Exodus 33 23

Exodus 33:23 kjv

And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

Exodus 33:23 nkjv

Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."

Exodus 33:23 niv

Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen."

Exodus 33:23 esv

Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen."

Exodus 33:23 nlt

Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen."

Exodus 33 verses

Exodus 33 23 Meaning

Exodus 33:23 describes a profound yet limited encounter between God and Moses. After God’s glory passes, He removes His protecting hand, allowing Moses to perceive His "back" or "afterglow." This is a vision of the departing effects of God's presence, rather than His direct, essential being. The verse unequivocally states that God’s "face" will not be seen, emphasizing the unapproachable holiness and transcendent nature of God, which mortal humans cannot fully behold and survive. It signifies a revelation that is true and powerful, but partial and mediated by God's design and grace.

Exodus 33 23 Context

Exodus chapter 33 occurs immediately after the profound national apostasy of the golden calf incident (Exodus 32). In response to Israel’s sin, God threatens to withdraw His direct presence from them on their journey to the Promised Land, promising instead to send an angel (Exo 33:1-3). Moses, as the primary intercessor for the people, pleads with God, appealing to His covenant relationship and reputation (Exo 33:12-16). He achieves a profound restoration of favor, culminating in God's promise to go with them. Emboldened by this renewed intimacy, Moses makes the bold request: "Please show me your glory" (Exo 33:18). This request leads to the dramatic event described in verses 19-23. God grants the request in a carefully mediated way, proclaiming His goodness and attributes (His "name," šēm) while protecting Moses from the fatal impact of His full glory. Moses is hidden in the cleft of the rock, shielded by God's hand as God passes by. Verse 23 details the final moment of this unique theophany, marking the limits of direct human perception of God's full being within the Old Covenant, yet providing a glimpse sufficient for Moses to confirm God’s majestic presence. The passage also acts as a polemic against ancient Near Eastern deities, which were often considered fully tangible and manipulative, contrasting them with the transcendent, sovereign, and holy YHWH who reveals Himself on His terms.

Exodus 33 23 Word analysis

• Then I will take away my hand (`וְהֲסִרֹתִ֥י אֶת־יָדִ֖י` - vəhăsirōtî ’eṯ-yāḏî):
  • Then I will take away: `וְהֲסִרֹתִ֥י` (from `סוּר`, sur, "to turn aside, remove"). This is a future perfect form, indicating a completed action after God passes. It denotes a deliberate, controlled action by God to unshield Moses. It underscores God's sovereignty over the revelation.
  • my hand: `יָדִ֖י` (yādî). The `hand` is a common biblical anthropomorphism representing God's power, protection, and active presence. In this context, it is the protective covering over Moses, shielding him from God's overwhelming glory. Its removal signifies the precise moment of allowed vision.
• and you shall see my back (`וְרָאִ֖יתָ אֶת־אֲחֹרָ֑י` - vərā’îṯā ’eṯ-’ăḥōrāy):
  • and you shall see: `וְרָאִ֖יתָ` (from `רָאָה`, ra’ah, "to see, perceive"). This `waw`-consecutive form often expresses sequence in narration, implying Moses’s vision happens as a direct consequence of God’s action. It indicates a genuine, although limited, act of perception.
  • my back: `אֲחֹרָ֑י` (’aḥōrāy). The Hebrew word `אחור` (’achor) means "hinder parts," "rear," or "what is behind." Theologically, this is not a literal physical "back" in the sense of God having a corporeal body. Instead, it refers to the residual effects, the "afterglow" or the "aftermath" of God’s glory as it passes by. It’s like witnessing the radiant wake of a ship or the trailing cloud after a divine procession. This metaphor conveys a mediated, indirect experience of divine majesty, preserving the full mystery and transcendence of God's essence while granting a real, perceptible encounter. It communicates the grandeur of God by showing the powerful effect of His departing presence.
• but my face shall not be seen. (`וּפָנַ֖י לֹ֥א יֵרָאֽוּ` - ūpānay lō’ yērā’û):
  • but my face: `וּפָנַ֖י` (ūpānay). `פָּנִים` (panim), "face," denotes the full presence, countenance, or essence of a person. In reference to God, "seeing His face" would imply a complete, unmediated, and direct apprehension of His being and glory.
  • shall not be seen: `לֹ֥א יֵרָאֽוּ` (lō’ yērā’û). The `lō’` (negative) combined with the passive form of `ra’ah` (yērā’û) "shall be seen" makes this an absolute and strong prohibition. This re-emphasizes the declaration from Exo 33:20, affirming God's absolute holiness, transcendence, and humanity’s inherent inability to withstand direct, full exposure to His divine essence in a fallen state. It sets a boundary for Old Covenant revelation, safeguarding both God’s majesty and Moses’s life.
• Words-Group Analysis:
  • "take away my hand" and "you shall see my back": This pair describes God's deliberate control over the revelation. The `hand` represents God's protective and sovereign power, which He chooses to remove just enough for a controlled, partial revelation. What is revealed is not His core essence but the manifestation of His passage, ensuring Moses perceives without perishing.
  • "my back" contrasted with "my face": This stark contrast is central to the verse's meaning. "My back" (what remains as one passes by) represents a limited, indirect revelation – enough to confirm God's presence and power but not His ultimate, unfathomable essence. "My face" signifies full, unmediated presence and complete understanding. The denial of seeing the "face" maintains God's holiness and transcendence, underscoring that human comprehension of God is always finite in this life, highlighting the merciful boundary He sets for finite, sinful humanity.

