Exodus 33:12
in Exodus 33Then Moses said to the LORD, “Look, You have been telling me, ‘Lead this people up,’ 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 found favor in My sight.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Moses said unto Jehovah, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found favor in my sight.
KJV
And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
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This verse in Exodus 33
Commentary
7 notes on this verseJesus says to her: "Mary." After he called her by the common word for her sex, and was not recognized, he calls her by name. As if he openly said to her: Recognize him by whom you are recognized. To the perfect man also it is said: "I know you by name," because "man" is the common word for all of us, but "Moses" is proper, to whom it is rightly said that he is known by name, as if the Lord openly said to him: I do not know you generally as the rest, but specially.
This site's exposition
thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people
on Exodus 33:12-13
Moses argues from what God has already said to him, quoting two sentences back, I know thee by name and thou hast found grace in my sight. What he asks for is to be shown the way in order to know God himself, so knowledge of God is the request and the errand is the reason he gives for it. The last clause hands the calf argument back where it started, since God said thy people to Moses at 32:7 and Moses answered thy people at 32:11, and here he asks God to consider that this nation is thy people.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Moses now returned to the door of the tabernacle, as an important supplicant for two favours, and prevails for both: herein he was a type of Christ the great intercessor, whom the Father heareth always. He is earnest with God for a grant of his presence with Israel in the rest of their march to Canaan.
Commentary on Chapter XXXIII 5. I will come up - As if he had said, ye deserve that I should do so. Put off thine ornaments, that I may know what to do with thee - That is, put thyself into the posture of a penitent, that the dispute may be determined in thy favour, and mercy may rejoice against judgment.
And Moses said unto the Lord,....
"Now, Lord, thou hast ordered me a great work, and yet left me at a loss how to go about it, and to through with it." Note, Those that sincerely design and endeavour to do their duty may in faith beg of God direction and strength for the doing of it.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Moses said unto the Lord - We may suppose that after Moses had quitted the tabernacle he went to the camp, and gave the people some general information relative to the conversation he lately had with the Lord; after which he returned to the tabernacle or tent, and began to plead with God, as we find in this and the following verses.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
‘SEE, THOU SAYEST UNTO ME: BRING UP THIS PEOPLE.’ This happened on Mount Sinai, when Moses went up there on the nineteenth of Tammuz.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֜ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| רְ֠אֵה | reeh | see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אַתָּ֞ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| אֹמֵ֤ר | ʾomer | [are] saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלַי֙ | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַ֚עַל | haal | bring up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָ֣ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וְאַתָּה֙ | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הֽוֹדַעְתַּ֔נִי | hoda'tani | you have made know me | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֵ֥ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תִּשְׁלַ֖ח | tishlach | you will send | H7971 → | 845 times |
| עִמִּ֑י | ʾimi | with me | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וְאַתָּ֤ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| אָמַ֙רְתָּ֙ | ʾamarta | you have said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְדַעְתִּ֣יךָֽ | yeda'tikha | I know you | H3045 → | 945 times |
| בְשֵׁ֔ם | veshem | by name | H8034 → | 864 times |
| וְגַם־ | vegam- | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| מָצָ֥אתָ | matzata | you have found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| חֵ֖ן | chen | favor | H2580 → | 69 times |
| בְּעֵינָֽי׃ | beeinai | in view my | H5869 → | 887 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
מֹשֶׁ֜הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
רְ֠אֵהsee
reehH7200 →1300 times
אַתָּ֞הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
אֹמֵ֤ר[are] saying
ʾomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלַי֙to me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
הַ֚עַלbring up
haalH5927 →890 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעָ֣םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וְאַתָּה֙and you
veatahH859 →1094 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
הֽוֹדַעְתַּ֔נִיyou have made know me
hoda'taniH3045 →945 times
אֵ֥ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
תִּשְׁלַ֖חyou will send
tishlachH7971 →845 times
עִמִּ֑יwith me
ʾimiH5973 →1050 times
וְאַתָּ֤הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
אָמַ֙רְתָּ֙you have said
ʾamartaH559 →5305 times
יְדַעְתִּ֣יךָֽI know you
yeda'tikhaH3045 →945 times
בְשֵׁ֔םby name
veshemH8034 →864 times
וְגַם־and also
vegam-H1571 →769 times
מָצָ֥אתָyou have found
matzataH4672 →455 times
חֵ֖ןfavor
chenH2580 →69 times
בְּעֵינָֽי׃in view my
beeinaiH5869 →887 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
2 Timothy 2:19Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”
it leads to
- John 10:14
I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me,
- 1 Corinthians 8:3
But the one who loves God is known by God.
- Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who trust in Him.
- 1 John 3:7–10
Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.
- John 10:14
Through
Jeremiah 1:5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
it leads to
- Psalms 139:16
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.
- Isaiah 49:1
Listen to Me, O islands; pay attention, O distant peoples: The LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.
- Galatians 1:15–16
But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased
- Psalms 71:5–6
For You are my hope, O Lord GOD, my confidence from my youth.
- Psalms 139:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 25; 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.