Exodus 33:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

NIV: When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

NASB: and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.

CSB: and when my glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

NLT: As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

KJV: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

NKJV: So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.

If Moses came face-to-face with God, in person, unguarded, without any barrier at all, exposure to the Lord's pure divinity would be fatal (Exodus 33:20). Even though Moses already has a close relationship with God (Exodus 33:11), he wants to know Him even more (Exodus 33:18). But the limited human mind cannot contain all that God is (Isaiah 55:8–9). So, the Lord describes how Moses can experience a limited view of God's glory.

This starts with God placing Moses inside a split in a rocky place. This might be a crevice or narrow cave on a mountainside. The Lord will cover that space and His full glory will pass by (Exodus 34:5–7). As that glory moves away, God will remove His hand and Moses will be allowed to see (Exodus 33:23). God does not have a literal body (John 4:24), of course, so these terms are at least partially symbolic.

Exodus 33:17–23 is God's response to Moses' plea in the prior section (Exodus 33:12–16). The Lord agrees that He will go with Israel on their journey to the Promised Land (Genesis 15:18–21; Exodus 33:1–3). Though Moses and God are speaking face-to-face (Exodus 33:11), the Lord's full glory is hidden. When Moses asks to see God's glory—to know Him perfectly—God points out that this would destroy a mortal man. Rather, the Lord plans to reveal Himself in a more limited way (Exodus 34:5–7).

God commands Israel to leave the Sinai region. They are to move on towards the Promised Land, but without the Lord's usual presence. Moses meets with God outside the camp and the Lord says He will once again accompany Israel. Moses asks to see the full glory of God. Since this would kill Moses, God arranges for a much more limited experience.

Israel fell into idolatry (Exodus 32:1–6) very soon after receiving God's laws against it (Exodus 20:3–6). Yet the Lord still plans to bring them into a Promised Land. In this chapter, the people are commanded to leave Sinai and head towards Canaan. But the covenant must be renewed (Exodus 34). Until then, there is a level of separation between the nation and their God.

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.

Accessed 10/20/2025 2:09:37 AM