God’s Word Translation
Exodus 33:5
5The Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are impossible to deal with. If I were with you, I might destroy you at any time. Now take off your jewelry, and I’ll decide what to do with you.’ ”
Exodus 33:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
- New International Version (NIV)For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For the Lord had said to Moses, "Say to the people of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you.’ ”
Context of Exodus 33:5
3Go to that land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not be with you, because you are impossible to deal with, and I would destroy you on the way.” 4When the people heard this bad news, they acted as if someone had died. No one wore any jewelry. The Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are impossible to deal with. If I were with you, I might destroy you at any time. Now take off your jewelry, and I’ll decide what to do with you.’ ” 6After they left Mount Horeb, the Israelites no longer wore their jewelry. 7Now, Moses used to take a tent and set it up far outside the camp. He called it the tent of meeting. Anyone who was seeking the Lord’s will used to go outside the camp to the tent of meeting.
Read all of Exodus 33Exodus 33:5 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֱמֹ֤ר אֶל־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אַתֶּ֣ם עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֔רֶף רֶ֧גַע אֶחָ֛ד אֶֽעֱלֶ֥ה בְקִרְבְּךָ֖ וְכִלִּיתִ֑יךָ וְעַתָּ֗ה הוֹרֵ֤ד עֶדְיְךָ֙ מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ וְאֵדְעָ֖ה מָ֥ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- had saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- a stiffneckedעֹ֫רֶף‛ôreph · neckH6203
- a stiffneckedקָשֶׁהqâsheh · severeH7186
- peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- I will come upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- into the midstקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
- of thee in aאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- momentרֶ֫גַעrega‛ · momentH7281
- and consumeכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: destroyH3615
- thee: therefore now put offיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- thy ornamentsעֲדִי‛ădîy · ornamentH5716
- from thee, that I may knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- what to doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
Cross-references for Exodus 33:5
- Exodus 33:3Go to that land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not be with you, because you are impossible to deal with, and I would destroy you on the way.”
- Numbers 16:45“Get away from these people, and let me destroy them in an instant!” Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground.
- Numbers 16:21“Move away from these men, and I’ll destroy them in an instant.”
- Job 34:20They die suddenly in the middle of the night. People have seizures and pass away. Mighty people are taken away but not by human hands.
- Psalms 73:19They are suddenly destroyed. They are completely swept away by terror!
- Lamentations 4:6The punishment for my people’s wickedness has been more severe than the punishment for the sins of Sodom. Sodom was destroyed instantly, without one human hand touching it.
- Isaiah 22:12On that day the Almighty Lord of Armies will call for crying and for mourning, for shaving your heads and for wearing sackcloth.
- Genesis 18:21I must go down and see whether these complaints are true. If not, I will know it.”
- Genesis 22:12“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you did not refuse to give me your son, your only son.”
- Deuteronomy 8:2Remember that for 40 years the Lord your God led you on your journey in the desert. He did this in order to humble you and test you. He wanted to know whether or not you would wholeheartedly obey his commands.
- Psalms 139:23Examine me, O God, and know my mind. Test me, and know my thoughts.
Commentaries on Exodus 33:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Now put off thy ornaments from thee - "The Septuagint, in their translation, suppose that the children of Israel not only laid aside their ear-rings, and such like ornaments, in a time of professed deep humiliation before God, but their upper or more beautiful garments too. Moses says nothing of this last circumstance; but as it is a modern practice, so it appears by their version to have been as ancient as their time, and probably took place long before…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5I will come up - Better; If I were to go up for one moment in the midst of thee, I should consume thee. That I may know - By that sign of their repentance Yahweh would decide in what way they were to be punished.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-6People might have worn jewelry and fine clothes while worshiping the gold calf. Removing them here shows mourning and repentance (33:4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. put off thy ornaments--In seasons of mourning, it is customary with Eastern people to lay aside all gewgaws and divest themselves of their jewels, their gold, and every thing rich and splendid in their dress. This token of their sorrow the Lord required of His offending people. that I may know what to do unto thee--The language is accommodated to the feeble apprehensions of men. God judges the state of the heart by the tenor of the conduct. In the case…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 33:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 33
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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