Moses said to the LORD, “Behold, you tell me, ‘Bring up this people;’ and you haven’t let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 12. To the Lord. This conversation probably took place on Mount Horeb, (verse 22,) after God had threatened that he would not go up with the people. Calmet. 32:34. And here (verse 3,) Moses, considering that God would thus withdraw his special providence from his people, begins to expostulate with him; and first, having mentioned with gratitude, the repeated kindnesses of God towards himself, he begs to be informed what angel shall accompany him, and then proceeds to beg that God would still shew his wonted favour to the penitent Hebrews, and conduct them himself, as he had done before the transgression. We do not read before, that God said to Moses, I know thee by name; (Saint Augustine q. 193,) but he had used that expression in some conversation with him, as he did afterwards, verse 17. Bible.