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Exodus Chapter
Nineteen
New King James Version
(NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO
EXODUS 19
In this chapter we have an
account of the coming of the children of Israel to Mount Sinai
Exodus 19:1
of the
covenant made with them there
the proposal on the part of God
and their acceptance
of it
Exodus 19:3
the
previous notice God gave three days before of his appearance on the mount
the
orders for their preparation to meet him
and the execution of them
Exodus 19:9
the
awful and tremendous appearance of God upon the mount
Exodus 19:6 and the
strict charge given
that neither people nor priests should come near and gaze
only Moses and Aaron with him were to come up
bounds being set to prevent the
rest
Exodus 19:21
and
the chapter is closed with observing
that Moses went down from the mount
and
delivered to the people what the Lord spoke to and by him
Exodus 19:25.
Exodus 19:1 In the third
month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt
on the same
day
they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.
YLT 1In the third month of the going out of the
sons of Israel from the land of Egypt
in this day they have come into the
wilderness of Sinai
In the third
month
when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt
.... Which was
the month Sivan
and answers to part of May and part of June:
the same day
came they into the wilderness of Sinai; which had its name from
the mountain situated in it
and that from the bushes which grew upon it. JustinF26E
Trogo
l. 36. c. 2. calls it Synan
which he says Moses occupied
and StraboF1Geograph.
l. 16. p. 520.
Sinnan. Hither they came either on the same day they came from
Rephidim; which
according to BuntingF2Travels
p. 82.
were eight
miles from it
or on the same day of the month
as to number
that is
on the
third day of the third month; and so JeromF3Epist. Fabiolae de 42
mansion. fol. 15. c. 1. tom. 3. and others say it was on the forty seventh day
after their coming out of Egypt
three days after which they received the law
on Mount Sinai
it being a generally received notion that the law was given
fifty days after the passover; hence the feast of weeks is called from thence
the feast of pentecost
or fifty days: or rather this was the first day of the
month
as Jarchi and R. Moses; with which agrees the Targum of Jonathan; and so
was the forty fifth of their coming out of Egypt
five days after which they
received the law; it being a tradition with the Jews
as Aben Ezra observes
that that was given on the sixth of Sivan
and may be accounted for thus; on
the first day they came to Sinai
and encamped there
on the day following
Moses went up to God
Exodus 19:3
on the
third day Moses gathered the elders together
Exodus 19:7
and
declared to them the words of God
and on the third day after that
which was
the sixth
the law was delivered to them.
Exodus 19:2 2 For
they had departed from Rephidim
had come to the Wilderness of Sinai
and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain.
YLT 2and they journey from Rephidim
and enter the
wilderness of Sinai
and encamp in the wilderness; and Israel encampeth there
before the mount.
For they were
departed from Rephidim
.... After they had fought with Amalek
and came to the western
part of the mount to Horeb
where the rock was smitten for them; and they were
come from that now
and encamped at Sinai
after Jethro had paid a visit to
Moses:
and were come
to the desert of Sinai
and had pitched in this wilderness; that is
of
Sinai
as in the preceding verse:
and there
Israel encamped before the mount; Mount Sinai
from whence
the desert or wilderness was called. This
as Jarchi says
was on the east side
of the mount; Horeb and Sinai were but one and the same mountain
which had two
tops. Horeb was on the western side
near to which lay the plain of Rephidim;
and Sinai was on the eastern side
on which the wilderness of that name
bordered: so that the children of Israel
when they came from Rephidim
came
from the western side
and took a circuit about and came to the eastern; which
according to a fore mentioned writer
was eight miles
and was the twelfth
station or mansion of the children of Israel. This number twelve is taken
notice of by some
as having something singular and peculiar in it; there were
the twelve tribes of Israel
and at their twelfth mansion the law was given
them; Christ had twelve apostles
and there are twelve foundations of the new
Jerusalem
and 12
000 were sealed out of every tribe of Israel.
Exodus 19:3 3 And
Moses went up to God
and the Lord called to him from the
mountain
saying
“Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob
and tell the
children of Israel:
YLT 3And Moses hath gone up unto God
and Jehovah
calleth unto him out of the mount
saying
`Thus dost thou say to the house of
Jacob
and declare to the sons of Israel
And Moses went
up unto God
.... Who was in the pillar of cloud upon the top of the mount;
this was on the second day
according to the Targum of Jonathan: "the Lord
called unto him out of the mountain"; or had called unto him
as Aben
Ezra
since without his leave he could not have gone up. He called to him out
of the cloud upon the top of the mountain to come up
and being come near him
he called to him
and spoke with an articulate voice
as follows:
saying
thus
shalt thou say
to the house of Jacob
and tell the children of Israel; which are the
same
and are described as descending from the same person
who was called by
both names; the one was his name in the former and lower state of his life
the
other in the latter and more prosperous one; and his posterity are called by
these two names
as Bishop Patrick observes
to put them in mind
that they who
had lately been as low as Jacob
when he went to Padanaram
were now grown as
great as God made him when he came from thence
and was called Israel.
