Year of the Bible
Exodus 33
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Commentary on the Book of Exodus, Chapter 33:
The consequences for turning from the Covenant and worshipping the golden calf continue. God keeps His promise to His people that they will enter the Promised Land, but He states He will no longer journey with them. Moses’ intimate relationship with the Lord, however, continues, and this allows him to speak with God as a friend. Moses once again intercedes for the people, asking the Lord how they can be a distinct people (Exodus 19:5-9) if the Lord is not with them. The Lord relents and agrees to journey with the people, yet He also remains set apart from them. God offers graciousness and mercy to those who are faithful, but humans will not be allowed to see His face.
The Book of Exodus, Chapter 33:
The Command to Leave Sinai
1 The LORD said to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ 2 And 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. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you in the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
4 When the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned; and no man put on his ornaments. 5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what to do with you.’ ” 6 Therefore the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
The Tent of Meeting
7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; and he called it the tent of meeting. And every one who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose up, and every man stood at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the door of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, every man at his tent door. 11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tent.
Moses’ Intercession
12 Moses said to the LORD, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people’; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, I beg you, if I have found favor in your sight, show me now your ways, that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not carry us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from all other people that are upon the face of the earth?”
17 And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “I beg you, show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand upon the rock; 22 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; 23 then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
How often do we plead for the Lord to draw near? Sin separates us from him, and repentance restores the relationship. While we are yet sinners, God comes to each of us. Don't be shy is asking for the Lord to draw near. Do be open to however he chooses to reveal himself.
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
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Dijo el Señor a Moisés:
–Anda, parte de aquí, tú y
el pueblo que sacaste del país de Egipto,
hacia la tierra que prometí con juramento
a Abrahán, a Isaac y a Jacob, diciendo:
«A tu descendencia se la daré».
2 Enviaré delante de ti un ángel y expulsaré
al cananeo, al amorreo, al hitita, al
perezeo, al jeveo y al jebuseo; 3 sube hacia
la tierra que mana leche y miel. Yo
no subiré contigo, porque eres un pueblo
de dura cerviz; no sea que tenga que
destruirte en el camino.
4 Al oír estas duras palabras, el pueblo
hizo duelo y nadie se atavió con sus
adornos.
5 Dijo entonces el Señor a Moisés:
–Di a los hijos de Israel: Vosotros
sois un pueblo de dura cerviz; si yo caminara
contigo un solo instante, te exterminaría.
Ahora quítate tus adornos y
veré qué hago contigo.
6 Los hijos de Israel se despojaron de
sus adornos desde el monte Horeb.
7 Moisés levantó la Tienda y la plantó
fuera del campamento, a cierta distancia,
y la llamó Tienda de la Reunión. Y
así todo el que quería consultar al Señor,
salía hacia la Tienda de la Reunión que
estaba fuera del campamento. 8 Cuando
Moisés salía hacia la Tienda de la Reunión,
todo el pueblo se levantaba y permanecía
en pie a la puerta de su tienda
y le seguían con la vista hasta que entraba
en la Tienda. 9 Y cuando Moisés entraba
en la Tienda, descendía la columna
de nube y se detenía a la puerta de
la Tienda mientras el Señor hablaba con
Moisés.
10 Todo el pueblo, cuando veía la columna
de nube detenida a la puerta de
la Tienda, se levantaba y cada uno se
postraba junto a la puerta de su tienda.
11 El Señor hablaba con Moisés cara
a cara, como se habla con un amigo. Y
cuando volvía al campamento el joven
Josué, su ayudante, hijo de Nun, no se
apartaba de la Tienda.
12 Moisés dijo al Señor:
–Mira, tú me has dicho: «Haz subir
a este pueblo»; pero no me has indicado
a quién vas a enviar conmigo, a pesar
de que me dices: «Yo te conozco por
tu nombre, y tú has hallado gracia a mis
ojos». 13 Ahora bien, si he hallado gracia
a tus ojos, dame a conocer tus designios,
para que llegue a conocerte y pueda hallar
gracia a tus ojos. Considera que esta
gente es tu pueblo.
14 El Señor respondió:
–Yo mismo caminaré contigo y te
daré el descanso.
15 Continuó Moisés:
–Si no vienes tú mismo, no nos hagas
partir de aquí; 16 pues ¿en qué se notará
que tu pueblo y yo hemos hallado
gracia a tus ojos, si tú no caminas con
nosotros? Así, tu pueblo y yo nos distin
guiremos de los demás pueblos que hay
sobre la tierra.
17 El Señor dijo a Moisés:
–Esta petición que me has dirigido
también te la concederé, porque has hallado
gracia a mis ojos y te conozco personalmente.
18 Moisés exclamó:
–Muéstrame tu gloria.
19 Y Él respondió:
–Yo haré pasar todo mi esplendor
ante ti, y ante ti proclamaré mi nombre
–el Señor–, porque tengo misericordia
de quien quiero y tengo compasión de
quien quiero.
20 Y añadió:
–Pero no podrás ver mi rostro, pues
ningún ser humano puede verlo y seguir
viviendo.
21 Y continuó:
–He ahí un lugar junto a mí; tú puedes
situarte sobre la roca. 22 Cuando pase
mi gloria, te colocaré en la hendidura de
la roca y te cubriré con mi mano hasta
que haya pasado. 23 Luego retiraré mi
mano y tú podrás ver mi espalda; pero
mi rostro no se puede ver.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).