Exodus 19:17-25

17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

18 All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD had come down on it in fire. Smoke rose from the mountain like the smoke from a kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently.

19 As the sound of the horn grew louder and louder, Moses was speaking, and the voice of God answered him.

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

21 The LORD said to him, "Go down and warn the people not to force their way through [the boundary] to see the LORD, or many of them will die.

22 Even the priests who are allowed to come near the LORD must set themselves apart as holy, or the LORD will violently kill them."

23 Moses said to the LORD, "The people can't come up Mount Sinai, because you warned us yourself to mark off a boundary around the mountain and consider it holy."

24 The LORD said to him, "Go down, and bring Aaron back with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through the boundary to come up to the LORD, or he will violently kill them."

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

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.