Exodus 19

IN the third month Heb. Third new moon, called Sivan, including the latter part of May, and the former part of Iune. when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day Heb. in that day, to wit, when the moneth or new-moon began, and when they departed from Rephidim, to note, that there was no Station between these two. This is set down thus accurately, because it gives an account of the original of the feast of Pentecost, because the giving of the Law, which was 3 or 4 days after this time, was 50 days after the Passeover, whereof 46 or 47 were past at their first coming to Sinai, reckoning from the 15th. day of the first moneth, when they came out of Egypt, to this time. came they into the wilderness of Sinai.

For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai (i. e.) To that part of the desert which adjoyned to mount Sinai, as Rephidim, from whence they came, was in that part of the wilderness adjoyning to Horeb, which was another part of the same mountain. See Exod. 17. 6. So they seem to have fetched a large compass and to have come from one side of the mountain to the other., and had pitched in the wilderness, and there Israel camped before the mount.

And Moses went up to God Into the mount of God, to the place where God had now fixed his cloudy pillar, and where he was about to manifest himself in a glorious manner. So it is an anticipation.: and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:

Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on Eagles wings (i. e.) safely, out of the reach of danger, and strongly, against all opposition. Compare Deut. 32. 11. Isa. 63. 9. Rev. 12. 14., and brought you unto my self Into my presence and favour and fellowship, to be my peculiar people, to serve and worship me as your only Lord and King..

Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed Heb. obeying ye will obey, i. e. if ye will obey me sincerely, diligently, and constantly. and keep my Covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me Highly prized and loved and carefully kept by me, as mens treasures generally are. above all people: for all the earth is mine For all people upon earth are mine by creation and dominion, and I can dispose of them all as I please, and either choose or refuse any of them as I think... t, and therefore though I might refuse you, as well as any others, yet it is my pleasure to single you out of all the world, upon whom to confer my chiefest and peculiar blessings. Or, though all the earth be, by general right, yet you only are mine by special title priviledge..

And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of Priests So they are called in regard, 1. of their exemption and separation from all the people of the world, as Priests are taken out of the multitude of men. 2. of their consecration to the worship and service of God, every subject of this Kingdom being in some sort a Priest to offer up some kind of sacrifices to God. 3. of their priviledges, because God conferred upon them singular honour, safety and immunity, and liberty of coming near to him, as Priests among all nations have been esteemed priviledged persons., and an holy nation Purged from the Idolatry and other abominations of the heathen world, and separated from them by a wall of partition, allied to me by an holy covenant, and consecrated to my use and service.. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

And Moses came and called for the Elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD has spoken, we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD Not for Gods information, but for the peoples greater obligation, and to learn what answer he should return from God to them..

And the LORD said unto Moses,... o, I come unto thee As to the mediatour between me and them and the interpreter of my mind to them. in a thick cloud See ver. 16. and compare 1 King. 8. 12. 2 Chron. 6. 1., that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever: and Moses told the words of the people Those mentioned ver. 8. This is here repeated, because Gods answer to them now follows. unto the LORD.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and Sanctifie them (i. e.) Command them to sanctifie and cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and to prepare their hearts for the right receiving of my laws and solemn entring into covenant with me. Compare Lev. 11. 45. Ios. 3. 5. and 7. 13. to day; and to morrow, and let them wash their cloaths By which external washing, which was agreeable to that state of the Church, they were taught to cleanse their inward man..

And be ready against the third day: for the third day From this time, and the fiftieth day from the Passeover, as was noted before. the LORD will come down In a visible and glorious manifestation of his presence. in the sight of all the people, upon mount Sinai.

And thou shalt set bounds to the people round about, saying, Take heed to your selves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount, shall be surely put to death By this symbolical injunction God designed. 1. to restrain mens curious and bold enquiries into the things of God. 2. to possess the Israelites then present and all succeeding generations with the dread and reverence of the Divine Majesty, and of his holy law. 3. to prepare and inure the people to the obedience of Gods commands, even when they discern not the reasons of them. 4. to make them sensible of their own impurity and infirmity, and of their absolute need of a Mediatour through whom they might have access to God. See Gal. 3. 19..

