He said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, Lord, please let the Lord go among us, even though this is a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”
Parallel Translations
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He said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, Lord, please let the Lord go among us, even though this is a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”
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And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
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And he said: 'If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray Thee, go in the midst of us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Thine inheritance.'
Cross-references (16)
Passages linked to Exodus 34:9 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh, the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.
- Deuteronomy 32:9 For Yahweh’s portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
- Psalms 94:14 For Yahweh won’t reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
- Exodus 33:13-17 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me your way, now, that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight; and consider that this nation is your people.” He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Moses said to him, “If your presence doesn’t go with me, don’t carry us up from here. For how would people know that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Isn’t it that you go with us, so that we are separated, I and your people, from all the people who are on the surface of the earth?” Yahweh said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you have spoken; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”
- Psalms 28:9 Save your people, and bless your inheritance. Be their shepherd also, and bear them up forever.
- Psalms 135:4 For Yah has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own possession.
- Jeremiah 10:16 The portion of Jacob is not like these; for he is the maker of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance: Yahweh of Armies is his name.
- Exodus 32:9 Yahweh said to Moses, “I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people.
- Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine;
- Psalms 78:62 He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
- Zechariah 2:12 Yahweh will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 48:4 Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow bronze;
- Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
- Exodus 33:3-5 Go to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way.” When the people heard this evil news, they mourned; and no one put on his jewelry. Yahweh had said to Moses, “Tell the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go up among you for one moment, I would consume you. Therefore now take off your jewelry from you, that I may know what to do to you.’ ”
- Numbers 14:19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
- Psalms 25:11 For your name’s sake, Yahweh, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Seeing the people are thus of nature, the rulers…
Seeing the people are thus of nature, the rulers have need to call upon God that he would always be present with his Spirit.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Exo 34:9 And he said, If now I have…
Exo 34:9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it [is] a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
Ver. 9. Let my lord, I pray thee.] {See Trapp on "Exo 33:12"}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain It is a stiff-necked people, and therefore need thy…
It is a stiff-necked people, and therefore need thy glorious and powerful presence to rule them. Or rather,
though it be a stiff-necked people, as thou sayest, yet forsake them not. The Hebrew particle chi oft signifies though, as Exo 5:11; Isa 44:6.
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Take us for thine inheritance, i.e. deal with us as men do with their inheritances, dwell among us, protect us, improve us.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he said, if now I have found grace…
And he said, if now I have found grace in thy sight,.... Or "seeing now", for he could have no doubt upon his mind but that he had found grace and favour in the sight of God, since he had caused his goodness and glory to pass before him, and made such a proclamation of his grace and mercy to him; but he takes it for granted, and improves it, and argues upon it, as follows:
O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go amongst us; as the Lord had signified as if he would not go among them, but leave them to the conduct of a created angel; and Moses had before prayed that his presence or face might go with them, Exo 33:3 and now having some fresh tokens of the favour and good will of God towards him, renews his request with great earnestness and importunity, entreating the Lord Jehovah the Father, that Moses's Lord Jehovah the Son, the Angel of God's presence, in whom his name was, might go with them, as he had said he should:
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for it is a stiffnecked people; and therefore have need of such an one to be with them, to rule and govern them, to restrain and keep them within due bounds; or "though (m) it is a stiffnecked people"; for this is the reason given by the Lord why he would not go among them, Exo 33:3 wherefore Moses prays that he would go, notwithstanding this; he owns the character of them was just, yet humbly prays that God would nevertheless vouchsafe his presence:
and pardon our iniquity, and our sin; which he had the greater reason to hope he would, since he had just proclaimed his name, a God pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin; and, the more to gain his suit, makes himself a party concerned, calling the sin committed, "our iniquity, and our sin"; even his among the rest, who had found grace in the sight of God, and therefore entreats others might also, since they were all sinners, and there was forgiveness with him:
and take us for thine inheritance; to possess and enjoy, protect and defend, cultivate and improve, keep and preserve for ever.
