The vision of Jehovah (vv. 1–2, 9–11). The ratification of the covenant (vv. 3–8). Moses ascends the mount to receive (E) the tables of stone (vv. 12–15a, 18b), and (P) directions for the construction of a sanctuary (vv. 15b–18a).

The chapter is evidently not a unity. In Exo Exodus 24:1 Moses is directed to ‘come up’ where he already is, and where he has been since Exodus 20:21 : on the other hand, vv. 3–8 form a natural and excellent sequel to Exodus 20:22 to Exodus 23:33; Moses communicates to the people the words which he has received, and they agree solemnly to abide by them. Similarly if v. 12 is the true sequel of vv. 9–11, Moses is again commanded to come up where he already is: v. 12, however, would follow v. 8 (where Moses is below, with the people) quite naturally, and vv. 9–11 are obviously the proper sequel to vv. 1–2 (comp. v. 9 with v. 1). In the latter part of the ch., vv. 15b–18a are shewn by their phraseology to belong to P. It is thus evident that the narrative of E (Exodus 20:1 to Exodus 23:33, Exodus 24:3-8; Exodus 24:12-15 a, 18b) has been interrupted in this chapter by the introduction of vv. 1–2, 9–11 from J, and of vv. 15b–18a from P. For the sequel in E to v. 18b, see Exodus 31:18 b.

1. And unto Moses he said] so the Heb. The emphasis on ‘Moses’ implies that Jehovah had before, in a part of the narrative now lost, been speaking to someone else. The last preceding passage from J was Exodus 19:20-25, ending abruptly, in the middle of a sentence. It may be inferred that the intermediate lost parts of J contained the words ‘said’ (Exodus 19:25) by Moses to the people, and after those some commands given by Jehovah to the people,—perhaps (cf. Di., C.-H. ii. 134, McNeile, 32, Bä. XII, and the lucid statement in the Interpreter, Oct. 1908, p. 9 f.), Exodus 34:1-5; Exodus 34:10-28, in its original form (see p. 364 f.),—with which the instructions now given by Him to Moses are contrasted.

unto Jehovah] Jehovah speaking of Himself in the third person, as Exodus 9:2, Exodus 19:11; Exodus 19:21-22; Exodus 19:24.

Nadab and Abihu] Aaron’s sons: Exodus 6:23, Exodus 28:1, Leviticus 10:1 ff.

seventy of the elders] representing the people generally.

worship ye afar off] in preparation, as it were, for the vision which they were to have afterwards, vv. 9–11.

1–2 (J). Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, are summoned up into the mountain, to Jehovah. The sequel follows in vv. 9–11.

2. they (emph.)] Aaron, his two sons, and the elders.

neither, &c.] Observe the gradation: the people generally are to remain at the foot of the mountain; Aaron, his two sons, and the elders come partly up the mountain; only Moses goes to the top (cf. Exodus 19:21, Exodus 20:21).

3. the words … and the judgements] i.e. (see on Exodus 21:1) both the positive commands, and the ‘judgements,’ or decisions prescribing what is to be done in particular cases, contained in Exodus 20:22 to Exodus 23:33. The Decalogue, which the people had heard themselves, cannot be included in the terms used. The fact, however, that only the ‘words’ are referred to in clauseb suggests that ‘and the judgements’ in cl.a may be an addition of the redactor who placed the ‘judgements’ of Exodus 21:2 to Exodus 22:17 in their present position (cf. on v. 12).

3–8 (E). The sequel to Exodus 23:33. Moses communicates to the people the words which Jehovah has spoken; and upon their expressing their assent to them, solemnly concludes a covenant, on the basis of them, between Jehovah and the nation.

4. wrote] that they might be preserved in a tangible form, and form the basis of a permanent covenant (v. 7).

builded an altar] Cf. Exodus 17:15; and on Exodus 20:24.

under the mount] Cf. Exodus 19:17.

pillars] or standing-stones (see on Exodus 23:24); partly, as the usual adjunct of an altar, partly, perhaps, that they might be witnesses of the ratification of the covenant (cf. Genesis 31:45; also Joshua 24:27).

5. the young men, &c.] upon whom (cf. Jdg 17:5), as the strongest and most active members of the community (Ew., Di.), devolved in these times the duty of killing and cleaning the animal, and arranging its parts upon the altar, &c. Onk. the firstborn.

burnt offerings, and … peace offerings] see on Exodus 20:24.

