Devarim 5:23

23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the choshech, (for the har did burn with eish,) that ye came near unto me, even all your Rashei Shvatim (Heads of Tribes), and your Zekenim (Elders);

Devarim 5:23 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 5:23

And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst
of the darkness
The thick darkness, where God was, and with which the mountain was covered, ( Exodus 20:21 )

for the mountain did burn with fire;
which is a reason both why the Lord spoke out of the midst of the fire, the mountain on which he descended burning with it and also for his speaking out of the midst of darkness, because not only a thick cloud covered the mountain, but it was altogether on a smoke, which ascended as the smoke of a furnace, ( Exodus 19:16 Exodus 19:18 )

that ye come near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes and your
elders;
or wise men, as the Targum of Jonathan; by which it appears, that not only the common people were frightened at what they heard and saw on Mount Sinai, but those of the first rank and eminence among them, who were the most famous for their authority and wisdom.

Devarim 5:23 In-Context

21 V’lo tachmod (neither shalt thou covet, desiring) thy neighbor’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor’s bais, his sadeh, or his eved, or his amah, his ox, or his donkey, or any thing that is thy neighbor’s.

22 These devarim Hashem spoke unto all your Kahal in the mountain out of the midst of the eish, of the anan, and of the thick darkness, with a kol gadol; and He added no more. And He wrote them in two luchot of even (stone), and delivered them unto me.

23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the choshech, (for the har did burn with eish,) that ye came near unto me, even all your Rashei Shvatim (Heads of Tribes), and your Zekenim (Elders);

24 And ye said, Behold, Hashem Eloheinu hath showed us His kavod and His gadol (greatness), and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the eish; we have seen today that Elohim doth talk with man, and he liveth.

25 Now therefore why should we die? For this great eish will consume us; if we hear the voice of Hashem Eloheinu any more, then we shall die.