Trapp's Complete Commentary · Exodus Capitolo 33

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:

Ver. l. Which thou hast brought. — See Trapp on " Exodus 33:7 "

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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:

An angel before thee. — A created angel to conduct thee. But Moses would none of that; he would not be so put off. Exodus 34:9 Low things satisfy not a high spirit.

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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.

I will not go up, — sc., By those visible signs of my gracious presence as heretofore.

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And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.

They mourned. — As good cause they had: for "woe be unto thee when I depart from thee." Hosea 9:12

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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.

And consume thee. — God’s threatenings are cordial, but conditional. Minatur Deus ut non puniat. "Fury is not in me." Isaiah 27:4 He punisheth not "till there be no other remedy," 2 Chronicles 36:16 as the bee stings not till provoked.

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And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.

Stripped themselves. — As in a day of restraint.

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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.

Afar off from the camp. — In token of God’s deep displeasure and departure from them.

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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.

And looked after Moses. — To see what success, what acceptance: as David looked up after his prayer to see how it sped. Psalms 5:3

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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.

And the Lord talked with Moses. — Out of the cloudy pillar: which was a sign of favour. Psalms 99:7 The Turks honour Moses, and call him the talker with God.

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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.

Rose up and worshipped. — Though obnoxious, they would not despair of mercy. See 1 Samuel 12:20-22 .

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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.

Face to face. — Friendly and familiarly, as Numbers 12:8 . And perhaps in human shape, as he spake with Abraham his friend. Genesis 18:16-33

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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.

See, thou sayest unto me. — See, saith one, Mr Bur. [?Burroughs.] how Moses here encroacheth upon God. God had done much for him, he must have more. Exodus 33:13 "Show me now thy way," … This God grants him. Exodus 33:14 This serves not the turn; he must have more yet. Exodus 33:16 Well, he hath it. Exodus 33:17 Is he satisfied? No, he must yet have more. Exodus 33:18 "I beseech thee show me thy glory." It is done. Exodus 33:19 Is he satisfied yet? No. Exodus 34:9 God must pardon the sin of his people too; and take them and him for his inheritance: this fruit of his favour he must needs be entreated to add to the rest.

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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.

That I may know thee. — Moses knew more of God than any man; he was but newly come down from the mount, and at the tabernacle door God spake with Moses "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." Exodus 33:11 The more a man knows of God, the more desirous he is to know him.

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And he said, My presence shall go [with thee], and I will give thee rest.

I will give thee rest. — Full content of mind, in the sense of my presence and light of my countenance.

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And he said unto him, If thy presence go not [with me], carry us not up hence.

If thy presence go not with me. — What is it to have the air without light? What was all Mordecai’s honour to him when the king frowned upon him?

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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.

So shall we be separated. — Heb., Marvellously separated. The separation of the saints is a wonderful separation. See Deuteronomy 4:7 ; also Isaiah 20:6 , where Judea is for this cause called an "isle."

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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.

I know thee by name. — As princes do their favourites, who easily forget others, as Saul did David. 1 Samuel 17:55

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And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

Show me thy glory. — None ever knew God’s glory; our cockle shell can never comprehend this sea: yet it may be apprehended that it is incomprehensible.

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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.

I will make all my goodness. — My glorious goodness. Thus Moses may have what he will of God. "The king is not he that can do anything against you," said Zedekiah to his courtiers. Jeremiah 38:5

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