6. Half of the blood was thrown against the altar; the other half (v. 8) was thrown over the people. Covenants were ratified in different ways: sometimes, for instance, the contracting parties were held to be bound by eating salt together (cf. Leviticus 2:13, Numbers 18:19, 2 Chronicles 13:5), sometimes by partaking together in a sacrificial meal (Genesis 31:54; cf. v. 11 here), in Genesis 15, Jeremiah 34:18 f., by passing between the divided pieces of slaughtered animals; and especially by the use, still prevalent in many parts of the world, of blood, as by each of the parties tasting the other’s blood, or smearing himself with it, or letting it be mingled with his own, &c., or by both jointly dipping their hands in the blood of a slaughtered animal, &c. (cf. Hdt. iii. 8, iv. 70, Aesch. Theb. 43–48, Xen. Anab. ii. 2. 9: see very fully Trumbull, The Blood Covenant, 1885, pp. 4–65). So analogously here: Jehovah and the people are symbolically joined together by the sacrificial blood being thrown over the altar (representing Jehovah) and the people; and thus the ‘covenant,’ or agreement, between them is ratified (cf. Psalm 50:5).

basons] Heb. ’aggânôth, elsewhere only Isaiah 22:24, Song of Solomon 7:3. Not the technical priestly term (mizrâḳ) used in Exodus 27:3.

sprinkled] tossed (or threw): see on Exodus 29:16. So v. 8.

on] or against,—at least, if the later sense of the expression (see on Exodus 29:16) may be here presupposed.

7. the book of the covenant] The ‘book,’ or scroll, just written (v. 4), containing the laws of Exodus 20:22 to Exodus 23:33, on the basis of which (v. 8) the ‘covenant’ was to be concluded. If, however, the view expressed on vv. 3, 12 is correct, the ‘book’ will not have included the ‘judgements,’ Exodus 21:2 to Exodus 22:17.

8. the blood of the covenant] the blood by which the covenant is ratified. Cf. Hebrews 9:20; Hebrews 12:24 (noting vv. 18–21); 1 Peter 1:2, with Hort’s note (p. 23 f.); and the ‘blood of the’ new ‘covenant,’ founded by Christ, Matthew 26:28 = Mark 14:24 (cf. Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25).

concerning] upon (the basis of). The marg. paraphrases correctly.

9–11 (J). The sequel to vv. 1–2. Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy elders, as directed in v. 1, go up into the mount, and have a vision of Jehovah’s glory.

10. and they saw, &c.] LXX., to avoid its being supposed that God could be ‘seen’ (cf. on Exo Exodus 23:15 b, Exodus 33:20), paraphrase by ‘and they saw the place where the God of Israel stood.’

and there was under his feet, &c.] The idea appears to be that they saw the Divine glory, not directly, but as they looked up at it from below, through what seemed to be a transparent blue sapphire pavement, comparable only to the sky in its clearness. Cf. the sapphire throne upon which, in his vision, Ezekiel sees the Divine form (Ezekiel 1:26). On what is meant by ‘sapphire,’ see on Exodus 28:18.

paved work] lit. brick- or tile-work. Bright (RVm.) is a meaning unsupported by usage.

11. It was the general belief (see on Exodus 33:20) that God could not be ‘seen,’—except in a purely spiritual sense,—with impunity; but upon this occasion Jehovah put not forth his hand (Exodus 9:15, Exodus 22:8) upon Moses or his companions, to harm them.

nobles] Heb. ‘ăẓîlîm, only here in this sense. The etym. is uncertain. In Isaiah 41:9 ’âẓîl means angle, corner: so perhaps, like pinnâh (see Jdg 20:2 RVm.), the word denotes men of position and responsibility, as the corners, or supports, of the community.

beheld] Heb. ḥâzâh, in prose only Exodus 18:21 besides, but often used of a prophet seeing a vision (e.g. Numbers 24:4), and the verb of which one of the words rendered ‘seer’ (Amos 7:12 al.) is the partic. LXX. (cf. on v. 10) paraphrase by ‘appeared in the place of God.’

did eat and drink] viz. at a sacrificial meal: see on Exodus 18:12 12. the tables of stone] on which the Decalogue was inscribed. They are mentioned frequently in the sequel; and, remarkably enough, by different expressions, corresponding to the three principal Pent. sources: ‘in Exodus 31:18 b E, as here, says “tables of stone”; P says “the two tables of the testimony” (Exodus 31:18 a, Exodus 32:15 a, Exodus 34:29); J and Dt. say “the two tables of stones” (Exodus 34:1; Exodus 34:4, Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 5:22 [Heb. 19], Exodus 9:9-11, Exodus 10:1; Exodus 10:3)’ (Di.): Dt. says also (cf. p. 175) ‘the tables of the covenant’ (Exodus 9:9; Exodus 9:11; Exodus 9:15).

