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1 And hee said vnto Moses, Come vp vnto þe Lord,thou, and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seuentie of the Elders of Israel: and worship ye a farre off.
2 And Moses alone shall come neere the Lord: but they shall not come nigh, neither shall the people goe vp with him.
3 ¶ And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the iudgements: and all the people answered with one voyce, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said, will we doe.
4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose vp early in the morning, and builded an Altar vnder the hill, and twelue pillars, according to the twelue tribes of Israel.
5 And he sent yong men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen, vnto the Lord.
6 And Moses tooke halfe of the blood, and put it in basons, and halfe of the blood he sprinkled on the Altar.
7 And he tooke the booke of the couenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they saide, All that the Lord hath said, will we doe, and be obedient.
8 And Moses tooke the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the Couenant which the Lord hath made with you, concerning all these words.
9 ¶ Then went vp Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seuenty of the Elders of Israel:
10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was vnder his feet, as it were a paued worke of a Saphire stone, and as it were the body of heauen in his clearenesse.
11 And vpon the Nobles of the children of Israel he layd not his hand: also they saw God, and did eate and drinke.
12 ¶ And the Lord sayd vnto Moses, Come vp to me into the mount, and be there, and I will giue thee Tables of stone, and a Law, and Commandements which I haue written, that thou mayest teach them.
13 And Moses rose vp, and his minister Ioshua: and Moses went vp into the mount of God.
14 And hee saide vnto the Elders, Tary ye here for vs, vntill wee come againe vnto you: and behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: If any man haue any matters to doe, let him come vnto them.
15 And Moses went vp into the Mount, and a cloud couered the Mount.
16 And the glory of the Lord abode vpon mount Sinai, and the cloud couered it sixe dayes: and the seuenth day hee called vnto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17 And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like deuouring fire, on the top of the mount, in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gate him vp into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty dayes, and forty nights.
Moses is called up into the mountain, The people promise obedience. (1-8) The glory of the Lord appears. (9-11) Moses goes up into the mountain. (12-18)1-8 A solemn covenant was made between God and Israel. Very solemn it was, typifying the covenant of grace between God and believers, through Christ. As soon as God separated to himself a peculiar people, he governed them by a written word, as he has done ever since. God's covenants and commands are so just in themselves, and so much for our good, that the more we think of them, and the more plainly and fully they are set before us, the more reason we may see to comply with them. The blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the altar, on the book, and on the people. Neither their persons, their moral obedience, nor religious services, would meet with acceptance from a holy God, except through the shedding and sprinkling' of blood. Also the blessings granted unto them were all of mercy; and the Lord would deal with them in kindness. Thus the sinner, by faith in the blood of Christ, renders willing and acceptable obedience.
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, far clearer discoveries of the glorious justice and holiness of God, than ever he saw under terrifying convictions; and through the Saviour, holds communion with a holy God.
12-18 A cloud covered the mount six days; a token of God's special presence there. Moses was sure that he who called him up would protect him. Even those glorious attributes of God which are most terrible to the wicked, the saints with humble reverence rejoice in. And through faith in the atoning Sacrifice, we hope for greater honour than Moses ever enjoyed on earth. Now we see through a glass darkly, but when he shall appear, then face to face. This vision of God will continue with equal, if not increasing brightness of joy; not for a few days only, but through eternity.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.