Exodus 19:4 4 ‘You
have seen what I did to the Egyptians
and how I bore you on eagles’
wings and brought you to Myself.
YLT 4Ye -- ye have seen that which I have done to
the Egyptians
and I bear you on eagles' wings
and bring you in unto Myself.
Ye have seen
what I did to the Egyptians
.... The plagues he brought upon them in
Egypt
and the destruction of them at the Red sea; these things they were
eyewitnesses of
and needed no other proof or evidence to convince and assure
them of them
and therefore must be under obligation to attend to what he was
about to recommend unto them
for which reason this is observed:
and how
I bare you on eagles' wings; that is
as on eagles' wings
the note of
similitude being wanting
but to be supplied; for it cannot be thought that
they were literally bore on eagles' wings; but as that creature is reported to
be very affectionate to its young
and careful of it
and
as is said
only to
one; for
having more
it will cast away all but one
and reserve that
which
it carefully nourishes; and being swift of flight
and strong of wing
it will
in a remarkable manner take its young upon it
and safely and swiftly convey it
where it pleases; of which See Gill on Deuteronomy 32:11.
The eagle excels other birds both in its strength and in the size of its body;
and especially its pectoral muscles
by which its wings are supported; are very
strong
so that it can carry its young
and other things
on its back and
wings; and some such thing nature itself seems to have required
as naturalists
observeF4Scheuchzer. Physica Sacra
vol. 2. p. 186. ; and there are
some histories
which
if true
greatly confirm and illustrate this. AelianusF5Hist.
Animal. l. 12. c. 21. reports of Tilgamus
a Babylonian
and who afterwards was
king of Babylon
and who seems to be the Tilgath Pilneser of the Scriptures
king of Assyria
that when a lad
being thrown down from the top of a tower
an
eagle
which is a very quick sighted bird
saw him
and
before he came to the
ground
flew under him
took him upon its back
and carried him into a garden
and gently let him down. So it is related of AristomenesF6Pausaniae
Messenica
sive
l. 4. p. 250
251.
that as he was casting headlong into a
deep ditch by the Lacedemonians
where they used to throw condemned
malefactors
an eagle flew under him
and bore him on its wings
and carried
him to the bottom
without any hurt to any part of his body. Jarchi observes
that whereas other birds carry their young between their feet
for fear of
those that fly above them
the eagle flying above all others
and so in no fear
of them
carries its young upon its wings
judging it better that a dart should
pierce that than its young. The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase
the words
"and I bore you on clouds
as on eagles' wings;'which covered
and protected
and sustained them
as the eagles' wings do its young; the
former adds
from Pelusium
a city in Egypt
supposed by the Targumist to be
the same with Rameses; where Jarchi observes the people of Israel were very
swiftly gathered together as the place of their rendezvous
and were as safely
brought from thence to the place where they now were. Thus the Lord showed an
affectionate concern for Israel
took them under his care and protection
stood
between them and the Egyptians in a pillar of cloud
and secured them from
their arrows
and swiftly and safely removed them from the land of Egypt to the
place where they now were
distinguishing them from all other nations
having
chosen them to be a special people to himself:
and brought you
unto myself: to the mountain of God
where he had appeared to Moses
and
given this as a sign and token of the truth of his mission
that he and Israel
when brought out of Egypt by him
should serve him on this mount; and now they
were brought thither
where he was about not only to grant his presence in a
very singular manner
but to deliver his law unto them
and enter into a
covenant with them
and establish and settle them as his people; so that they
were a people near unto the Lord
taken into covenant
and indulged with
communion with him
and made partakers of various distinguished blessings of
his: both the above Targums are
"I brought you to the doctrine of my
law"
to receive it at this mount.
Exodus 19:5 5 Now
therefore
if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant
then you
shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is
Mine.
YLT 5`And now
if ye really hearken to My voice
then ye have kept My covenant
and been to Me a peculiar treasure more than all
the peoples
for all the earth [is] Mine;
Now therefore
.... Since
they had received such marks of his favour
and were laid under great
obligations to him:
if ye will obey
my voice indeed; truly
sincerely
and heartily; or "in hearkening hearken"
or "in obeying obey"F7שמוע תשמעו "obediendo obedieritis"
Pagninus
Montanus; "audiendo audiveritis"
Drusius; "auscultando
auscultabitis"
Piscator; so Ainsworth. ; that is
closely and attentively
hearken to what he should say to them
and thoroughly and constantly yield a
cheerful obedience to his commands:
and keep my
covenant; now about to be made with them
which would consist of promises
of good things to be done to them on his part
and of duties to be performed by
them on their part
and so would constitute a formal covenant by stipulation
and restipulation:
then ye shall
be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; be as highly valued by
him
and as carefully preserved as the richest treasure among men; even as the
treasure of princes
consisting of gold and silver
precious stones
pearls and
jewels
and everything that is valuable; and of this he would give such proof
and demonstration
as would make it appear that they were esteemed by him above
all people upon the face of the earth; being chosen for his peculiar treasure
and redeemed out of the house of bondage and slavery to be his peculiar people
and distinguished from all others by particular favours and blessings:
for all the
earth is mine; as it is
and the inhabitants of it
by creation
sustentation
preservation
and dominion
all being made
upheld
preserved
and governed by
him; and therefore
as he had a right to all
could choose what part he pleased
for his special use and service; or "though all the earth is mine"F8כי "tametsi"
Vatablus; "quamvis"
Piscator
Drusius.