and the direction (tôrâh) and the commandment, which I have written, to direct them (i.e. the people)] What these words refer to is a difficult and uncertain question. It cannot be the Decalogue; for not only must it be something different from the ‘tables of stone,’ but the Decalogue would not be spoken of as tôrâh. It cannot be the ‘Book of the Covenant’; for this has been already both ‘given’ to Moses and ‘written’ (vv. 4, 7). As nothing is spoken of as ‘written’ by Jehovah, except the Decalogue, it is an extremely probable conjecture that the words ‘which I have written’ are out of place, and ought to follow ‘the tables of stone’: ‘the direction and the commandment’ may then refer to something future (‘will give’): but it still remains a question what that is. It cannot be the directions about the Tabernacle contained in chs. 25–31 (even granting that these were by the same hand as Exodus 24:12-15 a); for these would not be called tôrâh. Most probably (Bä. xlix) the reference is to the ‘commandment, and the statutes, and the judgements,’ which Moses is said in Deuteronomy 5:31 to have received at Horeb, but in Exodus 6:1 to have first formally promulgated to the people on the eve of their entering Canaan. And the ‘commandment,’ &c., thus referred to, seem to have been in fact the ‘judgements’ of Exodus 21:2 to Exodus 22:17. These ‘judgements’ (cf. on v. 3), it is probable, were originally recorded by E at the point of the narrative where Dt. now stands. The Deuteronomist puts his version of the ‘judgements,’ is of other older laws, into Moses’ mouth not at Horeb but in the steppes of Moab: when, then, Dt. was combined with JE, the compiler could not well put the two versions side by side, so he put back the earlier version (Exodus 21:2 to Exodus 22:17) into conjunction with the rest of E’s laws Horeb (cf. Kuenen, Hex. § xiii. 32; Bä. l.c.; McNeile, p. xxvii. f.)

12–15a (E). The sequel to vv. 3–8. Moses ascends the mount to receive the two tables of stone.

13. Joshua] first mentioned in Exodus 17:9.

his minister] Joshua’s standing title: Exodus 33:11, Numbers 11:28, Joshua 1:1.

and Moses went up, &c.] leaving Joshua on the lower part of the mountain; cf. Exodus 32:17, with the note.

the mount of God] See on Exodus 3:1.

14. And unto the elders he said] viz. before going up into the mount (v. 13). The elders are not the seventy mentioned by J in vv. 1, 9 (among whom Hur is not named, and who are not likely to have had forensic differences while waiting for Moses’ return), but the elders in the camp, who would naturally take the lead during Moses’ absence, and who are bidden here not to move (with the camp) from where they are, till he and Joshua return. Perhaps (Nöld., We., Bä.) elders is even a harmonistic correction for people, suggested by vv. 1, 9.

whosoever hath a cause, &c.] if during Moses’ absence any differences arise among the people, requiring for their settlement the intervention of a judge, they must be referred to Aaron and Hur (Exodus 17:10; Exodus 17:12), as his representatives. The judicial organization established in ch. 18 does not seem to be presupposed; the verse thus supports the conclusion (p. 162) that ch. 18 once stood after ch. 24.

a cause] lit. words: see on Exodus 23:8; cf. (for the Heb.) Isaiah 50:8.

15b–18a (P). Moses is summoned up into the cloud on the top of the mount. The verses are P’s parallel to the narrative of JE in ch. 19.

15b. The sequel in P to Exodus 19:1-2 a.

the cloud] the one which in P regularly enshrouds the ‘glory’ of Jehovah (cf. on the tabernacle, Exodus 40:34 f.; and the note on Exodus 13:21-22, at the end). Here it covers the mount, immediately upon Israel’s arrival at Sinai: contrast Exodus 19:16.

16. the glory of Jehovah] see on Exodus 16:10.

abode] or dwelt: a word often used in P of Jehovah, the cloud, or the glory. Cf. Exodus 25:8, Exodus 29:45-46, Exodus 40:35; Numbers 5:3; Numbers 9:17-18; Numbers 9:22; Numbers 10:12; Numbers 35:34; and on Exodus 25:8-9.

17. The brilliance of the ‘glory’ broke through the cloud in which it was enveloped, and became visible to the people.

devouring fire] i.e. blazing fire. Cf. Isaiah 29:6; Isaiah 30:27; Isaiah 30:30.

18b (E). The sequel (with the original connecting words omitted) follows in Exodus 31:18 b. That Moses, according to E, was some time to the mount, is evident from the terms of Exodus 32:1 : the ‘forty days’ are alluded to in Deuteronomy 9:9; Deuteronomy 9:11.