Exodus 33:21

And the Lord said, Beholde, there is a place by mee, and thou shalt stand vpon a rocke.
- King James Version (1611) - View 1611 Bible Scan

Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand {there} on the rock;
- New American Standard Version (1995)

and Jehovah said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock:
- American Standard Version (1901)

And the Lord said, See, there is a place near me, and you may take your place on the rock:
- Basic English Bible

And Jehovah said, Behold, [there is] a place by me: there shalt thou stand on the rock.
- Darby Bible

And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
- Webster's Bible

Yahweh also said, "Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock.
- World English Bible

Jehovah also saith, `Lo, a place [is] by Me, and thou hast stood on the rock,
- Youngs Literal Bible

And the LORD said: 'Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock.
- Jewish Publication Society Bible

Wesley's Notes for Exodus 33:21

33:20 Thou canst not see my face - A full discovery of the glory of God would quite overpower the faculties of any mortal man. I will make all my goodness pass before thee - He had given him wonderful instances of his goodness in being reconciled to Israel; but that was only goodness in the stream, he would shew him goodness in the spring. This was a sufficient answer to his request: Shew me thy glory, saith Moses; I will shew thee my goodness, saith God. God's goodness is his glory; and he will have us to know him by the glory of his mercy, more than by the glory of his majesty. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious - In bestowing his gifts, and is not debtor to any, nor accountable to any; all his reasons of mercy are fetched from within himself, not from any merit in his creatures, and I will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy - For his grace is always free. He never damns by prerogative, but by prerogative he saves.

33:22 I will put thee in a cleft of the rock - In that he was to be sheltered from the dazzling light, and devouring fire of God's glory. This was the rock in Horeb, out of which water was brought, of which it is said, That rock was Christ, #1Cor 10:4|. 'Tis in the clefts of this rock that we are secured from the wrath of God, which otherwise would consume us: God himself will protect those that are thus hid: and it is only through Christ that we have the knowledge of the glory of God. None can see that to their comfort, but those that stand upon this rock, and take shelter in it.

33:23 And I will take away my hand - Speaking after the manner of men. And thou shalt see my back - parts - The face in man is the seat of majesty, and men are known by their faces, in them we take a full view of men; that sight of God Moses might not have, but such a sight as we have of a man who is gone past us, so that we only see his back. Now Moses was allowed to see this only, but when he was a witness to Christ's transfiguration, he saw his face shine as the sun.