1 In the third month after the people of Israel had gone out from the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the wilderness of Sinai. 2 After they left Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai, they camped in the wilderness in front of the mountain. 3 Moses went up to God. Yahweh called to him from the mountain and said, “You must tell the house of Jacob, the people of Israel: 4 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now then, if you obediently listen to my voice and keep my covenant, then you will be my special possession from among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. 6 You will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation for me. These are the words that you must speak to the people of Israel.” 7 So Moses came and summoned the elders of the people. He set before them all these words that Yahweh had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “We will do everything that Yahweh has said.” Then Moses came to report the people's words to Yahweh. 9 Yahweh said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe you forever.” Then Moses told the people's words to Yahweh. 10 Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people. Today and tomorrow you must set them apart to me, and make them wash their garments. 11 Be ready for the third day, for on the third day Yahweh will come down to Mount Sinai. 12 You must set boundaries all around the mountain for the people. Say to them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death.' 13 No one's hand must touch such a person. Instead, he must certainly be stoned or shot. Whether it is a person or an animal, he must be put to death. When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may come up to the foot of the mountain.” 14 Then Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He set apart the people to Yahweh and they washed their garments. 15 He said to the people, “Be ready on the third day; do not go near your wives.” 16 On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunder and lightning bolts and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a very loud trumpet. All the people in the camp trembled. 17 Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was completely covered with smoke because Yahweh descended on it in fire and smoke. The smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19 When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in a voice. 20 Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and he summoned Moses to the top. So Moses went up. 21 Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to me to look, or many of them will perish. 22 Let the priests also who come near to me set themselves apart—prepare themselves for my coming—so that I do not attack them.” 23 Moses said to Yahweh, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you commanded us: 'Set boundaries around the mountain and set it apart to Yahweh.'” 24 Yahweh said to him, “Go, get down the mountain, and bring up Aaron with you, but do not let the priests and the people break through the barrier to come up to me, or I will attack them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.
Exodus · Unlocked Literal Bible
Exodus 19 Unlocked Literal Bible
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
Places
Mount Sinai
The location is strongly debated — traditional Jebel Musa in the southern Sinai Peninsula is only one of several proposals (approximate location). It is where the Law was given.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 19:20; Exodus 3:1; Exodus 24:12
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)