Exodus 33:20

But he added, “You cannot see my face, for no one can ¹  see me and live.” ² 

Ge 32:30; Ex 24:10; De 5:24; Jud 6:22; Jud 13:22; Isa 6:5; Joh 1:18; 1Ti 6:16; Heb 1:13; Re 1:16,17

¹ tn In view of the use of the verb “can, be able to” in the first clause, this imperfect tense is given a potential nuance.

² tn Gesenius notes that sometimes a negative statement takes the place of a conditional clause; here it is equal to “if a man sees me he does not live” (GKC 498 §159.gg). The other passages that teach this are Gen 32:30; Deut 4:33, 5:24, 26; Judg 6:22, 13:22, and Isa 6:5.