Exodus 33:16 (ASV)

Passage

For wherein now shall it be known that I have found favor in thy sight, I and thy people? is it not in that thou goest with us, so that we are separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth?

Nearby Context

Exodus 33:14 And he said, My presence shall go [with thee], and I will give thee rest.

Exodus 33:15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not [with me], carry us not up hence.

Exodus 33:16 For wherein now shall it be known that I have found favor in thy sight, I and thy people? is it not in that thou goest with us, so that we are separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth?

Exodus 33:17 And Jehovah said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found favor in my sight, and I know thee by name.

Exodus 33:18 And he said, Show me, I pray thee, thy glory.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wherein", "shall", "known", "found", "favor", "sight", "people", and "thou". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wherein" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And he said unto him If thy..." into verse 17's "And Jehovah said unto Moses I will...", so "wherein" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In Exodus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wherein" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.