Exodus 34:9

And he said, If now I have found mercy before the Lord let the Shekinah of the Glory of the Lord go among us; for it is a people of hard neck; but pardon Thou our guilt and our sin, and give us the inheritance of the land which Thou didst covenant unto our fathers, and change us not to become an alien people.

Let my Master go among us. That is, let Him accompany us in our travels.

Although (ki) it is a stiff-necked people. The usual meaning of ki is “because,” but this makes no sense in this context. Therefore Rabbi Marinus renders it “although,” similar to the usage in Tehillim 41:5, “Heal my soul although (ki) I have sinned to You.” Alternatively, in both instances the meaning is, “for I acknowledge that, etc.”

FOR IT IS A STIFFNECKED PEOPLE. This is to be understood in its literal sense. G-d is to go in their midst because they are a stiffnecked people, for now that the Holy One, blessed be He, became reconciled with them, His Presence amongst those who are stiffnecked would be better than that of the angel. For He will want to increase their blessings more, since they are His people and His inheritance. And just as at the time of anger it was better for them that He send before them an angel, because they are a stiffnecked people, just as He said, lest I consume thee in the way, so at the time of good-will it is better for them that the Divine Glory go with them, because they are a stiffnecked people, and He would more readily show grace and mercy upon His servants. And G-d answered him that He would do so, that He would make the covenant and do marvels because of it, just as Moses had asked for, so that we are distinguished, I and Thy people., Verse 16. He said, before all thy people I will do marvels… and all the people amongst which thou art shall see, because all these great and tremendous things He would do with Moses and for his sake, and the people would merely be in the covenant. It is not possible, however, to explain that G-d was promising that He would now do with Israel wonders such as have not been wrought before and in all the earth, nor in any nation, for [we do not find] that after this [statement] there were any wonders done for them, greater than those which had been wrought for them at the beginning in Egypt and at the sea; on the contrary, at first there were wrought and done for them greater things. Rather, the purport thereof hints at the dwelling of the Divine Glory amongst them, and at G-d being with Moses, for splendor and for beauty, 28:2. in hidden and wondrous matters, as he said, ‘v’niphlinu’ (so that we are distinguished), Verse 16. [which is of the root peleh — wonder], and as I have explained. May the Holy One, blessed be He, show us wonders in His Torah.

כי עם קשה עורף הוא. Seeing that You are so forgiving You will be able to go in our midst in spite of this.

כי עם קשה עורף הוא, and it will commit sins even if You will go in our midst. Even though I am fully aware that such sins, due to their being committed in Your immediate presence are more serious than otherwise, as You yourself have pointed out in 33,5, on balance I believe that it is still better that You Yourself should go with us.

וסלחת לעוננו, seeing that only You are capable and willing to forgive and we constantly hope for Your forgiveness, the angel should not be the one going with us even though countermanding his instructions is a lesser sin than countermanding Your instructions. After all, there is no hope at all to obtain forgiveness for disobedience committed against the angel, as You Yourself pointed out in 23,21 “for he will not forgive your sins committed due to a rebellious spirit.”

אם נא מצאתי חן בעיניך....ילך נא אדו-ני בקרבנו, “if I have indeed found favour in Your eyes, .....may my Lord walk in our midst.” Moses argues that the very reason why it is so necessary for G–d personally to walk amongst the people is the problem that the people are so stiff-necked that they might countermand an angel’s instruction which would trigger G–d’s threat to annihilate them as we read in Exodus 33,13.

וסלחת לעוונו ולחטאתנו ונחלתנו, “and pardon our iniquity, and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.” By allowing us to take possession of the Promised Land You would demonstrate this.