The Context of the Giving of the Covenant and The People's Fear (Deuteronomy 5:22-28).
Having repeated the covenant he now sought to emphasise again the circumstances under which it was given. The twofold repetition of this before and after the basic covenant itself demonstrates how concerned he was to ensure that they recognised the solemnity of the covenant. See also Deuteronomy 4:10-24; Deuteronomy 4:33.
(Except when clearly used in words to Moses, when ‘thou, thee' is used, which may be another reason for the change to ‘ye', so as to bring out the distinction, all the verbs in this section are ‘ye, your').
Analysis.
a Yahweh's words were spoken to all the assembly in the Mount out of the midst of the Fire, of the Cloud, and of the thick darkness with a great voice, after which He added no more (Deuteronomy 5:22 a).
b He wrote them on two tables of stone and had given them to Moses (Deuteronomy 5:22 b).
c When the people heard the Voice out of the midst of the darkness while the Mount burned with Fire, their heads and their elders approached Moses (Deuteronomy 5:23).
d They declared that Yahweh had shown them His glory and His greatness, and that they had heard His Voice out of the midst of the Fire, and that they had seen this day that God speaks with a man, and yet he continues to live (Deuteronomy 5:24).
d But now they were afraid that they would die and that this great Fire would consume them, and that if they heard the Voice of Yahweh their God any more, they would die (Deuteronomy 5:25).
c For who, they asked, of all living flesh had heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the Fire, as they had, and lived? (Deuteronomy 5:26).
b So they asked Moses to go near and hear all that Yahweh their God would say, and then speak it to them and they would hear it and do it (Deuteronomy 5:27).
a Yahweh had heard the voice of their words, and said to Moses, “I have heard the voice of the words of this people who have spoken to you. They have said well all that they have spoken” (Deuteronomy 5:28).
Note that in ‘a' He had spoken out of the Fire, Cloud and thick darkness with a great Voice and had ceased, and in the parallel He had heard His people's voice (requesting no more) and responded to it favourably. In ‘b' He had given His Instruction direct to Moses on two tablets of stone, and in the parallel this was in accordance with the request of the people that in future He alone would receive God's Instruction. In ‘c' the head and elders had approached Moses when they heard the Voice from the darkness and the Fire, and in the parallel they asked who of all living flesh had heard such things and lived. In ‘d' they emphasised they still lived in spite of the greatness and glory and awesomeness of what they had seen, but in the parallel feared greatly that if it continued they would die.
‘ These words Yahweh spoke to all your (your) assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice, and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone, and gave them to me.'
He draws attention to the fact, firstly that the words had been spoken to the whole assembly (Exodus 20:22), and no one had been omitted. Secondly that they had come from the Fire and Cloud and thick darkness that was on the Mount. They were from the very presence of God, the God of glory, in consuming power and mystery. Thirdly that they had come with a great voice, a voice that had directly spoken to them, and terrified them. Fourthly that nothing was added to the commandments. They stood there stark in all their brevity, and yet it was a brevity that in principle covered all men's sins and responses. (Alternately the thought may be that He added no more to the people, the remainder coming through Moses). And fifthly they were recorded on stone by the hand of God so as to seal their permanence and importance, and handed over by the covenant Lord to His people through Moses His mediator. The fivefold description emphasises the covenant connection.
“Fire and cloud and thick darkness.” God had recently constantly revealed Himself to Israel in fire and cloud, in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (Deuteronomy 1:33; Exodus 13:21; Exodus 14:19; Exodus 14:24; Exodus 40:38; Numbers 10:34; Numbers 14:14). Now this experience was deepened. While they regularly used fire they knew also that it was mysterious and dangerous. It was not easily controlled. It lightened darkness, it shone gloriously, it could be awesome. It was here and then it was gone, no one knew where. It could destroy forests and cities. In intensity it was something to fear. It was a reminder of what God is like. The thick darkness emphasised His mystery and unapproachability.
‘ And it came about, when you (ye) heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you (ye) came near to me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders,'
He stresses the Fire again and that they had heard the voice from within the thick darkness even while they saw the surrounding fire, and had been deeply stirred. But they had not seen Yahweh in His essence. Nor could they. To experience Him in His full essence would have been to die. Yet even the voice had been terrible enough, and they had immediately tried to distance themselves from it.
He reminds them of the effect that this had had on their fathers, and on some of them as children. And how at what they had seen and heard they had been filled with fear and awe, so that they had approached Moses, through all their heads of tribes and their elders, pleading that they wanted no more of it.
‘ And you said, “Behold, Yahweh our God has shown us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man, and he lives.”
