Exodus 19:17-25

17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

The LORD Visits Sinai

18 ¹Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because * * the LORD descended upon it ²in fire; and its smoke ascended like ³the smoke of a furnace, and ⁴the whole mountain quaked violently.

19 When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and ⁵God answered him with thunder.

20 ⁶The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

21 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go down, warn the people, so that ⁷they do not break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.

22 "Also let the ⁸priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, or else the LORD will break out against them."

23 Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot * come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us, saying, '⁹Set bounds about the mountain and consecrate it.' "

24 Then the LORD said to him, "Go * down and come up again, ¹⁰you and Aaron with you; but do not let the ¹¹priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, or He will break forth upon them."

25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

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Exodus 19:17-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 19

In this chapter we have an account of the coming of the children of Israel to Mount Sinai, Ex 19:1,2, of the covenant made with them there, the proposal on the part of God, and their acceptance of it, Ex 19:3-8, 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, Ex 19:9-15, the awful and tremendous appearance of God upon the mount, Ex 19:6-20 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, Ex 19:21-24, 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, Ex 19:25.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 11

1. Deuteronomy 4:11; Psalms 104:32; Psalms 144:5
2. Exodus 3:2; Exodus 24:17; Deuteronomy 5:4; 2 Chronicles 7:1-3; Hebrews 12:18
3. Genesis 15:17; Genesis 19:28
4. Judges 5:5; Psalms 68:7, 8; Jeremiah 4:24
5. Psalms 81:7
6. Nehemiah 9:13
7. Exodus 3:5; 1 Samuel 6:19
8. Exodus 19:24; Exodus 24:5; Leviticus 10:3; Leviticus 21:6-8
9. Exodus 19:12
10. Ex 24:1, 9, 12
11. Exodus 19:22

Footnotes 7

[a]. Lit "lower part"
[b]. Or "trembled"
[c]. Or "a voice;" lit "a sound"
[d]. Lit "testify to"
[e]. Lit "fall"
[f]. Lit "testified to"
[g]. Lit "Go, descend"