Exodus 33:19 kjv
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 show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
Exodus 33:19 nkjv
Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
Exodus 33:19 niv
And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Exodus 33:19 esv
And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
Exodus 33:19 nlt
The LORD replied, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.
Exodus 33 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 34:6-7 | "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger... | The definitive expansion of God's proclaimed character. |
| Rom 9:15-16 | "For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy...' | Paul's direct quotation on divine sovereignty in salvation. |
| Rom 9:18 | "So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills." | Reinforces God's sovereign choice in mercy and hardening. |
| Deut 5:10 | "but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me..." | God's attribute of steadfast love and mercy for the obedient. |
| Neh 9:17, 31 | "You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger..." | Remembers God's gracious and merciful nature in forgiveness. |
| Ps 86:15 | "But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger..." | Ascribed attributes of God: mercy, grace, patience. |
| Ps 103:8 | "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." | Highlights God's fundamental characteristics. |
| Ps 145:8 | "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in steadfast love." | Emphasizes God's benevolence and enduring kindness. |
| Joel 2:13 | "...for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love..." | Encouragement to repentance based on God's character. |
| Jon 4:2 | "I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love..." | Jonah's confession of God's character. |
| Isa 30:18 | "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show you compassion." | God's eagerness and intentionality in bestowing grace. |
| 1 Cor 1:26-31 | God chooses the foolish, weak, and lowly of the world. | God's sovereign choice defies human wisdom and boasts. |
| Eph 1:4-6 | "he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy..." | God's eternal election and purpose based on His will. |
| 2 Tim 1:9 | "who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace..." | Salvation and calling by God's purpose and grace, not human merit. |
| Jas 2:13 | "For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment." | Mercy as a core divine principle that guides judgment. |
| Lam 3:22-23 | "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end..." | God's unfailing compassion and daily renewed mercies. |
| Tit 3:4-5 | "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works..." | Salvation rooted in God's goodness and mercy, not human deeds. |
| Eph 2:4-5, 8-9 | "But God, being rich in mercy... made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved..." | Salvation by God's rich mercy and grace through faith, not works. |
| Ps 23:6 | "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life..." | Experience of God's consistent goodness and compassionate care. |
| Heb 4:16 | "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace..." | Accessibility to God's mercy and grace through Christ. |
| Jn 1:16-17 | "from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." | Christ embodies the fullness of God's grace and truth. |
| Ps 102:13 | "You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her..." | God's timing and decision for bestowing compassion. |
| Phil 2:13 | "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." | God's sovereign initiative in working His will within believers. |
Exodus 33 verses
Exodus 33 19 Meaning
Exodus 33:19 presents God's direct response to Moses' request to see God's glory. God reveals that His "goodness" will pass before Moses, and He will declare His covenant name, Yahweh, thereby proclaiming His essential character. The verse profoundly emphasizes God's sovereign prerogative to bestow grace and compassion entirely according to His own will, demonstrating that these divine attributes are freely given and not earned or demanded by human merit. It unveils a core aspect of God's self-revelation, central to understanding His nature and His relationship with humanity.
Exodus 33 19 Context
This verse is part of a critical interlude between Israel's profound sin of the golden calf (Exodus 32) and the renewal of the covenant. After Moses' impassioned intercession saved the nation from immediate destruction, he sought deeper reassurance of God's continued presence. Specifically, Moses asked, "Please show me Your glory" (Exod 33:18). Verse 19 is God's direct response, laying the groundwork for the more detailed self-revelation on Mount Sinai in Exodus 34:6-7. God agrees to show Moses a manifestation of His attributes ("goodness") and to declare His character by proclaiming His name, but clarifies that Moses cannot see His face directly (Exod 33:20). The preceding context also involved Moses mediating for a sinful people, which further underscores the magnitude of God's willingness to display mercy and compassion, even to the undeserving.
Exodus 33 19 Word analysis
- And He said (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyō’mer): Standard biblical narrative formula indicating a divine utterance. It underscores the authority and significance of the words that follow.
- I will make all My goodness (כָּל־טוּבִי - kāl-ṭûvî) pass before you:
- I (אֲנִי - aní): Emphatic "I" in Hebrew, highlighting God's personal initiative and sovereign action. It's His unilateral decision.
- make pass (אַעֲבִיר - aʿăvîr): Hiphil imperfect verb from ʿāvar, indicating causative action. God Himself causes His goodness to appear. This "passing" suggests a procession or a dynamic manifestation rather than a static sight, emphasizing the active nature of His revelation.
