Exodus 33:23

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen."

King James Version
And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

Lexham English Bible
And I will remove my hand, and you will see my back, but my face will not be visible."

New Century Version
Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back. But my face must not be seen."

New English Translation
Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen."

Amplified Bible
"Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."

New American Standard Bible
"Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen."

Geneva Bible (1587)
After I will take away mine hande, & thou shalt see my backe parts: but my face shal not be seene.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then I will remove My hand, and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen."

Contemporary English Version
Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back. You will not see my face.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then I will remove my hand, and you will see my back, but my face is not to be seen."

Darby Translation
And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see me from behind; but my face shall not be seen.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back. But you will not see my face."

English Standard Version
Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen."

George Lamsa Translation
And I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.

Good News Translation
Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back but not my face."

Christian Standard Bible®
Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen.”

Literal Translation
And I will remove My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face cannot be seen.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan I take awaye myne hande from the, thou shalt se my back partes, but my face shal not be sene.

American Standard Version
and I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back; but my face shall not be seen.

Bible in Basic English
Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back: but my face is not to be seen.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I wyll take away myne hande, and thou shalt see my backe partes: but my face shall not be seene.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And I will take away My hand, and thou shalt see My back; but My face shall not be seen.'

King James Version (1611)
And I wil take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my backe parts: but my face shall not be seene.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I will remove my hand, and then shalt thou see my back parts; but my face shall not appear to thee.

English Revised Version
and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back: but my face shall not be seen.

Berean Standard Bible
Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and thou schalt se myn hyndrere partis, forsothe thou mayst not se my face.

Young's Literal Translation
and I have turned aside My hands, and thou hast seen My back parts, and My face is not seen.'

Update Bible Version
and I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

World English Bible
then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen."

New King James Version
Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."

New Living Translation
Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen."

New Life Bible
Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back. But My face will not be seen."

New Revised Standard
then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then will I take away my hand, and thou shalt see behind me, But, my face, must not be seen.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face thou canst not see.

Revised Standard Version
then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen."

Contextual Overview

¹²Moses said to God , "Look, you tell me, ‘Lead this people,' but you don't let me know whom you're going to send with me. You tell me, ‘I know you well and you are special to me.' If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans. That way, I will continue being special to you. Don't forget, this is your people, your responsibility." ¹⁴ God said, "My presence will go with you. I'll see the journey to the end." ¹⁵Moses said, "If your presence doesn't take the lead here, call this trip off right now. How else will it be known that you're with me in this, with me and your people? Are you traveling with us or not? How else will we know that we're special, I and your people, among all other people on this planet Earth?" ¹⁷ God said to Moses: "All right. Just as you say; this also I will do, for I know you well and you are special to me. I know you by name." ¹⁸ Moses said, "Please. Let me see your Glory." ¹⁹ God said, "I will make my Goodness pass right in front of you; I'll call out the name, God , right before you. I'll treat well whomever I want to treat well and I'll be kind to whomever I want to be kind." ²⁰ God continued, "But you may not see my face. No one can see me and live." ²¹ God said, "Look, here is a place right beside me. Put yourself on this rock. When my Glory passes by, I'll put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I've passed by. Then I'll take my hand away and you'll see my back. But you won't see my face."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou shalt: Exodus 33:20, Job 11:7, Job 26:14, John 1:18, 1 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Timothy 6:16

Reciprocal: Exodus 24:10 - saw Numbers 12:8 - similitude 1 Kings 19:13 - he wrapped his face Song of Solomon 2:14 - clefts

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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, Genesis 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 1 Corinthians 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, Matthew 17:3.

d Moreh Nevochim, par. 1. c. 38.