God is sending an angel to lead Israel through the wilderness. But this is no ordinary angel. The Targum's warning is severe and strange at the same time.
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on Exodus (Exodus 23:21) says: Be circumspect before Him, and obey His word, and be not rebellious against His words; for He will not forgive your sins, because His word is in My Name.
The Angel Who Carries the Name
The rabbinic tradition identifies this guide as Metatron, the angel whose name, according to the Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 38b), is like the Name of his Master. He is the supreme attending angel — the one to whom divine authority has been delegated for the journey. And because he carries the Name, he cannot forgive rebellion the way a lesser messenger could.
A regular angel might be disobeyed and correction could come later. But this angel speaks with the weight of Shem Hashem itself. Defy him and you have defied God.
Why the Torah Warns in Advance
The Targum wants Israel to understand the stakes before the wandering begins. The pillar of cloud and fire, the angel who goes before them — this is not a mascot. This is the divine presence in delegated form. Trifle with it at your own peril.
The Takeaway
Not every voice in the wilderness is of equal weight. When an authority bears the Name, treat it as the Name itself. The angel who carries God's word is not a detour from obedience — he is its direct channel.