Some critics cite Exodus 33:18-23, where God tells Moses that he will cover him with His hand as his "glory" (kabod) passes. It is sometimes argued that kabod not only means "glory" but also "liver" - and this, they claim, is a euphemism for the genitals. Hence, what God was hiding was not his glory, but his genitals.

Such an interpretation of kabod hardly squares with the rest of the passage which refers to God's face as what cannot be seen, unless one posits an entirely inconsistent anthropomorphic view of divine anatomy. Furthermore, applying this interpretation to other passages in Exodus that refer to God's kabod, like Exodus 16:7 ("...and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaining against the LORD."), creates significant interpretive absurdities.