Whosoever toucheth the mount, &c.— Houbigant, from the Samaritan, renders the first part of the 12th verse, Thou shalt set bounds round about the mountain, and shalt command the people, saying, &c. What striking circumstances of terror attended the giving of the law! How different from the manner in which the mild and blessed JESUS preached the gospel of peace! The former was a severe schoolmaster to bring us to him: the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews enlarges finely on this topic, ch. Exodus 12:18-24. Many of the versions render the beginning of the 13th verse, There shall not an hand touch HIM; implying, that whoever approached the mountain, should immediately be put to death, by stoning, or shooting through with darts, no hand offering to touch him; i.e. going within the consecrated bounds to drag the offender from thence to death. But I rather think that ours is the true version; as the word touch, in the 13th, seems to correspond with that in the 12th verse, and as mountain is the last substantive in the preceding sentence, to which the relative it (בו bo) can refer. The people, it is plain, were not to approach the mount at all, till the sound of the trumpet was protracted, or continued for some time: they were then to advance from the camp, in which they were when God descended, (Exodus 19:16.) towards the mount; which accordingly they did under the conduct of Moses, and stood at the nether part of the mount. See Deuteronomy 4:11.
REFLECTIONS.—The Lord informs Moses of his appearing, and the intention of it, and orders him to speak to the people to prepare for this awful solemnity.
1. They must be sanctified. They who approach God, should seek to be separated, not only from the grosser pollutions of sin, but from the intrusion of vain thoughts, worldly business and cares, and whatever would interrupt their communion with him. Their clothes must be washed, in token of that internal purity which becomes God's worshippers; and even their lawful enjoyments must be abstained from, that they may without distraction give themselves up more entirely to the exercises of devotion.
2. They must not go up into the mount, nay, not so much as touch it; but when the trumpet had sounded long, they might draw near, as humble hearers, that GOD might speak with them. Note; No prohibition now forbids the nearest access to God. Jesus Christ has opened a way into the holiest of all: we are no more called in terror to hear a fiery law, but are invited by the gospel's silver trumpet to draw near to a crucified Jesus, and look and live.