Exodus 19:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Moses said to the Lord, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’"

NIV: Moses said to the Lord, "The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’ "

NASB: And Moses said to the Lord, 'The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us, saying, ‘Set boundaries around the mountain and consecrate it.’?'

CSB: Moses responded to the Lord, "The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, since you warned us: Put a boundary around the mountain and consecrate it."

NLT: But Lord,' Moses protested, 'the people cannot come up to Mount Sinai. You already warned us. You told me, ‘Mark off a boundary all around the mountain to set it apart as holy.’'

KJV: And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.

NKJV: But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ”

Moses agrees with the Lord's warning about the people breaking under the pressure of curiosity and impatience (Exodus 19:21–22). While preparations were being made (Exodus 19:9–11), the Israelites were told not to even touch Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:12–13). Only those explicitly invited by God were allowed to climb it (Exodus 19:3, 24). Eventually, a group of Israel's highest leaders will meet with the Lord on the mountain (Exodus 24:9).

Sinai and Horeb are both used to describe the same general area (Deuteonomy 5:2). The specific "mountain of God" (Exodus 18:5; 24:13) has not been identified by modern archaeologists. This mountain is where God first called Moses (Exodus 3:1–2). It is where Moses and Aaron met to discuss their mission (Exodus 4:27), and where the Lord predicted the nation of Israel would come to serve Him (Exodus 3:12).

Exodus 19:16–25 depicts the Lord God descending onto a mountain to give the Law to Israel. This involved dramatic amounts of smoke, fire, lightning, tremors, and noise. Under the Lord's instruction, Moses makes multiple trips up and down Mount Sinai to relay messages from God. Records of the Law will make up nearly the entire remaining book of Exodus.

God instructs the Israelites to prepare for His arrival on Mount Sinai in Horeb. They are to be clean and careful not to come onto the mountain itself. When God appears, He arrives amidst smoke, fire, lightning, earthquakes, and noise. Moses travels to the mountaintop and back, relaying messages about God's will. The first and most important of these are the fundamental principles of Old Testament law: the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–21).

Prior chapters in the book of Exodus described Israel's history after Jacob and his family settled there (Genesis 46:27; 47:10). God used Moses to deliver divine messages and as a conduit for miraculous power. Once Israel was freed (Exodus 12:40–41), the Lord continued to care for them (Exodus 15:22–25; 16:13–15; 17:6, 8–13). In this chapter, Israel prepares to receive God's Law at Mount Sinai. Almost the entire rest of the book (Exodus 20—40) are details about these commands.

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.