Exodus 33:13
Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Moses isn't just asking for directions; he's asking to understand God's method of dealing with people, so he can better relate to Him and represent Him. He desires not just to know about God, but to truly know God, implying a relational understanding that informs his plea for the nation.
After the people’s devastating sin with the golden calf, God declares He will withdraw His direct presence, sending only an angel. Moses, deeply troubled by this, immediately pleads with God, emphasizing their shared history and God's promises. This plea leads to Moses’ request to see God's glory and understand His ways, pushing into deeper intimacy with God than ever before.
Moses isn't just asking for instructions; he's expressing a profound desire to truly know the God he serves. What does it mean to 'know' God in this context?
Moses' request, "show me now your ways, that I may know you," goes beyond seeking information about God's plans. It's a plea for experiential knowledge.
More Than Facts:
Ancient Hebrew understanding of 'knowing' (yada) often implies deep intimacy, relationship, and personal experience, not just intellectual understanding. Moses wants to grasp God's character, His heart, and His methods.
A Journey, Not a Destination:
He wants to understand God's "ways" – how God operates, His principles, His justice, His mercy. This knowledge isn't static; it's a dynamic process that leads to deeper relationship and allows Moses to better represent God.
Moses reminds God, 'this nation is your people.' Why is this argument so crucial, and what does it reveal about God's covenant heart?
Moses' plea isn't just about his personal relationship with God; it's deeply rooted in the identity and destiny of Israel. By saying, 'Consider too that this nation is your people,' Moses appeals to God's own promises and covenant.
Covenant Connection:
Israel wasn't just a random group of people; they were chosen by God, redeemed by His mighty hand, and were the recipients of His covenant promises. Moses reminds God of His own declaration and commitment to them.
A Plea for God's Reputation:
For God to abandon them would be to contradict His own character and faithfulness. Moses understands that God's actions toward Israel reflect on His own name and promises. He's essentially asking God to act in accordance with His established relationship with them.
Understand the original words
derek · Hebrew Noun
In this context, refers to God’s overarching plan, purposes, and moral standards. Knowing God’s ways involves understanding His character and the principles by which He acts in history and toward His people.
This passage echoes Moses' plea, questioning God's ways and why the wicked prosper, demonstrating a similar human struggle to understand God's justice and path for His people.
Psalm 27:11This psalm directly asks God to 'show me your way' and 'teach me your path,' mirroring Moses' deep desire to know God's ways and be guided by Him.
John 14:6Jesus declares Himself to be 'the way, and the truth, and the life,' directly relating to Moses' request to know God's way, pointing to Christ as the ultimate revelation of God's path and character.
Hebrews 12:14This verse calls believers to 'strive to live in peace with everyone, and to be holy; without which no one will see the Lord,' highlighting the pursuit of holiness and a relationship with God that Moses sought through knowing God's ways.
Exodus 34:6-7Immediately following this plea, God reveals His character and ways to Moses, demonstrating that Moses' desire to 'know Him' and His 'ways' was answered by a profound self-disclosure of God's mercy and justice.
cambridgeExodus 33:13: "Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people."
13 . if , &c.] A common Heb. phrase: Genesis 18:3 ; Genesis 30:27 al.shew ] lit. make me to know. ‘Shew’ in Old English meant not only to let see , but also to let know , or tell : see on Daniel 2:2 ; Daniel 4:2 in the Camb. Bible , or the writer’s Parallel Psalter , p. 481. Cf. Psalm 103:7 . w…
clarkeExodus 33:13: "Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people."
Show me now thy way - Let me know the manner in which thou wouldst have this people led up and governed, because this nation is thy people, and should be governed and guided in thy own way.
Moses isn't just asking for directions; he's asking to understand God's method of dealing with people, so he can better relate to Him and represent Him. He desires not just to know about God, but to truly know God, implying a relational understanding that informs his plea for the nation.
After the people’s devastating sin with the golden calf, God declares He will withdraw His direct presence, sending only an angel. Moses, deeply troubled by this, immediately pleads with God, emphasizing their shared history and God's promises. This plea leads to Moses’ request to see God's glory and understand His ways, pushing into deeper intimacy with God than ever before.
After the people’s devastating sin with the golden calf, God declares He will withdraw His direct presence, sending only an angel. Moses, deeply troubled by this, immediately pleads with God, emphasizing their shared history and God's promises. This plea leads to Moses’ request to see God's glory and understand His ways, pushing into deeper intimacy with God than ever before.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Exodus 33:13 is available in the Sola app.
"Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”" — Moses isn't just asking for directions; he's asking to understand God's method of dealing with people, so he can better relate to Him and represent Him. He desires not just to know about God, but…
