Exodus 19:25

The LORD Visits Sinai · Exodus 19:16–25

Read Exodus 19

Translations

Modern

So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

Traditional

So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

Literal

And Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

Latin

Descenditque Moyses ad populum, et omnia narravit eis.

Original

Hebrew

English

So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

Notes

Exodus 19:21–25

The repeated warnings that no one should break through and approach the Lord made the scene even more serious. The people had just seen powerful signs of God’s presence.

God is completely holy and far above his creation (transcendent, meaning beyond human limits). People must approach him in the way he commands. They may not come to him in their own way.

Exodus 19:16–25

The final preparation phase included events that helped people accept the covenant. Some of the experiences were visual: lightning and a cloud (19:16), smoke and fire (19:18). The people also heard thunder, a ram’s horn, and the voice of God (19:16, 19). The entire mountain shook violently (19:18). In the Bible, such unusual events are often associated with a theophany, which is a visible appearance of God’s holy presence.

Theme notes and profiles

Moses God’s Covenant with David God’s Covenants