The Meaning of Exodus 33:4 Explained

Exodus 33:4

KJV: And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.

YLT: And the people hear this sad thing, and mourn; and none put his ornaments on him.

Darby: And when the people heard this evil word, they mourned; and no man put on his ornaments.

ASV: And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when the people  heard  these evil  tidings,  they mourned:  and no man  did put  on him his ornaments. 

What does Exodus 33:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 33:1-11 - The Angel Leader And The Human Intercessor
Moses knew that His people were forgiven, but it hurt him to hear that an angel was henceforth to lead them. See Exodus 32:34. The burden of two and a half millions of people was too heavy for him to carry, even with angel-help. He must somehow secure the withdrawal of that sentence, "I will not go up in the middle of thee." He spoke of it to the people, who awoke to realize what their sin had forfeited, and put off their jewels. But their leader gave himself to prayer. Since Sinai was too far to climb, he seems to have pitched his own tent outside the camp as a temporary meeting-place with God; and when he entered it the people said: "Look! he is going to pray for us;" and he spake with God face to face, as we may, of what was in his heart. See John 16:26-27. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 33

1  The Lord refuses to go as he had promised with the people
4  The people mourn there
7  The tabernacle is removed out of the camp
9  The Lord talks familiarly with Moses
12  Moses prevails with God, and desires to see his glory

What do the individual words in Exodus 33:4 mean?

And when heard the people - news bad this and they mourned and no put one his ornaments on
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע הָעָ֗ם אֶת־ הַדָּבָ֥ר הָרָ֛ע הַזֶּ֖ה וַיִּתְאַבָּ֑לוּ וְלֹא־ שָׁ֛תוּ אִ֥ישׁ עֶדְי֖וֹ עָלָֽיו

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע  And  when  heard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
הָעָ֗ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַדָּבָ֥ר  news 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הָרָ֛ע  bad 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
הַזֶּ֖ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וַיִּתְאַבָּ֑לוּ  and  they  mourned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָבַל 
Sense: to mourn, lament.
וְלֹא־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁ֛תוּ  put 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שִׁית  
Sense: to put, set.
אִ֥ישׁ  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
עֶדְי֖וֹ  his  ornaments 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֲדִי  
Sense: ornaments.