Exodus 24:2

2 and Moses alone go up to the Lord, and they shall not nigh, neither the people shall go up with him. (and then Moses shall come up alone to the Lord, but the elders shall not come near, and let none of the common people come up onto the mountain with you.)

Exodus 24:2 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 24:2

And Moses alone shall come near the Lord
Into the cloud where he was, and talk with him face to face, as a man talketh with his friend; which was great nearness indeed, and a peculiar favour and high honour was this:

but they shall not come nigh;
Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel:

neither shall the people go up with him;
not any of them, much less the whole body. It seems, by this account, that Moses had been down from the mount after he had received the laws recorded in the two preceding chapters; though as yet he had not related them to the people, but did before he went up again by the above order, as appears from what follows.

Exodus 24:2 In-Context

1 Also he said to Moses, Go thou up to the Lord, thou, and Aaron, and Nadab, and Abihu, and [the] seventy elder men of Israel; and ye shall worship afar, (And he said to Moses, Come up to the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel; and ye shall worship me from afar,)

2 and Moses alone go up to the Lord, and they shall not nigh, neither the people shall go up with him. (and then Moses shall come up alone to the Lord, but the elders shall not come near, and let none of the common people come up onto the mountain with you.)

3 Therefore Moses came, and told to the people all the words and the dooms of the Lord; and all the people answered with one voice, (and said,) We shall do all the words of the Lord which he hath spoken. (And so Moses came, and told the people all the words and the judgements of the Lord; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, We shall do all that the Lord hath spoken.)

4 Forsooth Moses wrote (down) all the words of the Lord; and he rose early, and builded an altar to the Lord at the roots of the hill, and he builded twelve titles, or stones, by twelve lineages of Israel. (And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord; and then he rose up early, and built an altar to the Lord at the foot of the mountain, and he set up twelve stones, for the twelve tribes of Israel.)

5 And he sent young men of the sons of Israel (to it), and they offered burnt sacrifices, and peaceable sacrifices to the Lord (and they offered burnt sacrifices, and peace offerings to the Lord), (yea,) twelve calves/two calves.