God’s Word Translation
Exodus 24:10
10They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made out of sapphire as clear and blue as the sky itself.
Exodus 24:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
- New International Version (NIV)and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.
- English Standard Version (ESV)and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.
- New King James Version (NKJV)and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.
Context of Exodus 24:10
8Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, “Here is the blood which seals the promise that the Lord has made to you based on everything you have just heard.” 9Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 of Israel’s leaders. They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made out of sapphire as clear and blue as the sky itself. 11God didn’t harm these leaders of the Israelites. So they saw God, and then they ate and drank. 12The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the teachings and the commandments I have written for the people’s instruction.”
Read all of Exodus 24Exodus 24:10 word by word
וַיִּרְא֕וּ אֵ֖ת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְתַ֣חַת רַגְלָ֗יו כְּמַעֲשֵׂה֙ לִבְנַ֣ת הַסַּפִּ֔יר וּכְעֶ֥צֶם הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם לָטֹֽהַר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- under his feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
- as it were a pavedלִבְנָהlibnâh · brickH3840
- workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
- of a sapphire stoneסַפִּירsappîyr · sapphireH5601
- and as it were the bodyעֶ֫צֶם‛etsem · bone: sameH6106
- of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- clearnessטֹ֫הַרţôhar · purityH2892
Cross-references for Exodus 24:10
- Exodus 3:6I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.
- Exodus 33:20But you can’t see my face, because no one may see me and live.”
- Genesis 32:30So Jacob named that place Peniel [Face of God], because he said, “I have seen God face to face, but my life was saved.”
- Judges 13:21The Messenger of the Lord didn’t appear again to Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah knew that this had been the Messenger of the Lord.
- 1 Kings 22:19Micaiah added, “Then hear the Lord’s word. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing near him on his right and his left.
- Isaiah 6:1In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a high and lofty throne. The bottom of his robe filled the temple.
- Ezekiel 1:28The brightness all around him looked like a rainbow in the clouds. It was like the Lord’s glory. When I saw it, I immediately bowed down, and I heard someone speaking.
- John 1:18No one has ever seen God. God’s only Son, the one who is closest to the Father’s heart, has made him known.
- John 14:9Jesus replied, “I have been with all of you for a long time. Don’t you know me yet, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
- 1 Timothy 6:16He is the only one who cannot die. He lives in light that no one can come near. No one has seen him, nor can they see him. Honor and power belong to him forever! Amen.
- 1 John 4:12No one has ever seen God. If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
- Ezekiel 1:26Above the dome over their heads was something that looked like a throne made of sapphire. On the throne was a figure that looked like a human.
- Ezekiel 10:1As I looked at the dome over the heads of the angels, I saw something that looked like a throne made of sapphire.
- Revelation 4:3The one sitting there looked like gray quartz and red quartz. There was a rainbow around the throne which looked like an emerald.
- Revelation 21:19The foundations of the city wall were beautifully decorated with all kinds of gems: The first foundation was gray quartz, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,
- Matthew 17:2Jesus’ appearance changed in front of them. His face became as bright as the sun and his clothes as white as light.
Commentaries on Exodus 24:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10They saw the God of Israel - The seventy elders, who were representatives of the whole congregation, were chosen to witness the manifestation of God, that they might be satisfied of the truth of the revelation which he had made of himself and of his will; and on this occasion it was necessary that the people also should be favored with a sight of the glory of God; see Exodus 20:18. Thus the certainty of the revelation was established by many witnesses…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10And they saw the God of Israel - As they ate the sacrificial feast, the presence of Yahweh was manifested to them with special distinctness. In the act of solemn worship, they perceived that He was present with them, as their Lord and their Deliverer. It is idle to speculate on the mode of this revelation. That no visible form was presented to their bodily eyes, we are expressly informed, Deuteronomy 4:12; see Exodus 33:20; compare Isaiah 6:1. The latter…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-11Verses 9-11 The elders saw the God of Israel; they had some glimpse of his glory, though whatever they saw, it was something of which no image or picture could be made, yet enough to satisfy them that God was with them of a truth. Nothing is described but what was under his feet. The sapphires are the pavement under his feet; let us put all the wealth of this world under our feet, and not in our hearts. Thus the believer sees in the face of Jesus Christ…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10they saw the God: We must understand this statement in connection with 33:20. In that verse, the Lord says that no one can see him fully and live. So they did not see God in his full being. They saw some visible form that represented him. The text only describes what was under his feet. When Isaiah saw the Lord, the only detail given was the edge of his robe (Isaiah 6:1).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. And they saw the God of Israel--That there was no visible form or representation of the divine nature, we have expressly intimated (De 4:15). But a symbol or emblem of His glory was distinctly, and at a distance, displayed before those chosen witnesses. Many think, however, that in this private scene was discovered, amid the luminous blaze, the faint adumbrated form of the humanity of Christ (Eze 1:26; compare Ga 3:24). sapphire--one of the most…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 24:10
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 24
- 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
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