as Marinus in Aben Ezra
which yet the latter does not
seem to approve of; and then the sense is
though the whole world was his
and
all that is in it
yet such was his special affection
and peculiar regard to
Israel
as to choose them
and esteem them as his portion and inheritance
his
jewel
and peculiar treasure.
Exodus 19:6 6 And
you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are
the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
YLT 6and ye -- ye are to Me a kingdom of priests
and a holy nation: these [are] the words which thou dost speak unto the sons of
Israel.'
And ye shall be
unto me a kingdom of priests
.... Instead of being in a state of
servitude and bondage
as they had been in Egypt
they should be erected into a
kingdom
become a body politic
a free state
a commonwealth governed by its
own laws
and those laws of God's making; yea
they should be a kingdom to him
and he be more immediately the king of them
as he was not of others
the
government of Israel being a Theocracy; and this kingdom should consist of men
that were priests
who had access to God
served him
and offered sacrifice to
him; or of men greatly esteemed and honoured
as priests were in those times.
Jarchi interprets it
a kingdom of princes
as the word sometimes signifies:
the subjects of this kingdom were princes
men of a princely spirit
and these
princes
like those of the king of Babylon
who boasted they were altogether
kings; and like the Roman senators
of whom the ambassador of Pyrrhus said
that he saw at Rome as many kings as he saw senators. And so here all the
Targums render it
"kings and priests": to which reference seems to
be had not only in 1 Peter 2:9 but in Revelation 1:6
they were kings when they got the victory
as in the times of Joshua
over the
several kings of Canaan
and had their kingdoms divided among them; and before
the priesthood was settled in the family of Aaron
every head of a family in
Israel was a priest; and they were all priests at the passover
as PhiloF9De
Vita Mosis
l. 3. p. 686. observes: and so the spiritual Israel of God are
kings and priests; they are kings
having the power and riches of kings; having
got through Christ the victory over sin
Satan
and the world; and being
possessed of the kingdom of grace
and heirs of the kingdom of glory; and
priests
being allowed to draw nigh to God
to present themselves
souls and
bodies
a holy and living sacrifice
to offer to him the sacrifices of prayer
and praise through Christ
by whom they become acceptable to him: "and an
holy nation"; being separated from all others
and devoted to the worship
and service of God
having holy laws
and holy ordinances
and a holy service
and a holy place to perform it in
and holy persons to attend unto it
as they
afterwards had. In allusion to this
the spiritual Israel
or people of God
are also called so
1 Peter 2:9 being
chosen unto holiness
redeemed from all iniquity
called with an holy calling
sanctified by the blood of Christ
and made holy by the Spirit of God
and
under the influence of his grace live holy lives and conversations:
these are the
words thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel: what he would
have them do
and they were bound to do in a way of duty to him
and what he in
a way of grace would do for them
and they should be unto him
Exodus 19:7 7 So
Moses came and called for the elders of the people
and laid before them all
these words which the Lord
commanded him.
YLT 7And Moses cometh
and calleth for the elders
of the people
and setteth before them all these words which Jehovah hath
commanded him;
And Moses came
and called for the elders of the people
.... After he had heard
the above words from the mouth of God
he came down from the mount into the
camp of Israel
and sent for the elders or principal men of the tribes and
families of Israel to come to him:
and
being
gathered together:
laid before
their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him; expressed
them in the plainest manner
set them in the clearest light to their minds and
consciences; so that they thoroughly understood them
were fully convinced of
the propriety of these things God required of them
and their obligation to
observe them
and saw plainly the greatness and importance of what he promised
unto them.
Exodus 19:8 8 Then
all the people answered together and said
“All that the Lord has spoken we
will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.
YLT 8and all the people answer together and say
`All that Jehovah hath spoken we do;' and Moses returneth the words of the
people unto Jehovah.
And all the
people answered together
.... By their heads and representatives
the elders
summoned
before Moses
to whom he declared the whole will of God; or this being
communicated by them to their respective tribes and families
they were all of
one mind; there was not a contradicting voice among them
they all gave the
same answer
or all united in returning for answer what follows:
all that the
Lord hath spoken we will do; obey his voice in all things he directs
unto
or commands to be done
and keep the covenant he should make with them
and observe whatever was required on their parts; which was well spoken
if
with the heart
and if
under a consciousness of their own weakness
they had
expressed their desire of dependence upon the grace of God to enable them to
perform
see Deuteronomy 5:28.
