1 In the third month after the departure of the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they [into] the wilderness of Sinai: 2 they departed from Rephidim, and came [into] the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in the wilderness; and Israel encamped there before the mountain. 3 And Moses went up to God, and Jehovah called to him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 Ye have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, and [how] I have borne you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 And now, if ye will hearken to my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then shall ye be my own possession out of all the peoples — for all the earth is mine — 6 and ye shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak to the children of Israel. 7 And Moses came and called the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which Jehovah had commanded him. 8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that Jehovah has spoken will we do! And Moses brought the words of the people back to Jehovah. 9 And Jehovah said to Moses, Lo, I will come to thee in the cloud's thick darkness, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee also for ever. And Moses told the words of the people to Jehovah. 10 And Jehovah said to Moses, Go to the people, and hallow them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes; 11 and let them be ready for the third day; for on the third day Jehovah will come down before the eyes of all the people on mount Sinai. 12 And set bounds round about the people, saying, Take heed to yourselves, [not] to go up unto the mountain nor touch the border of it: whatever toucheth the mountain shall certainly be put to death: 13 not a hand shall touch it, but it shall certainly be stoned, or shot through; whether it be a beast or a man, it shall not live. When the long drawn note of the trumpet soundeth, they shall come up to the mountain. 14 And Moses came down from the mountain to the people, and hallowed the people; and they washed their clothes. 15 And he said to the people, Be ready for the third day; do not come near [your] wives. 16 And it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings and a heavy cloud on the mountain, and the sound of the trumpet exceeding loud; and the whole people that was in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 And the whole of mount Sinai smoked, because Jehovah descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended as the smoke of a furnace; and the whole mountain shook greatly. 19 And the sound of the trumpet increased and became exceeding loud; Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. 20 And Jehovah came down on mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain; and Jehovah called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 And Jehovah said to Moses, Go down, testify to the people that they break not through to Jehovah to gaze, and many of them perish. 22 And the priests also, who come near to Jehovah, shall hallow themselves, lest Jehovah break forth on them. 23 And Moses said to Jehovah, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai; for thou hast testified to us, saying, Set bounds about the mountain, and hallow it. 24 And Jehovah said to him, Go, descend, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee; but the priests and the people shall not break through to go up to Jehovah, lest he break forth on them. 25 So Moses went down to the people, and told them.
Exodus 19 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Aaron
Moses' brother and spokesman, Israel's first high priest.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 4–40; Leviticus 8–10
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Cross references (24)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Exodus 16:1; Exodus 12:6; Exodus 12:2; Numbers 33:15; Leviticus 23:16–18
- 2 Exodus 3:1; Exodus 17:1; Exodus 3:12; Exodus 17:8; Exodus 18:5
- 3 Exodus 3:4; Deuteronomy 5:5–31; Acts 7:38; Exodus 24:15–18; Exodus 20:21
- 4 Deuteronomy 32:11–12; Isaiah 63:9; Isaiah 40:31; Deuteronomy 29:2; Revelation 12:14
- 5 Deuteronomy 14:2; Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 26:18; Exodus 15:26; Malachi 3:17
- 6 Revelation 5:10; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Peter 2:5; Deuteronomy 7:6; Revelation 1:6
- 7 Exodus 4:29–30; Exodus 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1
- 8 Exodus 24:7; Exodus 24:3; Joshua 24:24; Nehemiah 10:29; Deuteronomy 5:27–29
- 9 Deuteronomy 4:36; Exodus 19:16; Exodus 24:15–16; Psalm 97:2; Matthew 17:5
- 10 Hebrews 10:22; Leviticus 11:44–45; Genesis 35:2; Leviticus 11:25; Numbers 8:21
- 11 Exodus 19:16; John 3:13; Exodus 34:5; Deuteronomy 33:2; Exodus 19:18
- 12 Hebrews 12:20–21; Joshua 3:4; Exodus 19:21; Deuteronomy 4:9; Exodus 10:28
- 13 Exodus 19:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 12:20; Leviticus 20:15–16; Exodus 19:19
- 14 Exodus 19:10
- 15 1 Corinthians 7:5; Exodus 19:11; 1 Samuel 21:4–5; Joel 2:16; Zechariah 6:3
- 16 Hebrews 12:18–19; Psalm 18:11–14; Revelation 4:1; Hebrews 12:21; Revelation 4:5
- 17 Deuteronomy 4:10; Deuteronomy 5:5
- 18 Judges 5:5; Psalm 144:5; Revelation 15:8; Exodus 3:2; Genesis 19:28
- 19 Psalm 81:7; Exodus 19:16; Nehemiah 9:13; Hebrews 12:21; Exodus 19:13
- 20 Nehemiah 9:13; Exodus 24:18; Exodus 34:4; Exodus 24:12–13; Exodus 19:11
- 21 1 Samuel 6:19; Exodus 3:5; Hebrews 12:28–29; Exodus 19:12–13; Exodus 3:3
- 22 Exodus 24:5; 2 Samuel 6:6–8; Exodus 19:14–15; Acts 5:5; 1 Chronicles 13:9–11
- 23 Exodus 19:12; Joshua 3:4–5
- 24 Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 12:18–25; Hebrews 12:29; John 1:17; Galatians 3:10–11
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
When they were bending and shooting bows, they did also utter the words of most forward promise, saying, "Whatsoever things the Lord our God hath spoken we will do, and we will hear." "They have been turned back in the day of war:" because the promise of obedience not hearing but temptation doth prove.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
For the Word is not stoned, but casts stones when He pleases; and uses a sling against wild beasts--that is, words--approaching the Mount in an unholy way.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)