Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
But his request could not be granted in accordance with the conditions of human existence. The glory of the Almighty in its fulness is not to be revealed to the eye of man. Compare Judges 6:22; Isaiah 6:5. A further revelation of the divine goodness was however possible (see Exodus 33:6-7).
It was vouchsafed to Paul, as it had been to Moses, to have special "visions and revelations of the Lord" II Corinthians 12:1-4. But he had, also like Moses, to find the narrow reach of the intellect of man in the region of Godhead I Timothy 6:16. However intimate may be our communion with the Holy One, we are still, as long as we are in the flesh, "to see through a glass darkly," waiting for the time when we shall see, with no figure of speech, "face to face" I Corinthians 13:12. Then we know "that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" I John 3:2.
Exodus 33:19
Will be gracious ... - Yahweh declares His own will to be the ground of the grace which He is going to show the nation. Paul applies these words to the election of Jacob in order to overthrow the self-righteous boasting of the Jews Romans 9:15.
Exodus 33:20
Such passages as this, being clearly in accordance with what we know of the relation of spiritual existence to the human senses, show how we are to interpret the expressions "face to face" Exodus 33:11; Deuteronomy 34:10, "mouth to mouth" Numbers 12:8, and others of the like kind. See Exodus 24:10; Isaiah 6:1; and compare John 14:9.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Exodus 40:17
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