Exodus 19:21

21 and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish.

Exodus 19:21 in Other Translations

21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.

21 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the LORD to look and many of them perish.

21 Then the LORD told Moses, “Go back down and warn the people not to break through the boundaries to see the LORD, or they will die.

21 God said to Moses, "Go down. Warn the people not to break through the barricades to get a look at God lest many of them die.

21 The Lord directed Moses, "Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will die.

Exodus 19:21 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 19:21

And the Lord said unto Moses, go down
As soon as he was got to the top of the mount he was bid to go down again to the bottom, with a message to the people:

charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze;
to see if they could observe any similitude or likeness of God, that they might have an idea of it in their minds, or make an image like unto it; to prevent which, the Lord, knowing the vanity and curiosity of their minds, ordered Moses to give them a strict charge not to transgress the bounds set them, or to break down or break through the fence of stones and sand, or hedge of bushes, brambles, and branches of trees, or whatever was placed for bounds:

and many of them perish;
or "fall" ^F26; by the hand of God; either fall by death, or into some grievous calamity, as the men of Bethshemesh perished through looking into the ark, ( 1 Samuel 6:19 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

F26 (lpn) (peswsin) Sept. "et corruant", Pagninus, Tigurine version; "et cadat", Montanus; "cadant", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius; so Ainsworth.

Exodus 19:21 In-Context

19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

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

21 and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish.

22 Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.”

23 Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’ ”

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 24:10-11; Exodus 3:5; Numbers 4:20; 1 Samuel 6:19
• 2. S ver 13