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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Exodus 33:23

and I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts; but My face shall not be seen. While standing in the cave or in the cleft of the rock, under the protecting power of the Lord, Moses was to see the afterglow, the reflection, of the Lord's glory, which would enable him to form some conception of the surpassing beauty and excellence of the divine majesty, as he would see it later, in the life of glorification. For us Christians it is a matter of great comfort that the Son of God, our Savior Jesus Christ, protects us from wrath and judgment, and will finally bring us to the home above, where we shall see His glory, world without end.

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See also Exodus 33:23 in other biblical comments:

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    5. MOSES' INTERCESSION AND ITS RESULTS CHAPTER 33 Repentance and Intercession _ 1. The word of the Lord and the people's repentance (Exodus 33:1)_ 2. The tabernacle without the camp (Exodus 33:7)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    EXODUS 33:1 J, EXODUS 33:5 E, EXODUS 33:12 J. YAHWEH'S PRESENCE. The sections of 34 have been glossed and disarranged. In Exodus 33:1 J, Yahweh's ref

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Moses resumes the intercession broken off at _v._3; and starting from the command given him in Exodus 32:34 a, Exodus 33:1 a obtains from Jehovah (_vv._14 16, as the text stands; see, however, on _v._...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Moses repeats, in a more definite form, his request of _v._13. He asks to be allowed to see Jehovah's glory; but is told in reply that he cannot see this in its fulness (_v._20); he may, however, have...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Jehovah accordingly bids Moses stand where he may see, as He passes by, not His full glory, but only His _back_, or HINDER PARTS (Exodus 26:12 Heb.), i.e., so to say, only the afterglow, which He leav...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    HE SAID, I BESEECH THEE, SHEW ME THY GLORY, &C.— Moses, having obtained from the Lord a merciful remission of the dread penalties denounced upon the Israelites, proceeds now to request a confirmation...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    THE TEXT OF EXODUS TRANSLATION 33 And Je-ho-vah spake unto Mo-ses, Depart, go up hence, thou and the people that thou hast brought up out of the land of E-gypt, unto the land of which I sware unto Abr...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND I WILL TAKE AWAY MINE HAND, AND THOU SHALT SEE MY BACK PARTS: BUT MY FACE SHALL NOT BE SEEN._ Thou shalt see my back parts. Since a man whose back only is seen, and not his face, can be but impe...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE INTERCESSION OF MOSES (CONTINUED) 6. By the mount Horeb] RV 'from mount Horeb onward': this implies that they ceased wearing their ornaments. Their humiliation was lasting. Horeb] i.e. Sinai: see...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    MY BACK PARTS] Not the full manifestation of the divine radiance, but its afterglow. The most that human faculties can comprehend of God even in their exalted moments is a faint reflection of His esse...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    EXODUS: *ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS TO MOSES EXODUS CHAPTER S 19 TO 40 _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 33 THE *ISRAELITES REALISE THEIR *SIN – VERSES 1-6 V1 Then the *LO...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    MOSES’ REQUEST TO SEE GOD’S GLORY, AND GOD’S REPLY TO IT. (18-23) Not till he had received full assurance of the people’s restoration to favour did Moses prefer any request for himself. Then, however,...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ הֲסִרֹתִי֙ אֶת ־כַּפִּ֔י וְ רָאִ֖יתָ אֶת

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XXXIII. _ PREVAILING INTERCESSION._ Exodus 33:1 At this stage the first concession is announced: Moses shall lead the people to their rest, and God will send an angel with him. We have seen...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    GOD'S PRESENCE PROMISED AND HIS GLORY SHOWN Exodus 33:12 When Moses found himself alone with God he made two outstanding requests: (1) _For God's presence_. “If _thou_ dost not go with me, I cannot...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The command to go forward and possess the land was now repeated to the people. It is clear that the people felt that the promise of an angel to be sent before them was the lowering of a privilege. The...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my (n) back parts: but my face shall not be seen. (n) As much of my glory as in this mortal life you are able to see....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    See my back parts. The Lord, by his angel, usually spoke to Moses in the pillar of the cloud, so that he could not see the glory of Him that spoke familiarly with him. In the vision here mentioned, he...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    REFLECTIONS My soul! think, seriously think, in the view of the Lord's withdrawing the symbols of his divine presence from Israel, how truly awful must that state of the soul be, from whom the Lord hi...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Was not this rock Christ? 1 Corinthians 10:4. Do not these cliffs mean the wounded side of Jesus, in which the church is sheltered? See Song of Solomon 2:14. By seeing the Lord in passing, doth it not...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    "In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai." Up to this point all the dealings of God have been the...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 33 AND 34. We have now to examine a little what was taking place among the people, and on Moses's part, the faithful and zealous witness, as a servant of God...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    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 goodn...

