Exodus 33:14
“And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”
King James Version (KJV)
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After Israel's sin with the golden calf, Moses intercedes and pleads for assurance that God's presence will remain with His people.
What Does Exodus 33:14 Mean?
This verse means that God promises to accompany His people personally and to give them rest, assuring them of His own nearness. Moses has been pleading with God in the wake of Israel's failure, longing to know that God will not abandon them. God's answer is brief and tender: "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." The greatest gift is not merely guidance or success, but God Himself going along the way.
The Hebrew speaks literally of God's "face" going with them -- an intimate image of personal nearness rather than distant oversight. And paired with that presence is the promise of rest, a settled peace that the wilderness could never provide on its own. Moses understood that what set Israel apart from every other people was not their numbers or their strength but the presence of their God. So it remains: the deepest comfort is not the absence of trouble but the assurance that God walks with us through it. Where His presence goes, rest follows.
In the Original Language
The word "presence" is the Hebrew panim, literally "face"; "rest" is nuach, a settled peace and repose.
Cross References
“And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.”
- Exodus 33:15
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
- Matthew 11:28
“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
- Joshua 1:9
Application
When you long for assurance, remember that God offers His own presence and the rest that comes from walking with Him.