Exodus 32 34

Exodus 32:34 kjv

Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

Exodus 32:34 nkjv

Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin."

Exodus 32:34 niv

Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."

Exodus 32:34 esv

But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them."

Exodus 32:34 nlt

Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Look! My angel will lead the way before you. And when I come to call the people to account, I will certainly hold them responsible for their sins."

Exodus 32 verses

Exodus 32 34 Meaning

Exodus 32:34 conveys God's renewed command to Moses to continue leading the Israelites towards the promised land. Despite their grave sin of idolatry with the Golden Calf, God assures them of continued guidance through His "Angel." However, this divine mercy is not absolute forgiveness; God firmly declares that although immediate destruction was averted due to Moses' intercession, the consequences of their sin are not nullified and will certainly be exacted upon them in due course.

Exodus 32 34 Context

Exodus 32 details Israel's grievous sin of creating and worshiping a golden calf while Moses was receiving the Law on Mount Sinai. Enraged by this blatant idolatry, God threatened to consume the entire nation. Moses interceded passionately for the people, reminding God of His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In response to Moses' plea, God relented from His immediate destructive wrath. Verse 34 comes immediately after this powerful intercession and God's decision to strike "whoever has sinned against Me" from His book. It re-establishes God's command to continue the journey to Canaan, confirms His protective guidance (albeit mediated through an Angel), but firmly underscores that their idolatry has consequences that will eventually be paid. This verse balances God's covenant faithfulness and mercy with His unwavering holiness and justice.

Exodus 32 34 Word analysis

• Now therefore go (Lech לֵךְ): An imperative command from God to Moses. Despite the severe sin, the divine mission and Moses' leadership role are affirmed.
• lead (Nakhéh נְחֵה): An imperative verb meaning "to guide" or "to direct." It emphasizes Moses' ongoing responsibility to shepherd the people.
• the people (hā’am הָעָם): Refers specifically to the nation of Israel. Even after their unfaithfulness, God continues to relate to them as "His people."
• to the place of which I have spoken to you: Refers to Canaan, the Promised Land. This reaffirms God's covenant promises (to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) that Israel would inherit this land, highlighting His faithfulness despite Israel's infidelity.
• behold, My Angel (hinnēh mal’ăkî הִנֵּה מַלְאָכִי):
  • Hinnēh (הִנֵּה): An emphatic interjection, drawing special attention to the following statement.
  • Mal’ăkî (מַלְאָכִי): "My messenger" or "My Angel." In Old Testament contexts, the "Angel of the LORD" (often distinguished by "the LORD" (YHWH) speaking as or through the angel) is frequently understood as a Christophany – the pre-incarnate Son of God, or at least a high divine emissary acting with divine authority and speaking in God's name. This indicates that divine presence and active leadership would continue. This might be seen as a modified presence compared to God's intended direct indwelling in their midst (the Shekinah glory, or panim "face/presence" in Ex 33), implying a slight distancing due to their sin, though still powerfully efficacious.
• shall go before you: Indicates continuous divine protection, guidance, and providential care during the journey and the conquest of the land. This Angel would clear the way and fight their battles (Ex 23:20-23).
• Nevertheless (’Aken אָכֵן): A strong adversative particle, translated as "surely," "truly," "indeed," or "but." Here it signals a solemn, emphatic qualification or contrast: while direct wrath is suspended and guidance continues, divine justice is certain.
• in the day when I visit (bəyôm paqdî בְּיוֹם פָּקְדִי):
  • Paqad (פָּקַד): "To visit," "to inspect," "to take account of," or "to muster." While it can mean visiting with blessing, in contexts of sin, it universally denotes visiting with judgment or consequences. This is a day of reckoning, not necessarily one specific day, but a definite time or process.
• I will visit their sin upon them (ūpāqadti ‘ălêhem וּפָקַדְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם): Reiterates the verb paqad. This clause ensures that the idolatry will not go unpunished. It underscores the principle of divine justice: while God's mercy deferred the immediate, absolute wrath, the guilt and the resultant consequences of their sin were meticulously noted and would, without fail, be accounted for at the appointed time, affecting them either individually or corporately.

Exodus 32 34 Bonus section

The specific choice of "My Angel" rather than God's direct "presence" (as manifest in the pillar of cloud/fire, or the Shekinah glory in the Tabernacle) signals a significant, though temporary, shift in God's relationship with Israel immediately after the Golden Calf. While God initially threatened not to go up in their midst at all (Ex 33:3) because of their stiff-necked nature, Moses intercedes again in Exodus 33, begging for God's own presence (His panim or "face") to go with them, arguing that it distinguishes them from all other peoples. God relents to this further plea (Ex 33:14), saying, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." This nuanced sequence in Exodus 32-33 shows that while the "Angel" in Ex 32:34 was sufficient for guidance, Moses pressed for the restoration of a more intimate and unmistakable divine presence, which God graciously granted. This illustrates layers of God's response to human sin: initial anger, mercy through mediation preventing ultimate destruction, a phase of mediated divine leading, and ultimately, a restoration of a deeper intimate presence due to persistent prayer. However, the foundational principle of Exodus 32:34—that sin will be visited with consequences—remains absolute and manifests at various points throughout Israel's history.

Exodus 32 34 Commentary

Exodus 32:34 stands as a profound declaration of God's complex character: simultaneously merciful, faithful, holy, and just. Following the near-annihilation of Israel due to their flagrant idolatry, this verse confirms that God's plan for His covenant people will proceed. He instructs Moses to resume leadership, a testament to God's faithfulness to His covenant promises of bringing them to the Promised Land. The assurance that "My Angel shall go before you" reveals God's commitment to guiding and protecting them, an Angel often understood to be a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ Himself, embodying divine authority and efficacy.

However, this grace is profoundly qualified by God's unwavering justice. The "Nevertheless" is crucial, serving as a solemn pivot point. While Moses' intercession averted immediate, wholesale destruction, it did not nullify the reality of their sin. God declares that "in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them." This signifies that the consequences of their rebellion were not forgotten but merely deferred. This "visitation" would manifest throughout their wilderness journey and subsequent history, indicating God's consistent practice of accountability. It underscores that God’s forgiveness, though powerful, does not negate His moral law; there are inherent consequences to disobedience that His righteous character demands be addressed. This serves as a vital lesson that divine mercy is not license for sin and that the integrity of God’s holiness requires sin to be eventually dealt with, either through His judgment or through a perfect atonement.