They had been so moved that they had then spoken to him with awe of how Yahweh their covenant God had revealed to them His glory and His greatness in the Fire. Of course, they had in fact only seen the outskirts of His ways, but to them that had been moving enough, for what they had seen and heard had terrified them. And they had spoken in hushed tones of the voice that had spoken to them. They felt that they had done the impossible, heard the voice of God and lived. In a strange way they appreciated the fact. But it was not something that they wished to experience again. God had never come that close to them before and they thought of it in terms that no man could see God and live, for that was how they felt. To them it was not an experience that they wanted repeating.
Such experiences are the lot of very few. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had experienced the awe of the revelation of God Himself as manifested in theophanies. Moses had experienced them. Now they had experienced them. No wonder they were subdued. But in all these cases none had truly seen God. Such a beatific vision would have destroyed whoever saw it. Even Moses, after pleading to see God in His glory, was only permitted to see the tail end of His glory (Exodus 33:23).
“ Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of Yahweh our God any more, then we shall die.”
Yet limited though their experience had been they had not wanted it repeating. They had felt as though they had almost died. If it happened again they feared that they would die. That terrible Fire that they had seen would surely devour them. The awful voice of God would surely cause them to wither and be annihilated. They could not even bear the thought of it.
“ For who is there of all flesh, who has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?”
They had spoken with awe. They did not know of anyone who had ever had the kind of experience that they had had, God speaking to them out of the midst of the Fire, and had lived. It had shaken them to the core. And yet they recognised that it had made them special. Of course, Moses had experienced exactly that at the burning bush. But then he was Moses. They were speaking of ordinary men.
“Speaking out of the midst of the Fire.” Compare especially Deuteronomy 4:12; Deuteronomy 4:24; Deuteronomy 4:33; Deuteronomy 5:4.
“ You go near, and hear all that Yahweh our God shall say, and you speak to us all that Yahweh our God shall say to you, and we will hear it, and do it.”
But the end result was that they had begged Moses to stand in for them, to be their mediator, to go in their place. Would he not approach Yahweh their God, and hear all that He had to say, and then pass on Yahweh's covenant words to them? They were ready to obey, but let him be to them the voice of God. How like people to want the spiritual benefit without having to undergo the experience. They did not mind if Moses had to bear it, it was just that they could not bear it themselves. But it does demonstrate how they saw Moses as unique in his relationship to God. They were not being deliberately disobedient. They assured him that whatever he told them ‘we will hear it and we will do it'. But they did not covet too close a relationship with God for themselves.
“Yahweh our God.” Note the repetition of ‘Yahweh our God' four times in Deuteronomy 5:24-27. This was the name especially associated with the covenant. This term always designates Yahweh in His uniqueness and distinctiveness, the God of special occasions. Compare Exodus 3:18; Exodus 5:3; Exodus 8:10 etc., where it is used only in solemn declarations to Pharaoh. As the covenant title it occurs nineteen times in the first six Chapter s of Deuteronomy, in the foundations of the covenant, and then not until Deuteronomy 29:15; Deuteronomy 29:8; Deuteronomy 29:29 in Moses' great covenant speech. It thus stresses His mightiness as their covenant God. Compare its use in Joshua (only in Joshua 18:8; Joshua 22:19; Joshua 22:29; Joshua 24:17; Joshua 24:24) in solemn declarations when the covenant is being emphasised, and its only use in Judges in Judges 11:24; and in 1 Samuel in 1 Samuel 7:8 where the same applies. Compare also 1 Kings 8:57; 1 Kings 8:59; 1 Kings 8:61. These are all the uses in the Pentateuch and the former prophets (the historical writings up to Kings), save that it is exceptionally used outside of speech in 1 Kings 8:65, but that simply stresses the same significance, for there the covenant emphasis is central and it is actually in the nature of a declaration. It is thus used for a distinct purpose. Jeremiah later uses it more generally.
‘ And Yahweh heard the voice of your words, when you spoke to me, and Yahweh said to me, “I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They have well said all that they have spoken.” '
He reminds them that Yahweh had heard their plea. ‘And Yahweh heard the voice of your words, when you spoke to me.' It was necessarily so, for Yahweh was the all-seeing and the all-hearing. Nothing was hidden from Him. Note the contrast with Deuteronomy 4:12. There they had heard the voice of His words. Here it is He Who hears the voice of their words. There is full reciprocation within the covenant. They hear and so He hears.
Yahweh had heard their words. He wanted them to know that the words and thoughts of all men were known to Him. For all things are open to Him with Whom we have to do. And He had approved of what they had requested. He had known full well how little they could bear His presence. Thus He had indicated to Moses that the request met with His approval. He knew that otherwise it might all be too much for them. This was the pattern for the future. God would speak with men through His word passed on through the prophets and Apostles.
Jesus warned us that God hears our words too. ‘For every idle word that a man shall speak, he will give account thereof in the day of judgment' (Matthew 12:36-37).