The Septuagint version adds
"and we will hear"
or be obedient
as
in Exodus 24:7
and Moses returned
the words of the people unto the Lord; not for his information
who knew very well what they had said
but for the discharge of his office as a
mediator and messenger between God and them: this
according to Jarchi
was on
the third day of the month.
Exodus 19:9 9 And
the Lord
said to Moses
“Behold
I come to you in the thick cloud
that the people may
hear when I speak with you
and believe you forever.”
So Moses told
the words of the people to the Lord.
YLT 9And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Lo
I am
coming unto thee in the thickness of the cloud
so that the people hear in My
speaking with thee
and also believe in thee to the age;' and Moses declareth
the words of the people unto Jehovah.
And the Lord
said unto Moses
.... As the Targum of Jonathan
on the third day; though Jarchi
says the fourth; which seems not so well to agree with his words on the
preceding verse
since it seems to be at the same time that Moses returned the
words of the people to the Lord
that he said what follows to him:
lo
I come unto
thee in a thick cloud; which was different from the pillar of cloud in which he went
before the people
and now stood in it on the top of the mount; for he speaks
not now of his present appearance to Moses
but of his appearance on the mount
three days after; wherefore the Septuagint version wrongly renders it
"in
a pillar of cloud": there were appearances of the divine Majesty in a cloud
frequently afterwards
both in the Old and New Testament
see Exodus 40:34 and so
Christ
the mighty Angel
is said to be clothed with a cloud
Revelation 10:1.
And from such appearances as these
the Heathens have represented their
deities
as ApolloF11"Nnbe et candentes humeros amictus Augur
Apollo. -----" Horat. Carmin. l. 1. ode 2.
VenusF12"Et
Venus aethereos inter dea candida nimbos Dona ferens aderat ----". Virgil.
Aeneid
l. 8. "prope finem". "Hoc Venus obscuro faciem
circumdata nimbo Detulit. ----" Virgil. Aeneid
l. 12.
JunoF13"Agens
hyemem nimbo succincta
per auras ----". Ib. Aeneid. 10.
and others
coming in a cloud
or clothed with one:
that the people
may hear when I speak with thee
and believe thee for ever; they had
believed Moses already
particularly at the Red sea
when they saw what was
done there
but afterwards
as it seems
returned to their unbelief again; but
now
as they would be eyewitnesses of the cloud in which the Lord would appear
to Moses
so they would be ear witnesses of what he said to him; for though the
cloud was a thick one in which he came
so that they could not see any
similitude
any likeness at all
not so much as a brightness
a shining glory
as they had seen in the pillar of cloud
see Exodus 16:7
yet
the voice of God out of it was so loud
when he spoke with Moses
that this
vast body of people being placed around
at the lower part of the mount
heard
plainly and distinctly all that was said; so that they were sure they were not
imposed upon by Moses
but that the law he delivered to them was from God
since they heard it with their own ears; and therefore they and their posterity
believed it for ever
and never entertained the least distrust of the divinity
and authority of it. This case was widely different from that of Numa or
Mahomet
the one pretending to receive instructions from the goddess Egeria
and the other from the angel Gabriel; but all depended upon their own word
none were
nor did they pretend that any were eye or ear witnesses of what they
declared; but such was the case here:
and Moses told
the words of the people unto the Lord; the same which he is
said to return to him in the preceding verse
and here repeated for the
confirmation of it
and to lead on to what the Lord had to say further
concerning them.
Exodus 19:10 10 Then
the Lord
said to Moses
“Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow
and
let them wash their clothes.
YLT 10And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Go unto the
people; and thou hast sanctified them to-day and to-morrow
and they have
washed their garments
And the Lord
said unto Moses
.... On the fourth day
according to the Targum of Jonathan:
go unto the
people; go down from the mountain
from the top of it
where he now was
to the camp of Israel
which was pitched before it:
and sanctify
them today and tomorrow; the fourth and fifth days of the month; that is
he was
to
instruct them how they were to sanctify themselves in an external way
by
washing themselves
as after mentioned
their bodies and clothes
and by
abstaining from all sensual pleasures
lawful or unlawful:
and let them
wash their clothes; which the Jews understood not of their garments
but of their
bodies also; teaching them by these outward things the necessity of internal
purity and holiness
to appear before God: these outward rites were in use
before the law of Moses
as appears from Genesis 35:2 and
the Heathens themselves have similar notions of the cleanness of bodies and
garments
as well as the purity of mind
being acceptable to their deitiesF14"Casta
placent superis
pura cum veste venito". Tibullus. .
Exodus 19:11 11 And
let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down
upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
YLT 11and have been prepared for the third day; for
on the third day doth Jehovah come down before the eyes of all the people
on
mount Sinai.
