Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 24:3
And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
3. the words and the judgements ] i.e. (see on Exo 21:1) both the positive commands, and the ‘judgements,’ or decisions prescribing what is to be done in particular cases, contained in Exo 20:22 to Exo 23:33. The Decalogue, which the people had heard themselves, cannot be included in the terms used. The fact, however, that only the ‘words’ are referred to in clauseb suggests that ‘and the judgements’ in cl.a may be an addition of the redactor who placed the ‘judgements’ of Exo 21:2 to Exo 22:17 in their present position (cf. on v. 12).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
3 8 (E). The sequel to Exo 23:33. Moses communicates to the people the words which Jehovah has spoken; and upon their expressing their assent to them, solemnly concludes a covenant, on the basis of them, between Jehovah and the nation.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 3. Moses – told the people all the words of the Lord] That is, the ten commandments, and the various laws and ordinances mentioned from the beginning of the 20th to the end of the 23d chapter.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Moses came down from the mount to the people, after he had received the laws from God.
All the words which the Lord hath said will we do: this they so readily and rashly promise, because they were not sensible of their own weakness, and because they did not understand the comprehensiveness, and spirituality, and strictness of Gods law, but thought it consisted only in the external performances and abstinences expressed.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3, 4. Moses came and told the peopleall the words of the LordThe rehearsal of the foregoing lawsand the ten commandments, together with the promises of specialblessings in the event of their obedience, having drawn forth fromthe people a unanimous declaration of their consent, it was forthwithrecorded as the conditions of the national covenant. The nextday preparations were made for having it (the covenant) solemnlyratified, by building an altar and twelve pillars; the altarrepresenting God, and the pillars the tribes of Israelthe twoparties in this solemn compactwhile Moses acted as typicalmediator.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments,…. Which according to Jarchi were the seven commands given to the sons of Noah, the laws concerning the sabbath, and honouring parents, the red heifer, and the judgments at Marah; but all these they were acquainted with before, excepting that of the red heifer, and the law, for that was not yet delivered to Moses, nor were these the ten commands, for they had heard them from the Lord themselves; but they doubtless were the judgments, or judicial laws, which he was ordered to set before the people, contained in the two preceding chapters, which were chiefly of the judicial kind, and related to the civil polity of the people of Israel:
and all the people answered with one voice; one speaking for, and in the name of the rest, or they all lift up their voice together, and being unanimous in their sentiments, expressed them in the same words:
and said, all the words which the Lord hath said will we do; that is, they would be careful to observe all the laws, statutes, judgments, and commands which the Lord had enjoined them; and less than this they could not say, for they had promised Moses, that if he would draw nigh to God, and hear what he should say, and deliver it to them, they would hearken to it, and obey it, as if they had heard God himself speak it; only they entreated the Lord would speak no more to them, as he did the ten commands, it being so terrible to them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The ceremony described in Exo 24:3-11 is called “the covenant which Jehovah made with Israel” (Exo 24:8). It was opened by Moses, who recited to the people “ all the words of Jehovah ” (i.e., not the decalogue, for the people had heard this directly from the mouth of God Himself, but the words in Exo 20:22-26), and “ all the rights ” (ch. 21-23); whereupon the people answered unanimously ( ), “ All the words which Jehovah hath spoken will we do.” This constituted the preparation for the conclusion of the covenant. It was necessary that the people should not only know what the Lord imposed upon them in the covenant about to be made with them, and what He promised them, but that they should also declare their willingness to perform what was imposed upon them. The covenant itself was commenced by Moses writing all the words of Jehovah in “ the book of the covenant ” (Exo 24:4 and Exo 24:7), for the purpose of preserving them in an official record. The next day, early in the morning, he built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and erected twelve boundary-stones or pillars for the twelve tribes, most likely round about the altar and at some distance from it, so as to prepare the soil upon which Jehovah was about to enter into union with the twelve tribes. As the altar indicated the presence of Jehovah, being the place where the Lord would come to His people to bless them (Exo 20:24), so the twelve pillars, or boundary-stones, did not serve as mere memorials of the conclusion of the covenant, but were to indicate the place of the twelve tribes, and represent their presence also.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verses 3-8:
Moses descended from the Mount and relayed to the people all the laws God had given, recorded in the last three chapters. All the people readily pledged to do all God had commanded. Subsequent events show that they were unwilling or unable to keep their pledge.
Moses then wrote the Lord’s words in a book. Early the next morning he built an altar upon which to make the sacrifice that would ratify the covenant Israel had made with Jehovah, to obey all He had commanded.
“Young men” were likely the firstborn sons, who were next in line for the priesthood in their families. This was prior to the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood.
