Exodus 20:20 - Exposition

And Moses said unto the people. Not immediately—Moses first held colloquy with God. God declared that the people had "spoken well" ( Deuteronomy 5:28 ); and authorised Moses to allow of their withdrawal ( Deuteronomy 5:30 ). Fear not . Here Exodus is more full in its details than Deuteronomy. Moses, finding the people in a state of extreme alarm, pacified them—assured them that there was no cause for immediate fear—God had not now come in vengeance—the object of the terrors of Sinai was to " prove " them— i.e; to test them, whether they were inclined to submit themselves to God, or not—and to impress upon their minds permanently an awful fear of God, that they might he kept back from sin by dread of his almighty power. The motive of fear is, no doubt, a low one; but where we can appeal to nothing else, we must appeal to it. Israel was still a child, only fit for childish discipline; and had to be directed by the harsh voice of fear, until it had learnt to he guided by the tender accents of love.