Focused Passage

Exodus 33:1-6

The Crisis of the LORD’s Presence After the Golden Calf

The chapter moves from the LORD’s command for Israel to leave Sinai and go toward the promised land, to the frightening announcement that He will not go up in their midst lest He destroy them, to Israel’s mourning and removal of ornaments, to Moses’ practice of meeting with the LORD at the tent of meeting outside the camp, to Moses’ intercession for the LORD’s presence, to the LORD’s promise that His Presence will go with Moses and give rest, and finally to Moses’ request to see the LORD’s glory and the LORD’s gracious but limited self-revelation.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go to the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’

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

3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.”

4 When the people heard this bad news, they went into mourning, and no one put on any of his jewelry.

5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I should go with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.’”

6 So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Then the LORD יְהוָ֤ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר H1696 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Moses מֹשֶׁה֙ H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular Leave לֵ֣ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular עֲלֵ֣ה עֲלֵ֣ה H5927 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular this place מִזֶּ֔ה H2088 Preposition-m | Pronoun - masculine singular you אַתָּ֣ה H859 Pronoun - second person masculine singular and the people וְהָעָ֔ם H5971 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative you brought up הֶֽעֱלִ֖יתָ H5927 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular out of the land מֵאֶ֣רֶץ H776 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of Egypt מִצְרָ֑יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular [and go] to אֶל־ H413 Preposition the land הָאָ֗רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular that אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative I promised נִ֠שְׁבַּעְתִּי H7650 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singular to Abraham לְאַבְרָהָ֨ם H85 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular Isaac לְיִצְחָ֤ק H3327 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular and Jacob וּֽלְיַעֲקֹב֙ H3290 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular when I said לֵאמֹ֔ר H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct I will give it אֶתְּנֶֽנָּה׃ H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular to your descendants לְזַרְעֲךָ֖ H2233 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 2

Original words

And I will send וְשָׁלַחְתִּ֥י H7971 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular an angel מַלְאָ֑ךְ H4397 Noun - masculine singular before you לְפָנֶ֖יךָ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular and I will drive out וְגֵֽרַשְׁתִּ֗י H1644 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the Canaanites הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ H3669 Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular Amorites הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י H567 Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular Hittites וְהַֽחִתִּי֙ H2850 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular Perizzites וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י H6522 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular Hivites הַחִוִּ֖י H2340 Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular and Jebusites וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃ H2983 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

Go up to אֶל־ H413 Preposition a land אֶ֛רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular flowing זָבַ֥ת H2100 Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct with milk חָלָ֖ב H2461 Noun - masculine singular and honey וּדְבָ֑שׁ H1706 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular But כִּי֩ H3588 Conjunction I will not לֹ֨א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle go אֶֽעֱלֶ֜ה H5927 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular with you בְּקִרְבְּךָ֗ H7130 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular because כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction you אַ֔תָּה H859 Pronoun - second person masculine singular are a stiff-necked קְשֵׁה־ H7186 Adjective - masculine singular construct . . . עֹ֙רֶף֙ H6203 Noun - masculine singular people עַם־ H5971 Noun - masculine singular otherwise פֶּן־ H6435 Conjunction I might destroy אֲכֶלְךָ֖ H3615 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular you on the way בַּדָּֽרֶךְ׃ H1870 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Verse 4

Original words

When the people הָעָ֗ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker heard וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular this הַזֶּ֖ה H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular bad הָרָ֛ע H7451 Article | Adjective - masculine singular news הַדָּבָ֥ר H1697 Article | Noun - masculine singular they went into mourning וַיִּתְאַבָּ֑לוּ H56 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural and no וְלֹא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle one אִ֥ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular put on שָׁ֛תוּ H7896 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural any of his jewelry עֶדְי֖וֹ H5716 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular . . . עָלָֽיו׃ H5921 Preposition | third person masculine singular
Verse 5

Original words

For the LORD יְהוָ֜ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular had said וַיֹּ֨אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Moses מֹשֶׁ֗ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular Tell אֱמֹ֤ר H559 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular . . . אֶל־ H413 Preposition the Israelites בְּנֵֽי־ H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct . . . יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular You אַתֶּ֣ם H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural are a stiff-necked קְשֵׁה־ H7186 Adjective - masculine singular construct . . . עֹ֔רֶף H6203 Noun - masculine singular people עַם־ H5971 Noun - masculine singular If I should go אֶֽעֱלֶ֥ה H5927 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular with you בְקִרְבְּךָ֖ H7130 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular for a single אֶחָ֛ד H259 Number - masculine singular moment רֶ֧גַע H7281 Noun - masculine singular I would destroy you וְכִלִּיתִ֑יךָ H3615 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular Now וְעַתָּ֗ה H6258 Conjunctive waw | Adverb take off הוֹרֵ֤ד H3381 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular your jewelry עֶדְיְךָ֙ H5716 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular . . . מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ H5921 Preposition-m | second person masculine singular and I will decide וְאֵדְעָ֖ה H3045 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular what מָ֥ה H4100 Interrogative to do אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־ H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular with you לָּֽךְ׃ Preposition | second person masculine singular
Verse 6

Original words

So the Israelites בְנֵֽי־ H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct . . . יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker stripped themselves וַיִּֽתְנַצְּל֧וּ H5337 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural of their jewelry עֶדְיָ֖ם H5716 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural from Mount מֵהַ֥ר H2022 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct Horeb [onward] חוֹרֵֽב׃ H2722 Noun - proper - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • That is, from Mount Sinai onward, or possibly a mountain in the range containing Mount Sinai

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.