King James Version
Exodus 19
25 verses with commentary
Israel Camps at Mount Sinai
In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.</strong><br><br>The third month (Sivan) marks Israel arriving at Sinai exactly fifty days after Passover—the same timing as Pentecost, when the Spirit would write the law on hearts rather than tablets. The Hebrew phrase 'bayom hazeh' (on this very d...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The people come to Sinai, God's message to them, and their answer.(1-8)
The people directed to prepare to hear the law.(9-15)
The presence of God on Sinai.(16-25)
**Verses 1-8**
Moses was called up the mountain, and was employed as the messenger of this covenant. The Maker and first Mover of the covenant, is God himself. This blessed charter was gra...
Read full commentary →For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.</strong><br><br>The Hebrew 'vayichan' (and camped) shifts from plural to singular—Israel camps as ONE people before God's mountain. This grammatical shift is theologically loaded: the rabble of tribes becomes a unified nation. Rephidim, th...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XIX.
THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD TO THE PEOPLE ON MOUNT SINAI.
(2) **They were departed from Rephidim.**—If Rephidim was where we have placed it, in the Wady Feiran, the march to “the wilderness of Sinai” (*Er Rahah*) must have been by the Wady Solaf, or the Wady esh Sheikh, or possibly by both. The distance by Wady Solaf is about eighteen, by Wady esh Sheikh about twenty-five miles. The wilderness o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The people come to Sinai, God's message to them, and their answer.(1-8)
The people directed to prepare to hear the law.(9-15)
The presence of God on Sinai.(16-25)
**Verses 1-8**
Moses was called up the mountain, and was employed as the messenger of this covenant. The Maker and first Mover of the covenant, is God himself. This blessed charter was gra...
Read full commentary →And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;</strong><br><br>Moses ascends as mediator between God and people—foreshadowing Christ's superior mediation. The dual naming 'house of Jacob' and 'children of Israel' is deliberate: Jacob represents their natural descent from the t...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Moses went up unto God**—*i.e., *ascended Sinai, where he expected that God would speak with him.
**The Lord called unto him out of the mountain.**—While he was still on his way, as it would seem, so that he was spared the toil of the ascent. God meets us half-way when we “arise and go” to Him.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The people come to Sinai, God's message to them, and their answer.(1-8)
The people directed to prepare to hear the law.(9-15)
The presence of God on Sinai.(16-25)
**Verses 1-8**
Moses was called up the mountain, and was employed as the messenger of this covenant. The Maker and first Mover of the covenant, is God himself. This blessed charter was gra...
Read full commentary →Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.</strong><br><br>God appeals to witnessed history before making future demands—covenant is rooted in redemption, not abstraction. The eagle imagery (כְּנָפַיִם נְשָׁרִים, kenafayim nesharim) depicts supernatural deliverance: eagles carry their young on their wings above danger. The ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **I bare you on eagles’ wings.**—**Comp. **Deuteronomy 32:11, “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, *beareth them upon her wings.” *When its young are first fledged, the eagle is said to assist them in their flight by flying beneath them, so that they may settle upon its wings or back, if necessary. God means that He has bestowed...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The people come to Sinai, God's message to them, and their answer.(1-8)
The people directed to prepare to hear the law.(9-15)
The presence of God on Sinai.(16-25)
**Verses 1-8**
Moses was called up the mountain, and was employed as the messenger of this covenant. The Maker and first Mover of the covenant, is God himself. This blessed charter was gra...
Read full commentary →Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:</strong><br><br>The conditional 'if' establishes covenant structure—God's promises are sure, but Israel's enjoyment depends on faithfulness. 'Obey my voice' (שָׁמוֹעַ בְּקֹלִי, shamoa bekoli) literally means 'hear-obey my voice'—the...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **A peculiar treasure.**—The Hebrew *sĕgullah *is from a root, found in Chaldee, signifying “to earn,” or “acquire,” and means primarily some valuable possession, which the owner has got by his own exertions. (Comp. 1Chronicles 29:3, where the English Version translates it by “mine own proper good.”) God views the Israelites as made His own by the long series of mighty works done for their del...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The people come to Sinai, God's message to them, and their answer.(1-8)
The people directed to prepare to hear the law.(9-15)
The presence of God on Sinai.(16-25)
**Verses 1-8**
Moses was called up the mountain, and was employed as the messenger of this covenant. The Maker and first Mover of the covenant, is God himself. This blessed charter was gra...
