Exodus 33:5

³ Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.”

⁴ When the people heard these bad tidings, they went into mourning, and no one put on any of his jewelry.

For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I should go with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.’”

⁶ So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.

⁷ Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it at a distance outside the camp. He called it the Tent of Meeting, and anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I should go with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.’”
KJV: For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
WEB: The LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go up among you for one moment, I would consume you. Therefore now take off your jewelry from you, that I may know what to do to you.’”
ASV: And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people; if I go up into the midst of thee for one moment, I shall consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
DARBY: Now Jehovah had said to Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiff-necked people: in one moment I will come up into the midst of thee and will consume thee. And now put off thine ornaments from thee, and I will know what I will do unto thee.
BLB: And YHWH had said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You⁺ [are] a stiff-necked people. In one moment I will come up among you and I will consume you. And now put down your ornaments from on you, and I will know what I shall do to you.’”

ÅB: For Herren sa til Moses: Si til Israels barn: Dere er et hårdnakket folk; dro jeg endog bare et øyeblikk opp med deg, så måtte jeg ødelegge deg; men legg nå dine smykker av deg, så jeg kan vite hva jeg skal gjøre med deg.
OTB: For Herren hadde instruert Moses: «Si til israelittene: ‘Dere er et stivnakket folk. Om jeg skulle følge med dere bare et øyeblikk, kunne jeg komme til å ødelegge dere. Derfor, ta av dere smykkene så jeg kan bestemme hva jeg skal gjøre med dere.’»
B1930: For Herren sa til Moses: Si til Israels barn: I er et hårdnakket folk; drog jeg endog bare et øieblikk op med dig, så måtte jeg ødelegge dig; men legg nu dine smykker av dig, så jeg kan vite hvad jeg skal gjøre med dig.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Deuteronomy 8:2
Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.
Read in context
Exodus 33:3–4
Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.”
Read in context
Numbers 16:21
“Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.”
Read in context
Numbers 16:45–46
“Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown.
Read in context
Psalms 139:23
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
Read in context
Job 34:20
They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.
Read in context
Psalms 73:19
How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!
Read in context
Isaiah 22:12
On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and wailing, for shaven heads and the wearing of sackcloth.
Read in context