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Exodus 19:10
Verse
Context
Israel at Mount Sinai
9The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will always put their trust in you.” And Moses relayed to the LORD what the people had said.10Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes11and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
Sermons
David DaviesSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Keil-Delitzsch
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Sanctify them - See the meaning of this term, Exo 13:2. Let them wash their clothes - And consequently bathe their bodies; for, according to the testimony of the Jews, these always went together. It was necessary that, as they were about to appear in the presence of God, every thing should be clean and pure about them; that they might be admonished by this of the necessity of inward purity, of which the outward washing was the emblem. From these institutions the heathens appear to have borrowed their precepts relative to washings and purifications previously to their offering sacrifice to their gods, examples of which abound in the Greek and Latin writers. They washed their hands and clothes, and bathed their bodies in pure water, before they performed any act of religious worship; and in a variety of cases, abstinence from all matrimonial connections was positively required, before a person was permitted to perform any religious rite, or assist at the performance.
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
God then commanded Moses to prepare the people for His appearing or speaking to them: (1) by their sanctification, through the washing of the body and clothes (see Gen 35:2), and abstinence from conjugal intercourse (Exo 19:15) on account of the defilement connected therewith (Lev 15:18); and (2) by setting bounds round the people, that they might not ascend or touch the mountain. The hedging or bounding (הגבּיל) of the people is spoken of in Exo 19:23 as setting bounds about the mountain, and consisted therefore in the erection of a barrier round the mountain, which was to prevent the people form ascending or touching it. Any one who touched it (קצהוּ, "its end," i.e., the outermost or lowest part of the mountain) was to be put to death, whether man or beast. "No hand shall touch him" (the individual who passed the barrier and touched the mountain), i.e., no one was to follow him within the appointed boundaries, but he was to be killed from a distance either by stones or darts. (יּיּרה for יוּרה, see Gesenius, 69.) Not till "the drawing out of the trumpet blast," or, as Luther renders it, "only when it sounded long," could they ascend the mountain (Exo 19:13). היּבל, from יבל to stream violently with noise, is synonymous with היּבל קרן (Jos 6:5), and was really the same thing as the שׁופר, i.e., a long wind instrument shaped like a horn. היּבל משׁך is to draw the horn, i.e., to blow the horn with tones long drawn out. This was done either to give a signal to summon the people to war (Jdg 3:27; Jdg 6:34), or to call them to battle (Jdg 7:18; Job 39:24-25, etc.), or for other public proclamations. No one (this is the idea) was to ascend the mountain on pain of death, or even to touch its outermost edge; but when the horn was blown with a long blast, and the signal to approach was given thereby, then they might ascend it (see Exo 19:21), - of course not 600,000 men, which would have been physically impossible, but the people in the persons of their representatives the elders. בּהר עלות signifies to go up the mountain in Exo 19:13 as well as in Exo 19:12, and not merely to come to the foot of the mountain (see Deu 5:5).
John Gill Bible Commentary
And the Lord said unto Moses,.... On the fourth day, according to the Targum of Jonathan: go unto the people; go down from the mountain, from the top of it, where he now was, to the camp of Israel, which was pitched before it: and sanctify them today and tomorrow; the fourth and fifth days of the month; that is, he was, to instruct them how they were to sanctify themselves in an external way, by washing themselves, as after mentioned, their bodies and clothes, and by abstaining from all sensual pleasures, lawful or unlawful: and let them wash their clothes; which the Jews understood not of their garments, but of their bodies also; teaching them by these outward things the necessity of internal purity and holiness, to appear before God: these outward rites were in use before the law of Moses, as appears from Gen 35:2 and the Heathens themselves have similar notions of the cleanness of bodies and garments, as well as the purity of mind, being acceptable to their deities (n). (n) "Casta placent superis, pura cum veste venito". Tibullus.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
19:10-15 In the second phase of preparation, the people received commands that would prepare them to receive God’s covenant. They were to wash their clothing (19:10, 14) because God is pure. They were to prepare a boundary all around the mountain (19:12-13) and be careful not to cross it because God is holy. They were to abstain from having sexual intercourse (19:15) because God is not a sexual being, and his blessings are not produced through sexual activity. Things that are natural and right under ordinary circumstances were to be set aside for the extraordinary purpose of concentrating on the Lord, the King who was about to appear before the people. Only their compliance with the second of these commands is specifically reported (19:23), but it is safe to assume that they obeyed the other two as well since no negative response from the Lord is recorded. • Hebrews 12:18-22 contrasts this experience at Mount Sinai with the believer’s experience at Mount Zion, “the heavenly Jerusalem.”
Exodus 19:10
Israel at Mount Sinai
9The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will always put their trust in you.” And Moses relayed to the LORD what the people had said.10Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes11and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
The Congo Revival
By David Davies4.2K1:23:36Revival HistoryEXO 19:10In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal experience of encountering a man who was deeply moved by the message of forgiveness and cleansing. The man was unable to speak and tears were flowing down his face. Eventually, he confessed his sins and sought forgiveness. The speaker also shares another story of a woman who was mentally unstable and attempted to harm children. Despite the chaotic situation, the speaker's wife intervened and protected their child. The sermon emphasizes the power of revival and the presence of God in transforming lives. The speaker references Bible verses and highlights the importance of revival as a work of God.
