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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then the Lord told Moses, “Go back down and warn the people not to break through the boundaries to see the Lord, or they will die.

Context of Exodus 19:21

19As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. 20The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 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. 22Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.” 23Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as 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 19:12Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death.
• Exodus 3:3So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
• Exodus 33:20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
• 1 Samuel 6:19But God struck down some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they looked into the ark of the Lord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them.
• Ecclesiastes 5:1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
• Hebrews 12:28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

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