New International Version
Exodus 33:5
5For 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.’ ”
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.
- 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.’ ”
- New Living Translation (NLT)For the Lord had told Moses to tell them, “You are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I were to travel with you for even a moment, I would destroy you. Remove your jewelry and fine clothes while I decide what to do with you.”
Context of Exodus 33:5
3Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” 4When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. 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.’ ” 6So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb. 7Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.
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 up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
- Numbers 16:45“Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown.
- Numbers 16:21“Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.”
- Job 34:20They die in an instant, in the middle of the night; the people are shaken and they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.
- Psalms 73:19How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!
- Lamentations 4:6The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her.
- Isaiah 22:12The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth.
- Genesis 18:21that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”
- 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 have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
- Deuteronomy 8:2Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
- Psalms 139:23Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious 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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries