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Selected Verse: Exodus 33:20 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ex 33:20 |
King James |
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917] |
my face
(See Scofield) - (Joh 1:18). |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Thou canst not see my face - A full discovery of the glory of God would quite overpower the faculties of any mortal man. I will make all my goodness pass before thee - He had given him wonderful instances of his goodness in being reconciled to Israel; but that was only goodness in the stream, he would shew him goodness in the spring. This was a sufficient answer to his request: Shew me thy glory, saith Moses; I will shew thee my goodness, saith God. God's goodness is his glory; and he will have us to know him by the glory of his mercy, more than by the glory of his majesty. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious - In bestowing his gifts, and is not debtor to any, nor accountable to any; all his reasons of mercy are fetched from within himself, not from any merit in his creatures, and I will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy - For his grace is always free. He never damns by prerogative, but by prerogative he saves. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| No man see me, and live - The splendor would be insufferable to man; he only, whose mortality is swallowed up of life, can see God as he is. See Jo1 3:2. From some disguised relation of the circumstances mentioned here, the fable of Jupiter and Semele was formed; she is reported to have entreated Jupiter to show her his glory, who was at first very reluctant, knowing that it would be fatal to her; but at last, yielding to her importunity, he discovered his divine majesty, and she was consumed by his presence. This story is told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses, book iii., table iii., 5. |
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.