(m) Quamvis, Piscator, Patrick; so R. Marinus in Aben Ezra; and some in Abendana.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain And he said, I pray thee go among us…
And he said, I pray thee go among us - For thy presence is all to our safety and success. And pardon our iniquity and our sin - Else we cannot expect thee to go among us. And take us for thine inheritance - Which thou wilt have a particular eye to, and concern for. These things God had already promised Moses; and yet he prays for them, not as doubting the sincerity of God's grants, but as one solicitous for the ratification of them. But it is a strange plea he urges, for it is a stiff-necked people - God had given this as a reason why he would not go along with them, chap. xxxiii, 3. Yea, saith Moses, the rather go along with us; for the worse they are, the more need they have of thy presence. Moses sees them so stiff-necked, that he has neither patience nor power enough to deal with them; therefore, Lord, do thou go among us; else they will never be kept in awe; thou wilt spare, and bear with them, for thou art God and not man.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 9. O Lord, let my Lord, I pray…
Verse 9. O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us] The original is not יהוה Jehovah, but אדני Adonai in both these places, and seems to refer particularly to the Angel of the Covenant, the Messiah. See Clarke on Ge 15:8.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Exo 34:9. And he said, I pray thee go…
Exo 34:9. And he said, I pray thee go among us — Thus Moses prays for the things God had already promised, not as doubting the sincerity of God’s grants, but as one solicitous for the ratification of them. But it is a strange plea he urges; for it is a stiff-necked people — God had given this as a reason why he would not go along with them, Exo 33:3. Yea, saith Moses, the rather go along with us; for the worse they are, the more need they have of thy presence. Moses sees them so stiff-necked, that he has neither patience nor power enough to deal with them; therefore, Lord, do thou go among us; else they will never be kept in awe; thou wilt spare, and bear with them, for thou art God and not man.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain This yearning struggle after assurance is like the often-repeated…
This yearning struggle after assurance is like the often-repeated utterance of the heart, when it receives a blessing beyond its hopes, “can this be real?”
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain (For it, &c.) If thou do not support me,…
(For it, &c.) If thou do not support me, I shall not be able to govern. (Haydock) --- Possess us. Take us for thy peculiar inheritance. (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain he said, If now I have found grace in…
he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us--On this proclamation, he, in the overflowing benevolence of s heart, founded an earnest petition for the Divine Presence being continued with the people; and God was pleased to give His favorable answer to Moses' intercession by a renewal of His promise under the form of a covenant, repeating the leading points that formed the conditions of the former national compact.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 9. Go among us… pardon… take us — After…
9. Go among us… pardon… take us — After all the mercy shown, and the assurance of Exo_33:14, and the fuller revelations that followed, Moses still repeats his cry for the presence of Jehovah among the people. Importunate prayer, and clinging by faith to God! He will not let him go!
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 9. Jehovah’s ‘ways’ (Exo_33:13) and character having now been…
9. Jehovah’s ‘ways’ (Exo_33:13) and character having now been disclosed to Moses, he again entreats Jehovah, who is ready to forgive (v. 7a), to pardon His people’s sin, and give proof that He has again received them into His favour, by going personally with them to Canaan. Exo_33:14 (see note) should now probably follow as the answer.
9. stiffnecked] This character of the people (Exo_32:9, Exo_33:3; Exo_33:5) is here made the motive for its being treated with favour and forgiven.
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for thine inheritance] The thought of Israel being Jehovah’s inheritance occurs in Deu_4:20; Deu_9:26; Deu_9:29, and in the Song, Exo_32:9, but not elsewhere in the earlier books of the Pentateuch.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (9) If now, I have found grace in thy…
THE COVENANT RENEWED, AND THE DECALOGUE A SECOND TIME GIVEN.
(9) If now, I have found grace in thy sight.—Rather, Since now, &c. The evidences of God’s favour towards him—which Moses had now experienced, emboldened him to prefer fresh requests on behalf of the people. God has promised to go up in the midst of them; will He not also promise to forgive their iniquity and sin if they offend Him in the way, and permanently to attach them to Himself by making them “His inheritance?” God does not directly answer these prayers, but indirectly accepts them by renewing His covenant with Israel (Exo_34:10; Exo_34:27).
