Exodus 19:17

17 And Moses led the people forth out of the camp to meet God, and they stood by under the camp.

Exodus 19:17 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 19:17

And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp
Which was before the mountain and near it, when the above tokens were given of the divine Presence on it; as they were thrown into a panic upon the sound of the trumpet, it was, perhaps, with some difficulty that they were brought out of the camp, or persuaded to quit it; and nothing short of the presence of Moses at the head of them, to go before them, and lead them to the foot of the mountain, could have prevailed upon them to have done it:

to meet with God;
who came forth in such an awful and solemn manner, as their King and lawgiver, to deliver a body of laws to them, to be the rule of their future conduct:

and they stood at the nether part of the mount;
at the bottom of it, where bounds were set, and a fence made, that they should proceed no further, and yet near enough to hear what God said to Moses and to them.

Exodus 19:17 In-Context

15 And he said to the people, Be ready: for three days come not near to a woman.

16 And it came to pass on the third day, as the morning drew nigh, there were voices and lightnings and a dark cloud on mount Sina: the voice of the trumpet sounded loud, and all the people in the camp trembled.

17 And Moses led the people forth out of the camp to meet God, and they stood by under the camp.

18 The mount of Sina was altogether on a smoke, because God had descended upon it in fire; and the smoke went up as the smoke of a furnace, and the people were exceedingly amazed.

19 And the sounds of the trumpet were waxing very much louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice.