Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 33:23
And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
My back parts, i.e. imperfectly and in part, as when we see only a mans back parts, and not his face. Thou shalt see a shadow or obscure delineation of my glory, as much as thou canst bear, though not as much as thou dost desire.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And I will take away mine hand,…. As being covered with the hand may signify the obscurity of the former dispensation, the taking of it away may denote a more clear revelation of the grace and goodness of God in Christ, and so of the glory of it under the Gospel dispensation; and yet what is seen in this, in comparison of the reality of things as they are, or of the heavenly state, are but as next expressed:
and thou shalt see my back parts; which some understand of the humanity of Christ, and his sufferings in it, sometimes expressed by his heel, and the bruising of it, Ge 3:15 or else the works of God in creation, by which the invisible things of God are seen, and which give a knowledge of him “a posteriori”; and so Maimonides d interprets the phrase, which follow me, flow from my will, i.e. all my creatures: or rather it denotes the imperfect knowledge of God in the present state, even as revealed in Christ, in whom there are the clearest and brightest displays of his glory; yet this, in comparison of the beatific sight of him, is but like seeing a man that is gone by, whose back is only to be seen:
but my face shall not be seen; in the present state, the face of God, that is, his favour, communion with him, and the light of his countenance, are to be sought for, and may be enjoyed; the glory of himself is to be seen in the face or person of Christ, and the glory of that face or person is to be seen in the glass of the Gospel, but at present imperfectly; God in Christ as he is, the fullest and brightest displays of his glory, grace, and goodness, are reserved to another state, see 1Co 13:9 or it may regard the divine nature of Christ, which could not be seen by Moses, but his back parts, or human; Christ as clothed with flesh might, and would be seen by him, as he was seen by him on the mount, Mt 17:3.
d Moreh Nevochim, par. 1. c. 38.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
REFLECTIONS
My soul! think, seriously think, in the view of the Lord’s withdrawing the symbols of his divine presence from Israel, how truly awful must that state of the soul be, from whom the Lord hides his face, and taketh away the influences of his Holy Spirit. How will the heart grow hardened, and the conscience become stupid and secure, through the deceitfulness of sin, if God restrains his grace, and remits the awakening calls of his love. Blessed God! I would say with thy servant of old, Take not, O take not, thine Holy Spirit from me! Whatever beside thou art pleased to recall, (for all thy mercies are but lent, not absolutely given), though thou takest my strength, my health, my property, my children, nay all my comforts, take not, O take not thine Holy Spirit from me!
Teach me, Lord, also, in this history of thy church before me, to see the sweet effects of returning grace. Here I behold how God inclines the hearts of his people to pray: and how preventing mercy even outruns their petitions. Thus, Lord, let thy grace descend upon me. Carry me not up hence, not even from a wilderness, to Canaan, except thy presence go with me. Dearest Jesus! every place is Canaan with thee; and without thee heaven itself would be no heaven to my soul. Place me in the clefts of the rock, even in thy wounded side, dearest Redeemer; and in thee, and thy complete salvation, shall I behold thy glory, even all the goodness of my God passing before me.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
thou shalt: Exo 33:20, Job 11:7, Job 26:14, Joh 1:18, 1Co 13:12, 1Ti 6:16
Reciprocal: Exo 24:10 – saw Num 12:8 – similitude 1Ki 19:13 – he wrapped his face Son 2:14 – clefts
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 33:23. I will take away my hand Speaking after the manner of men: As soon as the dazzling splendours of my majesty, termed, my face, which it is impossible for man to behold and live, are passed by, I will, by degrees, withdraw the cloud that limited and concealed those splendours, and thou shalt see my back parts, or those rays of my glory which are not too bright and piercing for mortal eyes to sustain. To explain this further, 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 Christs transfiguration, he saw his face shine as the sun.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
33:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my {n} back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
(n) As much of my glory as in this mortal life you are able to see.