Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 19:20
And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses [up] to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
20. came down ] according to v. 18, Jehovah had already done this. Perhaps (B.) v. 18 is misplaced, and stood originally after v. 20a.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
20 25. After the theophany has begun ( vv. 18, 20a), Moses is summoned to the top of the mountain, where he is told to go down again at once and check the too eager curiosity of the people, and when he has done this to come up again with Aaron ( v. 24). In E the people, so far from evincing any desire to trespass upon the mountain, are in alarm, and ‘tremble’ ( v. 16; cf. Exo 20:18).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 20. The Lord came down] This was undoubtedly done in a visible manner, that the people might witness the awful appearance. We may suppose that every thing was arranged thus: the glory of the Lord occupied the top of the mountain, and near to this Moses was permitted to approach. Aaron and the seventy elders were permitted to advance some way up the mountain, while the people were only permitted to come up to its base. Moses, as the lawgiver, was to receive the statutes and judgments from God’s mouth; Aaron and the elders were to receive them from Moses, and deliver them to the people; and the people were to act according to the direction received. Nothing can be imagined more glorious, terrible, majestic, and impressive, than the whole of this transaction; but it was chiefly calculated to impress deep reverence, religious fear, and sacred awe; and he who attempts to worship God uninfluenced by these, has neither a proper sense of the Divine majesty, nor of the sinfulness of sin. It seems in reference to this that the apostle says, Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with REVERENCE and GODLY FEAR: for our God is a CONSUMING FIRE; Heb 12:28-29. Who then shall dare to approach him in his own name and without a mediator?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
So here are three parts of the mount manifestly distinguished; the top, where the cloud was; the middle part, where Moses now stood, and about which the bounds seem to have been put; and the nether or lower part, where the people were.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the Lord came down on Mount Sinai,…. In the above visible tokens of his presence and power; otherwise he is the incomprehensible Jehovah, that immense and omnipotent Being, who fills heaven and earth, and cannot be contained and circumscribed in either:
on the top of the mount; where the fire he descended in rested, and where the smoke and thick cloud were, as a token of his presence:
and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; who either was at the bottom of it with the people, or in a higher ascent of it between God and them:
and Moses went up; to the top of it, where the Lord was, as he ordered him: a certain traveller y tells us that the top of this mount was scarce thirty feet in circumference.
y Baumgarten Peregrinatio, l. 1. c. 24. p. 61.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(20) On the top of the mount.On the summit of the Ras Sufsafeh, not on the Jebel Musa, which is out of sight from the plain of Er Rahah.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. The Lord came down In the midst of the sublime exhibitions of his power and splendour mentioned above; though not so that the Israelites saw any likeness or similitude of Jehovah . See Deu 4:12; Deu 4:15.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the mountain peak, and Yahweh called Moses to the mountain peak, and Moses went up. And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down. Charge the people lest they break through to Yahweh to gaze and many of them perish.”
As God looked down He knew the hearts of the people, and He had mercy on them. He knew that their trembling fear (Exo 19:16) was slowly turning into awed curiosity (‘to gaze’ – Exo 19:21), and that in such a state some might become careless and thus perish. So He sent for Moses to come up to Him on the mountain peak, and from there He sent him down to prevent it happening. He did not want His gracious appearance to turn into tragedy. The people would be filled with awe to think that Moses had been allowed into the holy mount while God was resident.
“Charge the people.” They were to be given a strict charge not a mild admonishment. The matter was deadly serious.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Exo 19:20. And the Lord came down, &c. Houbigant renders this, But the Lord, as he descended upon Mount Sinai, called Moses to the top of the Mount. It must be understood in some such manner as this; as it is plain from Exo 19:18 that the Lord had before descended; unless we will read that verse, because the Lord was descending upon it in fire: but, perhaps, it is best to read this Exo 19:20, Now the Lord, having descended, called Moses, &c. It is evident from this verse, and from the subsequent chapters, especially the 24th, Exo 24:1; Exo 24:9; Exo 24:13; Exo 24:18 that there were different stations upon the mountain, which Moses and others were allowed to approach: the people were permitted only to come up to, or to approach the foot of the mountain, as we have observed on verses 12, 13. The Lord occupied the very top of the mountain, to the very inmost recess of whose presence Moses does not seem to have been admitted till ch. Exo 24:15 while Aaron and the seventy elders were allowed to advance upon the mountain much farther than the people, but not so far as Moses, ch. Exo 24:1-2.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
This is spoken after the manner of men; but it means, that there were the manifested signs of the divine presence. Num 12:8 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 19:20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses [up] to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Ver. 20. And Moses went up. ] As a mediator between God and his people. Gal 3:19 Act 7:38 A mediator Moses was, not of redemption, as Christ that “Mediator of the new covenant” and “surety of a better testament,” Heb 7:22 ; Heb 9:15 but of receiving the law, and delivering it to the people, for which end here he went up.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
on = to.
went up. Moses’ third ascent.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the Lord came: Exo 19:11, Neh 9:13, Psa 81:7
Moses went up: Exo 19:3, Exo 24:12, Exo 24:13, Exo 24:18, Exo 34:2, Exo 34:4, Deu 9:9
Reciprocal: Exo 18:5 – General Exo 19:24 – and thou Num 11:17 – I will come 1Ki 19:11 – stand upon the mount Psa 103:7 – He made Eph 4:9 – he also