Exodus 19:1-25 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Exodus 19. Awful Revelation of God in Fire and Cloud. Exodus 19:1-2 a P, Exodus 19:2 b - Exodus 19:3 a E, Exodus 19:3 b - Exodus 19:6 Rd, Exodus 19:7-11 a E, Exodus 19:11 b - Exodus 19:13 J, Exodus 19:14-17 E, Exodus 19:18 J, Exodus 19:19 E, Exodus 19:20-22 J, Exodus 19:23 Rje, Exodus 19:24 f. J. This highly composite chapter will be most easily followed if the component sources are taken separately. From P we have only the note of the arrival at Sinai. The order of clauses should be: Exodus 19:2 a, And they took their journey (Exodus 16:1) from Rephidim and came to. Sinai, and pitched in the wilderness; 1, in the third month came they. From E also we learn of the pitching of the camp, and that Moses went up unto God. But the very beautiful passage which follows (Exodus 19:3 b - Exodus 19:6) was probably written for another context: it would well follow Joshua 24. It comes from a disciple of the prophets, and describes God's redemptive care and His pride of possession of His people (cf. Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9), God's priest-nation on earth (cf. Isaiah 61:6), and so called to be holy (Romans 1:7). Displaced, perhaps from after Exodus 20:17; Exodus 19:7 f. has found lodgment here. Then in Exodus 19:9-11 a the promise is given of an interview with Moses in a thick cloud within hearing of the people, who must guard their persons for two days from defilement and wash their clothes (Genesis 35:2 *). Then Exodus 19:14-17, after relating the preparations, describes the descent of the thunder-cloud, lightning flashing forth from it, and a supernatural trumpet (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:52) booming out its summons. The trembling people are led out to meet God. We leave them there, standing at the foot of the mount (see next Exodus 20:18-21), and turn to J's parallel. Restoring what seems clearly the right order, we have a picture (in Exodus 19:20 a, Exodus 19:18; Exodus 19:20 b) of the mountain flaming and smoking like a furnace on the descent of Yahweh (cf. Exodus 14:21 f.*) in an earthquake (contrast 1 Kings 19:11, where the still small voice marks a yet higher species of revelation). Then in the present text, after Moses has been called up to the top of the mount (Exodus 19:20), he is immediately sent down again (Exodus 19:21; Exodus 19:24 a, to down) merely to give directions to prevent the people profaning the sacred mount by coming too near, while Exodus 19:11 b - Exodus 19:13 tells of his obedience, and ends: when the ram's horn soundeth long, they (emphatic these, i.e. the priests of Exodus 19:22) shall come up to the mount. After Exodus 19:23 (an obvious gloss), Exodus 19:24 b - Exodus 19:25 summons Moses, with Aaron but no one else, though some render, Come up, thou and Aaron with thee and the priests; but., and ends, And Moses went down unto the people, and said unto them. The sequel is Exodus 34:1 ff., and it has been suggested that the stringent regulations against sacrilege reflect a later stage of feeling, and may have been added to the original. On the other hand, the injunctions may merely rest upon the idea of taboo, which is of great antiquity. The allusion to priests shows that J took them as a matter of course, like altars and sacrifices (yet see Exodus 32:29 *, and cf. p. 106). P does not recognise priests till Leviticus 8. It is important, in conclusion, to note that, while God uses natural occurrences, which are among the lower manifestations of His being and power, as channels for arousing men to a sense of things unseen, His messages can be received only by one whose mind and conscience and heart are attuned to the right pitch.

[ Exodus 19:22. The presence of Yahweh is so dangerous that even the priests, whose function it is to approach Him, him have to sanctify themselves (Genesis 35:2 *) as a precaution against His breaking out upon them. He reacts against ritual uncleanness, almost automatically. For this barely ethical idea we might compare the attack on Moses at the inn (Exodus 4:24-26) or the smiting of the men of Beth-shemesh (1 Samuel 6:19) and of Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:6 f.). A. S. P.]

Related Commentaries of Exodus 19:1

Exodus 19:1-25

1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.

2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.

3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.

10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:

13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpeta soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

15 And he said unto 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 was 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 on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, 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 up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.

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

22 And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.

23 And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.

24 And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.

25 So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.