INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 24 In this chapter we have an account that Moses was ordered to come up to the Lord alone, Exodus 24:1, but that before he did go up, he related to the people all the above laws delivered to him, which they promised obedience to, and so a covenant was made between God and the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO MOSES,.... Who said? no doubt a divine Person, and yet what this Person said is, COME UP UNTO THE LORD; meaning either to himself, or one divine Person called to Moses to come up to another: according to the Targum of Jonathan, it was Michael, the prince of wisdom; not a created an... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES ALONE SHALL COME NEAR THE LORD,.... Into the cloud where he was, and talk with him face to face, as a man talketh with his friend; which was great nearness indeed, and a peculiar favour and high honour was this: BUT THEY SHALL NOT COME NIGH; Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and the seventy elders... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES CAME AND TOLD THE PEOPLE ALL THE WORDS OF THE LORD, AND ALL THE JUDGMENTS,.... Which according to Jarchi were the seven commands given to the sons of Noah, the laws concerning the sabbath, and honouring parents, the red heifer, and the judgments at Marah; but all these they were acquainted... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES WROTE ALL THE WORDS OF THE LORD,.... Jarchi says, all from the creation, to the giving of the law, and the commands at Marah; but though these were written by him, yet not at this time; but as Aben Ezra more truly observes, what are mentioned in this "parashah", or section, or what is cont... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SENT YOUNG MEN OF THE CHILDREN ISRAEL,.... To the altar under the hill he had these young men, according to Jarchi, were the firstborn of the children of Israel; and so the Targums Onkelos and Jonathan; and the latter adds, "for unto this hour the worship was among the firstborn, as yet the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES TOOK HALF OF THE BLOOD, AND PUT IT IN BASINS,.... Half of the blood of the above sacrifices, this he put into basins, and set by, in order to sprinkle on the people: AND HALF OF THE BLOOD HE SPRINKLED ON THE ALTAR; the Targum of Onkelos adds, to atone for the people. But the altar here se... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TOOK THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT,.... Which contained the words of the Lord he is said to write, Exodus 24:4, and consisted both of laws and judgments required of the people, and to which they had given their assent, and promised obedience to; and of promises made by the Lord of sending his ange... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES TOOK THE BLOOD,.... The other half of the blood which was in the basins: AND SPRINKLED IT ON THE PEOPLE; not on the whole body of the people, who could not be brought nigh enough, and were too numerous to be all sprinkled with it; though the apostle so expresses it, a part being put for t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WENT UP MOSES AND AARON, NADAB AND ABIHU,.... After the above things were done, the words of the Lord were told the people, and the book of the covenant read unto them, to which they agreed, sacrifices were offered, and the blood of them sprinkled on the altar, and on the people. The Samaritan... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAW THE GOD OF ISRAEL,.... The Targum of Jonathan restrains this to Nadab and Abihu whereas it is doubtless true of Moses and Aaron, and the seventy elders, who all saw him, and who were witnesses to the people that it was a divine Person that spoke to Moses, and delivered the laws unto him... [ Continue Reading ]
AND UPON THE NOBLES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HE LAID NOT HIS HAND,.... Which some interpret of his hand of prophecy, and of the measure of the Spirit, such an one as Moses had, and by virtue of which he lived forty days and nights without eating and drinking; but these not having such a measure of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, COME UP TO ME INTO THE MOUNT,.... For as yet Moses was not got up to the top of the mount, only up some part of it with the elders, though at some distance from the people: but now he is bid to come up higher: AND BE THERE; continue there, as he did six days after this... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES ROSE UP, AND HIS MINISTER JOSHUA,.... In order to go up higher on the mount. Joshua, and he only, was to go up higher with him, though not to the top of the mount, at least not into the cloud upon it, as Moses did. Joshua was his minister or servant, and waited upon him wherever he went, a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO THE ELDERS,.... The seventy elders which were selected out of the several tribes of Israel, and now about to return to the camp: TARRY YE HERE FOR US; meaning himself and Joshua, who was going with him: UNTIL WE COME AGAIN UNTO YOU; perhaps Moses might not know how long his stay w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES WENT UP INTO THE MOUNT,.... To the top of it, and as it seems alone, leaving Joshua behind in a lower part of the mountain: AND A CLOUD COVERED THE MOUNT; in which cloud Jehovah was.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD ABODE UPON MOUNT SINAI,.... The divine Shechinah or Majesty, some visible token of it, an exceeding great brightness and splendour: AND THE CLOUD COVERED IT SIX DAYS; either the glory of the Lord, so that it could not be seen it had been; or the mount, as Jarchi; but that... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SIGHT OF THE GLORY OF THE LORD WAS LIKE DEVOURING FIRE ON THE TOP OF THE MOUNT,.... For when God spoke out of the cloud, the glory of the Lord flashed out like devouring fire; it was not devouring fire, but it was like it; it was like a great blaze of fire, which consumes all that is in its... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES WENT INTO THE MIDST OF THE CLOUD,.... Where the glory of God was, and he must at this time be endowed with more than ordinary courage to enter into it, when the glory of the Lord flashed out of it like flames of fire; yet being called of God he was not intimidated, but with great serenity... [ Continue Reading ]