Exodus 19:12-22

12 And thou shalt set bounds to the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, [that ye] go [not] up upon the mount, or touch the border of it: whoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
13 There shall not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through: whether [it be] beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
14 And Moses went down from the mount to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
15 And he said to the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at [your] wives.
16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that [were] in the camp trembled.
17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
18 And mount Sinai was altogether in a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke of it ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount trembled greatly.
19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice.
20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
21 And the LORD said to Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
22 And let the priests also who come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.

Exodus 19:12-22 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.

The Webster Bible is in the public domain.