But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
Parallel translations
- WEB He said, “You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live.”
- KJV And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
- NKJV But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
- NASB He further said, “You cannot see My face, for mankind shall not see Me and live!”
- NLT But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God says no one can see His face and live, for His full glory is unbearable to sinful humanity. God's holiness is too great for mortals to behold directly.
Overview
Sinful human beings cannot survive the unveiled presence of God's holy glory. This both protects Moses and humbles all who would presume upon God. The truth heightens the wonder of the incarnation, where in Christ the glory of God is revealed in a way humanity can behold and live (John 1:14, 18).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- John 1:18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
- Gen 32:30So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
- 1 Tim 6:16He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
- Isa 6:5Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”
- Judg 6:22When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
- Judg 13:22“We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
- Deut 5:24and you said, “Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him.
- Rev 1:16–17He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.
- Exod 24:10and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.
- Heb 1:13Yet to which of the angels did God ever say: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 33:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.