Deuteronomy 5:23

_AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN YE HEARD THE VOICE OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE DARKNESS, (FOR THE MOUNTAIN DID BURN WITH FIRE,) THAT YE CAME NEAR UNTO ME, EVEN ALL THE HEADS OF YOUR TRIBES, AND YOUR ELDERS;_ And ... ye came near unto me - (see the note at Exodus 20:19.)...

23._And it came to pass, when ye heard. _Lest the Israelites should undervalue his teaching, because he had been put between them by God as their minister, Moses meets the objection, (by reminding them) that it was done at their petition and request. We know how proudly they were wont to reject him; as if they saw in him nothing but what was earthly and human; it was needful, then, that God Himself should speak to rescue His servant from the contempt of posterity. For the people themselves, being convicted of their foolish and preposterous request, could never afterwards have any pretext for rejecting Moses, as if he had not evidenced the truth of his calling. And here their astonishing perverseness betrayed itself, in not being ashamed to refuse credit to the holy Prophet, after he had been approved by so many miracles. Assuredly, if they had been just and honest judges, it would have b...

23-33 Moses refers to the consternation caused by the terror with which the law was given. God's appearances have always been terrible to man, ever since the fall; but Christ, having taken away sin, invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace. They were in a good mind, under the strong convictions of the word they heard. Many have their consciences startled by the law who have them not purified; fair promises are extorted from them, but no good principles are fixed and rooted in them. God commended what they said. He desires the welfare and salvation of poor sinners. He has given abundant proof that he does so; he gives us time and space to repent. He has sent his Son to redeem us, promised his Spirit to those who pray for him, and has declared that he has no pleasure in the ruin of sinners. It would be well with many, if there were always such a heart in them, as there seems to be...

Verse 23. - c. _AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN YE HEARD THE VOICE_] Exodus 20:18, Exodus 20:18, c....

These verses contain a much fuller narrative of the events briefly described in Exodus 20:18. Here it is important to call attention to the fact that it was on the entreaties of the people that Moses had taken on him to be the channel of communication between God and them. God approved Deuteronomy 5:28 the request of the people, because it showed a feeling of their own unworthiness to enter into direct communion with God. The terrors of Sinai had done their work; they had awakened the consciousness of sin....

EXPOSITION THE DECALOGUE THE BASIS OF THE COVENANT, THE ESSENCE OF THE WHOLE LAW, AND THE CONDITION OF LIFE AND FELICITY. DEUTERONOMY 5:1 Moses reminds them of the making of the covenant at Horeb, and of the revelation of the fundamental law of the covenant there. As he was about to recapitulate the laws which God their King had enacted, it was fitting that he should refer at the outset to that covenant relation between Jehovah and Israel on which all the injunctions of the Law rested....

AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN YE HEARD THE VOICE OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE DARKNESS,.... The thick darkness, where God was, and with which the mountain was covered, Exodus 20:21 FOR THE MOUNTAIN DID BURN WITH FIRE; which is a reason both why the Lord spoke out of the midst of the fire, the mountain on which he descended burning with it and also for his speaking out of the midst of darkness, because not only a thick cloud covered the mountain, but it was altogether on a smoke, which ascended as the smoke of a furnace, Exodus 19:16 THAT YE COME NEAR UNTO ME, EVEN ALL THE HEADS OF YOUR TRIBES AND YOUR ELDERS; or wise men, as the Targum of Jonathan; by which it appears, that not only the common people were frightened at what they heard and saw on Mount Sinai, but those of the fir

II. THE EXPOSITION OF THE LAW, EXHORTATIONS AND WARNINGS, BLESSING AND CURSE 1. The Proclamation of the Decalogue Chapter S 4:44-5:33 _ 1. The introductory words (Deuteronomy 4:44)_ 2. The law proclaimed (Deuteronomy 5:1) 3. Moses, the mediator (Deuteronomy 5:22) First a general announcement is given of the discourse on the law. The fact is emphasized, that it was set before them after they came forth out of Egypt. Then the victories over Sihon and Og are mentioned once more and that they now possessed their land. Why this repetition? It was to remind them of the goodness and faithfulness of Jehovah, whose law they were about to hear expounded. It was to be

_ye came near unto me_ Deuteronomy 1:22. _even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders_ Perhaps a gloss (so Dill., Steuern., Berth.), for Deuteronomy 5:24 continues _and ye_(not _they_), and through the rest of the section the people as a whole are addressed....

b. ISRAEL'S REACTION: FEAR AND DEVOTION (Deuteronomy 5:22-27) 22 These words Jehovah spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them unto me. 23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders: 24 and ye said, Behold, Jehovah our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth speak with man, and he liveth. 25 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more, then we shall die, 26 For who is there of all fl