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 9-26. THE RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT. Dazed, as…
Vers. 9-26. THE RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT. Dazed, as it would seem, by the splendour of the vision which he had beheld, Moses forgot that God had already pledged himself to renew the covenant, and lead the people in person to Canaan. In his forgetfulness, he once more set himself to intercede with God on their behalf, and besought him
1. That he would go up with them;
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2. That he would pardon them; and
3. That he would once more take them as his inheritance (ver. 9). Withoutreplying separately to these requests, God formally renews the covenant; promises not only to go up with the people, but to work miracles for them (ver. 10), and to drive out the nations before them when they have arrived (ver. 11); and makes a brief summary of the chief points of positive observance, which he requires of them in addition to the moral law. These points may be reduced to twelve:
1. That no treaty of peace should be made with the Canaanite nations (ver. 12).
2. That all their images, altars, and groves should be destroyed (ver. 13).
3. That no molten image should be made to represent God (ver. 17).
4. That the Passover festival should be observed as previously commanded( ver. 18).
5. That the first-born should be dedicated, or redeemed (vers. 19, 20).
6. That the Sabbath rest should be observed at all times of the year (ver.21).
7. That the feast of Pentecost (weeks) should be observed regularly (ver.22).
8. That the feast of tabernacles should also be observed (ib,).
9. That at all the three great festivals all the males should appear beforeGod (ver. 23).
10. That no leaven should be used with any sacrifice (ver. 25).
11. That first-fruits of all things should be offered to God (ver. 26). 12. That no kid should be seethed in her mother"s milk (ver. 26). If now I have found grace in thy sight. The vision vouchsafed him makes Moses feel that he has indeed been received into favour with God. The first use which it occurs to him to make of his position is to intercede anew for his people, he, apparently, forgets that God has already promised to go with them, (Exo_33:17) and prefers exactly the same request which he had made on the preceding day, and which had been granted. To this he adds a prayer for pardon, and a request that God would take Israel for his inheritance . The last phrase is a new one, but expresses perhaps no more than has been implied in such phrases as "thy people, which thou hast purchased" (Exo_15:16) shall be a peculiar treasure unto me". (Exo_19:5)
Vers. 9-26. The covenant renewed.
That God should have consented to renew the covenant with Israel after it had been violated so flagrantly is evidence of two things:
1. His faithfulness towards his true followers, which makes him "mercifulunto thousands of those that love him," and renders him tender to the children for the sake of the fathers;
2. The value that he sets on intercessory prayer, when offered earnestly bya believer. In the renewal itself we may notice:
I THAT THE PROMISES NOW MADE EXCEED ALL THOSE WHICH HAD BEEN MADE TO THE PEOPLE PREVIOUSLY. Leadership had been promised; help in driving out the nation had been promised; the possession of Canaan had been promised. But not "marvels such as had not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation" (ver. 10) not an enlargement of the nation"s boundaries beyond the limits of Canaan (ver. 24) not security against their land being invaded when they went up to the three great festivals (ibid. ). These, so far as the people were concerned, were new and additional pledges. God is apt "to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think." He ties himself down to perform certain promises; but he does not tie himself down not to do more than he has promised. He will give to man ultimately, not only more than he is bound to give, but more than "it has entered into the heart of man to conceive.
II THAT THE PROHIBITIONS ARE IN SOME CASES MORE STRINGENT THAN BEFORE. According to the former covenant, idolatrous images were not to be spared; according to this neither images, nor altars, nor groves (ver. 13); according to that, the Sabbath rest was not to be infringed, as a general rule according to this, not even on account of the most necessary operations of husbandry (ver. 21); according to that, treaties were not to be made with the Canaanitish nations according to this, neither treaties nor matrimonial alliances. To balance the greater favours, there were imposed greater obligations, whereby was inculcated the lesson that the two are correlative.
III THE PRECEPTS REIMPOSED WERE, IN ADDITION TO THE DECALOGUE, CHIEFLY THOSE CONNECTED WITH WORSHIP. It was the attraction of a corrupt worship which had caused Israel to fall away. Their best security against a second similar fall would be careful and constant observance of the pure worship prescribed to them. If they kept properly the Sabbath, the great festivals, the laws of sacrifice, of redemption, of first fruits, and whatever was similar to these, it might well content their religious aspirations, and leave no such vacuum in their lives as they had hoped to fill with their calf-worship. True, that many of the precepts could not be observed until they reached Canaan; but, as a compensation, they would have in the wilderness the daily worship morning and evening of the tabernacle, and the near presence of God in the pillar of the cloud, not henceforth to be withdrawn from them. The true spiritual life could be amply sustained on these it was only a pseudo-spiritualism that the calf-worship would have exercised.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.