee." And it is little that he said this: he received the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)