Exodus 32:34
in Exodus 32Now go, lead the people to the place I described. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine angel shall go before thee; nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.
KJV
Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.
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This verse in Exodus 32
Commentary
6 notes on this verseLead the people unto the place - The word place is not in the text, and is with great propriety omitted. For Moses never led this people into that place, they all died in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb; but Moses led them towards the place, and thus the particle אל el here should be understood, unless we suppose that God designed to lead them to the borders of the land, but not to take them into it. I will visit their sin - I will not destroy them, but they shall not enter into the promised land.
This site's exposition
mine Angel shall go before thee
on Exodus 32:34-35
God sends an angel before them, which is what verse 1 had demanded when the people asked for gods to go before us, and Moses refuses the substitute at 33:12 through 16 and asks for the presence itself. The visitation is deferred rather than cancelled, since in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. The chapter's last words put the calf on Aaron, because they made the calf, which Aaron made, and Aaron is still the man who wears the ephod in chapter 39.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
In this passage, he teaches him the art of educating. And well he might, for it was through Moses, in fact, that the Lord of the ancient people was the educator of his children. It is in his own person, however, face to face, that he is the guide of the new people.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
My angel shall go before them - Some created angel that was employed in the common services of his kingdom, which intimated that they were not to expect any thing for the future to be done for them out of the common road of providence. When I visit - Hereafter he shall see cause to punish them for other sins, I will visit for this among the rest.
Those are angry and sin not, that are angry at sin only. Moses shewed himself angry, both by breaking the tables, and burning the calf, that he might by these expressions of a strong passion awaken the people to a sense of the greatness of their sin.
Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee,....
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֞ה | veatah | and now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| לֵ֣ךְ׀ | lekh | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| נְחֵ֣ה | necheh | lead | H5148 → | 39 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָ֗ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֶ֤ל | ʾel | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבַּ֙רְתִּי֙ | dibarti | I have spoken | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| לָ֔ךְ | lakh | to <the> you | ||
| הִנֵּ֥ה | hineh | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| מַלְאָכִ֖י | malakhi | angel my | H4397 → | 213 times |
| יֵלֵ֣ךְ | yelekh | he will go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לְפָנֶ֑יךָ | lefaneikha | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וּבְי֣וֹם | uveyom | and on [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| פָּקְדִ֔י | pakedi | visit I | H6485 → | 303 times |
| וּפָקַדְתִּ֥י | ufakadti | and I will visit | H6485 → | 303 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| חַטָּאתָֽם׃ | chatatam | sin their | H2403 → | 295 times |
וְעַתָּ֞הand now
veatahH6258 →433 times
לֵ֣ךְ׀go
lekhH1980 →1546 times
נְחֵ֣הlead
nechehH5148 →39 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעָ֗םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֶ֤לto
ʾelH413 →5510 times
אֲשֶׁר־where
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
דִּבַּ֙רְתִּי֙I have spoken
dibartiH1696 →1141 times
לָ֔ךְto <the> you
lakh
הִנֵּ֥הthere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
מַלְאָכִ֖יangel my
malakhiH4397 →213 times
יֵלֵ֣ךְhe will go
yelekhH1980 →1546 times
לְפָנֶ֑יךָ<to> before you
lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
וּבְי֣וֹםand on [the] day
uveyomH3117 →2304 times
פָּקְדִ֔יvisit I
pakediH6485 →303 times
וּפָקַדְתִּ֥יand I will visit
ufakadtiH6485 →303 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֖םon them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
חַטָּאתָֽם׃sin their
chatatamH2403 →295 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
Exodus 23:20Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
it leads to
- Exodus 33:14
And the LORD answered, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
- Psalms 91:11
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
- Exodus 14:19
And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them,
- Exodus 33:2
And I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
- Isaiah 63:9
In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days…
- Exodus 33:14
Through
Deuteronomy 32:35Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”
it leads to
- Romans 12:19
Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”
- Hebrews 10:30
For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
- Nahum 1:2
The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and full of wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on His foes and reserves wrath for His enemies.
- Romans 12:19
Where this verse is studied
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor Book 1; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.