Exodus 19:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

In the third month—the same day— Houbigant shews clearly, that this means the first day of the month; for the Jews, says he, celebrate the pentecost fifty days after the passover. From the departure out of Egypt to the coming to Sinai, were forty-five days, for they came out the fifteenth day of the first month; from which day, to the first day of the third month, forty-five days are numbered. On the second day of this third month, Moses ascended into the mountain, when three days were given to the people to purify themselves: you have, therefore, the fourth day of the third month, or the forty-ninth day from the departure out of Egypt. On the next day, which was the fiftieth, after the celebration of the passover, the glory of God appeared in the Mount; commemorative of which miracle, the Jews celebrate the feast of Pentecost. The verse might more properly be read, the children of Israel, in the third month after they had left the land of Egypt, on the first day of the month, came into the wilderness of Sinai. Bishop Kidder very judiciously observes, that this was a fit time and place for them to receive their law. They had, a little before, received many proofs of the power of God, and of his care of them, which might dispose them to obedience to his law. They were in a wilderness, in a place of recess and leisure: they were freed from the slavery of Egypt, and from the idolatrous examples of the Egyptians. On the other hand, they were short of Canaan, and so not diverted by wars with that people, nor acquainted with their abominations, nor rendered dull and stupid by the plenty and prosperities of that land. On all which accounts this was a most fit season for the solemnity.