Exodus 33 · Verse 20

Exodus 33:20

And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Exodus 33:20, King James Version

Exodus 33:20 in other translations

BSBBut He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
WEBHe said, “You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live.”
ASVAnd he said, Thou canst not see my face; for man shall not see me and live.
YLTHe saith also, ‘Thou art unable to see My face, for man doth not see Me, and live;'
DARBYAnd he said, Thou canst not see my face; for Man shall not see me, and live.
BBEBut it is not possible for you to see my face, for no man may see me and still go on living.
WebsterAnd he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

What does Exodus 33:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 33:18-23

18-23. I beseech thee, show me thy glory--This is one of the most mysterious scenes described in the Bible: he had, for his comfort and encouragement, a splendid and full display of the divine majesty, not in its unveiled effulgence, but as far as the weakness of humanity would admit. The face, hand, back parts, are to be understood figuratively.

Read the full comment on Exodus 33:18-23 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 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 1Jn 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 33:12-23

Moses is very earnest with God. Thus, by the intercession of Christ, we are not only saved from ruin, but become entitled to everlasting happiness. Observe here how he pleads. We find grace in God's sight, if we find grace in our hearts to guide and quicken us in the way of our duty. Moses speaks as one who dreaded the thought of going forward without the Lord's presence. God's gracious promises, and mercy towards…

Read the full comment on Exodus 33:12-23 →

Exodus 33:20 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.

וַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
תוּכַ֖לtu.Khalyou will be ableH3201
לִרְאֹ֣תlir.'Otto seeH7200
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
פָּנָ֑יpa.Naiface myH6440
כִּ֛יkiforH3588
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
יִרְאַ֥נִיyir.'A.nihe will see meH7200
הָאָדָ֖םha.'a.Dam<the> personH120
וָחָֽי\׃va.Chaiand he will liveH2421

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

Cross references for Exodus 33:20

  • Genesis 32:30

    And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

  • John 1:18

    No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

  • 1 Timothy 6:16

    Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

  • Isaiah 6:5

    Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

  • Judges 13:22

    And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

  • Deuteronomy 5:24

    And ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

  • Judges 6:22

    And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.

  • Exodus 24:10

    And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.

  • Revelation 1:16-17

    And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

  • Hebrews 1:13

    But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Thou canst not.This is well explained by Rabbi Jehudah, in Sepher Cosri, (P. iv.  3.) "Of that divine glory mentioned in the Scripture, there is one degree which the eyes of the prophets were able to explore; another which all the Israelites saw, as the cloud and consuming fire; the third is so bright, and so dazzling, that no mortal is able to comprehend it; but should anyone venture to look on it, his whole frame would be dissolved." In such inconceivable splendour is the Divine Majesty revealed to the inhabitants of the celestial world, where he is said to "dwell in the light which no man can approach unto." (1 Ti 6:16.) By the "face of God," therefore, we are to understand that light inaccessible before which angels may stand, but which would be so insufferable to mortal eyes, that no man could see it and live.
24:10; Ge 32:30; De 5:24; Jud 6:22; 13:22; Isa 6:5; Joh 1:18
1Ti 6:16; Heb 1:13; Re 1:16,17

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

Context

  • Exodus 33:19

    And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

  • Exodus 33:20

    And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

  • Exodus 33:21

    And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

Read all of Exodus 33

Exodus 33:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Dijo más: No podrás ver mi rostro: porque no me verá hombre, y vivirá.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il dit: Tu ne peux pas voir ma face, car l’homme ne peut me voir et vivre.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er sprach: Du vermagst nicht mein Angesicht zu sehen, denn nicht kann ein Mensch mich sehen und leben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Rursumque ait: Non poteris videre faciem meam: non enim videbit me homo et vivet.