Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Kevin Graham" <kevlds AT hotmail.com>]

== The metaphorical palm blocks Moshe's vision until *Yah* has passed by 
*NOT* his glory

Are you saying Yahweh's presence can be divorced from His glory? If so, then 
I agree. And the text doesn't say anything about a "metaphorical" palm. That 
is a theologically preferable  interpretation.

== Notice the reference to Yah being invisible, yet paradoxically Moshe saw 
him.

There is no paradox once we realize the Greek here for "invisible" can 
simply mean "hidden." Things can be hidden without being "invisible" in a 
metaphysical, nature sense. Moses was given the privilege to see what is 
usually hidden, the visual manifestation of God. No compelling reason to 
give up here and assume paradox.

== As has been demonstrated,it is widely understood by many that physical 
references to Yah can be understood as a mechanism of describiing Yah while 
working within the limitations of a language which is physically orientated, 
i.e. they are just metaphors.

But most of those whom "widely understand" this are interpreters of the 
theologian/minister type, not OT scholars.

== Yah's blocking Moshe's vision with his palm can be understood as Yah 
using his power to block Moshe's vision and Yah's 'back' can be understood 
as the aftereffects of his 'passing by' e.g. When you see a bright light for 
a few seconds which suddenly dissappears,you continue to see its 
aftereffects in the form a glow in your eyes (caused by temporarily burnt 
retinas). I don't know if that was followable or not. I do garble a bit 
sometimes.

So God's hand is really just God's "power" to keep Moses from looking? Seems 
pretty superfluous since the fear of death would generally be enough to keep 
someone from trying to look, and the same "Hand" that parted the sea is the 
same "power" required to shut Moses'eyelids. And God's "backparts" is really 
just an allusion to Moses'attempts to regain his vision?

These are very creative attempts, but there seems to be nothing to justify, 
let alone require it, other than theology. I think the text makes perfect 
sense when read literally, and it seems his ANE audience would have 
understood it this way as well.

Also vs. 21 says that God placed Moses on a rock by him: "And the LORD said, 
Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:"

This is an indication that God wanted to SHOW him something. He could have 
explained his "goodness," (i.e. his attributes) from any distance. This 
indicates that metaphor is not the meaning behind these anthropomorphic 
allusions.

If we understand "glory" to be a blinding light, then much of this makes 
sense. Vs. 22 says, "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, 
that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my 
hand while I pass by:"

Moses couldn't see the "face" of God because of the tremendous  light that 
was blinding his view. But this verse says that the glory will "pass by." 
For what purpose? To prevent Moses from being blinded so he could get a good 
look at the anthropomorphic form. But to keep the face hidden from Moses, 
God uses his hand to block his sight as he passed by:

"And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my 
face shall not be seen."

Thus, Moses was privileged to see the "form" of God, but the face of God he 
was not allowed to see. He was permitted to see God's backparts, which is 
still a great privilege. I agree that God's attributes relate to his glory 
and goodness, but the visual experience remains, and the view that it is 
merely metaphor seems untenable. This literal reading is in perfect harmony 
with parallel passages that refer to the Lords "form." Consider Numbers 
12:7-9

"My servant Moses is not so; he is faithful in all my house: with him will I 
speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the 
FORM OF YHWH shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak 
against my servant, against Moses? And the anger of Jehovah was kindled 
against them; and he departed."

Psalm 17:15 "As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be 
satisfied, when I awake, with BEHOLDING THY FORM."

If we understand this as metaphor, then there are simply too many other 
related passages and traditions that need to be "metaphorized" as well.