Exodus 33:20

And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

Cross-references

Exodus 33:18 Historical context

Exodus 33:18 is Moses’ request to see glory — the immediate context that prompts God’s response here.

Exodus 33:23 Historical context

Exodus 33:23 continues the answer: God shows Moses His back but reiterates His face cannot be seen.

Exodus 19:21 similarly warns that seeing the LORD brings death — reinforcing the same prohibition.

Exodus 24:11 records leaders seeing God and surviving — a direct exception to the death penalty stated here.

Exodus 34:6 Parallel

In Exodus 34:6, God reveals His character to Moses after showing His back — the merciful side of the same encounter where face-to-face is impossible.

Exodus 24:10 describes elders seeing God — a theophany, but not His face; this shows a partial vision while 33:20 forbids seeing the face.

Exodus 20:19 shows people fearing death from hearing God — parallel fear but concerning His voice rather than His face.

In Revelation 1:17, John falls as though dead upon seeing Christ — directly reflecting the lethal danger of seeing divine glory.

Genesis 32:30 has Jacob claiming to see God face to face and survive — directly challenging the prohibition here, though likely a different kind of encounter.

1 Timothy 6:16 restates that God dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen — directly affirming the principle here.

John 1:18 Allusion

John 1:18 echoes that no one has seen God, but adds that the Son has made Him known — clarifying the prohibition.

Isaiah 6:5 Allusion

In Isaiah 6:5, the prophet's cry of woe at seeing the King reflects this same fatal danger of seeing God.

Judges 13:22 has Manoah's similar fear of death after seeing God — a direct parallel to Gideon's reaction, reinforcing the same truth.

Judges 6:22 Allusion

Judges 6:22 shows Gideon's fear of death after seeing the angel of the Lord — directly illustrating the principle that seeing a divine being threatens life.

Acts 7:32 Parallel

Acts 7:32 recounts Moses trembling and not daring to look at the burning bush — the same reverent fear of divine presence as in Exodus 33:20.

1 John 4:12 Allusion

1 John 4:12 echoes 'no one has ever seen God' and adds that His love is perfected in us — a New Testament application of the same truth from Exodus 33:20.

Deuteronomy 5:24 recounts Israel seeing God's glory and living — a parallel experience that affirms the principle of mediated revelation.

Deuteronomy 4:33 recalls Israel hearing God's voice from fire and living — echoing the unique survival of divine encounter that makes the Exodus 33:20 warning concrete.

Daniel 10:17 shows Daniel overwhelmed by a heavenly vision — a later parallel to the mortal danger of direct divine encounter in Exodus 33:20.