Exodus 33:23 (KJV)

Passage

And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

Nearby Context

Exodus 33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

Exodus 33:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

Exodus 33:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "take", "away", "mine", "hand", "thou", "shalt", "back", and "parts". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "take" and "away", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "And it shall come to pass while...", giving immediate footing for "take" and "away". In Exodus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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