exodus-19:14-25,-matthew-27:51

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:22

And let the priests also, which come near unto the Lord ,.... Either the firstborn, as the Jews generally interpret it, so Jarchi and Aben Ezra; who were sanctified to the Lord, and in whose stead afterwards the Levites were taken; or the sons of Aaron, who should be, and were potentially, though not actually priests, as Ben Gersom expresses it, from an ancient book of theirs called Mechilta; or rather some principal persons, as heads of families and the like, who, before the priesthood was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:23

And Moses said unto the Lord ,.... Upon his giving such strict orders both with respect to the people and the priests: the people cannot come up to Mount Sinai ; suggesting as if there was no need for him to go down on that account, to give them a charge not to break through and gaze; since, as he thought, there was no probability that they ever would attempt it, seeing such a solemn charge had been given, nor any possibility of it, since such a fence was made: for thou chargedst us,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:24

And the Lord said unto him, away, get thee down ,.... And prevent the people and priests from breaking through the bounds and gazing, to which their curiosity would tempt them; as the Lord knew better than Moses, and it was high time for him to be gone, the matter required haste, the people were under great temptations of indulging their curiosity, to the peril of their lives: and thou shall come up, thou, and Aaron with thee ; which is thought to be an answer to the question, who might... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:25

So Moses went down to the people ,.... As the Lord commanded him: and spake unto them : charging them to keep their distance, and not presume to pass the line he had drawn, or the foss or fence he had made: in the Jerusalem Targum it is added,"come and receive the ten words;'the decalogue or ten commands; and the Targum of Jonathan,"come and receive the law with the ten words;'the ten commandments of the law, which are delivered in the following chapter. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:16

Thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud - and the voice of the trumpet - The thunders, lightnings, etc., announced the coming, as they proclaimed the majesty, of God. Of the thunders and lightnings, and the deep, dark, dismal, electric cloud, from which the thunders and lightnings proceeded, we can form a tolerable apprehension; but of the loud, long-sounding trumpet, we can scarcely form a conjecture. Such were the appearances and the noise that all the people in the camp trembled, and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:17

And Moses brought forth the people - to meet with God - For though they might not touch the mount till they had permission, yet when the trumpet sounded long, it appears they might come up to the nether part of the mount, (see Exodus 19:13 , and Deuteronomy 4:11 ;); and when the trumpet had ceased to sound, they might then go up unto the mountain, as to any other place. It was absolutely necessary that God should give the people at large some particular evidence of his being and power,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:22

Let the priests also - sanctify themselves - That there were priests among the Hebrews before the consecration of Aaron and his sons, cannot be doubted; though their functions might be in a considerable measure suspended while under persecution in Egypt, yet the persons existed whose right and duty it was to offer sacrifices to God. Moses requested liberty from Pharaoh to go into the wilderness to sacrifice; and had there not been among the people both sacrifices and priests, the request... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:23

The people cannot come up - Either because they had been so solemnly forbidden that they would not dare, with the penalty of instant death before their eyes, to transgress the Divine command; or the bounds which were set about the mount were such as rendered their passing them physically impossible. And sanctify it - וקדשהי vekiddashio . Here the word קדש kadash is taken in its proper literal sense, signifying the separating of a thing, person or place, from all profane or common... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:24

Let not the priests and the people break through - God knew that they were heedless, criminally curious, and stupidly obstinate; and therefore his mercy saw it right to give them line upon line, that they might not transgress to their own destruction. From the very solemn and awful manner in which the Law was introduced, we may behold it as the ministration of terror and death, 2 Corinthians 3:7 , appearing rather to exclude men from God than to bring them nigh; and from this we may... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:22

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:23

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:24

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 19:25

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:16

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:17

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:20

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:22

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:23

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 19:24

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