Exodus 33 2

Exodus 33:2 kjv

And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:

Exodus 33:2 nkjv

And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.

Exodus 33:2 niv

I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

Exodus 33:2 esv

I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Exodus 33:2 nlt

And I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

Exodus 33 verses

Exodus 33 2 Meaning

Exodus 33:2 communicates God's continuing commitment to the covenant promise of the land, despite Israel's grave sin with the Golden Calf. It declares that the Lord will send an angel before the Israelites to clear the way for them and will personally drive out the various inhabitants of Canaan. This assures Israel of divine assistance in their conquest, even though God had initially expressed His unwillingness to go with them directly due to their "stiff-necked" nature, fearing He might consume them on the way. The verse underscores God's faithfulness to His oath regarding the land, providing a means for their entry.

Exodus 33 2 Context

Exodus chapter 33 opens in the immediate aftermath of the Golden Calf incident described in Exodus 32. Israel had broken the covenant at Sinai by worshipping an idol, provoking God's fierce anger. In response, God told Moses (Ex 33:1) to lead the people out of Sinai to the land He had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, crucially, God stated He would not go up among them personally because of their "stiff neck" (Ex 33:3), lest He consume them on the way. Verse 2, therefore, provides a concession or a modified promise within this challenging divine directive. It affirms God's commitment to fulfill the land promise through an appointed angelic messenger who would go before them, even as His own direct, intimate presence seemed to be withdrawn as a disciplinary measure for their idolatry. This sets up Moses' subsequent impassioned intercession in Exodus 33:12-23 for God's presence to accompany them, revealing Moses' deep understanding of the vital difference between an angel and God's own leading.

Exodus 33 2 Word analysis

• And I will send (וְשָׁלַחְתִּי, v'shalachti):

  • This is a strong declaration of divine agency and initiation. God is the active subject, purposefully commissioning an action.
  • The Hebrew verb shalach means to send, stretch out, or dispatch. Here, it signifies the deliberate act of God delegating authority and power.
  • Signifies a firm divine resolve to carry out His plan, despite Israel's unfaithfulness.

• An angel (מַלְאָךְ, mal'akh):

  • The Hebrew word mal'akh simply means "messenger." This can refer to a human messenger (e.g., Jacob sends messengers in Gen 32:3) or a divine one.
  • In biblical context, when used of God, it universally refers to a heavenly, spiritual being sent as an agent of God's will.
  • This is not explicitly "the Angel of the Lord" (often capitalized to denote a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, or a unique manifestation of God Himself, e.g., Ex 3:2, Jdg 6:11-12). However, it represents a divine agent. The significance lies in the fact that it is an angel rather than God's own presence as Moses later desires (Ex 33:15).
  • This angel would represent God's power and purpose but without His consuming holy presence directly in their midst.

• before you (לְפָנֶיךָ, l'faneyka):

  • Means "in your face" or "in front of you."
  • Implies guidance, leadership, and vanguard action. The angel would lead the way, clearing obstacles and engaging enemies directly before Israel.
  • This position indicates divine protection and paving the way for Israel's journey and conquest.

• and I will drive out (וְגֵרַשְׁתִּי, v'girashti):

  • From the Hebrew root garash, meaning "to drive out, dispossess, divorce." It's a powerful verb signifying forceful expulsion.
  • This reiterates God's commitment to fulfill His promise to clear the land of its current inhabitants. This dispossession is a key part of the covenant promise to Abraham and foundational to Israel's inheritance.
  • It also hints at divine judgment against the wicked nations of Canaan, whose iniquity had become full (Gen 15:16).

• the Canaanites, the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

  • This list comprises six distinct nations inhabiting the land of Canaan.
  • While other lists may contain seven or ten nations (e.g., Gen 15:19-21, Ex 3:8, Dt 7:1), this six-fold list is a common and representative summary of the major indigenous groups.
  • Naming them specifically emphasizes the concrete and detailed nature of God's promise and the extent of the task at hand for which divine aid is absolutely essential. These are formidable, established peoples, not easily dislodged by mere human effort.
  • Their removal is tied to their moral degradation and idolatry (Lev 18:24-25, Dt 9:5).

• "An angel... before you, and I will drive out":

  • This phrase highlights a division of labor, yet God's ultimate sovereignty. The angel goes before Israel to lead and facilitate, but it is God Himself who emphatically states "I will drive out."
  • This confirms that the angel is an instrument of God, not an independent agent. God remains the primary power and authority behind the dispossession, demonstrating His faithfulness even through an intermediary.

Exodus 33 2 Bonus section

• The Nature of the "Angel": While some ancient Jewish commentators and early Church fathers debate if this refers to the Angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Christ) or a created angel, the immediate context (God distinguishing this sending from His own going) leans toward a created angelic being acting as God's representative. This allows for God to maintain a degree of holy distance while still facilitating His plan, a nuance important for understanding Moses' later plea.
• Grace and Judgment: The verse exemplifies a delicate balance. It's God's grace that they still receive aid to enter the land, a fulfillment of the promise. But it's also a mild judgment or consequence that the ultimate intimate fellowship of God's direct presence is withheld from their midst for fear of their sin consuming them. It highlights the serious implications of covenant breach.
• The Necessity of Divine Intervention: The sheer number and strength of the Canaanite nations underscore that the conquest was never a purely human endeavor. The promise to "drive out" these specific, well-established peoples signals that divine power was absolutely essential for Israel's success in possessing the land, reaffirming that it was God's work from start to finish.

Exodus 33 2 Commentary

Exodus 33:2 is a profound expression of God's unswerving faithfulness despite humanity's severe failings. In the immediate wake of the Golden Calf idolatry, which fundamentally broke the Sinai covenant, God's reaction swings between judgment and grace. His declaration in verse 3 to not personally go with Israel due to their obstinacy is a grave consequence. Yet, in this very context, verse 2 reveals a remarkable divine provision: the sending of an angel and God's personal commitment to drive out the inhabitants.

This verse reveals God's dual attributes: His holiness demands separation from sin, hence the reluctance to journey intimately with a "stiff-necked" people (Ex 33:3). Simultaneously, His covenant love compels Him to fulfill His sworn promises to Abraham regarding the land. The angel serves as a testament to God's unfailing promise, acting as His delegated agent for guidance and conquest. It's a provision that enables the covenant trajectory (entering the land) to continue while emphasizing the distance Israel's sin had created between them and their Holy God. This partial grace, rather than total abandonment, underscores that even in divine displeasure, God remains sovereign and faithful to His redemptive plans, always making a way forward for His people, even if not in the initially hoped-for perfect intimacy. The scene perfectly sets up Moses' subsequent prayer for God's personal presence, showing his deep spiritual discernment of the gap created by Israel's sin.