Moses' Vision of God's Glory and the Backside
Moses' request to see God's glory, recorded in Exodus 33:18, represents a pivotal moment in his relationship with God and in the unfolding of divine revelation [2]. Having already experienced God's presence in the burning bush [1], on Mount Sinai where he received the Law [4], and through the cloud of glory [5, 14], Moses sought an even deeper manifestation of God's being.
The request "Show me thy glory" (Exodus 33:18) was not merely for a visible display of splendor, which Moses had already witnessed [8]. Instead, it was a desire to comprehend the essence of God's nature, particularly His goodness and mercy [6, 9]. The Hebrew phrase for "glory" (כָּבוֹד, kavod) can refer to the visible manifestation of God's presence, often described as a bright light or cloud [14]. However, in this context, Moses' plea seems to reach beyond mere outward appearance to an understanding of God's intrinsic character [6, 11].
God's response to Moses' request is both an affirmation and a limitation. God promised to make "all My goodness pass before thee" and to proclaim His name, signifying His character [6, 9]. However, God also stated, "Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live" (Exodus 33:20). Instead, God placed Moses in a cleft of the rock and covered him with His hand as His glory passed by, allowing Moses to see only His "back" (Exodus 33:23).
This concept of seeing God's "back" has been interpreted in various ways. Some Jewish rationalist traditions suggest that "seeing God's back" means understanding how all of creation originates from God, implying a comprehension of God's effects rather than His essence [7, 12]. This aligns with the idea that God communicates with Moses while he is awake, allowing for a unique form of perception [12]. The patristic tradition, as seen in Gregory Thaumaturgus, acknowledges the glory on Moses' countenance after this encounter, even if that glory was temporary [13].
The event highlights the tension between humanity's desire to fully know God and God's transcendent nature. While God revealed His character and goodness to Moses, a direct, unmediated vision of His full glory remained impossible for a mortal [11]. This encounter also foreshadows later theological understandings, such as the exhibition of God's glory in Christ [3]. The veil Moses wore after descending from Sinai, which Paul later references, symbolized the transient nature of the Old Covenant's glory compared to the unveiled glory of Christ [10].
Sources
- Acts “When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came to him, -- Acts 7:31”
- Exodus “Exodus 33:18 (BBE) — And Moses said, O Lord, let me see your glory.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Glory of God, The — Exhibited in Christ -- Joh 1:14; 2Co 4:6; Heb 1:3. Exhibited in His name. -- De 28:58; Ne 9:5. His majesty. -- Job 37:22; Ps 93:1; 104:1; 145:5,12; Isa 2:10. His power. -- Ex 15:1,6; Ro 6:4. His works. -- Ps 19:1; 111:3. His holiness. -- Ex 15:11. Described as Great. -- Ps 138:5. Eternal. -- Ps 104:31. Rich. -- Eph 3:16. Highly exalted. -- Ps 8:1; 113:4. Exhibited to Moses. -- Ex 34:5-7; 33:18-23. Stephen. -- Ac 7:55. His Church. -- De 5:24; Ps 102:16. Enlightens the Church -- Isa 60:1,2; Re 21:11,23. Saints desire to behold -- Ps 63:2; 90:16. God”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 5, section 1: . How Moses Ascended Up To Mount Sinai, And Received Laws From God, And Delivered Them To The Hebrews. 1. Now Moses called the multitude together, and told them that he was going from them unto mount Sinai to converse with God; to receive from him, and to bring back with him, a certain oracle; but he enjoined them to pitch their tents near the mountain, and prefer the habitation that was nearest to God, before one more remote. When he had said this, he ascended up to Mount Sinai, which is the highest of all the mountains that are”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Cloud of Glory — First manifestation of -- Ex 13:20,21. Called The cloud. -- Ex 34:5. Pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. -- Ex 13:22. Cloudy pillar. -- Ex 33:9,10. Cloud of the Lord. -- Nu 10:34. The presence of God. -- Ex 33:14,15. God's glory manifested in -- Ex 16:10; 40:35. God came down in -- Ex 34:5; Nu 11:25. God spoke from -- Ex 24:16; Ps 99:7. Was designed to Regulate the movements of Israel. -- Ex 40:36,37; Nu 9:17-23. Guide Israel. -- Ex 13:21; Ne 9:19. Show light to Israel. -- Ps 105:39. Defend Israel. -- Ex 14:19; Ps 105:39. Cover the tabernacle. -- Ex ”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 33:18: Show me thy glory - Moses probably desired to see that which constitutes the peculiar glory or excellence of the Divine nature as it stands in reference to man. By many this is thought to signify his eternal mercy in sending Christ Jesus into the world. Moses perceived that what God was now doing had the most important and gracious designs which at present he could not distinctly discover; therefore he desires God to show him his glory. God graciously promises to indulge him in this request as far as possible, by proclaiming his name, and making all his goodness pa”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 33:21: Observe. Scripture states, and thou shalt see My back (v. 23) because God is all, His glory fills all, from Him is all, and He encompasses all of their images. 