John Calvin Commentary Exodus 33:12

"And Moses said unto Jehovah, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found favor in my sight." — Exodus 33:12 (ASV)

See, you say to me, Bring up this people. Moses is still diligently engaged in endeavoring to reconcile the people, for the fuller promise was inserted by way of anticipation.

Since the revolt, however, God had promised no more than that He would give the land to the people. Although wishing only to assure them that they should possess the land, He had added that His angel should lead them. Still, this was but a temporary blessing, and one which He usually confers indiscriminately on other nations also.

Thus Moses saw that he and the people were deprived of a special privilege which they had previously enjoyed. For that same angel who had gone before them was frequently called the God of hosts, so that they would perceive that God was present with them in a special manner.

Hence Moses complains, not without cause, that God had not signified whom He would send. Since, when He spoke generally of an ordinary angel, He had withdrawn that special Deliverer—the guardian of the people and the perpetual maintainer of their safety.

He does not, therefore, request that Aaron should be restored to him, or that any companion should be associated with him in his difficult and arduous task; instead, he desires to be assured of the continuance of God’s previous favor.

As the ground of his confidence in asking, he adduces nothing but the promises of God. He rests, then, on no dignity of his own, nor alleges any duties performed by which he had merited so great a favor, but contents himself with this brief statement: Lord, cause the event to correspond with Your words.

We have already shown³⁶⁶ what it is to “know by name,” namely, to choose from among others, or to hold in special honor.

After Moses had made mention of what had been promised by God, however, he implores Him by this grace: if (says he) I have found grace in your sight, confirm or ratify it by this proof, that is, by again undertaking the care of us. For by the way of God he means that guidance in which He had declared that He would go before them to show them the way.

In a word, he requests that this token of favor should be given them: that God should continually guide His people. Therefore, he says, thus shall I know you, and it will appear that I am acceptable to you.

Finally, he refers to the Covenant of God with the whole people. This is as if to say that although God might be unwilling to grant this to him alone individually, there was still a weightier reason: namely, because God had adopted that people. Consequently, it was just that He should distinguish them from other nations by special marks.

³⁶⁶ See ante onExodus 31:2, , p. 291..