1.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
the LORD [Hebrew. Jehovah. said . See note on Exodus 3:7 , and p. note on Exodus 6:10 .
2.
And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
the . Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac, and Targum of Onkelos, read "and the".
3.
Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
milk and honey = all kinds of good things. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species), App-6 .
4.
And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
heard. This shows Moses had descended again. man. Hebrew 'ish ( App-14 ).
5.
For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
children = sons.
stiffneeked People . These have to be humbled; but an afflicted people is an object for Divine favour Compare Ch. Exodus 2:24 , Exodus 2:25 ; Exodus 3:7 ; Exodus 4:31 .
6.
And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.
7.
And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
tabernacle = tent; eleven times called tent; Hebrew. 'ohel. Not the tabernacle, for this was not yet made, but a different building altogether, called "the tent of assembly "(see App-40 ).
without the camp . In presence of corporate failure God withdraws Himself. Typical of our own day. Those who seek Him must "go forth to Him. "Compare Hebrews 13:13 .
8.
And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
man. Hebrew. 'ish. See App-14 .
9.
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.
10.
And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
11.
And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
the LORD spake . See note on Exodus 6:10 , and compare note on Exodus 3:7 .
face to face . To emphasise the communion in the presence of corporate failure; this must ever be individual and personal.
servant = personal attendant, as in Exodus 24:13 . Hebrew n'ar, rendered "servant '. 2 Samuel 19:17 . 2 Kings 5:20 . Nehemiah 5:10 , &c. = assistant.
Joshua . See Exodus 17:9 . He had not been in the camp; and when Moses went out Joshua remained in the tent.
12.
And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
whom . As promised in Exodus 32:34 .
by name . Compare Isaiah 43:1 ; Isaiah 49:1 . In the presence of corporate failure all is individual, compare 2 Timothy 2:19 . (In 1Tim, we see corporate rule; in 2Tim, we see corporate ruin. Hence, 2Tim is individual throughout).
found grace : or, favour. All is of grace, Compare Exodus 34:9 , &c. Noah (Genesis 6:8 ); Abraham (Genesis 18:3 ); Moses (Exodus 34:9 ), &c.
13.
Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
Thy way . Different from Thy works. Compare Psalms 103:7 . "Ways " are esoteric, "acts " are exoteric; we must go "outside the camp "to learn the "ways". of Jehovah.
14.
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
He [Jehovah] said . See note on Exodus 3:7 , and Compare Exodus 6:10 .
My presence. If this verse be punctuated as a question, then we can understand verse Exodus 33:15 , "Shall My presence go with thee, and shall I lead thee into rest? "as much as to say, How can My presence go with thee after this rejection of Me?
15.
And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
he = Moses.
16.
For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
wherein . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis ( App-6 ).
so shall we be : or, "and by our being".
earth . Hebrew. 'adamah, ground.
17.
And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18.
And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
he = Moses.
19.
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
goodness . The glory could not have been endured; grace comes first, glory is reserved for the future.
I will proclaim the name . This is done in Exodus 34:5-7 .
20.
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
see My face . Compare notes on Exodus 23:15 with Exodus 34:20 .
man . Hebrew 'adder. App-14 .
21.
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
a rock = the rock.
22.
And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
a cliff = the clift or hollow.
My hand . Figure of speech Anthropopatheia ( App-6 ).
23.
And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.