The blood of the sacrificial animals symbolized their life, and was an essential part of the ‘sacrifice. It was usually poured or sprinkled upon the altar. In this instance, Moses put half of the blood in basins, to be sprinkled upon the people. This signified the unity of the people in their solemn pledge to the Covenant (cf. Heb 9:18-20). Following the usual custom, the other half was then sprinkled upon the altar.
Once more Moses reported to Israel the legislation Jehovah had given on the Mount, this time reading it from the “Book of the Covenant” which he had written, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, 2Pe 1:21. And once more the people solemnly promised to obey all God had commanded.
Moses ratified the Covenant by sprinkling the blood of the sacrifice “on the people.” It is unlikely that this included each individual Israelite, as they numbered about two million people. It is more likely that the “elders” were sprinkled as symbolic of the entire nation.
The sprinkling of the blood on both the altar and the people denoted the unity of the people with the altar, in the ratification of the Covenant.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(3) Moses . . . told the people all the words of the Lord.Moses gave them an outline of the legislation which he subsequently committed to writing (Exo. 24:4) and formed into the Book of the Covenant (Exo. 24:7). Its general purport and main heads were communicated, but probably not all its details. Otherwise it would scarcely have been necessary to read the contents of the book to them. The people willingly gave in their adhesion, feeling the laws to be holy, just, and good, and not yet knowing how difficult they would find it to render a perfect obedience.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3, 4. Moses came and told After receiving the laws as so many words of the Lord, he put them in writing, and thus codified the judgments (comp . Exo 21:1) which were to govern the people . Whether he wrote all the words of the Lord before he descended from the mountain, or after he appeared again among the people, is not said . We most naturally suppose that they would have been written in the mountain, but the order of this narrative seems to imply that he first reported them orally to the people, who answered with one voice, and pledged obedience .
Thereupon he wrote all the words, occupying, perhaps, a part of the night in this labour, and rose up early in the morning of the following day to ratify and seal the covenant by appropriate offerings and a reading of the laws from the book in which he had written them.
Builded an altar under the hill In accord with the directions of Exo 20:24-26.
Twelve pillars Significant of the tribal divisions of the nation, and their common interest in the covenant. Comp. Jos 4:1-9.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Moses came and told the people all the words of Yahweh and all the judgments, and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which Yahweh has spoken we will do.”
Moses called the people together for the explanation of the treaty. He declared to them Yahweh’s offer and detailed Yahweh’s requirements as contained in Exodus 20-23. Then the people ‘with one voice’ declared their acceptance. The words appear to be in accepted phraseology (compare Exo 19:8). It was unanimous.
“All the words of Yahweh.” These are described mainly in Exo 20:1-17 with a codicil in Exo 20:22-26.
“And all the judgments.” These are described in Exo 21:1 to Exo 23:19. They are then followed by the reconfirmation of what Yahweh will do for His people (Exo 23:20-33).
“And all the people answered with one voice.” This was their confirmation that as one people they were willing to enter into the covenant.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Exo 24:3. And Moses came and told See ch. Exo 19:7-8.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Deu 5:27-29 ; Jer 42:6 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 24:3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
Ver. 3. And told the people, ] So he became a Mediator Gal 3:19 – non redemptionis sed relationis.
Will we do.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
came. Moses’ fourth descent. See note on Exo 19:3. all the words. (1) The Ten Commandments. Exo 20:1-17. (2) all the judgments, chaps. 21-23.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
all the judgments: Exo 21:1 – Exo 23:33, Deu 4:1, Deu 4:5, Deu 4:45, Deu 5:1, Deu 5:31, Deu 6:1, Deu 11:1
All the words: Exo 24:7, Exo 19:8, Deu 5:27, Deu 5:28, Jos 24:22, Gal 3:19, Gal 3:20
Reciprocal: Deu 5:5 – General Jos 24:21 – Nay Jos 24:25 – made Jdg 2:20 – transgressed 2Ki 23:3 – And all Psa 50:5 – made Jer 2:2 – thine espousals Jer 2:20 – and thou saidst Jer 11:4 – I commanded Jer 34:13 – I made Jer 43:1 – all the words Joh 7:19 – not Act 5:20 – all Eph 2:12 – the covenants Heb 8:9 – the covenant Heb 9:18 – the first
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 24:3. Moses told the people all the words of the Lord He laid before them all the precepts, in the foregoing chapters, and put it to them, whether they were willing to submit to these laws or not? And all the people answered, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do They had before consented in general to be under Gods government; here they consent in particular to these laws now given.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
24:3 {b} And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
(b) When he had received these laws in mount Sinai.