Exodus 33:19

“And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of YHWH before you; and I will favor whom I favor, and I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.””
Exodus 33:19 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

And he said,וַיֹּאמֶר“Iאֲנִיwill makeאַעֲבִירallכָּלmy goodnessטוּבִיpassאַעֲבִירbefore you,עַל פָּנֶיךָand I will proclaimוְקָרָאתִיthe nameבְשֵׁםof YHWHיְהוָהbefore you;לְפָנֶיךָand I will favorוְחַנֹּתִיwhomאֶת אֲשֶׁרI favor,אָחֹןand I will have mercyוְרִחַמְתִּיon whomאֶת אֲשֶׁרI have mercy.”אֲרַחֵם

Quotation · Romans 9:15

Go to Romans 9:15

Paul quotes the second half of Exodus 33:19. Where the Hebrew says “I will favor” and “I will have mercy,” Romans says “I will have mercy” and “I will have compassion.”

Formula: τῷ Μωϋσεῖ γὰρ λέγει “for to Moses he says” (Romans 9:15)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: τῷ Μωϋσεῖ γὰρ λέγει Ἐλεήσω ὃν ἂν ἐλεῶ καὶ οἰκτιρήσω ὃν ἂν οἰκτίρω

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי אַעֲבִיר כָּל טוּבִי עַל פָּנֶיךָ וְקָרָאתִי בְשֵׁם יְהוָה לְפָנֶיךָ וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת אֲשֶׁר אָחֹן וְרִחַמְתִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר אֲרַחֵם

Septuagint (Exodus 33:18-19 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ λέγει ἐμφάνισόν μοι σεαυτόν. καὶ εἶπεν Ἐγὼ παρελεύσομαι πρότερός σου τῇ δόξῃ μου, καὶ λαλήσω ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου κύριος ἐναντίον σου· καὶ ἐλεήσω ὅν ἄν ἐλεῶ, καὶ ὃν ἀν’ οἰκτείρω.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 5 consecutive words: “Ἐλεήσω ὃν ἂν ἐλεῶ καὶ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Exodus 33:19, word by word

And he saidיֹּאמֶרyomer

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “yomer” appears

will makeאַעֲבִירaavir

pass

To get over a river, or go through a land.

Where else “aavir” appears

my goodnessטוּבִtuvi

goodness

What is good in a person, shown in how he treats others, like God's character.

Where else “tuvi” appears

before youפָּנֶיpane

before

Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.

Where else “pane” appears

and I will proclaimקָרָאתִיkarati

proclaim

To announce aloud.

Where else “karati” appears

the nameשֵׁםshem

name of YHWH

YHWH's name: himself, as he makes himself known.

Where else “shem” appears

of YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

and I will favorחַנֹּתִיchanoti

show favor

To treat someone with undeserved kindness.

Where else “chanoti” appears

and I will have mercyרִחַמְתִּיrichamti

have compassion

To feel tenderness for someone, like a mother for her child.

Where else “richamti” appears

Translation note

Paul quotes this sentence in Romans 9:15.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Romans 9:15

Paul quotes the second half of Exodus 33:19. Where the Hebrew says “I will favor” and “I will have mercy,” Romans says “I will have mercy” and “I will have compassion.”

See them side by side

Exodus 33:19

¹⁹And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of YHWH before you; and I will favor whom I favor, and I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.”

Romans 9:15

¹⁵For to Moses he says: I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion.

The context

18And he said, “Show me, please, your glory.”

19 · This verse (above)

20And he said, “You cannot see my face, for no human being can see me and live.”

Read all of Exodus 33

How to use it