Exodus 33:21
New International Version
Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.

New Living Translation
The LORD continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock.

English Standard Version
And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock,

Berean Standard Bible
The LORD continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock,

King James Bible
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

New King James Version
And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.

New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;

NASB 1995
Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;

NASB 1977
Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;

Amplified Bible
Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;

Christian Standard Bible
The LORD said, “Here is a place near me. You are to stand on the rock,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The LORD said, “Here is a place near Me. You are to stand on the rock,

American Standard Version
and Jehovah said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock:

Contemporary English Version
There is a rock not far from me. Stand beside it,

English Revised Version
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then the LORD said, "Look, there's a place near me. Stand by this rocky cliff.

Good News Translation
but here is a place beside me where you can stand on a rock.

International Standard Version
The LORD said, "Look, there is a place near me where you can stand on the rock;

Majority Standard Bible
The LORD continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock,

NET Bible
The LORD said, "Here is a place by me; you will station yourself on a rock.

New Heart English Bible
The LORD also said, "Look, there is a place by me, and you are to station yourself on the rock.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

World English Bible
Yahweh also said, “Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
YHWH also says, “Behold, a place [is] by Me, and you have stood on the rock,

Young's Literal Translation
Jehovah also saith, 'Lo, a place is by Me, and thou hast stood on the rock,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehovah will say, Behold, a place with me, and stand thou upon the rock.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And again he said: Behold there is a place with me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And again, he said: “Behold, there is a place with me, and you shall stand upon the rock.

New American Bible
Here, continued the LORD, is a place near me where you shall station yourself on the rock.

New Revised Standard Version
And the LORD continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the LORD said to Moses, Behold, there is a place in front of me, and you shall stand upon the rock;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he said, “You cannot see my face, because no son of man sees me and lives.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the LORD said: 'Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me: thou shalt stand upon the rock;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Glory of the LORD
20But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.” 21The LORD continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock, 22and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.…

Cross References
1 Kings 19:11-13
Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.” And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. / After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice. / When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Isaiah 6:1-4
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple. / Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. / And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.” ...

Ezekiel 1:26-28
Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man. / From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him. / The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.

Genesis 28:12-13
And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder. / And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie.

Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 27:5
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock.

Psalm 31:20
You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men. You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues.

Psalm 91:1-2
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. / I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 121:5
The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand.

Isaiah 32:2
Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in a dry land, like the shadow of a great rock in an arid land.

Matthew 17:1-3
After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. / There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. / Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, talking with Jesus.

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 14:9
Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

John 17:24
Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

Acts 7:55-56
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. / “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”


Treasury of Scripture

And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on a rock:

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Exodus 33
1. The Lord refuses to go as he had promised with the people
4. The people mourn there
7. The tabernacle is removed out of the camp
9. The Lord talks familiarly with Moses
12. Moses prevails with God, and desires to see his glory














The LORD continued
This phrase indicates the ongoing communication between God and Moses. In the Hebrew text, the name used for God here is "Yahweh," which is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal presence and faithfulness. This continuation of dialogue underscores the intimate relationship between God and Moses, a relationship characterized by direct and personal communication. Historically, this reflects the unique role Moses played as a mediator between God and the Israelites.

Here is a place near Me
The phrase "near Me" signifies proximity to the divine presence. In the Hebrew context, the word for "place" is "מָקוֹם" (makom), which can denote a physical location but also carries a deeper spiritual significance. This suggests a designated sacred space where God's presence is particularly manifest. Theologically, it highlights the concept of sacred space in the Hebrew tradition, where certain locations are set apart for divine encounters.

where you are to stand
The act of standing is significant in biblical terms, often associated with readiness, respect, and attentiveness. The Hebrew verb "עָמַד" (amad) implies a deliberate positioning, suggesting that Moses is to be prepared for a significant revelation or encounter. This posture of standing before God is a recurring theme in Scripture, symbolizing the readiness to receive divine instruction or witness God's glory.

on a rock
The "rock" in this context is not merely a physical object but carries symbolic weight. In Hebrew, the word "צוּר" (tsur) is used, which can mean a literal rock or a metaphorical stronghold. Throughout Scripture, rocks often symbolize stability, strength, and refuge. In this passage, the rock serves as a foundation for Moses, both physically and spiritually, as he prepares to witness God's glory. This imagery is echoed in other biblical texts where God is referred to as a "rock," emphasizing His unchanging nature and reliability.

(21) There is a place by me.--A place on the summit of Sinai, where God had been manifesting Himself, is clearly intended; but it is impossible to fix the place with any certainty. Speculations like those of Dr. Robinson (Biblical Researches, Vol. 1, p. 153) are of little value.

Verse 21. - Behold, there is a place by me. No sufficient indication is given by these words, or by any other words in Scripture, of the exact locality of the manifestation to Moses. The so-called" traditions "are worthless; and we can only say that the scene was probably some portion of the upper part of the Ras Sufsafeh.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

continued,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“There
הִנֵּ֥ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

is a place
מָק֖וֹם (mā·qō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

near Me
אִתִּ֑י (’it·tî)
Direct object marker | first person common singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

where you are to stand
וְנִצַּבְתָּ֖ (wə·niṣ·ṣaḇ·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5324: To take one's stand, stand

upon
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

a rock,
הַצּֽוּר׃ (haṣ·ṣūr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6697: A cliff, a rock, boulder, a refuge, an edge


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OT Law: Exodus 33:21 Yahweh also said Behold there (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 33:20
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