Exodus 33:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live."

NIV: But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."

NASB: He further said, 'You cannot see My face, for mankind shall not see Me and live!'

CSB: But he added, "You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live."

NLT: But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.'

KJV: And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

NKJV: But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

God is not a physical being (John 4:24). He created the physical world (Genesis 1:1) and is not bound by it. This verse is not about visually detecting God's eyes, ears, and lips. The "face" is a biblical analogy of closeness and honesty. Moses and God have spoken "face to face" (Exodus 33:11). To "see a person's face" meant direct contact (Genesis 43:3; Exodus 10:28). What God refers to is a mortal man being exposed to the pure, unfiltered divinity of the Creator (1 Timothy 6:16).

Exposure to perfect holiness, absolute power, and all knowledge would destroy a mortal's mind and body. God interacts with mortals through less direct means. To "see the face of God" as Moses requests (Exodus 33:18) would be like standing in the exposed core of a nuclear reactor, rather than using sensors from behind a steel barrier. Both before and after Moses, much less dramatic encounters left men surprised to still be alive (Genesis 32:30; Judges 6:22; 13:22).

In this case, God offers to give Moses an unusually close look at Divinity. The Lord will cover Moses in a rocky crevice, pass by (Exodus 34:5–7), then allow Moses to "see" Him from the back (Exodus 33:21–23).

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.