Exodus 23:21

23:21 Take heed because of him, and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgressions, for my name ¹  is in him.

Exodus 32:10

32:10 So now, leave me alone ²  so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.”

Numbers 16:21

16:21 “Separate yourselves ³  from among this community, ⁴  that I may consume them in an instant.”

Numbers 16:45

16:45 “Get away from this community, so that I can consume them in an instant!” But they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground. ⁵ 

Amos 3:13-14

3:13 Listen and warn ⁶  the family ⁷  of Jacob! ⁸ 

The sovereign Lord, the God who commands armies, ⁹  is speaking!

3:14 “Certainly when ¹⁰  I punish Israel for their ¹¹  covenant transgressions, ¹² 

I will destroy ¹³  Bethel’s ¹⁴  altars.

The horns ¹⁵  of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.

[23:21]  ¹ sn This means “the manifestation of my being” is in him (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 247). Driver quotes McNeile as saying, “The ‘angel’ is Jehovah Himself ‘in a temporary descent to visibility for a special purpose.’” Others take the “name” to represent Yahweh’s “power” (NCV) or “authority” (NAB, CEV).

[32:10]  ² tn The imperative, from the word “to rest” (נוּחַ, nuakh), has the sense of “leave me alone, let me be.” It is a directive for Moses not to intercede for the people. B. S. Childs (Exodus [OTL], 567) reflects the Jewish interpretation that there is a profound paradox in God’s words. He vows the severest punishment but then suddenly conditions it on Moses’ agreement. “Let me alone that I may consume them” is the statement, but the effect is that he has left the door open for intercession. He allows himself to be persuaded – that is what a mediator is for. God could have slammed the door (as when Moses wanted to go into the promised land). Moreover, by alluding to the promise to Abraham God gave Moses the strongest reason to intercede.

[16:21]  ³ tn The verb is הִבָּדְלוּ (hibbadÿlu), the Niphal imperative of בָּדַל (badal). This is the same word that was just used when Moses reminded the Levites that they had been separated from the community to serve the Lord.

[16:21]  ⁴ sn The group of people siding with Korah is meant, and not the entire community of the people of Israel. They are an assembly of rebels, their “community” consisting in their common plot.

[16:45]  ⁵ tn Heb “they fell on their faces.”

[3:13]  ⁶ tn Or “testify against.”

[3:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “house.”

[3:13]  ⁸ tn These words are spoken to either the unidentified heralds addressed at the beginning of v. 9, or to the Egyptians and Philistines (see v. 9b). Another possibility is that one is not to look for a specific addressee but rather appreciate the command simply as a rhetorical device to grab the attention of the listeners and readers of the prophetic message.

[3:13]  ⁹ tn Traditionally, “the God of hosts.”

[3:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “in the day.”

[3:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “his.” With the referent “Israel” here, this amounts to a collective singular.

[3:14]  ¹² tn Traditionally, “transgressions, sins,” but see the note on the word “crimes” in 1:3.

[3:14]  ¹³ tn Heb “punish” (so NASB, NRSV).

[3:14]  ¹⁴ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[3:14]  ¹⁵ sn The horns of an ancient altar projected upwards from the four corners and resembled an animal’s horns in appearance. Fugitives could seek asylum by grabbing hold of these corners (see Exod 21:14; 1 Kgs 1:50; 2:28). When the altar’s horns were cut off, there would be no place of asylum left for the Lord’s enemies.