Exodus 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 everything rich and splendid in their dress. This token of their sorrow the Lord required of His offending people. [The Septuagint has, afelesthe tas stolas toon doxoon humoon kai ton kosmon, kai deixoo soi ha poieesoo soi, kai perieilanto ho huioi Israeel, ton kosmon autoon kai teen peristoleen apo tou orous tou Chooreeb-`Now therefore, put off your splendid robes and your ornaments, and I shall show you the things which I shall do to you. And the children of Israel put their or...

1-6 Those whom God pardons, must be made to know what their sin deserved. "Let them go forward as they are;" this was very expressive of God's displeasure. Though he promises to make good his covenant with Abraham, in giving them Canaan, yet he denies them the tokens of his presence they had been blessed with. The people mourned for their sin. Of all the bitter fruits and consequences of sin, true penitents most lament, and dread most, God's departure from them. Canaan itself would be no pleasant land without the Lord's presence. Those who parted with ornaments to maintain sin, could do no less than lay aside ornaments, in token of sorrow and shame for it....

Verse Exodus 33:5. _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 their upper or more beautiful garments too. Moses says nothing of this last circumstance; but as it is a modern practice, so it appears by their version to have been as ancient as their time, and probably took place long before that. The Septuagint gives us this as the translation of the passage: 'The people, having heard this sad declaration, mourned with lamentations. And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Now, therefore, put off your robes of glory, and your ornaments, and I will show you the things I will do unto you. And the children of Israel put off their _ornaments_ and robes by the mount, by Horeb.' ...

I WILL COME UP ... - Better; If I were to go up for one moment in the midst of thee, I should consume thee. THAT I MAY KNOW ... - By that sign of their repentance Yahweh would decide in what way they were to be punished....

EXPOSITION THE THREAT OF GOD'S WITHDRAWAL, AND THE HUMILIATION OF THE PEOPLE. The intercession of Moses, and his offer to sacrifice himself for his people had obtained from God some great concessions, viz.— 1. That the people's lives should be spared (Exodus 32:14); 2. And that they should be led into Palestine (Exodus 32:34) But a change had been introduced into the conditions under which the future journeys were to be made, somewhat obscurely indicated in the words—"Behold, mine angel shall go before thee" (_ibid._)—which was now to be more distinctly set

FOR THE LORD HAD SAID TO MOSES,.... At the same time he had told it to the people: SAY UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: Menachem, as quoted by Ainsworth, observes, that this is said in a way of mercy; for since their idolatry he had only called them the people of Moses, and the people, but now calls them by their beloved name, the children of Israel; but whether this was any hint of mercy and favour, is not very apparent by what follows: YE [ARE] A STIFFNECKED PEOPLE; obstinate and untractable, Exodus 32:9: I WILL COME UP INTO THE MIDST OF THEE IN A MOMENT, AND CONSUME THEE; before he threatens them that he would not go up in the midst of them, that is, in a way of grace and mercy, to guide, protect, and defend them himself; and now that he would come up in the midst of them, but in a different manner, in a way of wrath, and to

5. MOSES' INTERCESSION AND ITS RESULTS CHAPTER 33 Repentance and Intercession _ 1. The word of the Lord and the people's repentance (Exodus 33:1)_ 2. The tabernacle without the camp (Exodus 33:7) 3. Moses enters the tabernacle (Exodus 33:8) 4. Moses' prayer and Jehovah's answers (Exodus 33:12) 5. Moses' request (Exodus 33:18) The words of the Lord, with which this chapter begins, reveal Him as the covenant-keeping Jehovah. He remembers His covenant, though they are a stiff-necked people. Yet He is a holy Go

EXODUS 33:1 J, EXODUS 33:5 E, EXODUS 33:12 J. YAHWEH'S PRESENCE. The sections of 34 have been glossed and disarranged. In Exodus 33:1 J, Yahweh's refusal to go up in the midst of Israel leads the people to put off their ornaments. In Exodus 33:5 f. follows from E Yahweh's order to put off ornaments and its execution. This may have been connected with the construction of the sacred Tent which is assumed as known in Exodus 33:7, the details being dropped in view of Exodus

CHILDREN. sons. STIFFNEEKED PEOPLE. These have to be humbled; but an afflicted people is an object for Divine favour Compare Ch. Exodus 2:24; Exodus 2:25; Exodus 3:7; Exodus 4:31....

The people strip themselves of their ornaments....