Exodus 19:21

Exodus 19:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.
• New International Version (NIV)and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish.

Context of Exodus 19:21

19As the sound of the horn grew louder and louder, Moses was speaking, and the voice of God answered him. 20The Lord came down on top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up. The Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to force their way through ⌞the boundary⌟ to see the Lord, or many of them will die. 22Even the priests who are allowed to come near the Lord must set themselves apart as holy, or the Lord will violently kill them.” 23Moses said to the Lord, “The people can’t come up Mount Sinai, because you warned us yourself to mark off a boundary around the mountain and consider it holy.”

Exodus 19:21 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה רֵ֖ד הָעֵ֣ד בָּעָ֑ם פֶּן־יֶהֶרְס֤וּ אֶל־יְהוָה֙ לִרְא֔וֹת וְנָפַ֥ל מִמֶּ֖נּוּ רָֽב׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• Go downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• chargeעוּד‛ûd · to testifyH5749
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• lest they break throughהָרַסhâras · to overthrowH2040
• to gazeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• and manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• of them perishנָפַלnâphal · to fall: killH5307

Cross-references for Exodus 19:21

• Exodus 19:12Mark off a boundary around the mountain for the people, and tell them not to go up the mountain or even touch it. Those who touch the mountain must be put to death.
• Exodus 3:3So he thought, “Why isn’t this bush burning up? I must go over there and see this strange sight.”
• Exodus 33:20But you can’t see my face, because no one may see me and live.”
• 1 Samuel 6:19God struck down some of the people from Beth Shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the Lord. He struck down 70 people. The people mourned because the Lord struck them with such a great blow.
• Ecclesiastes 5:1Watch your step when you go to the house of God. It is better to go there and listen than to bring the sacrifices fools bring. Fools are unaware that they are doing ⌞something⌟ evil.
• Hebrews 12:28Therefore, we must be thankful that we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Because we are thankful, we must serve God with fear and awe in a way that pleases him.

Commentaries on Exodus 19:21

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-25Verses 16-25 Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness and greatness, nor our own meanness and pollution. We cannot stand…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-25The repeated warnings that no one should break through and approach the Lord made the scene even more serious. The people had just seen powerful signs of God’s presence. God is completely holy and far above his creation (transcendent, meaning beyond human limits). People must approach him in the way he commands. They may not come to him in their own way.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 19:21

• Curiosity
• God
• Law
• Reverence
• Sinai
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Moses
• Commandments, the Ten
• Festivals, Religious
• Kingdom
• Return
• Sanctify
• Thunder
• Treasure
• Wing
• Break

Commentaries on Exodus 19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings