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:
1. the Lord said—rather "had"
said unto Moses. The conference detailed in this chapter must be
considered as having occurred prior to the pathetic intercession of
Moses, recorded at the close of the preceding chapter; and the
historian, having mentioned the fact of his earnest and painful
anxiety, under the overwhelming pressure of which he poured forth
that intercessory prayer for his apostate countrymen, now enters on a
detailed account of the circumstances.
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:
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.
3. I will not go up . . . lest I
consume thee—Here the Lord is represented as determined to do
what He afterwards did not. (See on ).
4.
And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
4. when the people heard these evil
tidings—from Moses on his descent from the mount.
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.
5. put off thy ornaments—In
seasons of mourning, it is customary with Eastern people to lay aside
all gewgaws and divest themselves of their jewels, their gold, and
every thing rich and splendid in their dress. This token of their
sorrow the Lord required of His offending people.
that I may know what to do
unto thee—The language is accommodated to the feeble
apprehensions of men. God judges the state of the heart by the tenor
of the conduct. In the case of the Israelites, He cherished a design
of mercy; and the moment He discerned the first symptoms of
contrition, by their stripping off their ornaments, as penitents
conscious of their error and sincerely sorrowful, this fact added its
weight to the fervency of Moses' prayers, and gave them prevalence
with God in behalf of the people.
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.
7. Moses took the tabernacle, and
pitched it without the camp—Not the tabernacle, of which a
pattern had been given him, for it was not yet erected, but his own
tent—conspicuous as that of the leader—in a part of which he
heard cases and communed with God about the people's interests; hence
called "the tabernacle of the congregation," and the
withdrawal of which, in abhorrence from a polluted camp, was regarded
as the first step in the total abandonment with which God had
threatened them.
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.
8. all the people rose up, and stood
every man at his tent door—Its removal produced deep and
universal consternation; and it is easy to conceive how anxiously all
eyes would be directed towards it; how rapidly the happy intelligence
would spread, when a phenomenon was witnessed from which an
encouraging hope could be founded.
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.
9-11. the cloudy pillar descended,
and stood at the door of the tabernacle—How would the downcast
hearts of the people revive—how would the tide of joy swell in
every bosom, when the symbolic cloud was seen slowly and majestically
to descend and stand at the entrance of the tabernacle!
as Moses entered—It was
when he appeared as their mediator, when he repaired from day to day
to intercede for them, that welcome token of assurance was given that
his advocacy prevailed, that Israel's sin was forgiven, and that God
would again be gracious.
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.
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.
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.
14.
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15.
And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
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.
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.
18-23. I beseech thee, show me thy
glory—This is one of the most mysterious scenes described in
the Bible: he had, for his comfort and encouragement, a splendid and
full display of the divine majesty, not in its unveiled effulgence,
but as far as the weakness of humanity would admit. The face, hand,
back parts, are to be understood figuratively.
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.
20.
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21.
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a 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:
23.
And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.