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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 33:1-6

Here is, I. The message which God sent by Moses to the children of Israel, signifying the continuance of the displeasure against them, and the bad terms they yet stood upon with God. This he must let them know for their further mortification. 1. He applies to them a mortifying name, by giving them their just character?a stiff-necked people, Exod. 33:3, 5. ?Go,? says God to Moses, ?go and tell them that they are so.? He that knows them better than they know themselves says so of them. God would... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:2

And I will send an angel before thee ,.... Not the angel before promised, Exodus 23:20 the Angel of his presence, the eternal Word and Son of God, but a created angel; and so Aben Ezra observes, he does not say the Angel that was known, that his name was in him; though even this was to be looked upon as a favour, and showed that he had not utterly cast them off: and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite ; who were now... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:3

Unto a land flowing with milk and honey ,.... Abounding with all the necessaries and good things of life, a description of the land of Canaan frequently made, see Exodus 3:8 , for I will not go up in the midst of thee ; would not grant them his presence in so near, visible, and respectable a manner as he had before done, though he would not utterly forsake them: the tabernacle was before in the midst of the camp, that is, that which was erected until the large one, ordered to be made,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:4

And when the people heard these evil tidings ,.... That God would withdraw his gracious presence, and go not up with them himself, only send an angel with them; and especially this may respect what is threatened, Exodus 33:5 and had been said at this time: they mourned ; were inwardly and heartily grieved for their sin, whereby they had provoked the Lord to depart from them, and gave some outward and open tokens of it: and no man did put on his ornaments ; they used to wear at... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:5

For the Lord had said to Moses ,.... At the same time he had told it to the people: say unto the children of Israel : Menachem, as quoted by Ainsworth, observes, that this is said in a way of mercy; for since their idolatry he had only called them the people of Moses, and the people, but now calls them by their beloved name, the children of Israel; but whether this was any hint of mercy and favour, is not very apparent by what follows: ye are a stiffnecked people ; obstinate and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 33:2

I will send an angel - In Exodus 23:20 , God promises to send an angel to conduct them into the good land, in whom the name of God should be; that is, in whom God should dwell. See Clarke's note on Exodus 23:20 ; (note). Here he promises that an angel shall be their conductor; but as there is nothing particularly specified of him, it has been thought that an ordinary angel is intended, and not that Angel of the Covenant promised before. And this sentiment seems to be confirmed by the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 33:3

I will not go up in the midst of thee - Consequently, the angel here promised to be their guide was not that angel in whom Jehovah's name was: and so the people understood it; hence the mourning which is afterwards mentioned. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 33:5

Now put off thy ornaments from thee - "The Septuagint, in their translation, suppose that the children of Israel not only laid aside their ear-rings, and such like ornaments, in a time of professed deep humiliation before God, but their upper or more beautiful garments too. Moses says nothing of this last circumstance; but as it is a modern practice, so it appears by their version to have been as ancient as their time, and probably took place long before that. The Septuagint gives us this as... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 33:4

Verse 4 4.And when the people heard these evil tidings Hence it more clearly appears that, as I have said, it was like a thunderbolt to them when God withdrew Himself from the people; for this divorce is more fatal than innumerable deaths. It might indeed at first sight seem delightful to be the masters of a rich and fertile land; but dull as the people generally were, God smote them suddenly, so that all its delights became insipid, and its fruitfulness like famine itself, when they perceived... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 33:1-6

1 . That the people's lives should be spared ( Exodus 32:14 ); 2 . And that they should be led into Palestine ( Exodus 32:34 ) But a change had been introduced into the conditions under which the future journeys were to be made, somewhat obscurely indicated in the words—"Behold, mine angel shall go before thee" ( ibid. )—which was now to be more distinctly set forth. "God's angel" may mean his Presence in the Person of his Son—as it appears to mean in Exodus 23:20-23 —or it... read more

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