Deuteronomy 5:22

The Close of the Ten Words and the writing of them.

your assembly or congregation. The Heb. ḳahal, lit. gathering, technically used throughout the O.T. for any assembly of the people or its representatives for organised, national action: (a) In the earlier writings it is most usual of the solemn gathering before God of all capable of bearing arms, for consecration to war, Judges 20:2; Judges 21:5; Jdg 21:8; 1 Samuel 17:47; similarly in E, Numbers 22:4, where it is used by Balak of Israel ready for war against other nations; while in Ezekiel it is synonymous with army, Ezekiel 17:17; Ezekiel 38:4; Ezekiel 38:15. (b) Also of the people assembled to give their verdict or to execute justice, Jeremiah 26:17; Jeremiah 44:15; cp. Ezekiel 16:40; Proverbs 5:14. (c) Also of the whole organised commonwealth or congregation of Israel, Micah 2:5; and in the deuteronomic laws, Deuteronomy 23:1-3; Deuteronomy 23:8. But D specially applies the term to the gathering of Israel to the Covenant at Ḥoreb, so here (cp. the use of the verb in Deuteronomy 4:10), the assembly, the day of the a. Deuteronomy 9:10; Deuteronomy 10:4 (Pl.), Deuteronomy 18:16 (Sg.). In the laws Deuteronomy 23:1-3; Deuteronomy 23:8 (Sg.) it is called the a. of Jehovah. To this assembly P, which also uses ḳahal, applies his more favourite term -edah, congregation of the sons of Israel, Exodus 35:1; Exodus 35:4; Exodus 35:20 (a term never used in JE or D, but occurring over 100 times in P, which also sometimes combines the two, cp. Proverbs 5:14). Otherwise deuteronomic writers use ḳahalonly of peaceful gatherings of the people; to hear the Song of Moses, Deuteronomy 31:30; to hear the Law read at Shechem, Joshua 8:35; and for the consecration of the Temple, 1 Kings 8:14; 1 Kings 8:22; 1 Kings 8:55 (1 Kings 12:3 is a doubtful instance; LXX omits it). For the post-exilic use of ḳahaland -edahsee the present writer's Jerusalem, i. 380 ff.

fire … cloud … darkness … See on Deuteronomy 4:11. Sam. and LXX add darknessbefore cloud. The comparison of E, Exodus 20:18-21 is very instructive: thunderings, lightnings, mountain smoking.

with a great voice E, the voice of the trumpet.

and he added no more On this contradiction of E see above, p. 83.

two tables of stone So Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 9:9-11; Deuteronomy 10:1; Deuteronomy 10:3; the tables of the covenant, Deuteronomy 9:9; Deuteronomy 9:11; Deuteronomy 9:15; J, two tables of stone, Exodus 34:1; Exodus 34:4; E, tables of stone, Exodus 24:12; Exodus 31:18 b, P, two tables of the testimony, Exodus 31:18 a, Exodus 32:15 a, Exodus 34:29. The statement of the writing of the tables is not really an anticipation of Exodus 9:9 ff. and therefore to be deleted as secondary (Steuernagel), but is necessary here for the completion of the record of the Decalogue. See on Exodus 9:9 ff.