"We beheld his glory": כָּבוֹד and δόξαν

Says The noun כָּבוֹד (kavod, "weight, honor, glory") names God's visible, manifest presence in Exodus. After the golden calf, Moses asks הַרְאֵנִי נָא אֶת־כְּבֹדֶךָ (har'eni na' et-kevodekha, "please show me your glory," Exod 33:18). God answers that he will make "all my goodness" pass by, and that Moses will see his back while his "glory" passes (33:19–23). At the tabernacle's completion, וּכְבוֹד יְהוָה (kevod YHWH) fills the dwelling (40:34–35).

Says The LXX translates freely in this passage. In 33:18 it has Ἐμφάνισόν μοι σεαυτόν ("show yourself to me"), with no δόξα. In 33:19 it has δόξα (τῇ δόξῃ μου) where MT has טוּבִי ("my goodness"). In 33:22 (μου ἡ δόξα) and at the tabernacle (δόξης, Swete 40:29 = MT 40:35), δόξα corresponds to כָּבוֹד.

Implies John 1:14 ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ (etheasametha tēn doxan autou, "we beheld his glory") claims a sight of the divine glory that Moses asked for and received only in part. The glory is seen in the incarnate Word.

Uncertain Whether John has Exod 33:18 specifically in view or the glory-in-the-tabernacle theme generally is uncertain. The cumulative Exodus 33–34 vocabulary in John 1:14–18 (see the related notes) makes some reference to these chapters likely.