Exodus 33:17-23

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 33:12-23

Moses, having returned to the door of the tabernacle, becomes a humble and importunate supplicant there for two very great favours, and as a prince he has power with God, and prevails for both: herein he was a type of Christ the great intercessor, whom the Father heareth always. I. He is very earnest with God for a grant of his presence with Israel in the rest of their march to Canaan, notwithstanding their provocations. The people had by their sin deserved the wrath of God, and for the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:17

And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken ,.... Or asked for, namely, go with them himself in this amazing and distinguished manner, in the pillar of the cloud and fire; this he would do as well as show him his way and his works, and indeed all this he did by granting that: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name ; he owns the truth of the thing, on which Moses had formed his plan, and by granting his request gave a fresh proof... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:18

And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. Not any visible lustre, splendour, and brightness, as a symbol of the divine Presence, that he had seen, Exodus 16:7 nor the glorious essence of God, as Maimonides F2 Yesude Hatorah, c. 1. sect. 10. , which is invisible and cannot be seen, and of which Moses could not be ignorant; nor the glory of the heavenly state, which also he must know he could not see until he came thither; but he seems to mean some visible glorious representation... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:19

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee ,.... Which is his glory; the glory of the Lord lies in his goodness, and that appears in the works of his hands, in the methods of his providence, especially in the distribution of his sovereign grace and mercy, and particularly in his pardoning grace and mercy, through the blood of Christ; for as it is "the glory" of a man "to pass over a transgression", Proverbs 19:11 much more it is the glory of God, of which this goodness is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:20

And he said, thou canst not see my face ,.... Meaning not his form, his essence, his very nature, and the glory of it, that Moses must know he could never see; but the brightest displays of his grace and goodness in Christ, the fullest discoveries of it, which are too much for man, in the present state of things, to have, who sees in part, and but through a glass darkly, not face to face, or in the most complete and perfect manner; it is but a small part and portion of God, and of his ways... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:21

And the Lord said, behold, there is a place by me ,.... Near him, not in or by the tabernacle, where it may be the pillar of cloud now was, as it had been, Exodus 33:9 but upon the rock, where it had been for many days, and near to which there was a fit place for Moses to be in, and have that view of the goodness and glory of God he would favour him with: and thou shall stand upon a rock ; in Horeb, typical of Christ the rock, the rock of Israel, and the rock of ages, the rock of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:22

And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by ,.... The displays of his grace and goodness are made: that I will put thee in a clift of the rock ; in one of the clefts, made by smiting it, through which the waters gushed out for the relief of the Israelites, and their flocks: and we are told F3 Egmont and Heyman's Travels, vol. 2. p. 167. see a Journal from Cairo, &c.; p. 28, 29. Ed. 2. , that to this day, on the summit of Mount Sinai, by the Arabians called Gibel el... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:23

And I will take away mine hand ,.... As being covered with the hand may signify the obscurity of the former dispensation, the taking of it away may denote a more clear revelation of the grace and goodness of God in Christ, and so of the glory of it under the Gospel dispensation; and yet what is seen in this, in comparison of the reality of things as they are, or of the heavenly state, are but as next expressed: and thou shalt see my back parts ; which some understand of the humanity of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 33:17

I will do this thing also - My presence shall go with thee, and I will keep thee separate from all the people of the earth. Both these promises have been remarkably fulfilled. God continued miraculously with them till he brought them into the promised land; and from the day in which he brought them out of Egypt to the present day, he has kept them a distinct, unmixed people! Who can account for this on any principle but that of a continual especial providence, and a constant Divine... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 33:18

Show me thy glory - Moses probably desired to see that which constitutes the peculiar glory or excellence of the Divine nature as it stands in reference to man. By many this is thought to signify his eternal mercy in sending Christ Jesus into the world. Moses perceived that what God was now doing had the most important and gracious designs which at present he could not distinctly discover; therefore he desires God to show him his glory. God graciously promises to indulge him in this request... read more

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