Exodus 33 23 Bonus section

• Anthropomorphic Language and Divine Accommodation: The use of terms like "hand," "back," and "face" is anthropomorphic, attributing human characteristics to God. This is God accommodating Himself to human understanding, communicating profound spiritual truths through comprehensible imagery. These are not meant to imply a literal physical form for the uncreated God but rather to convey His active presence, protective power, and the limits of direct apprehension.
• Progressive Revelation: This passage demonstrates the principle of progressive revelation. While a pivotal and high point in Old Testament revelation, it still indicates limits. This limited encounter anticipates and necessitates the ultimate, full revelation of God's character and glory in Jesus Christ, and the eschatological vision of God in the new heavens and earth. The Old Covenant offered shadows and glimpses, pointing to the perfect clarity brought by the New Covenant.
• Divine Sovereignty in Revelation: The sequence of actions—God covering Moses, God passing by, God removing His hand, God allowing a limited vision, and God prohibiting a full vision—underscores God's complete control over how and when He reveals Himself. It is an act of sovereign grace, not a human accomplishment or demand.
• Cleft of the Rock: Moses being placed in the `cleft of the rock` (`נקְרַת הַצּוּר`, niqraṯ haṣṣūr) (Exo 33:22) signifies a place of divine protection and intimacy. This imagery has been spiritually interpreted as a foreshadowing of the "Rock" who is Christ, the ultimate refuge for humanity.

Exodus 33 23 Commentary

Exodus 33:23 is the climax of Moses' request to see God's glory, encapsulating the paradoxical nature of divine revelation under the Old Covenant. While God grants Moses an unparalleled experience of His glory, it remains veiled and partial. God’s removal of His hand (yādî) signals a controlled unveiling, permitting a glimpse only of His "back" (’aḥōrāy), not His face (pānay). This "back" refers not to a physical body part—for God is Spirit—but metaphorically to the receding light or lingering effect of His overwhelming majesty as He passes by. It's the echo of a divine thunder, the afterimage of pure light, signifying an encounter that is real and transformative, yet carefully mediated to protect mortal man. The absolute prohibition against seeing God's "face" (lō’ yērā’û) reaffirms His absolute transcendence, unapproachable holiness, and humanity's inherent inability to endure His full, unmediated essence in a fallen state (cf. Exo 33:20). This revelation profoundly shaped Moses' leadership and understanding of God. Ultimately, this passage foreshadows a greater, yet still mediated, revelation of God's glory through Jesus Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God (Jn 1:18; Col 1:15), and promises a future state in eternity where believers, redeemed and glorified, will fully behold God’s face (Rev 22:4).