There shall not a hand touch it (i. e.) The mountain. But 1. This seems to be a gross tautology, for it was twice forbidden in the words next foregoing. 2. So the word hand would seem to be ascribed both to man and beast. Others therefore render it, touch him, i. e. they shall look upon such an impudent transgressor of my express command as an abominable person, whom they cannot touch without defilement, and therefore he shall be put to death in such a manner as may be performed without touching him., but he shall surely be stoned or shot through, whether it be beast For though the beasts are not capable of a law, yet they might be threatned for mans caution, and punished for the fault of their owners in not keeping them at a distance from the mount. or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long (i. e.) With one continued, equal and gentle sound, as is usual in the end of the Musick-song, which is opposed to a rough and loud and unequal sound. There was no real trumpet here, but an Angel made a sound like that of a trumpet., they shall come up to the mount Obj. This was forbidden to them ver. 12. Ans. 1. They were forbidden to come up to the mount whilest God was delivering his laws, but allowed it afterwards when that action ceased, which was signified by the long sound of the trumpet. 2. They might not come into the mount or towards the top of it, but they might come to the bottom or lower parts of it, where the bounds were set, or at lest towards or near it, as the Hebrew preposition, beth, is sometimes used. So the mount may be understood more strictly, ver. 12. for an eminent part or top of it, where the thick cloud appeared, and where Moses was, and here more largely for the whole mountain..

And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people By commanding them to sanctify themselves, and directing them how to do it., and they washed their cloaths.

And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day, come not at your wives Abstain from the use of the marriage-bed; partly because your wives may haply have their uncleanness upon them though unknown to themselves at lest to you, whereby you may be legally defiled; See Lev. 15. 18. and partly that your minds may be abstracted from all sensual delights and wholely employed about this great and holy work and service. There is a like command 1 Cor. 7. 5. but both this and that do indifferently concern both ministers and people and are limited to a certain time, and therefore are very impertinently alledged for the perpetual celibacy of Ministers. See also 1 Sam. 21. 5..

And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings Sent partly as evidences and tokens both of Gods glorious presence, and of the anger of God and the dreadful punishments due to the transgressours of the law now to be delivered, and partly as means to humble and awaken and convince and terrify proud and secure sinners that they might more reverently attend to the words and commands of God more willingly yield obedience to them, and be more afraid of the violation of them., and a thick cloud Which was both a fit mean for the production and reception of the thunders and lightnings, and a signification as well of the invisible and unconceivable nature of God, as of the obscurity of the legal dispensation in regard of its types and shadows, &c. 2 Cor. 3. 13, 18. and 4. 6. upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet A fit instrument both for the promulgation of Gods law, and for the signification of that war that is between God and sinners. exceeding loud, so that all the people Moses himself not excepted, as appears from Heb. 12. 21. that was in the camp, trembled.

And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the nether part of the mount Therefore one part of the mount they might come to, though not to another, to wit, the higher: which may clear the difficulty and seeming contradiction betwixt ver. 12. and 13..

And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoak, because the LORD descended upon it in fire For further terrour to obstinate sinners. Hence this law is called a fiery law. Deut. 33. 2., and the smoak thereof ascended as the smoak of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly By an earthquake, as appears from Psal. 60. 2. and 104. 32..

And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder Heb. went on or increased and grew very strong or vehement or loud. This is opposed to the s... unding long, ver. 13., Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice (i. e.) By plain, distinct and audible words, as Psal. 81. 7. Ioh. 12. 29. so as the people also might hear, as appears from ver. 9. See Deut. 5. 24. 1 King. 19 12, 13. Heb. 12. 19..

And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount So here are three parts of the mount manifestly distinguished, the top, where the cloud was, the middle part, where Moses now stood, and about which the bounds seem to have been put, and the nether or lower part, where the people were.: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount, and Moses went up.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, le... t they break through unto the LORD to gaze Through curiosity to know in what form or manner I appear to thee., and many of them perish.

And let the Priests For though the Aaronical Priesthood was not yet appointed, it is certain, that as there were sacrifices before, so there were Priests to offer them, which were either the first born who were consecrated... o God and did execute the office of Priests, as may be gathered from Exod. 13. 2. and 24. 5. Numb. 3. 12. and 8. 26. or some other persons appointed by God for doing that work till the office was settled in Aarons family. also which come near to the LORD Not at this time, for both Priests and people are now kept at equal distance, ver. 22. but usually, q. d. whose duty and priviledge it is to approach unto God and to present the peoples prayers and sacrifices to him and therefore are here particularly admonished, because they above all others are obliged to this care, and because they might seem to claim this priviledge by their function. sanctifie themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.

And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up The people are sufficiently admonished in that particular, because as thou didst command this same thing before ver. 12. so I have informed and warned them of it, so that it may seem superfluous for me to go down again to acquaint them herewith. But God who better knew the dulness and the hardness of their hearts than Moses did, saw it necessary to repeat the same command again and again. Some read the words interrogatively, Lo for halo; as it is 2 Sam. 13. 26. 2 King. 5. 26. Iob 2. 10. Mal. 2. 15. May not the people (i. e. some of the people, the priests at lest, which, as thou hast now said, may come near to the Lord) go up? Is this an universal prohibition? To this answer is given by a distinction in the next verse, that he and Aaron might come up, but no other. to mount Sinai, for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctifie it.

And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the Priests and the people break through, to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.

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