And be ready
against the third day
.... Not the third day of the month
but the third day from
hence
this being the fourth
and the morrow the fifth
and the third day
the
day following that
the sixth
on which day it is generally agreed by the Jews
that the law was given; see Gill on Exodus 19:16.
for the third
day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai; which must be
understood
consistent with his omnipresence
and is only expressive of some
visible display of his power
and of some sensible token of his presence to the
people; he was now upon it in the pillar of cloud
but then he would appear in
another manner
and descend in a thick cloud and fire
which all the people
would see
though they could not see the similitude of anything in it.
Exodus 19:12 12 You
shall set bounds for the people all around
saying
‘Take heed to yourselves that
you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the
mountain shall surely be put to death.
YLT 12`And thou hast made a border [for] the people
round about
saying
Take heed to yourselves
going up into the mount
or
coming against its extremity; whoever is coming against the mount is certainly
put to death;
And thou shall
set bounds to the people round about
.... That is
round about
the mountain
by drawing a line
throwing up a foss or ditch
or else by laying
up heaps of stones or sand
which might be come at easily
or bushes and
branches of trees
which grew thick on the mount
from whence it had its name;
but be it what will that were used
these were to signify
that so far the
people might go
but no further
which their curiosity might prompt them to:
saying
take
heed unto yourselves that ye go not up into the mount; so far were
they from being allowed to go up to the top of it
that they were not allowed
to ascend it at all
or to go any further than where the ascent or rise began;
it was at their peril to ascend
and this was what they were to take heed unto
lest they incurred danger:
or touch the
border of it; it being the mountain of God
and relatively holy through his
presence on it:
whosoever
toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death; which severe law was
made to deter them from any attempt to go up the mountain
since it was death
even to touch it
see Hebrews 12:18.
Exodus 19:13 13 Not
a hand shall touch him
but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow;
whether man or beast
he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long
they
shall come near the mountain.”
YLT 13a hand cometh not against him
for he is
certainly stoned or shot through
whether beast or man it liveth not; in the
drawing out of the jubilee cornet they go up into the mount.'
There shall not
a hand touch it
.... The mountain or the border of it
which is repeated that it
might be taken notice of; and to show that it would be resented if they were to
stretch out their hand and only lightly touch it
much more should they set
their feet upon it and attempt to ascend it: or rather
"shall not touch
him"F15לא תגע
בש "non tanget eum"
Vatablus
Drusius
"non feriet eum"
Tigurine version. ; that is
the man that shall
touch the mountain; he shall be so detestable and abominable
whoever touches
it or breaks through the bounds of it
and attempts to ascend it
that no man
shall follow him to lay hold on him
in order to bring him back to justice
but
shall dispatch him at once in one or other of the ways directed to:
but he shall
surely be stoned
or shot through; if near at hand
all
about him shall rise upon him
and take up stones and stone him; but if he is
got at a distance
then they were to shoot arrows at him; and in this way Aben
Ezra interprets it; the words
says he
refer to the man that toucheth the
mount
who is not to be followed and apprehended
but those that see him
and
are near
abiding in the place where they are
are to stone him immediately
and if afar off they are to throw darts at him: though the Targum of Jonathan
seems to understand it
as if punishment would be immediately inflicted upon
such a person
not by the hands of men
but by the hand of God; for it says
such an one shall be stoned with hailstones
and fiery darts shall be spread
upon him; or
as the Jerusalem Targum
shall be shot at him:
whether it be
beast
or man
it shall not live; that touches the
mountain
and so it is explained
Hebrews 12:20
the
word beast comprehends all kinds of beasts
wild and tame
and all sorts of
cattle
of the herd or flock; as the word "man" takes in women as
well as men
as Ben Gersom observes; Aben Ezra thinks fowls are not mentioned
because they cannot be taken
but fly away immediately; but then they might be
shot:
when the
trumpet soundeth long
they shall come up to the mount; this
according to Jarchi
was a trumpet of a ram's horn; the word used in the Arabic
language signifying a ram; but it is a mere fancy and fable of his
that this
was of the ram of Isaac which was sacrificed in his stead; it is much more
likely that there was indeed no real trumpet
only a sound was formed like the
sound of one; and
it is highly probable
was formed by the ministering angels;
Aben Ezra observes
that the sound of a trumpet was never heard until the day
of the decalogue
until the day that was given; and that there was not a
greater wonder on Mount Sinai than this: the design and use of it was to
gather
this vast body of people together
to come and hear what God had to say
unto them; and when its sound was protracted to a great length
or was in one
continued tone
and somewhat lower
as is usual when a trumpet is about to
cease blowing
then the people were to take it as a token that they should
approach the mountain; not to ascend it
but come to the lower and nether part
of it
where bounds were set to direct them how far they might go
and no
further: so the Septuagint version is
"when the voices (or thunders) and
the trumpets and the cloud departed from the mountain
they went up to the
mountain:'a certain Jewish writerF16R. Samuel Ben Hophni
apud Aben
Ezram
in loc. interprets this
not of the people in general
but of Aaron and
his sons
and of the seventy elders
see Exodus 19:24.
