Exodus
Chapter 33
Rejection
The Lord said to Moses:
“Go now! Leave this place, you and the people you brought out from the land of Egypt, and go to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said: ‘I will give it to your descendants.’
I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
But I will not go with you to this land flowing with milk and honey, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way.”
When the people heard these distressing words, they were very sad, and none put on any ornaments.
The Lord then said to Moses:
“Say to the Israelites: ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you, even for a moment, I would destroy you! Now, take off your ornaments that I may know what I shall do to you.’”
And so the Israelites gave up their ornaments before leaving Mount Horeb.
Moses in the Tent of Meeting
Moses then took the Tent and pitched it for himself outside the camp, at a distance from it, and called it the Tent of Meeting. Whoever sought the Lord would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.
And when Moses went to the tent, all the people would stand, each one at the entrance to his tent, and keep looking towards Moses until he entered the tent.
Now, as soon as Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud came down and remained at the entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses.
When all the people saw the pillar of cloud at the entrance to the tent, they would arise and worship, each one at the entrance to his own tent.
Then the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his neighbor, and then Moses would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua, son of Nun, would not leave the tent.
Moses Pleads with the Lord
Then Moses said to the Lord:
“You say to me: ‘Lead these people up,’ but you haven’t told me who you will send with me, and yet you have said that you know me by name and that I have found favor in your sight.
And now if I have found favor in your sight, let me know your ways that I may know you and so find favor in your sight. Look, these people are your own people.”
The Lord said:
“My face will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Moses said:
“If your face does not come with us, do not take us from here.
How will anyone here know that you look kindly on me and my people? Will it not be because you go with us? In that way, I myself and your people will be distinguished from every other nation on the face of the earth.”
The Lord then said to Moses:
“What you have said I will do, for I look kindly on you and know you by name.”
The Glory of the Lord I
Moses said:
“Then let me see your glory.”
And He said:
“I will make all my goodness pass before you and proclaim the name of the Lord before you. For I am gracious to whom I want to be gracious, and I am merciful to whom I want to be merciful.”
Then the Lord said:
“You cannot see my face because man cannot see me and live.”
And he added:
“See this place near me; you shall stand on the rock
and when my Glory passes, I will put you in a hollow of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
Commentaries
Rejection.
It is interesting to observe how people’s understanding of the need to remain faithful to the Lord and to allow themselves to be guided by Him is presented. In the context of the golden calf, the people assume that under these circumstances, the Lord will be unwilling to walk with them, and for this reason, they attribute to God Himself the decision not to do so (3). Given the fragile state of their conscience, they know that the Lord could annihilate them. The expression of repentance is mourning and not wearing finery (5).
Moses in the Tent of Meeting.
This brief scene compiles various traditions about crossing the desert and the tent where the dialogues between God and Moses occurred. It aims to convey the theophany of Sinai and all it represents: the gift of the “decalogue” and the Covenant. The friendly and intimate connection between Moses and God maintains a continuity that becomes a kind of teaching process for the people. The deep respect and reverence of the people for Moses and for the place of the encounter are emphasized.
Moses Pleads with the Lord.
These verses should be seen as a continuation of 33:1-6, illustrating Moses trying to persuade the Lord to reverse His decision not to go with the people. He argues that if he enjoys divine favor and has such close dealings with God, the Lord should not abandon them. God acknowledges the request, but His decision only affects Moses, who again emphasizes that God’s presence is crucial for the people, as it would be the only thing that sets Israel apart from other nations. Ultimately, the Lord also agrees to this request (17). We find two key ideas for the Israelite faith: 1. Without God’s constant presence among them, this people could not survive. The main role of the mediator reflects that of Moses, a role also played by the prophets. Both divine presence and human mediation are rooted in love, mercy, and trust.
The Glory of the Lord I.
We prepare ourselves for the theophany at Sinai, which will unfold in the next chapter. The purpose is to affirm the promise of divine companionship through the pronouncement of the “Name,” which ultimately ensures the well-being and security of the people. Despite Moses’s closeness to God, he must take precautions to avoid being annihilated by his “presence.” A similar theophanic experience is found in the prophet Elijah (cf. 1 Kgs 19:9,11-13).