The phrase "that I may know what to do with you" isn't about God needing information; it’s about their outward actions revealing their heart's condition, so God can respond appropriately. By having them remove their ornaments, God is asking for a visible sign of their genuine repentance, which in turn allows Him to move towards a path of mercy rather than judgment.
For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After God declared His intention to withdraw His presence from the Israelites due to their stubbornness, the people mourned and removed their ornaments as a sign of repentance. God then commanded Moses to tell them to continue putting off their ornaments, explaining that if He were to remain among them in their current state of rebellion, He would instantly consume them. This command for them to divest themselves of their adornments is a call for a visible demonstration of their penitence before God can determine how to proceed with them mercifully.
Imagine God's presence, the very source of life, being so holy that it could instantly destroy the people He loved. That's the reality Israel faced.
The text reveals a critical tension: God's intense holiness and His persistent mercy. Israel, described as 'stiff-necked,' has repeatedly rebelled. God's statement, 'if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you,' isn't just a threat; it's a stark warning about the consequence of sin in the face of divine purity.
However, this warning comes after the people have heard the 'evil tidings' (v. 4) of God withdrawing His presence and they have responded with deep mourning and removed their ornaments. God's response here is a conditional mercy. He's not ignoring their sin, but He is making a way for their repentance to be heard. The removal of ornaments becomes a visible sign of their heartfelt sorrow and a prerequisite for God to 'know what to do' with them – implying a path toward restoration rather than immediate destruction.
Why would God ask them to remove their jewelry? It was more than just taking off pretty things; it was a profound act of surrender.
The command to 'take off your ornaments' is deeply symbolic. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, ornaments often signified wealth, status, and perhaps even reliance on worldly security. For Israel, having just fashioned a golden calf – a symbol of their own making to represent God – the removal of all their ornaments carried immense weight.
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It wasn't merely about expressing sorrow, though it certainly did that. It was a tangible act of stripping away their pride, their self-sufficiency, and their misplaced trust. By laying aside these adornments, they were visually confessing their sin and their utter dependence on God's mercy. This outward sign was crucial for God to 'know what to do,' meaning He could now engage with them in a way that led to reconciliation, rather than judgment, because they had demonstrated a posture of humility and penitence.
This passage uses the same strong imagery of a 'stiff-necked' people, highlighting a recurring theme of Israel's rebellion and God's persistent, yet challenging, relationship with them.
Jeremiah 3:17This verse speaks to God's willingness to restore a rebellious people, but it also underscores the difficulty of that restoration due to their continued unfaithfulness, mirroring the tension in Exodus 33:5.
Romans 10:3Paul directly quotes and applies the concept of Israel's 'stiff-necked' resistance to God's righteousness, showing how this ancient characteristic continued to be a spiritual obstacle.
Deuteronomy 9:13This passage also refers to the Israelites as a 'stiff-necked people' and recounts instances of their disobedience, illustrating that their rebellious nature was a consistent challenge throughout their history.
jfbExodus 33:5: "For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee."
- put off thy ornaments—In seasons of mourning, it is customary with Eastern people to lay aside all gewgaws and divest themselves of their jewels, their gold, and every thing rich and splendid in their dress. This token of their sor…
clarkeExodus 33:5: "For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee."
Now put off thy ornaments from thee - "The Septuagint, in their translation, suppose that the children of Israel not only laid aside their ear-rings, and such like ornaments, in a time of professed deep humiliation before God, but the…
The phrase "that I may know what to do with you" isn't about God needing information; it’s about their outward actions revealing their heart's condition, so God can respond appropriately. By having them remove their ornaments, God is asking for a visible sign of their genuine repentance, which in turn allows Him to move towards a path of mercy rather than judgment.
After God declared His intention to withdraw His presence from the Israelites due to their stubbornness, the people mourned and removed their ornaments as a sign of repentance. God then commanded Moses to tell them to continue putting off their ornaments, explaining that if He were to remain among them in their current state of rebellion, He would instantly consume them. This command for them to divest themselves of their adornments is a call for a visible demonstration of their penitence before God can determine how to proceed with them mercifully.
After God declared His intention to withdraw His presence from the Israelites due to their stubbornness, the people mourned and removed their ornaments as a sign of repentance. God then commanded Moses to tell them to continue putting off their ornaments, explaining that if He were to remain among them in their current state of rebellion, He would instantly consume them. This command for them to divest themselves of their adornments is a call for a visible demonstration of their penitence before God can determine how to proceed with them mercifully.
"For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’”" — The phrase "that I may know what to do with you" isn't about God needing information; it’s about their outward actions revealing their heart's condition, so God can respond appropriately. By having t…
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Last reviewed October 2026
