EXO 19

Exodus 19:14

WEB

Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

BSB

When Moses came down from the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.

KJV

¶ And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

Matthew Henry

Verses 9–15

Exodus 19:9–15

Here, I. God intimates to Moses his purpose of coming down upon mount Sinai, in some visible appearance of his glory, in a thick cloud (Exo 19:9); for he said that he would dwell in the thick darkness (Ch2 6:1), and make this his pavilion (Psa 18:11), holding back the face of his throne when he set it upon mount Sinai, and spreading a cloud upon it, Job 26:9. This thick cloud was to prohibit curious enquiries into things secret, and to command an awful adoration of that which was revealed. God would come down in the sight of all the people (Exo 19:11); though they should see no manner of similitude, yet they should see so much as would convince them that God was among them of a truth. And so high was the top of mount Sinai that it is supposed that not only the camp of Israel, but even the countries about, might discern some extraordinary appearance of glory upon it, which would strike a terror upon them. It seems also to have been particularly intended to put an honour upon Moses: That they may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever, Exo 19:9. Thus the correspondence was to be first settled by a sensible appearance of the divine glory, which was afterwards to be carried on more silently by the ministry of Moses. In like manner, the Holy Ghost descended visibly upon Christ at his baptism, and all that were present heard God speak to him (Mat 3:17), that afterwards, without the repetition of such visible tokens, they might believe him. So likewise the Spirit descended in cloven tongues upon the apostles (Act 2:3), that they might be believed. Observe, When the people had declared themselves willing to obey the voice of God, then God promised they should hear his voice; for, if any man be resolved to do his will, he shall know it, Joh 7:17.

II. He orders Moses to make preparation for this great solemnity, giving him two days' time for it.

1. He must sanctify the people (Exo 19:10), as Job, before this, sent and sanctified his sons, Job 1:5. He must raise their expectation by giving them notice what God would do, and assist their preparation by directing them what they must do. "Sanctify them," that is, "Call them off from their worldly business, and call them to religious exercises, meditation and prayer, that they may receive the law from God's mouth with reverence and devotion. Let them be ready," Exo 19:11. Note, When we are to attend upon God in solemn ordinances it concerns us to sanctify ourselves, and to get ready beforehand. Wandering thoughts must be gathered in, impure affections abandoned, disquieting passions suppressed, nay, and all cares about secular business, for the present, dismissed and laid by, that our hearts may be engaged to approach unto God. Two things particularly prescribed as signs and instances of their preparation: - (1.) In token of their cleansing themselves from all sinful pollutions, that they might be holy to God, they must wash their clothes (Exo 19:10), and they did so (Exo 19:14); not that God regards our clothes; but while they were washing their clothes he would have them think of washing their souls by repentance from the sins they had contracted in Egypt and since their deliverance. It becomes us to appear in clean clothes when we wait upon great men; so clean hearts are required in our attendance on the great God, who sees them as plainly as men see our clothes. This is absolutely necessary to our acceptably worshipping God. See Psa 26:6; Isa 1:16-18; Heb 10:22. (2.) In token of their devoting themselves entirely to religious exercises, upon this occasion, they must abstain even from lawful enjoyments during these three days, and not come at their wives, Exo 19:15. See Co1 7:5.

2. He must set bounds about the mountain, Exo 19:12, Exo 19:13. Probably he drew a line, or ditch, round at the foot of the hill, which none were to pass upon pain of death. This was to intimate, (1.) That humble awful reverence which ought to possess the minds of all those that worship God. We are mean creatures before a great Creator, vile sinners before a holy righteous Judge; and therefore a godly fear and shame well become us, Heb 12:28; Psa 2:11. (2.) The distance at which worshippers were kept, under that dispensation, which we ought to take notice of, that we may the more value our privilege under the gospel, having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Heb 10:19.

3. He must order the people to attend upon the summons that should be given (Exo 19:13): "When the trumpet soundeth long then let them take their places at the foot of the mount, and so sit down at God's feet," as it is explained, Deu 33:3. Never was so great a congregation called together, and preached to, at once, as this was here. No one man's voice could have reached so many, but the voice of God did.

Cross-references: Exod 19:9 · 2Chr 6:1 · Ps 18:11 · Job 26:9 · Exod 19:11 · Matt 3:17 · Acts 2:3 · John 7:17 · Exod 19:10 · Job 1:5 · Exod 19:14 · Ps 26:6 · Isa 1:16 · Heb 10:22 · Exod 19:15 · 1Cor 7:5 · Exod 19:12 · Exod 19:13 · Heb 12:28 · Ps 2:11 · Heb 10:19 · Deut 33:3

Hebrew interlinear

H3381

יָרַדyârad/yaw-rad'/

v — descend, go downwards, fall, bring down

Derivation: a primitive root;

to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications)

KJV: × abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, × indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.

