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  • From: <tladatsi AT charter.net>
  • To: <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] More on Exodus 33:11-23
  • Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 1:17:16 -0400

HH,

You are correct, I should have started at 33:11 but 34
seems disconnected from 33. The DH folks argue that most of
34 is J while all of 33 is E.

How is seeing Yahweh s glory being taught Yahweh?s ways?
This is an odd formula is it not? It seems to me the usual
formula is that Yahweh s ways are expressed in the
commandments (e.g. Ex 18:20 or Deu 5:33). ? Is there
somewhere else in the Bible where this formula of learning
Yahweh?s ways by seeing His glory is expressed?

I do not see that it is clear that Moses actually saw
Yahweh?s Glory. The verb is 3rd person qal perfect (to be)
followed by a infinite construct (passing) and then the
noun (my glory). If I understand the words correctly, as
the glory is passing by Yahweh will lift up Moses and place
him inside the crevice of rock and cover both the crevice
and Moses with Yahweh?s hand until the glory passed. When
Yahweh removed his hand, Moses only saw Yahweh?s backside.
The implication seems to be that Yahweh?s glory had already
passed and is not visible from behind.

As an aside, it seems a very odd image, Yahweh picking up
Moses, placing him into the crevice of a rock, holding His
hand over both the crevice and Moses, while walking to a
location where Moses can only see His backside. Even
reckoning that Yahweh would be seen as having exaggerated
features, it is a series of anatomically complicated and
counter-intuitive actions.

Also Yahweh seems to be answering questions Moses did not
ask. As I noted earlier Yahweh tells Moses that he may not
see Yahweh?s face even though Moses did not ask to see His
face. Yahweh goes on to say that He loves whom He loves
and He honors whom He honors (or however you want to
translate that). What question is Yahweh answering? In
Ex 3:14 Moses asks Yahweh what His name is and Yahweh
responds I am who I am which some correspondents suggest is
a non-response, if not actually a rude or snide response
(verb ?asher ?verb). Irrespective of the nature of the
response, it is a response to a question. Moses did not
ask Yahweh anything about who is loved or favored and
Yahweh has already said that Moses has His favor. It is
almost as if someone asked why does Moses get this special
treatment and Yahweh responds I will decide who gets
special treatment who does not.


Jack Tladatsi




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