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1 And the Lord said vnto Moses, Depart, and goe vp hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought vp out of the land of Egypt, vnto the land which I sware vnto Abraham, to Isaac, & to Iacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I giue it.
2 And I will send an Angel before thee, and I will driue out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hiuite, and the Iebusite:
3 Unto a land flowing with milke and hony: For I will not goe vp in the midst of thee: for thou art a stiffenecked people, lest I consume thee in the way.
4 ¶ And when the people heard these euill tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
5 For the Lord had saide vnto Moses, Say vnto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffenecked people: I wil come vp into the midst of thee in a moment, & consume thee: Therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to doe vnto thee.
6 And the children of Israel stript themselues of their ornaments, by the mount Horeb.
7 And Moses tooke the Tabernacle, & pitched it without the campe, a farre off from the campe, and called it the Tabernacle of the Congregation: And it came to passe, that euery one which sought the Lord, went out vnto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which was without the campe.
8 And it came to passe when Moses went out vnto the Tabernacle, that all the people rose vp, and stood euery man at his tent doore, and looked after Moses, vntill he was gone into the Tabernacle.
9 And it came to passe as Moses entred into the Tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the doore of the Tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the Tabernacle doore: and all the people rose vp, and worshipped euery man in his tent doore.
11 And the Lord spake vnto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh vnto his friend. And he turned againe into the campe, but his seruant Ioshua the sonne of Nun, a yong man, departed not out of the Tabernacle.
12 ¶ And Moses saide vnto the Lord, See, thou sayest vnto mee, Bring vp this people, and thou hast not let mee know whome thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I knowe thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, If I haue found grace in thy sight, shewe mee now thy way that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will giue thee rest.
15 And he said vnto him, If thy presence goe not with mee, carie vs not vp hence.
16 For wherein shall it bee knowen here, that I and thy people haue found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with vs? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are vpon the face of the earth.
17 And the Lord said vnto Moses, I will doe this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodnesse passe before thee, and I will proclaime the name of the Lord before thee: and will bee gracious to whom I wil be gracious, and wil shew mercie on whom I will shew mercie.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see mee, and liue.
21 And the Lord said, Beholde, there is a place by mee, and thou shalt stand vpon a rocke.
22 And it shall come to passe, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rocke, and will couer thee with my hand, while I passe by.
23 And I wil take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my backe parts: but my face shall not be seene.
The Lord refuses to go with Israel. (1-6) The tabernacle of Moses removed without the camp. (7-11) Moses desires to see the glory of God. (12-23)1-6 Those whom God pardons, must be made to know what their sin deserved. "Let them go forward as they are;" this was very expressive of God's displeasure. Though he promises to make good his covenant with Abraham, in giving them Canaan, yet he denies them the tokens of his presence they had been blessed with. The people mourned for their sin. Of all the bitter fruits and consequences of sin, true penitents most lament, and dread most, God's departure from them. Canaan itself would be no pleasant land without the Lord's presence. Those who parted with ornaments to maintain sin, could do no less than lay aside ornaments, in token of sorrow and shame for it.
7-11 Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp. This seems to have been a temporary building, set up for worship, and at which he judged disputes among the people. The people looked after him; they were very desirous to be at peace with God, and concerned to know what would come to pass. The cloudy pillar which had withdrawn from the camp when it was polluted with idolatry, now returned. If our hearts go forth toward God to meet him, he will graciously come to meet us.
12-23 Moses is very earnest with God. Thus, by the intercession of Christ, we are not only saved from ruin, but become entitled to everlasting happiness. Observe here how he pleads. We find grace in God's sight, if we find grace in our hearts to guide and quicken us in the way of our duty. Moses speaks as one who dreaded the thought of going forward without the Lord's presence. God's gracious promises, and mercy towards us, should not only encourage our faith, but also excite our fervency in prayer. Observe how he speeds. See, in a type, Christ's intercession, which he ever lives to make for all that come to God by him; and that it is not by any thing in those for whom he intercedes. Moses then entreats a sight of God's glory, and is heard in that also. A full discovery of the glory of God, would overwhelm even Moses himself. Man is mean, and unworthy of it; weak, and could not bear it; guilty, and could not but dread it. The merciful display which is made in Christ Jesus, alone can be borne by us. The Lord granted that which would abundantly satisfy. 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. Upon the rock there was a fit place for Moses to view the goodness and glory of God. The rock in Horeb was typical of Christ the Rock; the Rock of refuge, salvation, and strength. Happy are they who stand upon this Rock. The cleft may be an emblem of Christ, as smitten, crucified, wounded, and slain. What follows, denotes the imperfect knowledge of God in the present state, even as revealed in Christ; for this, when compared with the heavenly sight of him. is but like seeing a man that is gone by, whose back only is to be seen. God in Christ, as he is, even the fullest and brightest displays of his glory, grace, and goodness, are reserved to another state.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.