יָרַד

vb — come down

יָרַד 380 vb. come or go down, descend

Qal 306

1.

a. come or go down

b. go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle

c. go down to (acc.) threshing-floor

d. go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt

e. from Jerusalem

f. from altar

g. go down

h. = sink, in water

i. go down to She’ôl

j. fig. going down (dissolving) in tears

k. = be prostrated

2. of divine manifestations: descend

3. of inanimate things

Hiph.

1. cause to come or go down

a. bring down

b. send down rain = cause to flow down

c. = lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor

d. bring down to She’ôl

2. take down (from cart)

3. let down

Hoph.

1. be brought down

2. be taken down

H4872

מֹשֶׁהMôsheh/mo-sheh'/

n-pr-m — Mosheh

Derivation: from 4871; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued;

Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver

KJV: Moses.

מֹשֶׁה

n.pr.m — Moses

מֹשֶׁה 767 n.pr.m. Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver

H4480

מִןmin/min/

prep — part, from, out of

Derivation: or מִנִּי; or מִנֵּי; (constructive plural) (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482;

properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses

KJV: above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, × neither, × nor, (out) of, over, since, × then, through, × whether, with.

מִן־

prep — out of

מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

1. with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

a. from, against

b. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

c. of position, off, on the side of, on

2. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

3. Partitively

4. Of time

a. as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

b. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

c. towards, to

5. (וְעַד) עַדמִן from … even to

6. In comparisons, beyond, above

7. מן is prefixed to an infin.:

a. with causal force, from, on account of, through

b. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

c. with a temporal force, since, after

8. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

9. In compounds:

מֵן

n. [m.] — portion

[מֵן] n. [m.] portion

H2022

הַרhar/har/

n-m — mountain, range

Derivation: a shortened form of 2042;

a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)

KJV: hill (country), mount(-ain), × promotion.

הַר

n.m — mountain

הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country

1. mountain, hill

2. hill-country, mountain-region

H413

אֵלʼêl/ale/

prep — near, with, among, to

Derivation: (but only used in the shortened constructive form אֶל ); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e.

near, with or among; often in general, to

KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, × hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).

אֶל

prep — motion to

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).

1. of motion to or unto a person or place

2. Where the limit is actually entered, into

3. Of direction towards anything

4. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

5. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

6. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

7. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

8. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

9. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

H5971

עַםʻam/am/

n-m — people, tribe, troops, attendants, flock

Derivation: from 6004;

a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock

KJV: folk, men, nation, people.

עַם

n.[m.] — kinsman

[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)

עַם

n.m — people

עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people

1. a people, nation

2. = smaller units

3. = common people

4. people in gen., persons

5. phrases

H6942

קָדַשׁqâdash/kaw-dash'/

v — be, make, pronounce, observe, clean

Derivation: a primitive root;

to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally)

KJV: appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy(-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify(-ied one, self), × wholly.

קָדַשׁ

vb. denom — be set apart

קָדַשׁ vb. denom. be set apart, consecrated

Qal

1. be set apart, consecrated, hallowed

2. be hallowed, by contact with sacred things, and so tabooed from profane use, or forfeited to sancturay

3. consecrated, tabooed (supr.)

Niph.

1. shew oneself sacred, majestic

2. be honored or treated as sacred

3. be consecrated, dedicated

Pi.

1. set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate

2. observe as holy, keep sacred

3. honor as sacred, hallow

4. consecrate by purification

Pu. consecrated, dedicated

Hiph.

1. set apart, consecrate

2. regard or treat, as sacred, hallowed

3. consecrate by purification

Hithp.

1. keep oneself apart from unclean things

2. of God, cause himself to be hallowed

3. be observed as holy

4. consecrate oneself by purification, of priests and Levites

H853

אֵתʼêth/ayth/

prt — self, even, namely

Derivation: apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity;

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

KJV: [as such unrepresented in English].

אֵת

mark of the accusative

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

H3526

כָּבַסkâbaç/kaw-bas'/

v — trample, wash, fulling

Derivation: a primitive root;

to trample; hence, to wash (properly, by stamping with the feet), whether literal (including the fulling process) or figurative

KJV: fuller, wash(-ing).

כָּבַס

vb — tread

[כָּבַס] 51 vb. (tread), wash

Qal highway of fuller’s (= treader’s, washer’s) field

Pi.

1. wash garments (i.e. by treading)

2. wash person

Pu. be washed, of garment

Hothp. after the plague is washed out

H8071

שִׂמְלָהsimlâh/sim-law'/

n-f — dress, mantle

Derivation: perhaps by permutation for the feminine of 5566 (through the idea of a cover assuming the shape of the object beneath);

a dress, especially a mantle

KJV: apparel, cloth(-es, -ing), garment, raiment. Compare 8008.

שִׂמְלָה

n.f — wrapper

שִׂמְלָה n.f. wrapper, mantle;—usu. square piece of cloth worn as outer garment; as covering in sleep; more gen. garment, clothes (pl.)

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