- all My goodness (כָּל־טוּבִי - kāl-ṭûvî): The word ṭûv signifies inherent moral goodness, bounty, beauty, and well-being. It encapsulates the full spectrum of God's benevolence and perfection, comprising all His holy and gracious attributes, such as love, faithfulness, and mercy. This isn't just a physical presence but a declaration of His essential nature. It reveals that His glory (what Moses requested) is intrinsically tied to His character and benevolence.
- before you (עַל־פָּנֶיךָ - ʿal-pānêkā): Literally "before your face," implying a direct, intimate encounter as much as a human can bear, contrasting with seeing God's full "face" (glory) directly, which would be lethal.
- and I will proclaim the name of the Lord (בְשֵׁם יְהוָה - bəšēm Yahweh) before you:
- proclaim (וְקָרָאתִי - wĕqārā’tî): Means to call out, read aloud, or make known publicly. Here, it signifies God revealing Himself by declaring His name and, by extension, His character and identity associated with that name.
- the name of the Lord (בְשֵׁם יְהוָה - bəšēm Yahweh): Yahweh (LORD, usually transliterated as YHWH) is God's covenantal and personal name, denoting His self-existence ("I Am Who I Am" - Exod 3:14) and His faithfulness to His promises. To "proclaim the name" is to declare His very essence, His attributes, His actions, and His relationship to His people. This declaration, expanded upon in Exod 34:6-7, defines His character as gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
- I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious (וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר אֶחֹן - wĕḥannōtî ʾet-ʾăšer ʾeḥōn):
- be gracious (חנן - ḥānan): To show favor, grant mercy, bestow grace. It points to unmerited favor or compassion.
- This phrase uses a powerful Hebrew construct known as polyptoton (repetition of the same root verb in different forms), which profoundly emphasizes God's absolute freedom and sovereignty in distributing grace. His grace is not a response to human deservingness, but stems solely from His divine will and benevolent character. It asserts God's non-negotiable right to choose the recipients of His favor.
- and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion (וְרִחַמְתִּי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר אֲרַחֵם - wĕriḥamtî ʾet-ʾăšer ʾăraḥēm):
- have compassion (רחם - rāḥam): To show deep mercy, pity, or compassion. The root is related to "womb" (rechem), suggesting a deep, visceral, motherly tenderness.
- Similar to the previous phrase, this repetition reinforces the sovereign freedom of God in extending mercy. It highlights that His compassion, like His grace, is not forced, earned, or compelled by any external factor or human merit, but originates purely from His divine choice and benevolent nature. It underscores the unchangeable truth that all favor shown by God is an act of His unconstrained love and mercy.
Exodus 33 19 Bonus section
The revelation of "all My goodness" passing before Moses' face suggests a deeper engagement than mere sight; it is a manifestation that touches Moses' spiritual understanding and experience of God's character. It anticipates the ultimate and fullest revelation of God's "goodness and grace" found in the person of Jesus Christ (Jn 1:14, 16). The theological truth embedded in God's declaration of His sovereign prerogative for grace and compassion served as a corrective to any notion that His favor could be manipulated or deserved. It challenged the common ancient Near Eastern pagan understanding where deities had to be appeased or coerced. Instead, the LORD Yahweh freely chooses to display His love and mercy. This sovereign grace became a cornerstone of later biblical theology, especially in explaining election and salvation by grace alone in the New Testament. It forms the very basis of hope for humanity, emphasizing that God's willingness to bless comes from Himself, making redemption a gift beyond human striving.
Exodus 33 19 Commentary
Exodus 33:19 is a profound theological statement directly from God to Moses, laying a foundational truth about divine sovereignty. In response to Moses’ plea to see God's glory, God reveals that His essence is primarily manifested not in a visible form but in His attributes, specifically His "goodness," which encapsulates His holy and loving character. This declaration culminates in the radical affirmation: "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." This is not an expression of arbitrary will or capriciousness, but a demonstration that divine grace and mercy flow from God’s inherent nature, independently of any human condition, works, or merit. It highlights that God's covenant faithfulness, despite Israel's recent rebellion with the golden calf, is sustained by His character, not by their performance. This verse thus stands as a crucial preamble to the renewal of the covenant in Exodus 34, where God formally declares His name and character in fuller detail, asserting both His mercy and His justice. The Apostle Paul famously quotes this verse in Romans 9 to explain God's sovereign choice in salvation, affirming that election and grace are rooted solely in God’s purpose and mercy, not in human efforts or desires. This truth humbles humanity and exalts God's freedom and generosity in extending His undeserved favor.