Hebrews 12:18 - Exposition

For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned, with fire, and unto blackness and darkness and tempest. The allusion is to the Israelites approaching Mount Sinai when the Law was given (see Deuteronomy 4:11 , whence still more than from Exodus 19:1-25 . the whole description is taken, "And ye came near [ προσήλθετε , the same word as is used supra, Hebrews 4:16 ; Hebrews 7:25 ], and stood under the mountain"). Though the word "mount" in the Received Text has the support of no ancient authority, it must be understood, whether or not originally written. For it comes after προσήλθετε in the passage of Deuteronomy which is evidently referred to, the following words, "blackness, darkness, tempest" ( σκότος γνόφος θύελλα ), being also found there. And otherwise we should have to translate, "a touched [i.e. palpable] and kindled fire;" but "touched" ( φηλαφωμένῳ ) is not suitable to fire ; and we should also lose the evidently intended contrast between the two mountains of Sinai and Zion, which appears in verse 22. Neither may we trans- late, as some would do, "a mountain that might be touched, and kindled fire;" for the original passage in Deuteronomy has "and the mountain burned with fire ( καὶ τὸ ὄρος ἐκαίετο πυρὶ ) . " The participle φηλαφωμένῳ (literally, that was touched), rather than ψηφαλητῷ , may be used here, although on the occasion referred to all were forbidden to touch the mountain, by way of bringing more distinctly into view the actual Sinai, which was touched at other times, and which Moses both touched and ascended. If so, the main purpose of the word is to contrast the local and palpable mountain of the Law with the ideal Mount Zion which is afterwards spoken of. Or, the verb ψηλαλάω may here carry with it its common sense of groping after, as in the dark (cf. Deuteronomy 28:29 , καὶ ἔση ψηλαφῶν μεσημβρίας ὡσεὶ ψηλαφήσαι ὁ τυφλὸς ἐν τῷ σκότει ), with reference to the cloudy darkness about Sinai, and in contrast with the clear unclouded vision of Zion.