Exodus 33:20
“And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see mee, and liue.”
1611 King James Version (KJV)
Viewing the original 1611 KJV with archaic English spelling.
Click to switch to the Standard KJV.
Exodus 33:20 Context
18And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. 19And he said, I will make all my goodnesse passe before thee, and I will proclaime the name of the Lord before thee: and will bee gracious to whom I wil be gracious, and wil shew mercie on whom I will shew mercie. 20And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see mee, and liue. 21And the Lord said, Beholde, there is a place by mee, and thou shalt stand vpon a rocke. 22And it shall come to passe, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rocke, and will couer thee with my hand, while I passe by.
Share This Verse:
Other Translations for Exodus 33:20
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
- King James Version
But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!"
- New American Standard Version (1995)
And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for man shall not see me and live.
- American Standard Version (1901)
But it is not possible for you to see my face, for no man may see me and still go on living.
- Basic English Bible
And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for Man shall not see me, and live.
- Darby Bible
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
- Webster's Bible
He said, "You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live."
- World English Bible
He saith also, `Thou art unable to see My face, for man doth not see Me, and live;'
- Youngs Literal Bible
And He said: 'Thou canst not see My face, for man shall not see Me and live.'
- Jewish Publication Society Bible
Wesley's Notes for Exodus 33:20
33:20 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.