The Proof of This Custom Only From the Talmuds.
By John Gill0Jewish CustomsBaptismEXO 19:10EXO 24:8LEV 14:7NUM 15:15NUM 19:19John Gill discusses the origins and evidence of the Jewish custom of receiving proselytes through baptism or dipping, emphasizing that this practice is primarily documented in the Talmuds, particularly the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds. He notes the lack of earlier references to this rite and critiques the scriptural justifications provided by Jewish scholars, arguing that they are insufficient and not divinely mandated. Gill concludes that the custom of proselyte baptism lacks a solid foundation in scripture and should not be seen as a precursor to Christian baptism, which he believes was established by John the Baptist, Christ, and the apostles.
- Adam Clarke
- Keil-Delitzsch
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Sanctify them - See the meaning of this term, Exo 13:2. Let them wash their clothes - And consequently bathe their bodies; for, according to the testimony of the Jews, these always went together. It was necessary that, as they were about to appear in the presence of God, every thing should be clean and pure about them; that they might be admonished by this of the necessity of inward purity, of which the outward washing was the emblem. From these institutions the heathens appear to have borrowed their precepts relative to washings and purifications previously to their offering sacrifice to their gods, examples of which abound in the Greek and Latin writers. They washed their hands and clothes, and bathed their bodies in pure water, before they performed any act of religious worship; and in a variety of cases, abstinence from all matrimonial connections was positively required, before a person was permitted to perform any religious rite, or assist at the performance.
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
God then commanded Moses to prepare the people for His appearing or speaking to them: (1) by their sanctification, through the washing of the body and clothes (see Gen 35:2), and abstinence from conjugal intercourse (Exo 19:15) on account of the defilement connected therewith (Lev 15:18); and (2) by setting bounds round the people, that they might not ascend or touch the mountain. The hedging or bounding (הגבּיל) of the people is spoken of in Exo 19:23 as setting bounds about the mountain, and consisted therefore in the erection of a barrier round the mountain, which was to prevent the people form ascending or touching it. Any one who touched it (קצהוּ, "its end," i.e., the outermost or lowest part of the mountain) was to be put to death, whether man or beast. "No hand shall touch him" (the individual who passed the barrier and touched the mountain), i.e., no one was to follow him within the appointed boundaries, but he was to be killed from a distance either by stones or darts. (יּיּרה for יוּרה, see Gesenius, 69.) Not till "the drawing out of the trumpet blast," or, as Luther renders it, "only when it sounded long," could they ascend the mountain (Exo 19:13). היּבל, from יבל to stream violently with noise, is synonymous with היּבל קרן (Jos 6:5), and was really the same thing as the שׁופר, i.e., a long wind instrument shaped like a horn. היּבל משׁך is to draw the horn, i.e., to blow the horn with tones long drawn out. This was done either to give a signal to summon the people to war (Jdg 3:27; Jdg 6:34), or to call them to battle (Jdg 7:18; Job 39:24-25, etc.), or for other public proclamations. No one (this is the idea) was to ascend the mountain on pain of death, or even to touch its outermost edge; but when the horn was blown with a long blast, and the signal to approach was given thereby, then they might ascend it (see Exo 19:21), - of course not 600,000 men, which would have been physically impossible, but the people in the persons of their representatives the elders. בּהר עלות signifies to go up the mountain in Exo 19:13 as well as in Exo 19:12, and not merely to come to the foot of the mountain (see Deu 5:5).
John Gill Bible Commentary
And the Lord said unto Moses,.... On the fourth day, according to the Targum of Jonathan: go unto the people; go down from the mountain, from the top of it, where he now was, to the camp of Israel, which was pitched before it: and sanctify them today and tomorrow; the fourth and fifth days of the month; that is, he was, to instruct them how they were to sanctify themselves in an external way, by washing themselves, as after mentioned, their bodies and clothes, and by abstaining from all sensual pleasures, lawful or unlawful: and let them wash their clothes; which the Jews understood not of their garments, but of their bodies also; teaching them by these outward things the necessity of internal purity and holiness, to appear before God: these outward rites were in use before the law of Moses, as appears from Gen 35:2 and the Heathens themselves have similar notions of the cleanness of bodies and garments, as well as the purity of mind, being acceptable to their deities (n). (n) "Casta placent superis, pura cum veste venito". Tibullus.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
19:10-15 In the second phase of preparation, the people received commands that would prepare them to receive God’s covenant. They were to wash their clothing (19:10, 14) because God is pure. They were to prepare a boundary all around the mountain (19:12-13) and be careful not to cross it because God is holy. They were to abstain from having sexual intercourse (19:15) because God is not a sexual being, and his blessings are not produced through sexual activity. Things that are natural and right under ordinary circumstances were to be set aside for the extraordinary purpose of concentrating on the Lord, the King who was about to appear before the people. Only their compliance with the second of these commands is specifically reported (19:23), but it is safe to assume that they obeyed the other two as well since no negative response from the Lord is recorded. • Hebrews 12:18-22 contrasts this experience at Mount Sinai with the believer’s experience at Mount Zion, “the heavenly Jerusalem.”