Exodus 33 12

Exodus 33:12 kjv

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.

Exodus 33:12 nkjv

Then Moses said to the LORD, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people.' But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.'

Exodus 33:12 niv

Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.'

Exodus 33:12 esv

Moses said to the LORD, "See, you say to me, 'Bring up this people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.'

Exodus 33:12 nlt

One day Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Take these people up to the Promised Land.' But you haven't told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, 'I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.'

Exodus 33 verses

Exodus 33 12 Meaning

Moses directly addresses the Lord, appealing based on divine commands and past affirmations. He first presents a dilemma: God has instructed him to lead the Israelites but has not specified who will accompany him in this monumental task, implying a crucial lack of clear divine presence or support. Moses then leverages God's previous declarations of personal intimacy and favor towards him ("I know you by name," "you have found favor in My sight") as the very grounds for seeking clarification and, implicitly, a greater assurance of God's personal presence in leading the rebellious people. This verse captures Moses' strategic and bold intercession, reminding God of His covenant faithfulness and personal relationship.

Exodus 33 12 Context

Exodus 33 follows the grave sin of the Golden Calf (Exo 32). In response, God threatened to withdraw His personal presence from the rebellious Israelites, proposing to send an angel to lead them instead (Exo 33:2-3). This immediate context of divine wrath and threatened abandonment creates an atmosphere of immense crisis for Moses and the nation. Moses has already successfully interceded for Israel's total destruction, but now he faces the dire prospect of a journey without God's unique and personal presence. The "tabernacle of meeting" has been moved outside the camp (Exo 33:7) to signify God's alienation from a sinful people, yet Moses continued to meet with God there. This verse is part of Moses' profound intercessory dialogue, where he leverages his unique, intimate relationship with God to plead for the continued divine presence necessary for the covenant people's existence and journey to the promised land.

Exodus 33 12 Word analysis

• Moses said to the LORD: Establishes the direct and privileged communication between Moses and YHWH.
• See, (רְאֵה, re'eh): An imperative verb meaning "behold" or "look." Moses uses this to grab God's attention, initiating his point with urgency and an appeal to God to consider the situation from Moses' perspective.
• You have been telling me, (אַתָּה אֹמֵר אֵלַי, attah omer elay): Emphasizes God's command given to Moses repeatedly since the call at the burning bush. Moses highlights God's clear instruction.
• "Bring up this people," (הַעַל אֶת-הָעָם הַזֶּה, ha'al et-ha'am ha-zeh): The specific divine mandate to lead Israel out of Egypt. The use of "this people" instead of "My people" reflects God's anger and slight distancing after their sin. Moses, however, fully accepts the task, despite the "people's" contentious nature.
• but You have not let me know (וְאַתָּה לֹא הוֹדַעְתָּנִי, ve-attah lo hoda'tani): Moses presents his core complaint or request for clarification. The verb yada (to know), in the Hifil stem here, means "to make known," "to inform." Moses states a gap in his divine briefing regarding who will accompany him.
• whom You will send with me. (אֵת אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁלַח עִמִּי, et asher tishlach immi): The critical question. Moses' deep concern is the nature of the divine presence accompanying them. This implies an unacceptability of just any messenger or angel in place of God Himself.
• Yet You have said, (וְאַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ, ve-attah amarta): Moses pivots, reminding God of His prior, intimate assurances to Moses. This is a skillful use of rhetoric, holding God accountable to His own words.
• "I know you by name," (יְדַעְתִּיךָ בְשֵׁם, yeda'tika be-shem): This is a profound declaration of personal intimacy, unique privilege, and comprehensive knowledge. It signifies not just identification, but intimate fellowship and a covenant relationship built on mutual recognition. God's knowledge implies approval and deep personal investment in Moses.
• and you have also found favor in My sight." (וְגַם מָצָאתָ חֵן בְּעֵינַי, ve-gam matza'ta chen be-eynai): Chen (חֵן) means "favor," "grace," or "unmerited kindness." Moses grounds his plea in God's freely given, undeserved benevolence towards him personally. This favor signifies a special, blessed status allowing Moses to approach God boldly and expect a positive response.

Words-Group Analysis

• "Moses said to the LORD, 'See, You have been telling me, "Bring up this people,"'": Moses begins by strategically referencing God's own previous, unmistakable command. He uses the plural "this people" highlighting their rebellious nature, subtly acknowledging the challenge without abandoning his duty, setting up the paradox of a divine command with insufficient divine support.
• "but You have not let me know whom You will send with me.": This phrase is the heart of Moses' concern regarding leadership and divine assistance. It articulates his sense of being left in the dark about the essential support required for the immense task, moving from general commands to specific, personal accompaniment.
• "Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.'": Moses pivots to invoke God's profound, personal relationship with him. This serves as the powerful basis for his appeal. It signifies a unique, deep intimacy and privilege that Moses leverages to remind God of His own character and past commitments to Moses individually.

Exodus 33 12 Bonus section

• Polemics against other ancient Near Eastern deities: The intense personal relationship depicted between YHWH and Moses, encapsulated in "I know you by name," stands in stark contrast to the often transactional or distant relationships humans had with many ancient pagan gods. Those gods were capricious or accessed through ritual rather than through intimate knowledge. YHWH's personal knowledge implies a deep moral relationship, distinct from impersonal forces or mere power.
• Significance of "name" in Hebrew culture: To "know by name" (בְשֵׁם, be-shem) in ancient Hebrew culture signified more than mere identification. It implied full knowledge of character, essence, destiny, and personal attributes. It conveyed a deep, relational intimacy and a comprehensive understanding that allowed for unique access and influence.
• Moses as a model intercessor: Moses' strategic argumentation—using God's past words against His present stated intent, appealing to personal relationship and favor—serves as a powerful model for believers in prayer. It demonstrates the importance of recalling God's faithfulness and promises, even when faced with seemingly contradictory circumstances.
• A foundation for "asking big": Moses' boldness, rooted in God's own affirmations of favor, shows that our access to God allows for ambitious prayers, trusting in His character rather than our merit alone. This personal intimacy emboldens Moses to request what seems almost presumptuous – that God Himself would change His stated intention regarding His presence.

Exodus 33 12 Commentary

Exodus 33:12 is a testament to Moses' extraordinary faith, courage, and unique relationship with God. In the immediate aftermath of the Golden Calf, where God threatens to abandon His personal presence with the Israelites, Moses, knowing the task's impossibility without God, challenges the divine resolve. He presents a skillful argument: God commanded him to lead a difficult people, yet simultaneously withdrew His personal presence, thereby jeopardizing the mission's success. Moses boldly reminds God of His own declarations of intimacy and favor towards Moses ("I know you by name," "you have found favor"). This isn't a demand, but an appeal based on God's character and Moses' privileged status, underscoring that for Moses, and by extension for Israel, the divine presence, not merely an angelic substitute, was indispensable for true success and the fulfillment of the covenant. His appeal is effective, paving the way for God's momentous revelation of His glory and name to Moses in the following verses. This moment highlights that personal relationship and favor with God can be the ground for fervent intercession even amidst corporate sin and divine displeasure.