Exodus 19:14 14 So
Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people
and
they washed their clothes.
YLT 14And Moses cometh down from the mount unto the
people
and sanctifieth the people
and they wash their garments;
And Moses went
down from the mount unto the people
.... The same day that he
went up
the fourth day of the month:
and sanctified
the people; instructed them and ordered them what they should do for their
sanctification
in order to their hearing the law from the mouth of the Lord:
and they washed
their clothes; as the Lord had directed Moses to enjoin them
and as he had
commanded them; see Gill on Exodus 19:10.
Exodus 19:15 15 And
he said to the people
“Be ready for the third day; do not come near your
wives.”
YLT 15and he saith unto the people
`Be ye prepared
for the third day
come not nigh unto a woman.'
And he said
unto the people
be ready against the third day
.... The third day from
thence
the sixth of the month Sivan
against which day they were to prepare
themselves
by washing their garments
and all other outward acts of
sanctification and purity they were directed to
that they might be ready for
the service of that day
to hear and receive the law from God himself: Aben
Ezra has this note on the passage
"perhaps not a man slept that night
that he might hear the voice of the Lord in the morning
as was the way or
custom of the high priest on the day of atonement;'that is
not to sleep the
night before:
come not at
your wives; or
"do not draw nigh to a woman"F17תגשו אל אשה
μη προσελθητε γυναικι
Sept. "to a woman"
Ainsworth.
to lie with her; meaning not with a
strange woman
or one that was not his wife
for that was not lawful at any
time; nor with a menstruous woman who was unclean
and so forbidden
but with a
man's own wife: what was lawful must now be abstained from
for the greater
sanctification and solemnity of the service of this day
see 1 Corinthians 7:5
so ChaeremohF18Apud Porphyr
de Abstinentia
l. 4. sect. 7. Vid
Clement. Alexand Stromat. l. 1. p. 306. the stoic says of the Egyptian priests
that when the time is at hand that they are to perform some very sacred and
solemn service
they spend several days in preparing for it; sometimes two and
forty
sometimes more
sometimes less
but never under seven; when they abstain
from all animals
and from all kind of herbs and pulse
and especially from
venereal conversation with women; and to this latter JuvenalF19"Ille
petit veniam quoties non abstinet uxor
"Concubitu
sacris observandisque
diebus". Juvenal
Satyr 6. the poet has respect.
Exodus 19:16 16 Then
it came to pass on the third day
in the morning
that there were thunderings
and lightnings
and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet
was very loud
so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.
YLT 16And it cometh to pass
on the third day
while it is morning
that there are voices
and lightnings
and a heavy cloud
on the mount
and the sound of a trumpet very strong; and all the people who
[are] in the camp do tremble.
And it came to
pass on the third day in the morning
The sixth of the month
according to the Targum of Jonathan
and so Jarchi; on which day
as the Jews
generally sayF20T. Bab. Sabbat
fol. 86. 2. & Yoma
fol. 4. 2.
Seder Olam Rabba
c. 5. p. 18.
the law was given
and which
they also
observe
was a sabbath day: yea
they are sometimes so very particular as to
fix the hour of the day
and sayF21Pirke Eliezer
c. 46.
it was
the sixth hour of the day
or twelve o'clock at noon
that Israel received the
decalogue
and at the ninth hour
at three o'clock in the afternoon
returned
to their stations:
there were
thunders
and lightnings
and a thick cloud upon the mount; which were to
awaken the attention of the people to what they were to hear and receive
and
to strike their minds with an awe of the divine Being; and to add to the
solemnity of the day
and the service of it; and to signify the obscurity and
terror of the legal dispensation
and the wrath and curse that the
transgressors the law might expect
even an horrible tempest of divine vengeance
see Hebrews 12:18.
and the voice
of the trumpet exceeding loud; or
"exceeding strong"F23חזק מאד "fortis valde"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus; so Ainsworth. ; being blown by the mighty angels
and by ten thousand them
with whom the Lord now descended:
so that all the
people that was in the camp trembled
at the sound of it
it
was so loud and terrible
and it so pierced their ears and their hearts: a
different effect the Gospel trumpet the jubilee trumpet
the joyful sound of
love
grace
and mercy
has upon sensible sinners
and on true believers: the
law with its curses terrifies
the Gospel with its blessings comforts.
Exodus 19:17 17 And
Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God
and they stood at
the foot of the mountain.
YLT 17And Moses bringeth out the people to meet God
from the camp
and they station themselves at the lower part of the mount
And Moses
brought forth the people out of the camp
.... Which was before the
mountain and near it
when the above tokens were given of the divine Presence
on it; as they were thrown into a panic upon the sound of the trumpet
it was
perhaps
with some difficulty that they were brought out of the camp
or
persuaded to quit it; and nothing short of the presence of Moses at the head of
them
to go before them
and lead them to the foot of the mountain
could have
prevailed upon them to have done it:
to meet with
God; who came forth in such an awful and solemn manner
as their King
and lawgiver
to deliver a body of laws to them
to be the rule of their future
conduct:
and they stood
at the nether part of the mount; at the bottom of it
where bounds were set
and a fence made
that they should proceed no further
and yet near enough to
hear what God said to Moses and to them.