Read full commentary →And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.</strong><br><br>Israel's threefold identity: (1) a kingdom (מַמְלֶכֶת, mamlekhet)—God reigns over them, (2) of priests (כֹּהֲנִים, kohanim)—they mediate between God and nations, (3) a holy nation (גּוֹי קָדוֹשׁ, goy qadosh)—set apart for God's purposes. ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **A kingdom of priests.**—All of them both “kings and priests unto God”—kings as lords over themselves, equals one to another, owing allegiance to God only—priests, as entitled to draw near to God in prayer without an intermediary, to bring Him their offerings, pay Him their vows, and hold communion with Him in heart and soul. The same privileges are declared by St. Peter (1Peter 2:9) and St. ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The people come to Sinai, God's message to them, and their answer.(1-8)
The people directed to prepare to hear the law.(9-15)
The presence of God on Sinai.(16-25)
**Verses 1-8**
Moses was called up the mountain, and was employed as the messenger of this covenant. The Maker and first Mover of the covenant, is God himself. This blessed charter was gra...
Read full commentary →And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.</strong><br><br>Moses faithfully transmits God's words without addition or subtraction—modeling prophetic fidelity. The phrase 'laid before their faces' (וַיָּשֶׂם לִפְנֵיהֶם, vayasem lifneihem) suggests formal presentation, like laying out treaty terms for rati...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Moses . . . Called for the elders-**The “elders” formed the usual channel of communication between Moses and the people, reporting his words to them, and theirs to him. (See Exodus 4:21; Exodus 12:21; Exodus 17:5-6; Exodus 18:2; Exodus 24:14, &c.) On their position and authority, see Note on Exodus 3:16.
**Before their faces.**—This translation is a curious piece of literalism. *Liphney, *in...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The people come to Sinai, God's message to them, and their answer.(1-8)
The people directed to prepare to hear the law.(9-15)
The presence of God on Sinai.(16-25)
**Verses 1-8**
Moses was called up the mountain, and was employed as the messenger of this covenant. The Maker and first Mover of the covenant, is God himself. This blessed charter was gra...
Read full commentary →And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.</strong><br><br>Israel's unanimous response 'we will do' (נַעֲשֶׂה, na'aseh) sounds commendable but proves tragically overconfident—within weeks they'll worship the golden calf. This premature 'we will do' (works) precedes 'we will hear' (faith...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **All the people answered together.**—There was no hesitation, no diversity of opinion, no self-distrust. In view of the great privileges offered to them, all were willing, nay, eager, to promise for themselves that “they would obey God’s voice indeed, and keep his covenant.” In the glow and warmth of their feelings the difficulty of perfect obedience did not occur to them.
**Moses returned th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The people come to Sinai, God's message to them, and their answer.(1-8)
The people directed to prepare to hear the law.(9-15)
The presence of God on Sinai.(16-25)
**Verses 1-8**
Moses was called up the mountain, and was employed as the messenger of this covenant. The Maker and first Mover of the covenant, is God himself. This blessed charter was gra...
Read full commentary →And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.</strong><br><br>The 'thick cloud' (עֲנַן הֶעָנָן, anan he'anan) serves dual purposes: veiling God's consuming holiness while revealing His presence. God accommodates human weakness—His glory wo...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **And the Lord said . . . . —**The first step in the great event of the formation of a covenant between God and Israel was completed by the people’s acceptance of God’s offer. The second step was now to be taken. The terms of the covenant must be declared, and it pleased God to declare them, or, at any rate, the most important and fundamental of them, in the hearing of the people. He therefore...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
The solemn manner in which the law was delivered, was to impress the people with a right sense of the Divine majesty. Also to convince them of their own guilt, and to show that they could not stand in judgment before God by their own obedience. In the law, the sinner discovers what he ought to be, what he is, and what he wants. There he learns the nature, necessity, and glory o...
