Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had Moshe, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn't destroy them.
Then said the LORD to me, Though Moshe and Shemu'el stood before me, yet my mind would not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.
But I worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, lest their adversaries should judge wrongly, lest they should say, Our hand is exalted, The LORD has not done all this.