Exodus 19:18 18 Now
Mount Sinai was completely in smoke
because the Lord descended upon
it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace
and the whole
mountain[a] quaked
greatly.
YLT 18and mount Sinai [is] wholly a smoke from the
presence of Jehovah
who hath come down on it in fire
and its smoke goeth up
as smoke of the furnace
and the whole mount trembleth exceedingly;
And Mount Sinai
was altogether on a smoke
.... Not from nature
as volcanos
but for a
reason after given; it seemed to be one large body of smoke
nothing else to be
seen but smoke; an emblem of the darkness of the legal dispensation
which was
full of obscure types and figures
of dark shadows and smoky sacrifices
to
which the clear day
of the Gospel dispensation is opposed
see 2 Corinthians 3:12.
because the
Lord descended upon it in fire; in flaming fire
as the Targums
which set
the mountain on fire
and caused this prodigious smoke; for if he
who is a
consuming fire
but toucheth the hills and mountains
they smoke
Psalm 104:32.
and the smoke
thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace such an one as that which
Abraham in vision saw
Genesis 15:17.
and the whole
mount quaked greatly; to which circumstance Deborah refers in her song
when she
speaks of mountains melting and flowing from before the presence of the God of
Israel
and particularly of Sinai
Judges 5:4
and the
psalmist
who makes mention of the earth shaking
and the heavens dropping
and
of Sinai being moved at his presence
Psalm 68:8
it is
probable there was an earthquake at this time
which sometimes attends thunders
and lightnings
see Revelation 16:18.
Exodus 19:19 19 And
when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder
Moses spoke
and God answered him by voice.
YLT 19and the sound of the trumpet is going on
and
very strong; Moses speaketh
and God doth answer him with a voice.
And when the
voice of the trumpet sounded long
.... Not in one continued
tone
as before
Exodus 19:13
where
a different word is used
and when it decreased
and was about to cease
which
was to summon the people to attend; but now they were come to the foot of the
mount
and this sounding was a preparation to the giving of the law unto them
and was not one continued even tone: but waxed louder and louder; or
"going
and exceeding strong"; or
"strengthening itself
exceedingly"F24הולך וחזק מאד προβαινουσαι
ισχυροτεραι σφοδρα
Sept. "iens et fortificans se
valde"
Montanus; "roborans se"
Vatablus; "quum pergeret
et invalesceret valde"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. ; it went on to
an high pitch
until it was exceeding vehement and strong
and so sonorous as
scarce to be bore:
Moses spake; what he said
is not here recorded; it is highly probable
as has been observed by some
that
he uttered those words related of him in Hebrews 12:21
"I exceedingly fear and quake": such an impression did this loud and
strong voice of the trumpet make upon him:
and God
answered him by a voice; a still and gentle one
in order to encourage and comfort him;
and so the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it
"with a pleasant and audible
voice
and with delightful words.'
Exodus 19:20 20 Then
the Lord
came down upon Mount Sinai
on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses
to the top of the mountain
and Moses went up.
YLT 20And Jehovah cometh down on mount Sinai
unto
the top of the mount
and Jehovah calleth for Moses unto the top of the mount
and Moses goeth up.
And the Lord
came down on Mount Sinai
.... In the above visible tokens of his presence and power;
otherwise he is the incomprehensible Jehovah
that immense and omnipotent
Being
who fills heaven and earth
and cannot be contained and circumscribed in
either:
on the top of
the mount; where the fire he descended in rested
and where the smoke and
thick cloud were
as a token of his presence:
and the Lord
called Moses up to the top of the mount; who either was at the
bottom of it with the people
or in a higher ascent of it between God and them:
and Moses went
up; to the top of it
where the Lord was
as he ordered him: a
certain travellerF25Baumgarten Peregrinatio
l. 1. c. 24. p. 61.
tells us that the top of this mount was scarce thirty feet in circumference.
Exodus 19:21 21 And
the Lord
said to Moses
“Go down and warn the people
lest they break through to gaze at
the Lord
and many of them perish.
