Exodus 19

Exodus 19 is the chapter in which Israel arrives at Mount Sinai. It begins the long section of the book describing Israel's stay at Sinai. In the preceding chapter, Exodus 18, Moses' father-in-law Jethro advised him on a system for judging the people. In this chapter the people depart from Rephidim and come to the Wilderness of Sinai.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 In the third month after leaving Egypt, the Israelites depart from Rephidim, come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and pitch their tents before the mountain.
• Verses 3–6 The LORD calls to Moses from the mountain. He reminds the people of what He did to Egypt and how He bore them "on eagles' wings." He then declares that if they keep His covenant, Israel will be His own treasure, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.
• Verses 7–9 Moses relays these words to the elders, and the people answer together, "All that the LORD hath spoken we will do." The LORD says that He will come in a thick cloud.
• Verses 10–15 The people sanctify themselves for two days, wash their clothes, and wait for the third day. Bounds are set around the mountain, and anyone who crosses them, whether man or beast, is to be put to death.
• Verses 16–19 On the morning of the third day there are thunders and lightnings, a thick cloud, and an exceedingly loud trumpet blast, and the people tremble. The LORD descends upon the mountain in fire; smoke rises from it, and the whole mountain quakes.
• Verses 20–25 The LORD calls Moses to the top of the mountain and commands him to warn the people and the priests not to break through the bounds. Moses is told to come up together with Aaron.

Key Verses

• Exodus 19:4 "I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself" — shows that God's act of deliverance came first, before the covenant.
• Exodus 19:5–6 "Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" — serves as a preamble to the Sinai covenant, declaring Israel's identity.

People and Places

• Moses: Goes back and forth between God and the people, conveying God's words.
• Aaron: Moses' brother, who is commanded to go up the mountain with him.
• Rephidim: The place where Israel stayed just before reaching the Wilderness of Sinai.
• Mount Sinai: The mountain upon which God descended. There are various views regarding its precise present-day location.

Points for Reflection

• The "priests" mentioned in verse 22 appear before the Aaronic priesthood was established. Interpretations vary: some take them to be the firstborn, others the representatives of the people.
• Jewish tradition, on the basis of the "third month" in verse 1, associates the giving of the Law with the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot). This is a later interpretation rather than something the text states directly. Some Christian interpreters likewise point to the fire and the sound and compare the event with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
• In the New Testament, 1 Peter 2:9 and Revelation 1:6 apply the language of verse 6 to the church. Protestants cite this as a basis for the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Hebrews 12:18–24 contrasts Mount Sinai, a place of fear, with Mount Zion, a place of grace.
• The chapter leads into the proclamation of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20.