Exodus 19:20

_AND THE LORD CAME DOWN UPON MOUNT SINAI, ON THE TOP OF THE MOUNT: AND THE LORD CALLED MOSES UP TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNT; AND MOSES WENT UP._ The Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. Assuming that Moses was in the plain of Sebayeh, whither he had brought forth the people out of the camp, his ascent now would be from that valley, 'crossing the Hutberg (which connects the Jebel Musa with the Jebel ed-Deir in the form of a saddle), and in that case his ascent would be witnessed by no stranger's eye, and be concealed from all below' (Kurtz, 'History of the Old Covenant,' vol. 3:, p. 101). While the people were filled with solemn feelings of awe Moses himself went up into "the thick cloud" with fear and trembling (Hebrews 12:21). The design of this last ascent, previous to the promulgation, was doubtless to receive fresh instructions as to the

16-25 Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness and greatness, nor our own meanness and pollution. We cannot stand in judgment before him according to his righteous law. The convinced transgressor asks, What must I do to be saved? and he hears the voice, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. The Holy Ghost, who made the law to convince of sin, now takes of the things of Christ, and shows them to us. In the gospel we read, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. We have redemption through his blood,...

Verse Exodus 19:20. _THE LORD CAME DOWN_] This was undoubtedly done in a _visible_ manner, that the people might witness the awful appearance. We may suppose that every thing was arranged thus: the _glory of the Lord_ occupied the _top_ of the mountain, and near to this _Moses_ was permitted to approach. _Aaron_ and the _seventy_ _elders_ were permitted to advance _some way up the mountain_, while the _people_ were only permitted to come up to its _base_. Moses, as the lawgiver, was to receive the statutes and judgments from God's mouth; Aaron and the elders were to receive them from Moses, and deliver them to the people; and the people were to act according to the direction received. Nothing can be imagined more glorious, terrible, majestic, and impressive, than the whole of this transaction; but it was chiefly calculated to impress...

EXPOSITION THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD UPON SINAI. All was ready. The fence had been made (Exodus 19:23); the people had purified themselves—at least so far as externals went. The third day was come—there was a breathless hush of expectation. Then suddenly, in the morning, the presence manifested itself. "There were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud" (Exodus 19:16); "and Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace and the whole mount quaked greatly" (Exod

AND THE LORD CAME DOWN ON MOUNT SINAI,.... In the above visible tokens of his presence and power; otherwise he is the incomprehensible Jehovah, that immense and omnipotent Being, who fills heaven and earth, and cannot be contained and circumscribed in either: ON THE TOP OF THE MOUNT; where the fire he descended in rested, and where the smoke and thick cloud were, as a token of his presence: AND THE LORD CALLED MOSES UP TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNT; who either was at the bottom of it with the people, or in a higher ascent of it between God and them: AND MOSES WENT UP; to the top of it, where the Lord was, as he ordered him: a certain traveller y tells us that the top of this mount was scarce thirty feet in circumference. y Baumgarten Peregrinatio, l. 1. c. 24. p. 61....

EXODUS 19. AWFUL REVELATION OF GOD IN FIRE AND CLOUD. Exodus 19:1 a P, Exodus 19:2 b - Exodus 19:3 a E, Exodus 19:3 b - Exodus 19:6 Rd, Exodus 19:7 a E, Exodus 19:11 b - Exodus 19:13 J, Exodus 19:14 E,...

ON. to. WENT UP. Moses' third ascent....

AND THE LORD CAME DOWN, &C.— Houbigant renders this, _But the Lord, as he descended upon Mount Sinai, called Moses to the top of the Mount._ It must be understood in some such manner as this; as it is plain from Exodus 19:18 that the Lord had before descended; unless we will read that verse, _because the Lord was descending upon it in fire:_ but, perhaps, it is best to read this Exodus 19:20, _Now the Lord, having descended, called Moses,_ &c. It is evident from this verse, and from the subsequent Chapter s, especially the 24th, Exodus 24:1; Exodus 24:9;...

THE TEXT OF EXODUS TRANSLATION 19 IN THE THIRD MONTH AFTER THE CHILDREN OF IS-RA-EL WERE GONE FORTH OUT OF THE LAND OF E-GYPT, THE SAME DAY CAME THEY INTO THE WILDERNESS OF SI-NAI. (2) AND WHEN THEY WERE DEPARTED FROM REPH-I-DIM, AND WERE COME TO THE WILDERNESS OF SI-NAI, THEY ENCAMPED IN THE WILDERNESS; AND THERE IS-RA-EL ENCAMPED BEFORE THE MOUNT. (3) AND MO-SES WENT UP UNTO GOD, AND JE-HO-VAH CALLED UNTO HIM OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN, SAYING, THUS SHALT THOU SAY TO THE HOUSE OF JACOB, AND TELL THE CHILDREN OF IS-RA-EL: (4) YE HAVE SEEN WHAT I DID UNTO THE E-GYP-TIANS, AND HOW I BARE YOU ON EAGLES-' WINGS, AND BROUGHT YOU UNTO MYSELF. (5) NOW THEREFORE, IF YE WILL OBEY MY VOICE INDEED, AND KEEP MY COVENANT, THEN YE SHALL BE MINE OWN POSSESSION FROM AMONG ALL PEOPLES: FOR ALL THE EARTH IS MINE: (6) AND YE SHALL BE UNTO ME A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS, AND A HOLY NATION. THESE ARE THE WORDS WHICH THO...

PREPARATION FOR THE GIVING OF THE LAW 1. The same day] the 15th day of the month: cp. Exodus 12:18; Exodus 12:29; Exodus 16:1. Marching slowly, with long halts at the various stations on the route, the host took two months to traverse the 150 m between Egypt and Sinai. Here they remained eleven months (see Numbers 10:11), during which time the nation entered into a formal covenant with Jehovah on the basis of the moral law received from God by Moses, and promulgated by him. WILDERNESS OF SINAI] This must not be confounded with the 'wilderness of Sin' (see on...