Read full commentary →And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,</strong><br><br>Meeting God requires preparation—holiness isn't casual. 'Sanctify' (קִדַּשְׁתָּם, qiddashtam) means to set apart, consecrate, make holy. The two-day preparation period creates anticipation and underscores the gravity of divine encounter. Washing clothes...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Go unto the people, and sanctify them.**—The approaching manifestation required, above all things, that the people should be “sanctified.” Sanctification is twofold—outward and inward. The real essential preparation for approach to God is inward sanctification; but no external command can secure this. Moses was therefore instructed to issue directions for outward purification; and it was le...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
The solemn manner in which the law was delivered, was to impress the people with a right sense of the Divine majesty. Also to convince them of their own guilt, and to show that they could not stand in judgment before God by their own obedience. In the law, the sinner discovers what he ought to be, what he is, and what he wants. There he learns the nature, necessity, and glory o...
Read full commentary →And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.</strong><br><br>The 'third day' pattern appears throughout redemptive history: Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:4), Israel's preparation here, Hosea's prophecy (Hosea 6:2), Jonah in the fish, Christ's resurrection—the third day marks divine intervention and new beginn...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Against the third day.**—There is no special “significance” in this mention of “the third day.” The important point is, that the purification was to continue through two entire days—one day not being sufficient. This taught the lesson that man’s defilement is, in the sight of God, very great.
**The Lord will come down in the sight of all the people.**—See the comment on Exodus 19:9.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
The solemn manner in which the law was delivered, was to impress the people with a right sense of the Divine majesty. Also to convince them of their own guilt, and to show that they could not stand in judgment before God by their own obedience. In the law, the sinner discovers what he ought to be, what he is, and what he wants. There he learns the nature, necessity, and glory o...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:</strong><br><br>Boundaries (הִגְבַּלְתָּ, higbalta) protect God's holiness and human life—approaching holy God presumptuously brings death. The doubled verb 'shall surely die' (מוֹת יו...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Thou shalt set bounds.**—Here was another formal and mechanical direction, having for its object to deepen and intensify the lesson of God’s unapproachable majesty and holiness. Moses was required to “set bounds to the people,” *i.e., *to make a substantial fence between the camp and the base of Sinai, which should prevent both animals and men from coming in contact with the mountain. Moder...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
The solemn manner in which the law was delivered, was to impress the people with a right sense of the Divine majesty. Also to convince them of their own guilt, and to show that they could not stand in judgment before God by their own obedience. In the law, the sinner discovers what he ought to be, what he is, and what he wants. There he learns the nature, necessity, and glory o...
Read full commentary →There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. trumpet: or, cornet
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.</strong><br><br>Even the executioner cannot touch the violator—the contamination is so severe that stoning or shooting from distance is required. The impartiality ('beast or man') shows holiness vio...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **There shall not an hand touch it.**—This translation gives an entirely wrong sense. The meaning is, beyond all doubt, “There shall not a hand touch *him,” i.e., *the transgressor. To stop him and seize him, another person must have transgressed the bounds, and so have repeated the act which was forbidden. This course was to be avoided, and punishment was to be inflicted on the transgressor ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
The solemn manner in which the law was delivered, was to impress the people with a right sense of the Divine majesty. Also to convince them of their own guilt, and to show that they could not stand in judgment before God by their own obedience. In the law, the sinner discovers what he ought to be, what he is, and what he wants. There he learns the nature, necessity, and glory o...
