Angel's Work in Exodus 23:20-23 and God's Sovereignty
Exodus 23:20-23 describes God's promise to send an angel before the Israelites to guide and protect them as they journey to the promised land. The passage begins, "Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared" (Exodus 23:20 ESV). This promise is part of a larger section of covenant stipulations and blessings given to Israel after the Ten Commandments, emphasizing God's continued care and guidance [1].
The term "angel" (Hebrew: mal'akh) literally means "messenger" and can refer to various agents God uses to execute His purposes, including human messengers, prophets, priests, or even impersonal agents like pestilence or wind [3]. However, its primary application is to heavenly intelligences [3]. In this context, the angel is a spiritual being exalted above humanity but infinitely below God [2].
There are differing interpretations regarding the identity of this angel. Some traditions, such as the Babylonian Talmud, understand it as a created angel sent in place of God to guard the Jewish people [6]. Matthew Henry, a Nonconformist commentator, also suggests it refers to a created angel, a "minister of God's providence" [7]. This angel's role is to guide and protect the Israelites through the wilderness [7, 8].
Other interpretations suggest a closer identification with God Himself. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary, representing a Presbyterian view, identifies this angel with the visible token of God's presence, the Shekinah cloud, which is also called "the angel of God" in other passages [4]. They note that this angel is frequently called "Jehovah" and "Elohim," indicating a divine identity [9]. The Smith's Bible Dictionary also observes that "angel of God" can refer to a manifestation of God Himself, citing examples like Genesis 22:11-12 and Exodus 3:2 with 3:6 and 3:14 [2].
Abraham Ibn Ezra, a Jewish rationalist, addresses those who interpret "angel" as referring to the Torah or the Ark of the Covenant, noting that the phrase "for My name is in him" (Exodus 23:21) could be rendered "in it" [10]. However, Ibn Ezra himself emphasizes that any angel, including this one, acts solely by God's command, and therefore, hearkening to the angel's voice is equivalent to hearkening to God's voice [5]. This highlights the angel's role as an agent of divine sovereignty, executing God's will without deviation [5].
The passage continues with warnings against rebelling against this angel, stating, "for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him" (Exodus 23:21 ESV). This underscores the authority vested in the angel and the seriousness of obeying God's appointed messenger. The promise concludes with the assurance that if the Israelites obey the angel, God will be an enemy to their enemies and an adversary to their adversaries, driving out the inhabitants of the land before them [1].
Sources
- Exodus ““Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. -- Exodus 23:20”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Angels — By the word "angels" (i.e. "messengers" of God) we ordinarily understand a race of spiritual beings of a nature exalted far above that of man, although infinitely removed from that of God--whose office is "to do him service in heaven, and by his appointment to succor and defend men on earth. I. Scriptural use of the word .--There are many passages in which the expression "angel of God" is certainly used for a manifestation of God himself (Genesis 22:11) with Genesis 22:12 and Exod 3:2 with Exod 3:6 and Exod 3:14 It is to be observed, also, that side by side w”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Angel — A word signifying, both in the Hebrew and Greek, a "messenger," and hence employed to denote any agent God sends forth to execute his purposes. It is used of an ordinary messenger (Job 1:14: 1 Sam. 11:3; Luke 7:24; 9:52), of prophets (Isa. 42:19; Hag. 1:13), of priests (Mal. 2:7), and ministers of the New Testament (Rev. 1:20). It is also applied to such impersonal agents as the pestilence (2 Sam. 24:16, 17; 2 Kings 19:35), the wind (Ps. 104:4). But its distinctive application is to certain heavenly intelligences whom God employs in carrying on his government”
- Exodus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Exodus 13:21: the Lord went before them--by a visible token of His presence, the Shekinah, in a majestic cloud (Psa 78:14; Neh 9:12; Co1 10:1), called "the angel of God" (Exo 14:19; Exo 23:20-23; Psa 99:6-7; Isa 63:8-9). Next: Exodus Chapter 14”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 23:21: TAKE HEED OF HIM. Every angel follows God’s command. The angel does not add or subtract from what God has commanded him. 139 Thus his instructions are to be followed explicitly. The same applies to Satan, who tormented Job. 140 Whatever that angel (Satan) did, he did by God’s command. He was an angel. It was the same case with the angel who went out to hinder Balaam. Now, whoever hearkens to the voice of the angel is hearkening to the voice of God the glorious.”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Bava Kamma 93a.1: “Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way” (Exodus 23:20), indicating that an angel was sent in place of God to guard the Jewish people.”
- Exodus (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Exodus 23:20: Three gracious promises are here made to Israel, to engage them to their duty and encourage them in it; and each of the promises has some needful precepts and cautions joined to it. I. It is here promised that they should be guided and kept in their way through the wilderness to the land of promise: Behold, I send an angel before thee (Exo 23:20), my angel (Exo 23:23), a created angel, say some, a minister of God's providence, employed in conducting and protecting the camp of Israel; that it might appear that God took a particular care of them, he appointed one o”
- Exodus (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Exodus 23:20: Relation of Jehovah to Israel. - The declaration of the rights conferred by Jehovah upon His people is closed by promises, through which, on the one hand, God insured to the nation the gifts and benefits involved in their rights, and, on the other hand, sought to promote that willingness and love which were indispensable to the fulfilment of the duties incumbent upon every individual in consequence of the rights conferred upon them. These promises secured to the people not only the protection and help of God during their journey through the desert, and in the ”
- Exodus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Exodus 23:21: my name is in him--This angel is frequently called Jehovah and Elohim, that is, God.”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 23:20: [AN ANGEL.] Many err concerning the angel. Some say that the angel refers to the Book of the Torah, for Scripture says, for My name is in him (v. 21). 130 This can be rendered, for My name is in it . For the word bo (him) can also mean it. Others say that the reference is to the ark of the covenant. 131 The ark led the Israelites as an angel does. See Num. 10:33. They interpret and hearken unto his voice (v. 21) as: and hearken to what is written in it. 132 The reference is to the Ten Commandments which were in the ark. They also say that for he will not pardo”