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Exodus 19:21

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Exodus 19:21 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto Jehovah to gaze, and many of them perish.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto Jehovah to gaze, and many of them perish.
Exodus 19:21 — American Standard Version

Context — Exodus 19

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
18And mount Sinai, the whole of it, smoked, because Jehovah descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
19And when the voice of the trumpet waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
20And Jehovah came down upon mount Sinai, to the top of the mount: and Jehovah called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
21And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto Jehovah to gaze, and many of them perish.
22And let the priests also, that come near to Jehovah, sanctify themselves, lest Jehovah break forth upon them.
23And Moses said unto Jehovah, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou didst charge us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
24And Jehovah said unto him, Go, get thee down; and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto Jehovah, lest he break forth upon them.
← Exodus 19:20Exodus 19:22 →
← Full Chapter 19 Exodus Overview

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the Lord said unto Moses, go down, etc.] As soon as he was got to the top of the mount he was bid to go down again to the bottom, with a message to the people: charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze; to see if they could observe any similitude or likeness of God, that they might have an idea of it in their minds, or make an image like unto it; to prevent which, the Lord, knowing the vanity and curiosity of their minds, ordered Moses to give them a strict charge not to transgress the bounds set them, or to break down or break through the fence of stones and sand, or hedge of bushes, brambles, and branches of trees, or whatever was placed for bounds: and many of…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people--No sooner had Moses proceeded a little up the mount, than he was suddenly ordered to return, in order to keep the people from breaking through to gaze--a course adopted to heighten the impressive solemnity of the scene. The strict injunctions renewed to all, whatever their condition, at a time and in circumstances when the whole multitude of Israel were standing at the base of the mount, was calculated in the highest degree to solemnize and awe every heart. Next: Exodus Chapter 20”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“19:21-25 The repeated warnings that no one should break through to approach the Lord reinforced the impact of the phenomena the people had just witnessed. God is utterly transcendent, and he must be approached in the way he ordains or not at all.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“charge: Heb. contest, Exo 19:12, Exo 19:13 break: Exo 3:3, Exo 3:5, Exo 33:20; Sa1 6:19; Ecc 5:1; Heb 12:28, Heb 12:29 Exodus 19:22”
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Related study paths

Read Exodus 19 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification