Exodus 23:21
in Exodus 23Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Take ye heed before him, and hearken unto his voice; provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgression: for my name is in him.
KJV
Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.
⋯
This verse in Exodus 23
Commentary
6 notes on this verseHe will not pardon your transgressions - He is not like a man, with whom ye may think that ye may trifle; were he either man or angel, in the common acceptation of the term, it need not be said, He will not pardon your transgressions, for neither man nor angel could do it. My name is in him - The Jehovah dwells in him; in him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and because of this he could either pardon or punish. All power is given unto me in heaven and earth, Mat 28:18.
This site's exposition
Behold, I am sending an angel before you
on Exodus 23:20-21
Matthew Henry, John Gill and John Calvin read him as the Son, since pardon and the Name belong to God alone. Others take him as a created messenger, pointing to 33:2, where God offers an angel in place of his presence and Moses refuses at 33:15.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): " Beware of him, and obey his voice in every thing; provoke him not in any thing, for it is at your peril if you do, he will visit your iniquity. " Note, 1. Christ is the author of salvation to those only that obey him. The word of command is Hear you him, Matt. xvii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Beware of him,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
my name is in him--This angel is frequently called Jehovah and Elohim, that is, God.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way--The communication of these laws, made to Moses and by him rehearsed to the people, was concluded by the addition of many animating promises, intermingled with several solemn warnings that lapses into sin and idolatry would not be tolerated or passed with impunity.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִשָּׁ֧מֶר | hishamer | take care | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מִפָּנָ֛יו | mipanav | from before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וּשְׁמַ֥ע | ushema' | and listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| בְּקֹל֖וֹ | bekolo | to voice his | H6963 → | 506 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תַּמֵּ֣ר | tamer | you cause bitterness | H4843 → | |
| בּ֑וֹ | bo | in <the> him | ||
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִשָּׂא֙ | yisa' | he will forgive | H5375 → | 656 times |
| לְפִשְׁעֲכֶ֔ם | lefishakhem | to transgression your | H6588 → | 93 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שְׁמִ֖י | shemi | name my | H8034 → | 864 times |
| בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ | bekirbo | [is] <in> within him | H7130 → | 227 times |
הִשָּׁ֧מֶרtake care
hishamerH8104 →468 times
מִפָּנָ֛יוfrom before him
mipanavH6440 →2123 times
וּשְׁמַ֥עand listen
ushema'H8085 →1159 times
בְּקֹל֖וֹto voice his
bekoloH6963 →506 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תַּמֵּ֣רyou cause bitterness
tamerH4843 →
בּ֑וֹin <the> him
bo
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִשָּׂא֙he will forgive
yisa'H5375 →656 times
לְפִשְׁעֲכֶ֔םto transgression your
lefishakhemH6588 →93 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
שְׁמִ֖יname my
shemiH8034 →864 times
בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃[is] <in> within him
bekirboH7130 →227 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 10:30I and the Father are one.”
it leads to
- John 1:1–2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 17:21–23
that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 14:9
Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the…
- John 5:23
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
- John 8:58
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
- John 1:1–2
Through
John 10:38But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works themselves, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I am in…
it leads to
- John 14:20
On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.
- John 10:30
I and the Father are one.”
- John 10:25
“I already told you,” Jesus replied, “but you did not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify on My behalf.
- John 14:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.