YLT 21And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Go down
protest to the people
lest they break through unto Jehovah to see
and many of
them have fallen;
And the Lord
said unto Moses
go down
.... As soon as he was got to the top of the mount he was bid to
go down again to the bottom
with a message to the people:
charge the
people
lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze; to see if
they could observe any similitude or likeness of God
that they might have an
idea of it in their minds
or make an image like unto it; to prevent which
the
Lord
knowing the vanity and curiosity of their minds
ordered Moses to give
them a strict charge not to transgress the bounds set them
or to break down or
break through the fence of stones and sand
or hedge of bushes
brambles
and
branches of trees
or whatever was placed for bounds:
and many of
them perish; or "fall"F26נפל πεσωσιν Sept. "et
corruant"
Pagninus
Tigurine version; "et cadat"
Montanus;
"cadant"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Drusius; so Ainsworth. ;
by the hand of God; either fall by death
or into some grievous calamity
as
the men of Bethshemesh perished through looking into the ark
1 Samuel 6:19.
Exodus 19:22 22 Also
let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves
lest the Lord
break out against them.”
YLT 22and also the priests who are coming nigh unto
Jehovah do sanctify themselves
lest Jehovah break forth on them.'
And let the
priests also
which come near unto the Lord
.... Either the
firstborn
as the Jews generally interpret it
so Jarchi and Aben Ezra; who
were sanctified to the Lord
and in whose stead afterwards the Levites were
taken; or the sons of Aaron
who should be
and were potentially
though not
actually priests
as Ben Gersom expresses it
from an ancient book of theirs
called Mechilta; or rather some principal persons
as heads of families and the
like
who
before the priesthood was settled in the family of Aaron
officiated
as priests
and drew nigh to God
and offered up sacrifices for themselves and
others
and were distinguished from others by this character
and therefore do
not intend princes
as some interpret the word; for the description of them
will not agree to them
but plainly points to a sort of men
to whom it was
peculiar to perform that office. These Moses is bid to charge that they
sanctify
themselves; in the same manner as the people in general were before ordered
and keep themselves within the same bounds; not daring to transgress them
because they were persons that used to draw nigh to God in the performance of
religious actions:
lest the Lord
break forth upon them; and smite them
that they die
in like manner as he made a
breach on Uzzah afterwards for touching the ark of the Lord
2 Samuel 6:6.
Exodus 19:23 23 But
Moses said to the Lord
“The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us
saying
‘Set
bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’”
YLT 23And Moses saith unto Jehovah
`The people
[is] unable to come up unto mount Sinai
for Thou -- Thou hast protested to us
saying
Make a border [for] the mount
then thou hast sanctified it.'
And Moses said
unto the Lord
.... Upon his giving such strict orders both with respect to the
people and the priests:
the people
cannot come up to Mount Sinai; suggesting as if there was no need for him
to go down on that account
to give them a charge not to break through and
gaze; since
as he thought
there was no probability that they ever would
attempt it
seeing such a solemn charge had been given
nor any possibility of
it
since such a fence was made:
for thou
chargedst us
saying
set bounds about the mount
and sanctify it; and
accordingly bounds have been set
that the people may not go up it
and the
place has been declared sacred
that so none will presume to do it
according
to the solemn charge that has been given: someF1So some in Vatablus.
read the preceding clause by way of interrogation
"may not the people
come up to Mount Sinai?" may not any of them? or
if any of them
who may?
and there was the greater reason for asking such a question
since the priests
that drew near to God might not
and so the next words are conceived to be an
answer to it.
Exodus 19:24 24 Then
the Lord
said to him
“Away! Get down and then come up
you and Aaron with you. But do
not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord
lest He break
out against them.”
YLT 24And Jehovah saith unto him
`Go
descend
then thou hast come up
thou
and Aaron with thee; and the priests and the
people do not break through
to come up unto Jehovah
lest He break forth upon
them.'
And the Lord
said unto him
away
get thee down
.... And prevent the
people and priests from breaking through the bounds and gazing
to which their
curiosity would tempt them; as the Lord knew better than Moses
and it was high
time for him to be gone
the matter required haste
the people were under great
temptations of indulging their curiosity
to the peril of their lives:
and thou shall
come up
thou
and Aaron with thee; which is thought to be
an answer to the question
who might come up? only himself and Aaron
who was
his prophet and spokesman
and concerned with him in his miracles
and in
conducting the people of Israel; and who was to be chief priest as Moses was to
be
and was the leader and governor of the people:
but let not the
priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord
lest he break
forth upon them; it required the immediate presence of Moses below
and immediate
care was to be taken by him
lest the priests and people
led by a vain
curiosity
should attempt to ascend the mount
and come where God was
to see
if they could observe any likeness of him; which would so provoke him
that in
just retaliation
as they had broke through the bounds set
he would break
forth on them by inflicting sudden death upon them.
Exodus 19:25 25 So
Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.
YLT 25And Moses goeth down unto the people
and
saith unto them: --
So Moses went
down to the people
.... As the Lord commanded him:
and spake unto
them: charging them to keep their distance
and not presume to pass
the line he had drawn
or the foss or fence he had made: in the Jerusalem
Targum it is added
"come and receive the ten words;'the decalogue or ten
commands; and the Targum of Jonathan
"come and receive the law with the
ten words;'the ten commandments of the law
which are delivered in the
following chapter.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Exodus 19:18
Septuagint reads all the people.