Exodus 23 · Verse 20

Exodus 23:20

Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
Exodus 23:20, King James Version

Exodus 23:20 in other translations

BSBBehold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
WEB“Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
ASVBehold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee by the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
YLT‘Lo, I am sending a messenger before thee to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee in unto the place which I have prepared;
DARBYBehold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee to the place that I have prepared.
BBESee, I am sending an angel before you, to keep you on your way and to be your guide into the place which I have made ready for you.
WebsterBehold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

What does Exodus 23:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 23:20-25
20-25. Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way--The communication of these laws, made to Moses and by him rehearsed to the people, was concluded by the addition of many animating promises, intermingled with several solemn warnings that lapses into sin and idolatry would not be tolerated or passed with impunity.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee - Some have thought that this was Moses, others Joshua, because the word מלאך malach signifies an angel or messenger; but as it is said, Exo 23:21, My name is in him, (בקרבו bekirbo, intimately, essentially in him), it is more likely that the great Angel of the Covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ, is meant, in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. We have had already much reason to believe that this glorious personage often appeared in a human form to the patriarchs, etc.; and of him Joshua was a very expressive type, the names Joshua and Jesus, in Hebrew and Greek, being of exactly the same signification, because radically the same, from ישע yasha, he saved, delivered, preserved, or kept safe. Nor does it appear that the description given of the Angel in the text can belong to any other person. Calmet has referred to a very wonderful comment on these words given by Philo Judaeus De Agricultura, which I shall produce here at full length as it stands in Dr. Mangey's edition, vol. 1., p. 308: Ὡς ποιμην και βασιλευς ὁ Θεος αγει κατα δικην και νομον, προστησαμενος τον ορθον αυτου λογον πρωτογονον υἱον, ὁς την επιμελειαν της ἱερας ταυτης αγελης, οἱα τις μεγαλου βασιλεως ὑπαρχος, διαδεξεται. Και γαρ ειρηται που· Ιδου εγω ειμι, αποστελω αγγελον μον εις προσωπον σου, του φυλαξαι σε εν τῃ ὁδῳ "God, as the Shepherd and King, conducts all things according to law and righteousness, having established over them his right Word, his Only-Begotten Son, who, as the Viceroy of the Great King, takes care of and ministers to this sacred flock. For it is somewhere said, (Exo 23:20), Behold, I Am, and I will send my Angel before thy face, to keep thee in the way." This is a testimony liable to no suspicion, coming from a person who cannot be supposed to be even friendly to Christianity, nor at all acquainted with that particular doctrine to which his words seem so pointedly to refer.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 23:20-33
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, mine angel. The precept joined with this promise is, that they be obedient to this angel whom God would send before them. Christ is the Angel of Jehovah; this is plainly taught by St. Paul, 1Co 10:9. They should have a comfortable settlement in the land of Canaan. How reasonable are the conditions of this promise; that they should serve the only true God; not the gods of the nations, which are no gods at all. How rich are the particulars of this promise! The comfort of their food, the continuance of their health, the increase of their wealth, the prolonging their lives to old age. Thus hath godliness the promise of the life that now is. It is promised that they should subdue their enemies. Hosts of hornets made way for the hosts of Israel; such mean creatures can God use for chastising his people's enemies. In real kindness to the church, its enemies are subdued by little and little; thus we are kept on our guard, and in continual dependence on God. Corruptions are driven out of the hearts of God's people, not all at once, but by little and little. The precept with this promise is, that they should not make friendship with idolaters. Those that would keep from bad courses, must keep from bad company. It is dangerous to live in a bad neighbourhood; others' sins will be our snares. Our greatest danger is from those who would make us sin against God.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Exodus 23:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הִנֵּ֨הhi.Nehhere!H2009
אָנֹכִ֜י'a.no.KhiIH595
שֹׁלֵ֤חַsho.Le.ach[am] about to sendH7971
מַלְאָךְ֙mal.'oKhan angelH4397
לְפָנֶ֔יךָle.fa.Nei.kha<to> before youH6440
לִשְׁמָרְךָ֖lish.ma.re.Khato guard youH8104
בַּדָּ֑רֶךְba.Da.rekhon the journeyH1870
וְלַהֲבִ֣יאֲךָ֔ve.la.ha.Vi.'a.khaand to bring youH935
אֶל\־'el-intoH413
הַמָּק֖וֹםha.ma.Komthe placeH4725
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
הֲכִנֹֽתִי\׃ha.khi.No.tiI have preparedH3559

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 23:20

  • Exodus 33:14

    And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

  • Psalms 91:11

    For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

  • Exodus 32:34

    Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

  • Exodus 14:19

    And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

  • Exodus 33:2

    And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:

  • Isaiah 63:9

    In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

  • John 14:3

    And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

  • Matthew 25:34

    Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

  • Malachi 3:1

    Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Numbers 20:16

    And when we cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

  • Joshua 5:13

    And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

  • Joshua 6:2

    And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Angel.
3:2-6; 14:19; 32:34; 33:2,14; Ge 48:16; Nu 20:16; Jos 5:13; 6:2
Ps 91:11; Isa 63:9; Mal 3:1; 1Co 10:9,10
prepared.
Ge 15:18; Mt 25:34; Joh 14:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 23:19

    The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.

  • Exodus 23:20

    Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

  • Exodus 23:21

    Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.

Read all of Exodus 23

Exodus 23:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		He aquí yo envío el Angel delante de ti para que te guarde en el camino, y te introduzca en el lugar que yo he preparado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Voici, j’envoie un ange devant toi, pour te garder dans le chemin, et pour t’amener au lieu que j’ai préparé.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Siehe, ich sende einen Engel vor dir her, um dich auf dem Wege zu bewahren und dich an den Ort zu bringen, den ich bereitet habe.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ecce ego mittam angelum meum, qui præcedat te, et custodiat in via, et introducat in locum quem paravi.