Exodus 24:1 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

EXODUS CHAPTER 24 Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu are commanded to appear before the Lord, Exodus 24:1. Who was to come near the Lord, Exodus 24:2. Moses buildeth an altar and twelve pillars, Exodus 24:4. He sends young men to sacrifice unto the Lord, Exodus 24:5. He sprinkles the altar with the blood, Exodus 24:6. The covenant being read, the people promise obedience, Exodus 24:7. The people are sprinkled with blood, Exodus 24:8. Moses and the elders of Israel see the Lord, Exodus 24:9,10. God promises to give to Moses tables of stone, Exodus 24:12. Moses and Joshua go up into the mount, Exodus 24:13. Aaron and Hur took care for the people in the mean time, Exodus 24:14. God's glory on the mount, Exodus 24:15,16; appeareth like devouring fire, Exodus 24:17. Moses remains there forty days and forty nights, Exodus 24:18. After thou hast gone down and acquainted the people with my will, and received their answer, then come up again. This sense is gathered from the repetition of this command after that was done, Exodus 24:12. Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu; Aaron and his two eldest sons, whom by this special honour and favour he prepared for that office to which they were to be called, Exo 28. Seventy of the elders of Israel; not the seventy governors which were chosen after this time, as appears from Numbers 11:16, compared with Exodus 24:14; but seventy persons selected by Moses out of those rulers chosen and mentioned Exodus 18:25; and possibly these were the chief heads of those several families which went with Jacob into Egypt, which were about seventy. See Genesis 46:26,27. Worship ye afar off. Though they may come up into the mount further than the people, yet do thou, and let them especially, keep their distance; and what worship either thou or they shall offer to me, shall be performed afar off from the top of the mountain, whither thou only shalt be admitted, and that not to pray to me, but only to receive laws and oracles from me. See Exodus 24:2.