Read full commentary →And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.</strong><br><br>Moses descends to consecrate—the mediator applies God's requirements to the people. His back-and-forth movement (up to God, down to people) dramatizes mediation: he brings God's words down and carries people's needs up. 'Sanctified the people' (וַיְקַדֵּשׁ, vayqadde...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
The solemn manner in which the law was delivered, was to impress the people with a right sense of the Divine majesty. Also to convince them of their own guilt, and to show that they could not stand in judgment before God by their own obedience. In the law, the sinner discovers what he ought to be, what he is, and what he wants. There he learns the nature, necessity, and glory o...
Read full commentary →And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.</strong><br><br>Sexual abstinence prepares for divine encounter—not because sexuality is evil but because it's consuming and would distract from single-minded focus on God. The command 'come not at your wives' (אַל תִּגְּשׁוּ אֶל אִשָּׁה, al tiggeshu el ishah) imposes temporary continence for consecration....
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Come not at your wives.**—Comp. 1Samuel 21:4-5 :1Corinthians 7:5. It was the general sentiment of antiquity that a ceremonial uncleanness attached even to the chastest sexual connection. (Herod. I. 189, ii. 64; Hesiod. *Op. et D., *11. 733-4: Tibull, *Carni. *ii. 1, 11. 11, 12; Porphyr., *De Abstinentia, *4:7.) The Levitical law took the same view (Leviticus 15:18), as did the Indian law (*...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
The solemn manner in which the law was delivered, was to impress the people with a right sense of the Divine majesty. Also to convince them of their own guilt, and to show that they could not stand in judgment before God by their own obedience. In the law, the sinner discovers what he ought to be, what he is, and what he wants. There he learns the nature, necessity, and glory o...
Read full commentary →The Lord Descends on Sinai
And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.</strong><br><br>The third day arrives with cosmic fireworks—thunders (קֹלֹת, qolot), lightnings (בְּרָקִים, beraqim), thick cloud (עָנָן כָּבֵד, anan kaved), and dea...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16-20) **Thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud.**—Compare with this description that of Deut. (Deuteronomy 4:11-12), which is fuller in some respects:—“Ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain *burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, *with darkness, clouds, and *thick darkness. *And the Lord spake unto you out of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no sim...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-25**
Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness a...
Read full commentary →And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.</strong><br><br>Moses 'brought forth' (וַיּוֹצֵא, vayotze) the people—they wouldn't venture out on their own. The same verb used for God bringing Israel OUT of Egypt now describes Moses bringing them OUT to meet God. Redemption leads to revelation; salvation aims at relation...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Out of the camp.**—An open space must have intervened between the camp and the “bounds.” Into this Moses led the representatives of the people, so bringing them as near to God as was permitted.
**At the nether part of the mount.**—In the plain directly in front of the Ras Sufsafeh, and almost under it.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-25**
Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness a...
Read full commentary →And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.</strong><br><br>Sinai becomes a furnace—'altogether smoke' (עָשַׁן כֻּלּוֹ, ashan kullo) means totally enveloped. God 'descended in fire' (יָרַד עָלָיו בָּאֵשׁ, yarad alav ba'esh)—fire manifests consuming holine...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke.**—Heb., *smoked, all of it. *Some understand by this, “dense clouds, having the *appearance *of smoke.” But if “the mountain burned with fire,” as asserted (Deuteronomy 4:11), the smoke would be real.
**The whole mount quaked greatly.**—Comp. Psalm 68:8, “The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-25**
Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness a...
Read full commentary →And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.</strong><br><br>The trumpet crescendos (הוֹלֵךְ וְחָזֵק מְאֹד, holekh vechazaq me'od)—'going and exceedingly strong'—building unbearable tension. Unlike human trumpets that fade, this blast intensifies, indicating supernatural origin. Moses 'spake' (יְדַבֵּר, yedabber)...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-25**
Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness a...
Read full commentary →And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.</strong><br><br>God 'came down' (וַיֵּרֶד, vayered) to the summit, then 'called up' (וַיִּקְרָא, vayiqra) Moses—God condescends to meet, then summons the mediator higher. The verbs map the covenant dance: God initiates by descending, humans respond by a...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **On the top of the mount.**—On the summit of the Ras Sufsafeh, not on the Jebel Musa, which is out of sight from the plain of Er Rahah.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-25**
Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness a...