199 Moses was shown how all of creation has its origin in God. This is called seeing God’s back (Meijler). This is the meaning of and the similitude of the Lord doth he behold (Num. 12:8).”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 33:18: And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. Not any visible lustre, splendour, and brightness, as a symbol of the divine Presence, that he had seen, Exo 16:7 nor the glorious essence of God, as Maimonides (b), which is invisible and cannot be seen, and of which Moses could not be ignorant; nor the glory of the heavenly state, which also he must know he could not see until he came thither; but he seems to mean some visible glorious representation of God, such as he had never seen, though he had been with him so long on the mount in the cloud, and heard his voice, ”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Kabbalistic/Philosophical)) “Ramban (Nachmanides) on Exodus 33:18: AND HE [Moses] SAID: ‘SHOW ME, I PRAY THEE, THY GLORY.’ Moses desired that he should actually see in clear sight the Glory of G-d. It is possible that Thy Glory here means the Great Glory — the clear vision. 493 See Vol. I, p. 229. And G-d answered him, I will make the measure of all My goodness pass before thee , 494 Verse 19. that you will comprehend and understand all My goodness more than all men, but the vision of the Presence that you have asked for, you will not be able to see.”
- 2 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Corinthians 3:13: We use no disguise, "as Moses put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel might not look steadfastly upon the end of that which was to be done away" [ELLICOTT and others]. The view of Exo 34:30-35, according to the Septuagint is adopted by Paul, that Moses in going in to speak to God removed the veil till he came out and had spoken to the people; and then when he had done speaking, he put on the veil that they might not look on the end, or the fading, of that transitory glory. The veil was the symbol of concealment, put on directly aft”
- Exodus (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Exodus 33:18: Moses was emboldened by this, and now prayed to the Lord, "Let me see Thy glory." What Moses desired to see, as the answer of God clearly shows, must have been something surpassing all former revelations of the glory of Jehovah (Exo 16:7, Exo 16:10; Exo 24:16-17), and even going beyond Jehovah's talking with him face to face (Exo 33:11). When God talked with him face to face, or mouth to mouth, he merely saw a "similitude of Jehovah" (Num 12:8), a form which rendered the invisible being of God visible to the human eye, i.e., a manifestation of the divine glory”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Numbers 12:8: AND THE SIMILITUDE OF THE LORD DOTH HE BEHOLD. As in the case of Show me, I pray Thee, Thy glory (Ex. 33:18). 44 And God responded, as it were, by showing Moses His back. Or its meaning is 45 The meaning of and the similitude of the Lord doth he behold . that God communicates with Moses when Moses is awake.”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 6: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius, Julius Africanus, Methodius, Arnobius — WITH THE HERESIARCH MANES. (part 87): if the ministration of death, engraven(10) in letters on the stones, was made in glory, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away;"(11) and so on. Well, this passage at any rate acknowledges the existence of a glory on the countenance of Moses, and that surely is a fact favourable to our position. And even although it is to be done away. and although there is a veil in the r”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 24:16: And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai,.... The divine Shechinah or Majesty, some visible token of it, an exceeding great brightness and splendour: and the cloud covered it six days; either the glory of the Lord, so that it could not be seen it had been; or the mount, as Jarchi; but that is observed before, unless repeated for the sake of the time it covered it, six days; or him, Moses, as some in Jarchi, who for six days together was covered with a thick cloud, so that he was not seen by any while on the mountain; and thus he remained, until he was admit”