Exodus 19

1 In the third month after the children of Yisra'el had gone forth out of the land of Mitzrayim, on that same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
2 When they had departed from Refidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Yisra'el encamped before the mountain.
3 Moshe went up to God, and the LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, "This is what you shall tell the house of Ya`akov, and tell the children of Yisra'el:
4 'You have seen what I did to the Mitzrim, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to myself.
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the eretz is mine;
6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of Kohanim, and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Yisra'el."
7 Moshe came and called for the Zakenim of the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD commanded him.
8 All the people answered together, and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." Moshe reported the words of the people to the LORD.
9 The LORD said to Moshe, "Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever." Moshe told the words of the people to the LORD.
10 The LORD said to Moshe, "Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments,
11 and be ready against the third day; for on the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai.
12 You shall set bounds to the people round about, saying, 'Be careful that you don't go up onto the mountain, or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain shall be surely put to death.
13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it is animal or man, he shall not live.' When the shofar sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain."
14 Moshe went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
15 He said to the people, "Be ready by the third day. Don't have sexual relations with a woman."
16 It happened on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud shofar; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.
17 Moshe led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain.
18 Mount Sinai, the whole of it, smoked, because the LORD descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
19 When the sound of the shofar grew louder and louder, Moshe spoke, and God answered him by a voice.
20 The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. The LORD called Moshe to the top of the mountain, and Moshe went up.
21 The LORD said to Moshe, "Go down, charge the people, lest they break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
22 Let the Kohanim also, who come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth on them."
23 Moshe said to the LORD, "The people can't come up to Mount Sinai, for you charged us, saying, 'Set bounds around the mountain, and sanctify it.'"
24 The LORD said to him, "Go down and you shall bring Aharon up with you, but don't let the Kohanim and the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest he break forth on them."
25 So Moshe went down to the people, and told them.

Exodus 19 Commentary

Chapter 19

The people come to Sinai, God's message to them, and their answer. (1-8) The people directed to prepare to hear the law. (9-15) The presence of God on Sinai. (16-25)

Verses 1-8 Moses was called up the mountain, and was employed as the messenger of this covenant. The Maker and first Mover of the covenant, is God himself. This blessed charter was granted out of God's own free grace. The covenant here mentioned was the national covenant, by which the Israelites were a people under the government of Jehovah. It was a type of the new covenant made with true believers in Christ Jesus; but, like other types, it was only a shadow of good things to come. As a nation they broke this covenant; therefore the Lord declared that he would make a new covenant with Israel, writing his law, not upon tables of stone, but in their hearts, ( Jeremiah 31:33 , Hebrews 8:7-10 ) . The covenant spoken of in these places as ready to vanish away, is the national covenant with Israel, which they forfeited by their sins. Unless we carefully attend to this, we shall fall into mistakes while reading the Old Testament. We must not suppose that the nation of the Jews were under the covenant of works, which knows nothing of repentance, faith in a Mediator, forgiveness of sins, or grace; nor yet that the whole nation of Israel bore the character, and possessed the privileges of true believers, as being actually sharers in the covenant of grace. They were all under a dispensation of mercy; they had outward privileges and advantages for salvation; but, like professing Christians, most rested therein, and went no further. Israel consented to the conditions. They answered as one man, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. Oh that there had been such a heart in them! Moses, as a mediator, returned the words of the people to God. Thus Christ, the Mediator, as a Prophet, reveals God's will to us, his precepts and promises; and then, as a Priest, offers up to God our spiritual sacrifices, not only of prayer and praise, but of devout affections, and pious resolutions, the work of his own Spirit in us.

Verses 9-15 The solemn manner in which the law was delivered, was to impress the people with a right sense of the Divine majesty. Also to convince them of their own guilt, and to show that they could not stand in judgment before God by their own obedience. In the law, the sinner discovers what he ought to be, what he is, and what he wants. There he learns the nature, necessity, and glory of redemption, and of being made holy. Having been taught to flee to Christ, and to love him, the law is the rule of his obedience and faith.

Verses 16-25 Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness and greatness, nor our own meanness and pollution. We cannot stand in judgment before him according to his righteous law. The convinced transgressor asks, What must I do to be saved? and he hears the voice, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. The Holy Ghost, who made the law to convince of sin, now takes of the things of Christ, and shows them to us. In the gospel we read, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Through him we are justified from all things, from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses. But the Divine law is binding as a rule of life. The Son of God came down from heaven, and suffered poverty, shame, agony, and death, not only to redeem us from its curse, but to bind us more closely to keep its commands.

Chapter Summary

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.

Exodus 19 Commentaries

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.