Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Chapter 33 · Questions · Question 54
QUEST. LIII. What is understood here by the Lords back-parts.
Quaest. 154. in Exod.Vers. 23. THou shalt see my back-parts. 1. Augustine giveth this sense: Hoc postea factum est in eis, quo… significabat persona Mosis, &c. This came to passe in them, who are signified here in the person of Moses, that is, the Israelites, who, as the Acts of the Apostles shew, afterward beleeved, when Christs glorie was passed out of the world to heaven, &c. So also Rupertus, and Gloss. interlin. But here was somewhat presently and actually performed unto Moses, as is evident by the whole description, both of the place and manner.
2. Gregor. Nyssen. thus expoundeth: Docetur Moses, &c. Moses desiring to see God, is taught how God may be seene: Sequi enim Deum corde & anima semper quocunque ducat, idipsum est totum videre; For to follow God in heart and minde alwayes, whether soever he leadeth, that is, to see God, &c. Qui … tem sequitur, non faciem, sed tergum aspicit; But he which followeth seeth the backe, and not the face, &c. But this sense cannot bee received, because it taketh away all visible demonstration of Gods glorie here, which was the thing that Moses desired.
3. Procopius by the back-parts understandeth, the knowledge of God by the creatures: Invisibilia Dei ex creatione; The invisible things of God are seene by the creatures. So also Borrhaius. But this knowledge of God was ordinarie, and granted unto Moses at other times: here he hath an extraordinarie demonstration of Gods glorie according to his desire.
4. Tertullian referreth these backer or latter parts to the latter times of the Messiah: Gloria mea, quam videre desideras, posterioribus temporibus revelabitur; My glorie, which thou desirest to see, shall be revealed in the latter times. But the Lord speaketh here of some thing presently done.
5. Some by posteriora, these backer parts doe understand, Effecta & opera, the works of God, whereby he is knowne, tanquam ex posterioribus, as by the backer parts; as the Lord proclaimeth himselfe in the next Chapter by his epithetes and properties, Gallas. Lippom. Ferus. But this interpretation also taketh away all visible revelation of Gods glorie, which is intended by the letter of the text.
6. Cajetan thinketh, that hac scripta & dicta in metaphora, these things were said and written in metaphores: and by the face he would have understood onelyonly majus lumen, a greater light, and by the backer parts, and the removing of the hand, minus lumen infusum, a lesse infused light, &c. So he taketh all this to have beene onelyonly a present illumination of Moses minde. But if Moses minde onelyonly had beene illuminated, he needed not to have beene set in the cleft of the rocke, which was in that place: this placing and disposing of Moses to see, sheweth that there was an actuall visible demonstration of Gods glorie.
7. Borrhaius by these backe parts would have understood the shadowes of the Law, Qua corpus, quod est Christi tanquam posteriora sequuntur, &c. which follow the bodie which is Christs, as the back-parts. But Moses not onelyonly now, but before this did in the shadowes of the Law behold the mysteries of Christ: therefore this was an extraordinarie revelation of Gods glorie beside that.
8. Nazianzene by the backe or back-parts understandeth any thing whereby the Lord is shewed and made knowne unto us,In oration. de composit. disser…nd… ratione. Vt tamen naturam illius non contingat; so that it concerne not his very nature; like as they which cannot behold the Sun it selfe, may see the beames thereof shining in the water. So the Genevense have this annotation: My back-parts, that is, so much my glorie, as in this mortall life thou art able to see. So Iunius also seemeth to interpret it, Aliquam gloriae mea imperfectam imaginem; Some imperfect image of my glorie. But this had been no extraordinary thing: for Moses before this had seene Gods glorie and power divers wayes in that manner revealed unto him, as in his great works and miracles.
9. Lyranus taketh it onelyonly for a generall and confused knowledge of God: as by the back-parts, one may be discerned that he is a man, but not that he is Socrates, or Plato, this or that man. But such knowledge of God Moses was never without, that he needed not to have made any speciall request for the same at this time.
10. It is resolved then, that there was a visible representation of Gods glorie at this time shewed unto Moses: as Calvin saith, Exhibita fuit oculis visio; A vision was shewed unto his eyes. But what kinde of sensible vision it was, there is likewise some question.