222. 'Hiding themselves from the face of Jehovah' is being afraid of this dictate, as people conscious of evil normally are. This is clear from their reply in verse 10, 'I heard Your Voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked'. 'The face of Jehovah', that is, of the Lord, is mercy, peace, and all good, as is quite clear from the blessing,

Jehovah make His face ¹ shine upon you and be merciful to you. Jehovah lift up His face ¹ upon you and give you peace. Numbers 6:15, 26.

And in David,

God be merciful to us and bless us, and make His face ¹ shine upon us. Psalms 67:1.

And elsewhere in David,

Many are saying, Who will cause us to see good? Lift up the light of Your face ¹ upon us, O Jehovah. Psalms 4:6-7.

The Lord's mercy is for this reason called 'the angel of His face' ¹ in Isaiah,

I will cause the mercies of Jehovah to be remembered. He has rewarded them according to His mercies, and according to the abundance of His mercies; and He became their Saviour. In all their affliction there was no affliction, and the angel of His face ¹ saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them. Isaiah 63:7-9.

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