  • Jonathan Edwards' Notes On The Scriptures

    Exo. 33:18-23. Moses, when he beseeches God to show him his glory, seems to have respect to a visible glory; something to be seen with his bodily eyes, yet not exclusive of an inward sweet sense of th...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _I will take away my hand_ Speaking after the manner of men: As soon as the dazzling splendours of my majesty, termed, my face, which it is impossible for man to behold and live, are passed by, I will...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The Lord refuseth to goe as he had promised with the people. 4 The people murmure thereat. 7 The Tabernacle is remoued out of the Campe. 9 The Lord talketh familiarly with Moses. 12 Moses desire...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    SECOND SECTION Stricter Separation between Jehovah and the People. Removal of Moses’ Tent—the Provisional Tabernacle—out of the Camp. The Gracious Token Exodus 33:1-23 A. APPOINTMENT OF AN ANGEL TO...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    TOLD TO GO WITHOUT THE LORD'S PRESENCE (vs.1-23) Again the Lord gives instructions to Moses to depart with the people to go to the land of Canaan, affirming also that He would send His angel before t...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-23 Moses is very earnest with God. Thus, by the intercession of Christ, we are not only saved from ruin, but become entitled to everlasting happiness. Observe here how he pleads. We find grace in...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    MY BACK PARTS, i.e. imperfectly and in part, as when we see only a man's back parts, and not his face. Thou shalt see a shadow or obscure delineation of my glory, as much as thou canst bear, though no...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    Jehovah refuses to accompany Israel to the land of promise. "I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiff-necked people; lest I consume thee in the way." At the opening of this book, wh...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Exodus 33:23 take H5493 (H8689) hand H3709 see H7200 (H8804) back H268 face H6440 seen H7200 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    MOSES REQUESTS TO SEE YAHWEH'S GLORY -AND DOES SO IN THE ONLY WAY THAT IS POSSIBLE EVEN TO HIM (EXODUS 33:18). Now Moses is emboldened. He has been privileged to see Yahweh more fully than any human b...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The journey to be resumed. God's presence assured. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Joshua. CONCLUSION: God's special presence with us in the wilderness by His Spirit and grace to direct, defend an...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Exodus 33:2. _I will send an angel:_ a created angel. Proof demonstrative that the christian fathers are all correct in declaring that the Angel of the covenant, in Exodus 3:2; Exodus 3:6;...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _My face shall not be seen._ GOD’S GLORY MUST BE VEILED FROM HUMAN SIGHT If God had revealed all His glory--if He had not put the shadow of His hand upon Moses, if He had not revealed merely His skir...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    EXODUS—NOTE ON EXODUS 33:1 This chapter describes the difficult time following the golden calf episode, as the Lord says he no longer will go AMONG his people (v. Exodus 33:3

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Exodus 33:18. Thy glory] = Kebodecha, from kabod = glory, _i.e_., the mysterious essential qualities of the Deity in all their magnificence and stupendousness. Moses felt forced to ma...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE REQUEST TO SEE GOD'S GLORY, AND THE REPLY TO IT. Having obtained the full restoration of the people to God's favour, Moses felt emboldened to ask a boon for himself. He had already been...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Let's turn now to Exodus chapter thirty-three that we might continue our study through the Word of God. And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart, and go up from here, you and the people which you have br...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    thou shalt Exodus 33:20 Job 11:7 Job 26:14 John 1:18 1 Corinthians 13:12...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    And I will take away my hand — Speaking after the manner of men. And thou shalt see my back — parts — The face in man is the seat of majesty, and men are known by their faces, in them we take a full v...

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