Chapter Nineteen

1–2. The arrival of the Hebrews in the wilderness of Sinai. 3–25. Prompted by Moses, the Hebrew people prepares to receive the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 19:1. In the third month after the children of Israel had gone forth from the land of Egypt, on the very day of the new moon, they came to the wilderness of Sinai. There is no direct indication of the time of the Hebrews’ arrival in the wilderness of Sinai here or in the parallel passage Num 10:11. But since the Hebrew expression “chodesh” (month) is used in the meaning of “new moon” (1 Sam 20:5, 2 Sam 4:23), then in conjunction with the numeral “hashelishi” it should be translated: “in the third new moon,” that is, on the first day of the third month. Only with such an understanding does the further phrase become clear: “on this very day” (“bayom hazze”). Without a precise determination of the time of arrival beforehand, it would remain obscure. According to the Jewish tradition recorded in the Talmud, the Hebrews’ arrival at Sinai falls on the first day of the third month.

Exodus 19:2. And they traveled from Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai, and there they encamped in the wilderness; and Israel encamped there before the mountain. Mount Sinai, before which the Hebrews encamped and on which the legislation subsequently took place, is identified according to the more widespread Christian tradition with the mountains of the southeastern group of the Sinai peninsula and is identified with the mountain at the foot of which is located the monastery of Saint Catherine. The identification of the mountain of legislation with Mount Serbal, located near the city of Pharan, cannot be accepted because it is not visible at a close distance – it is obscured by other mountains, while according to the testimony of the Bible, the summit of the mountain of legislation was visible to the Hebrews standing at its base (Exod 20:18). Moreover, the valleys surrounding Serbal are small, do not distinguish themselves by flatness, in short – do not present the place necessary for the location of the Hebrew camp.

Exodus 19:3. Moses went up to God [on the mountain], and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying: Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel: Exodus 19:4. You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you [as though] on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself; The speech of the Lord is intended to move the Hebrews to give voluntary consent to enter into a covenant with Him. It is first awakened by their religious experience – “you have seen.” This experience is knowledge of Divine Justice in relation to enemies – “you have seen what I did to the Egyptians,” and mercy toward themselves. By the All-Powerful strength of God, the Hebrews were delivered from slavery and brought to a safe place, a place of manifestation and revelation of the glory of the Most High (to Myself). These former mercies, arousing in the people zeal for fulfilling God’s will, should serve for it as a pledge, a guarantee of obtaining new blessings.

Exodus 19:5. Therefore, if you will obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession out of all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine, And indeed, obedience to God’s will, manifested in the fulfillment of the covenant now being made, will bring a new, extraordinary mercy. It will be expressed in the fact that the Hebrews will become “a precious possession of God” (Hebrew segullah, 1 Chr 17:22; Greek λαὸς περιούσιος) among all the peoples of the earth. The latter – the possession of God by creation, Israel – the possession of God by election and salvation (Deut 4:20, Ps 134:4). This precious treasure he will remain provided he keeps the covenant (Deut 26:18).

Exodus 19:6. and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy people; these are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel. The precious possession of God the Hebrews will form because, in fulfilling His covenant, they form a kingdom of priests. The entire people will be in the closest communion with God, as those – priests – are privileged to be, called to be mediators between God and other people (Lev 10:3). Being a priest – a servant of the Lord (Isa 61:6), a proclaimer of His will and salvation, the people will be dear in God’s eyes (Isa 42). As a kingdom of priests, the Hebrews are called to become “a holy people” – pure from sins (Lev 11:44-45, Deut 14:2).

Exodus 19:7. And Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. Exodus 19:8. And all the people answered together, saying: All that the Lord has spoken we will do [and we will obey]. And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. Exodus 19:9. And the Lord said to Moses: Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and will also believe you forever. And Moses told the people’s words to the Lord. The consent given by the people to fulfill the covenant (Exod 19:8) is unthinkable without faith in its divine authority, and the latter is impossible without trust in Moses – the mediator in the conclusion of the covenant – as a messenger of God, a herald of the divine will. The Hebrews will accept him as such when they hear the voice of the Lord to him from the cloud: Moses brings a revelation to the people.

Exodus 19:10. And the Lord said to Moses: Go to the people, [tell them] and consecrate them today and tomorrow; let them wash their garments, Exodus 19:11. and be ready for the third day: for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people; Exodus 19:12. and set bounds for the people all around, saying: Take heed not to go up into the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death; Exodus 19:13. no hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot through; whether it is a beast or a man, he shall not live; when the ram’s horn sounds [when the cloud departs from the mountain,] they may go up to the mountain. Preparation for the forthcoming legislation through washing indicates it as an event distinguished from ordinary matters. Even the mountain itself is set apart (consecrated – Exod 19:23) from the rest of the territory. One who crosses the boundary is killed from a distance, because otherwise the one killing would also have to cross it, that is, violate the prohibition. According to the Greek reading Exod 19 the people could go up to the mountain after the theophany.

Exodus 19:14. And Moses came down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. Exodus 19:15. And he said to the people: Be ready for the third day; do not come near a woman. Exodus 19:16. And on the third day, as morning came, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain [of Sinai], and a very loud trumpet blast; and all the people in the camp trembled. Exodus 19:17. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. The appearance of the cloud served as a sign to Moses of the beginning of the theophany (Exod 19:9); during its occurrence the Hebrews should be present (Exod 19:9), and therefore now Moses leads them up to the mountain.

Exodus 19:18. And Mount Sinai was wholly wrapped in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled greatly; The fire, in which the Lord descended to Sinai and which burned even to the heavens (Deut 4:11), served as a symbol of His divine glory (Deut 5:24). The manifestation of it is not endured even by inanimate nature – “the whole mountain trembled greatly” (Ps 67:8-9).

Exodus 19:19. and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice. Judging from what follows, the questions of Moses were directed at learning the forthcoming commandments of the Lord.

Exodus 19:20. And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. The first of these is the calling of Moses to the top of the mountain, which is the place to which the Lord descended.

Exodus 19:21. And the Lord said to Moses: Go down and warn the people, so that they do not break through to the Lord to see Him, and many of them perish; Repetition of the former command was hardly anything other than motivated by the fact that the people considered it binding only for the two days that had passed and not binding for the subsequent ones. Violation of it could occur both from the unusual nature of what was taking place, which could overcome the duty of obedience, the feeling of fear – awaken the desire to look.

Exodus 19:22. and the priests also, who approach the Lord [God], should consecrate themselves, so that the Lord does not break out against them. Exodus 19:23. And Moses said to the Lord: The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, because You warned us, saying: Set a boundary around the mountain and consecrate it. Exodus 19:24. And the Lord said to him: Go down, and then come up, you and Aaron with you; but the priests and the people do not break through to come up to the Lord, so that [the Lord] does not break out against them. Due to their sinfulness, the people cannot be in direct communion with God, in token of which they do not cross the boundary separating them from the place of God’s presence. The priests are in the same situation, for their priesthood is based on natural right, the right of seniority in the family, not on divine election and access (Lev 10:3, Num 16:5). They cannot go up to the mountain – to be mediators in the conclusion of the covenant between God and people, because they have not received from God the right to such mediation. Separate mention of the priests is appropriate in this case because they, considering themselves above the rest of the people, could think that the obligation for all to forbid “breaking through to the Lord” did not extend to them.