Exodus 33:1-11

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

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 33:7-11

Here is, I. One mark of displeasure put upon them for their further humiliation: Moses took the tabernacle, not his own tent for his family, but the tent wherein he gave audience, heard causes, and enquired of God, the guild-hall (as it were) of their camp, and pitched it without, afar off from the camp (Exod. 33:7), to signify to them that they had rendered themselves unworthy of it, and that, unless peace was made, it would return to them no more. God would thus let them know that he was at... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:1

And the Lord said unto Moses, depart, and go up hence ,.... Not from the place where Moses was, which was the top of the mount, but where the camp of Israel was, at the bottom of the mount; where they had lain encamped some time, but were now ordered to proceed on their journey: thou, and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt ; though his wrath was in some measure mitigated, and he had so far forgave their sin, that he would not cut them off from being a people;... 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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:6

And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments ,.... Such as before described, and this they did: by the Mount Horeb ; before their departure from thence, and where they had been guilty of the idolatry: the words may be literally rendered, "from Mount Horeb" F21 מהר "a monte", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "procul a monte", Junius & Tremellius, Piscato. ; and Jonathan understands the preceding clause of something they put off which they received from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:7

And Moses took the tabernacle ,.... Not that, the pattern of which he had been shown in the mount, for that was not as yet made, rather his own tabernacle or tent, Exodus 18:7 or one that was erected for worship before the large one was ordered, and while that was building; for it can hardly be thought they should have no place of worship for a whole year after they were come out of Egypt; though this might be not a place on purpose, or only erected for that use, but might be one of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 33:8

And it came to pass, when Moses went out of the tabernacle ,.... For when he had pitched it he did not continue there; which shows it was not the tent or tabernacle he dwelt in, but whither he went to and fro, both to meet the Lord in it, and transact the affairs of the people, and especially the great affair now depending between God and them: that all the people rose up : in reverence of him as their ruler, and the minister of God, and as their Mediator between God and them, though... read more

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