Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Exodus 34:9/ספורנו על שמות ל״ד:ט׳

אכִּי עַם קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף הוּא. וְיֶחֱטָא עַל כָּל פָּנִים. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּלֶכְתְּךָ עִמָּנוּ יִהְיֶה עֲוֹן הַדּוֹר יוֹתֵר גָּדוֹל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ "רֶגַע אֶחָד אֶעֱלֶה בְקִרְבְּךָ וְכִלִּיתִיךָ" (שמות לג:ה), מִכָּל מָקוֹם טוֹב לָנוּ שֶׁתֵּלֵךְ אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ.
1כי 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.
בוְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲוֺנֵנוּ. כִּי עִמְּךָ הַסְּלִיחָה וּנְקַוֶּה לִסְלִיחָתְךָ, וְלֹא יֵלֵךְ מַלְאָךְ עִמָּנוּ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעֲוֹן הַמֶּרִי בּוֹ לֹא יִהְיֶה כָּל כָּךְ גָּדוֹל, מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵין עִמּוֹ שׁוּם תִּקְוַת סְלִיחָה, כְּאָמְרְךָ (שמות כג:כא) "כִּי לֹא יִשָּׂא לְפִשְׁעֲכֶם".
2וסלחת 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.”