Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.” New Living Translation Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.” English Standard Version Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” Berean Standard Bible Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.” King James Bible And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. New King James Version Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.” New American Standard Bible Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” NASB 1995 “Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” NASB 1977 “Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” Legacy Standard Bible Then I will remove My hand, and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” Amplified Bible Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.” Christian Standard Bible Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen.” Holman Christian Standard Bible Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen.” American Standard Version and I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back; but my face shall not be seen. Contemporary English Version Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back. You will not see my face. English Revised Version and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back: but my face shall not be seen. GOD'S WORD® Translation Then I will take my hand away, and you'll see my back, but my face must not be seen." Good News Translation Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back but not my face." International Standard Version Then I'll remove my hand so you may see my back, but my face must not be seen." NET Bible Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen." New Heart English Bible then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen." Webster's Bible Translation And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThen I will take My hand away, and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.” World English Bible then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen.” Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand I have turned aside My hands, and you have seen My back parts, and My face is not seen.” Young's Literal Translation and I have turned aside My hands, and thou hast seen My back parts, and My face is not seen.' Smith's Literal Translation And I turned aside my hand, and thou sawest behind me: and they shall not see my face. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face thou canst not see. Catholic Public Domain Version And I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back. But my face you are not able to see.” New American Bible Then I will remove my hand, so that you may see my back; but my face may not be seen. New Revised Standard Version then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And as my glory passes by, I shall put you in the cave of flint and I shall rest my hand over you until I shall pass: OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And I will take away My hand, and thou shalt see My back; but My face shall not be seen.' Brenton Septuagint Translation And I will remove my hand, and then shalt thou see my back parts; but my face shall not appear to thee. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Glory of the LORD…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. 23Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.” Cross References John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. 1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us. 1 Timothy 6:16 He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. Colossians 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 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 6:46 not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father. 1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Revelation 22:4 They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. Isaiah 6:1-5 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.” ... Genesis 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” Deuteronomy 34:10 Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face— Numbers 12:8 I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?” Job 42:5-6 My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You. / Therefore I despise myself, and I repent in dust and ashes.” Treasury of Scripture And I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. thou shalt Exodus 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. Job 11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? Job 26:14 Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand? Jump to Previous Face Hand Hands Parts Remove TurnedJump to Next Face Hand Hands Parts Remove TurnedExodus 33 1. The Lord refuses to go as he had promised with the people4. 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 Then I will take My hand away This phrase occurs during a pivotal moment in the relationship between God and Moses. God’s hand symbolizes His protection and control. In the context of Exodus 33, God is responding to Moses' request to see His glory. The removal of His hand signifies a transition from concealment to revelation, allowing Moses a glimpse of God's presence. This act underscores God's sovereignty and the limits He places on human understanding of His divine nature. and you will see My back but My face must not be seen. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe central figure in this passage, Moses is the leader of the Israelites and the mediator between God and His people. He is known for his close relationship with God, often speaking to Him "face to face, as a man speaks with his friend" (Exodus 33:11). 2. God (Yahweh) The LORD, who is revealing Himself to Moses in a unique and profound way. In this passage, God is demonstrating both His holiness and His mercy. 3. The Rock A physical location where God places Moses to protect him as His glory passes by. It symbolizes God's protection and provision. 4. The Cleft of the Rock The specific place where Moses is hidden, representing safety and shelter provided by God. 5. The Back of God A metaphorical expression indicating the limited revelation of God's glory that Moses is permitted to see, as no one can see God's face and live. Teaching Points The Holiness of GodGod's holiness is so profound that no human can see His face and live. This underscores the need for reverence and awe in our relationship with Him. God's Mercy and Protection By placing Moses in the cleft of the rock, God demonstrates His mercy and protection. In our lives, God provides safety and shelter in His presence. Limited Revelation While God reveals Himself to us, our understanding is limited. We must trust in His wisdom and timing for deeper revelations. The Importance of Seeking God Moses' desire to see God's glory reflects a heart that seeks after God. We should cultivate a similar desire to know God more intimately. Transformation through God's Presence Just as Moses was changed by his encounter with God, we too are transformed as we spend time in His presence and behold His glory. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Exodus 33What is the Beatific Vision? What is the Beatific Vision? In Job 13:3, how can Job claim he wants to reason directly with God if Exodus 33:20 states no one can see God and live? If Exodus 33:11 says Moses spoke with God “face to face,” how do we reconcile this with Exodus 33:20 where God says no one can see His face and live? Verse 23. - Thou shalt see my back parts. Literally, "my back." The anthropomorphisms of the passage are numerous and strong - they must, of course, be regarded as accommodations to human ideas. After the Divine Presence had passed by, Moses was to be permitted to look out, and would see so much of the Divine glory as he would be able to bear; but still something far short of that which he had desired to see. The explanation that "the back of God" means "his works - the consequences of his activity" (Kalisch) is fanciful, and not borne out by the context. My face cannot be seen. See above, ver. 20; and. compare John 1:18; John 6:46; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 John 4:12.
Hebrew Then I will take My handכַּפִּ֔י (kap·pî) Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 3709: Hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a pan away, וַהֲסִרֹתִי֙ (wa·hă·si·rō·ṯî) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular Strong's 5493: To turn aside and you will see וְרָאִ֖יתָ (wə·rā·’î·ṯā) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 7200: To see My back; אֲחֹרָ֑י (’ă·ḥō·rāy) Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular Strong's 268: The hinder part, behind, backward, the West but My face וּפָנַ֖י (ū·p̄ā·nay) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular Strong's 6440: The face must not לֹ֥א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no be seen.” יֵרָאֽוּ׃ (yê·rā·’ū) Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 7200: To see Links Exodus 33:23 NIVExodus 33:23 NLT Exodus 33:23 ESV Exodus 33:23 NASB Exodus 33:23 KJV Exodus 33:23 BibleApps.com Exodus 33:23 Biblia Paralela Exodus 33:23 Chinese Bible Exodus 33:23 French Bible Exodus 33:23 Catholic Bible OT Law: Exodus 33:23 Then I will take away my hand (Exo. Ex) |
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