Exodus 19:21-24 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 19:16-25

Now, at length, comes that memorable day, that terrible day of the Lord, that day of judgment, in which Israel heard the voice of the Lord God speaking to them out of the midst of the fire, and lived, Deut. 4:33. Never was there such a sermon preached, before nor since, as this which was here preached to the church in the wilderness. For, I. The preacher was God himself (Exod. 19:18): The Lord descended in fire, and (Exod. 19:20), The Lord came down upon mount Sinai. The shechinah, or glory of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:21

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:22

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:23

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,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:24

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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:22

Let the priests also - sanctify themselves - That there were priests among the Hebrews before the consecration of Aaron and his sons, cannot be doubted; though their functions might be in a considerable measure suspended while under persecution in Egypt, yet the persons existed whose right and duty it was to offer sacrifices to God. Moses requested liberty from Pharaoh to go into the wilderness to sacrifice; and had there not been among the people both sacrifices and priests, the request... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:23

The people cannot come up - Either because they had been so solemnly forbidden that they would not dare, with the penalty of instant death before their eyes, to transgress the Divine command; or the bounds which were set about the mount were such as rendered their passing them physically impossible. And sanctify it - וקדשהי vekiddashio . Here the word קדש kadash is taken in its proper literal sense, signifying the separating of a thing, person or place, from all profane or common... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:24

Let not the priests and the people break through - God knew that they were heedless, criminally curious, and stupidly obstinate; and therefore his mercy saw it right to give them line upon line, that they might not transgress to their own destruction. From the very solemn and awful manner in which the Law was introduced, we may behold it as the ministration of terror and death, 2 Corinthians 3:7 , appearing rather to exclude men from God than to bring them nigh; and from this we may... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:21

Verse 21 21.And the Lord said unto Moses. By God’s command the same prohibition is repeated, that the people should not pass over the bounds, because, without doubt, it was not enough to have forbidden them once, as we may gather from the reply of Moses; for he thought that since they were all admonished, there was no necessity for a new prohibition. But God insists with greater vehemence, and again with threatenings, orders them to be charged that they take diligent heed to themselves. He... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:23

Verse 23 23.And Moses said unto the Lord. Because Moses was persuaded that the people would be obedient, he rejoins that the decree which had already been pronounced would be sufficient, and that the repetition of it would be in some degree supererogatory; for when he says that “the people cannot come up,” he replies that he puts himself forward in the name of all as their surety. And this he does honestly, and in accordance with the rule of charity; yet it appears from God’s reply that he was... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 19:16-25

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:22

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:23

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:24

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:22

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:23

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:24

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:21

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:23

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