Exodus 19:21 - Exposition

Charge the people lest they break through — i.e; "lest they force a passage through the barrier made by Moses" in accordance with the command given in Exodus 19:12 . And many of them perish . Irreverent gazing on holy things was forbidden by the law ( Numbers 4:20 ), and on one occasion ( 1 Samuel 6:19 ) was actually punished with death. It did not, however, require a law to make it an offence, natural reason being quite sufficient to teach the duty of reverence.