Moses — "And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God."
And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
Get This Quote & Author's Image Illustrated On:
Click any product to generate a realistic preview. Up to 3 at a time.
* Initial load can take up to 90 seconds — revising the preview in another color is nearly instant.
Kitchen
Apparel
Other
More from Moses
"Is the Lord's arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you."
"You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land."
"And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend."
"You shall not spread a false report."
"Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together."
Details
Exodus 3:6, reaction to God's presence at the burning bush.
Date: c. 13th century BCE (biblical account)
GeneralVerification
Unverifiable
Found in 1 providers: grok
1 source checked
Understanding this quote
What it means
Standing before something so vast and holy, Moses instinctively covers his eyes. The line captures the human reflex when confronted with overwhelming presence or truth: we look away because we cannot process it. It expresses awe mixed with fear, a recognition that some realities are larger than we are equipped to face directly, and that humility is the only honest response to encountering the sacred.
Relevance to Moses
Moses spent forty years as a Midianite shepherd after fleeing Egypt, far from any priestly training, when this burning-bush moment recruited him to confront Pharaoh. His hiding his face fits his character: he repeatedly told God he was unworthy, slow of speech, the wrong messenger. The reluctant prophet who would later receive the Ten Commandments and lead the Exodus begins his calling not with confidence but with covered eyes and trembling.
The era
Around the 13th century BCE, the ancient Near East was crowded with visible gods, statues, and idols you could see, touch, and bargain with. Moses's encounter with an invisible, unnameable God who could not be looked upon directly was a radical departure. This moment seeded the monotheistic tradition that broke from Egyptian and Canaanite religion, where divinity demanded reverence rather than representation, and where awe replaced the familiar transactional rituals of the surrounding cultures.
AI-generated insights based on extensive research and information for context. Factual errors? Email [email protected].