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He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship from a distance.
Verse 1. You, Aaron, and so forth The people had heard the voice of the Lord, as it were the sound of thunder, giving the foregoing commands; which Moses explains to them distinctly (verse 3,) by the mouth of Aaron; and afterwards draws up a memorial of their solemn ratification. Bible.
Moses alone shall come near to the LORD, but they shall not come near. The people shall not go up with him.”
Moses came and told the people all the LORD’s words, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do.”
Moses wrote all the LORD’s words, then rose up early in the morning and built an altar at the base of the mountain, with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
Verse 4. Titles. That is, pillars; ( Challoner.) or altars, round that made of turf; (Calmet. 20:24); which represented God. Part of the blood was poured upon this altar, and the rest upon the Hebrews, to remind them, that if they proved rebellious, their blood should be spilt. Calmet.
He sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of cattle to the LORD.
Verse 5. Holocausts: whole burnt-offerings: in which the whole sacrifice was consumed with fire, upon the altar. Challoner.—It is not said that these young men were to officiate as priests. Moses acted alone in this capacity, pouring the blood.—Calves, and he-goats also. Hebrews 9:19. The book was also sprinkled with the blood ( Calmet.) mixed with water; for which purpose scarlet wool and hyssop were employed, as Saint Paul learnt from tradition, or by inspiration. Bible.
Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “We will do all that the LORD has said, and be obedient.”
Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you concerning all these words.”
Verse 8. Covenant. Thus Christ confirmed the new covenant, by the effusion of his blood. Tirinus.—This is daily renewed upon our altars for ever. Calmet.—Our Saviour alludes to this transaction in the consecration of the chalice. D.—If wine alone had been substituted instead of blood, the figure would have surpassed the reality. Isichius. Worthington.
Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up.
They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the skies for clearness.
or, lapis lazuli
He didn’t lay his hand on the nobles of the children of Israel. They saw God, and ate and drank.
Verse 11. Saw God, under the appearance of a burning fire, verse 17. They beheld some rays of his glory, but not distinct similitude, (Deuteronomy 4:15,) though Cajetan thinks that God appeared in a human form. Calmet.—Drink. They made a feast of thanksgiving for so great a favour, and for the preservation of their lives, after beholding such a glorious apparation. Vat.
The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commands that I have written, that you may teach them.”
Moses rose up with Joshua, his servant, and Moses went up onto God’s Mountain.
He said to the elders, “Wait here for us, until we come again to you. Behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever is involved in a dispute can go to them.”
Verse 14. Wait ye. They returned soon to the camp; and the people not perceiving Moses with them, and supposing he was dead, made the golden calf.
Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
The LORD’s glory settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. The seventh day he called to Moses out of the middle of the cloud.
Verse 16. Called him, to come up still higher, while Josue remained there.
The appearance of the LORD’s glory was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Moses entered into the middle of the cloud, and went up on the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Verse 18. Forty, including the six mentioned before, verse 16. The Rabbins pretend that Moses received the written law during the days, and their traditions during the nights. R. Bechai ap. Buxt. syn. 1. Calmet.