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)
Moses isn't just asking to see God's path, he's asking to know God through that path. He wants to understand God's character and actions so intimately that it transforms his own petitions and behavior, not just for himself, but because this nation is still recognized as God's people.
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)
After God declares He will send an angel but not go with them Himself, the people mourn deeply. Moses, feeling the weight of this rejection, pleads with God, reminding Him of their shared history and relationship. Moses then asks God to reveal His ways, not just His path forward, so he can truly know God and continue to find favor.
Moses is wrestling with God after a major national sin. He's not just asking for God to be there, but for something deeper. What's the difference?
In Exodus 33:13, Moses makes a profound request: 'Show me your ways, that I may know you.' This isn't just about God's physical presence, though that's vital. It's a plea for intimate knowledge.
More Than Just 'Being There'
God had just said He would send an angel ahead of them, but not go with them Himself (Exodus 33:2-3). This was a severe consequence of Israel's sin with the golden calf. Moses, deeply distressed, pushes further.
Moses isn't just praying for himself. He brings in the whole nation, reminding God of their shared history and destiny. Why is this crucial?
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The final phrase in Moses' prayer, 'Consider too that this nation is your people,' adds a powerful layer to his intercession. It shifts the focus from his personal knowledge of God to the corporate destiny of Israel.
A Plea Rooted in Covenant
Moses reminds God that Israel is not just a random group of people; they are the ones God Himself chose, redeemed, and covenanted with.
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 Psalm echoes Moses' plea for God to 'show me your way' and 'teach me your path,' highlighting the desire to know God's ways intimately.
John 14:6Jesus declares himself as 'the way, and the truth, and the life,' directly answering Moses' deep longing to know the way of God, which ultimately leads to knowing God Himself.
Jeremiah 29:13This passage emphasizes that when you seek God with all your heart, you will find Him, mirroring Moses' earnest desire to 'know you' and find favor.
Deuteronomy 32:4This verse describes God's ways as 'perfect' and 'just,' providing a theological backdrop to Moses' request to understand the character and actions of God.
Exodus 34:5-7This passage is the direct fulfillment of Moses' request, where God reveals His character and 'ways' by proclaiming His name and attributes of mercy and justice to Moses.
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 to see God's path, he's asking to know God through that path. He wants to understand God's character and actions so intimately that it transforms his own petitions and behavior, not just for himself, but because this nation is still recognized as God's people.
After God declares He will send an angel but not go with them Himself, the people mourn deeply. Moses, feeling the weight of this rejection, pleads with God, reminding Him of their shared history and relationship. Moses then asks God to reveal His ways, not just His path forward, so he can truly know God and continue to find favor.
After God declares He will send an angel but not go with them Himself, the people mourn deeply. Moses, feeling the weight of this rejection, pleads with God, reminding Him of their shared history and relationship. Moses then asks God to reveal His ways, not just His path forward, so he can truly know God and continue to find favor.
"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 to see God's path, he's asking to know God through that path. He wants to understand God's character and actions so intimately that it transforms his own petitions and beh…
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Last reviewed October 2026