Read full commentary →And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. charge: Heb. contest
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.</strong><br><br>God sends Moses back down with urgent warning—presumptuous curiosity kills. 'Break through' (יֶהֶרְסוּ, yehersu) implies forced breach of boundaries, treating God casually. 'To gaze' (לִרְאוֹת, lir'ot) means to stare, gawk—approaching God as spec...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
GOD’S WARNING TO THE PEOPLE AGAINST A TOO NEAR APPROACH.
(21-25) Warning was given, as soon as God announced His intention of descending upon Sinai, that the people must not approach too near. “Bounds” were set, and the people required to keep within them. Actual contact with the mountain was forbidden under penalty of death (Exodus 19:12). It is evident from Exodus 19:23 that the command to “set ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-25**
Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness a...
Read full commentary →And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.</strong><br><br>Even priests, though closer to God than laity, must consecrate themselves—proximity intensifies responsibility. 'Which come near' (הַנִּגָּשִׁים, haniggashim) describes priestly function—approaching God on behalf of others. 'Sanctify themselves' (יִתְקַדָּשׁוּ, y...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **The priests.**—This has been called an anachronism, since the Levitical priesthood was not as yet instituted. But the Israelites, like all other ancient tribes or races, must have had priests long ere this, appointed upon one principle or another. It is a reasonable conjecture that hitherto the heads of families had exercised sacerdotal functions.
**Break forth**—*i.e., punish in some open ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--**This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-25**
Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness a...
Read full commentary →And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.</strong><br><br>Moses respectfully reminds God of His own command—modeling faithful leadership that implements divine directives. The phrase 'cannot come up' (לֹא יוּכְלוּ, lo yukhelu) means 'are unable'—not defiant refusal but appropriate rest...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **The people cannot come up.**—Moses probably means that they cannot do so unwittingly; he
Does not contemplate the case of an intentional trespass. But it was this which God knew to be contemplated, and was desirous of preventing.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32-36. Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations--**The mere fact of such a multitude being fed for forty years in the wilderness, where no food of any kind is to be obtained, will show the utter impossibility of their subsisting on a natural production of the kind and quantity as this tarfa-gum [see on Ex 16:13]; and, as if for the purpose of removing all such groundless speculations, ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-25**
Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness a...
Read full commentary →And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.</strong><br><br>God insists on Moses' descent and return with Aaron—this isn't busywork but establishing Aaron's role as co-mediator and future high priest. Moses must 'come up' (וְע...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **Away, get thee down.**—He “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17) overrules the objection of Moses, and persists. The warning is required, and is to be given. Moses, submissive as usual, yields, and “goes down unto the people and speaks unto them.” The result is that no attempt to break through the barrier is made.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32-36. Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations--**The mere fact of such a multitude being fed for forty years in the wilderness, where no food of any kind is to be obtained, will show the utter impossibility of their subsisting on a natural production of the kind and quantity as this tarfa-gum [see on Ex 16:13]; and, as if for the purpose of removing all such groundless speculations, ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-25**
Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness a...
Read full commentary →So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.</strong><br><br>Moses obeys immediately—no argument, no delay. 'Went down' (וַיֵּרֶד, vayered) and 'spoke' (וַיֹּאמֶר, vayomer) show prompt compliance. The verse's brevity emphasizes action over words—Moses is a doer, not merely a hearer. He descends to deliver God's warning before ascending again with Aaron. This constant up-down mo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32-36. Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations--**The mere fact of such a multitude being fed for forty years in the wilderness, where no food of any kind is to be obtained, will show the utter impossibility of their subsisting on a natural production of the kind and quantity as this tarfa-gum [see on Ex 16:13]; and, as if for the purpose of removing all such groundless speculations, ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-25**
Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness a...
Read full commentary →