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Wednesday, September 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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New Life Version

Exodus 19:20

Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. The Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and he went up.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God;   Law;   Miracles;   Reverence;   Sinai;   Scofield Reference Index - Israel;   Thompson Chain Reference - Divine;   Fellowship, Divine;   Fellowship-Estrangement;   God;   Moses;   Mountains;   Spiritual;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Law of Moses, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Exodus;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Building;   Prophet, Prophetess, Prophecy;   Theophany;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Commandments, the Ten;   Festivals, Religious;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Mediator;   Sabbath;   Trumpets, Feast of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exodus, Book of;   Mount of the Beatitudes;   Theophany;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Exodus;   Mediator, Mediation;   Moses;   Sanctification, Sanctify;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Sina, Sinai ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Horeb;   Sinai;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ten Commandments;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Encampment at Sinai;   Events of the Encampment;   Proclamation of the Law;   Tabernacle, the;   Peculiarities of the Law of Moses;   Law of Moses, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Head;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Holiness;   Sinai, Mount;   Theophany;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. The LORD called Moshe to the top of the mountain, and Moshe went up.
King James Version
And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Lexham English Bible
And Yahweh went down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
New Century Version
When the Lord came down on top of Mount Sinai, he called Moses to come up to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
New English Translation
The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Amplified Bible
The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and he went up.
New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Geneva Bible (1587)
(For the Lorde came downe vpon mount Sinai on the toppe of the mount) and when the Lord called Moses vp into the top of the mount, Moses went vp.
Legacy Standard Bible
And Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Contemporary English Version
The Lord came down to the top of Mount Sinai and told Moses to meet him there.
Complete Jewish Bible
(A: vi, S: vii) Adonai came down onto Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; then Adonai called Moshe to the top of the mountain; and Moshe went up.
Darby Translation
And Jehovah came down on mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain; and Jehovah called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Easy-to-Read Version
So the Lord came down to Mount Sinai. He came from heaven to the top of the mountain. Then he called Moses to come up to the top of the mountain with him. So Moses went up the mountain.
English Standard Version
The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, to the very top of the mountain: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mountain; and Moses went up.
Good News Translation
The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. Moses went up
Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord came down on Mount Sinai at the top of the mountain. Then the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and he went up.
Literal Translation
And Jehovah came down on the mountain of Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and Jehovah called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now whan the LORDE was come downe vpon mount Sinai, euen vpon the toppe of it, he called Moses vp vnto ye toppe of the mount. And Moses wente vp.
American Standard Version
And Jehovah came down upon mount Sinai, to the top of the mount: and Jehovah called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Bible in Basic English
Then the Lord came down on to Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and the Lord sent for Moses to come up to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lorde came downe vpon mount Sinai, euen in the toppe of the hill: & when the Lord called Moyses vp into the top of the hil, Moyses went vp.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, to the top of the mount; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
King James Version (1611)
And the Lord came downe vpon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses vp to the top of the mount, and Moses went vp.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord came down upon mount Sina on the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
English Revised Version
And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, to the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Berean Standard Bible
The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the summit. So Moses went up,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and the Lord cam doun on the hil of Synay, in thilke cop of the hil, and clepide Moises to the cop therof. And whanne he hadde stied thidur,
Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah cometh down on mount Sinai, unto the top of the mount, and Jehovah calleth for Moses unto the top of the mount, and Moses goeth up.
Update Bible Version
And Yahweh came down on mount Sinai, to the top of the mount: and Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
World English Bible
Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
New King James Version
Then the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
New Living Translation
The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain.
New Revised Standard
When the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thus came Yahweh down upon Mount Sinai unto the top of the mount, - and Yahweh called Moses unto the top of the mount, and Moses went up.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, in the very top of the mount, and he called Moses unto the top thereof. And when he was gone up thither,
Revised Standard Version
And the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

Contextual Overview

16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning. A cloud covered the mountain, and a very loud horn sounded. All the people among the tents shook with fear. 17 Then Moses brought the people from among the tents to meet God. They stood at the base of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord came down upon it in fire. Its smoke went up like the smoke of a stove. And the whole mountain shook. 19 The sound of the horn became louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder. 20 Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. The Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and he went up. 21 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go down and tell the people not to break through to look at the Lord. For then many of them would be destroyed. 22 Have the religious leaders who come near to the Lord set themselves apart to be holy. Or the Lord will go against them." 23 Moses said to the Lord, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai. For You told us, ‘Set places around the mountain that must not be passed, and set it apart as holy.'" 24 Then the Lord said to him, "Go down, and then come up with Aaron. But do not let the religious leaders and the people break through to come up to the Lord, or He will go against them." 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Lord came: Exodus 19:11, Nehemiah 9:13, Psalms 81:7

Moses went up: Exodus 19:3, Exodus 24:12, Exodus 24:13, Exodus 24:18, Exodus 34:2, Exodus 34:4, Deuteronomy 9:9

Reciprocal: Exodus 18:5 - General Exodus 19:24 - and thou Numbers 11:17 - I will come 1 Kings 19:11 - stand upon the mount Psalms 103:7 - He made Ephesians 4:9 - he also

Cross-References

Genesis 12:13
Say that you are my sister. Then it may go well with me because of you. And because of you they will not kill me."
Genesis 19:5
They called to Lot, saying, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we may lie with them."
Genesis 19:7
He said, "My brothers, please do not be so sinful.
Genesis 19:30
Then Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters, and lived in the mountains for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He lived in a cave in the side of a mountain with his two daughters.
Psalms 119:175
Let me live so I may praise You, and let Your Law help me.
Isaiah 55:3
Listen and come to Me. Hear, so you may live. And I will make an agreement with you that lasts forever, because of the faithful love promised to David.
Amos 3:6
Are not the people afraid when a horn is blown in a city? When trouble comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord came down on Mount Sinai,.... In the above visible tokens of his presence and power; otherwise he is the incomprehensible Jehovah, that immense and omnipotent Being, who fills heaven and earth, and cannot be contained and circumscribed in either:

on the top of the mount; where the fire he descended in rested, and where the smoke and thick cloud were, as a token of his presence:

and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; who either was at the bottom of it with the people, or in a higher ascent of it between God and them:

and Moses went up; to the top of it, where the Lord was, as he ordered him: a certain traveller y tells us that the top of this mount was scarce thirty feet in circumference.

y Baumgarten Peregrinatio, l. 1. c. 24. p. 61.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 19:20. The Lord came down — This was undoubtedly done in a visible manner, that the people might witness the awful appearance. We may suppose that every thing was arranged thus: the glory of the Lord occupied the top of the mountain, and near to this Moses was permitted to approach. Aaron and the seventy elders were permitted to advance some way up the mountain, while the people were only permitted to come up to its base. Moses, as the lawgiver, was to receive the statutes and judgments from God's mouth; Aaron and the elders were to receive them from Moses, and deliver them to the people; and the people were to act according to the direction received. Nothing can be imagined more glorious, terrible, majestic, and impressive, than the whole of this transaction; but it was chiefly calculated to impress deep reverence, religious fear, and sacred awe; and he who attempts to worship God uninfluenced by these, has neither a proper sense of the Divine majesty, nor of the sinfulness of sin. It seems in reference to this that the apostle says, Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with REVERENCE and GODLY FEAR: for our God is a CONSUMING FIRE; Hebrews 12:28-29. Who then shall dare to approach him in his own name and without a mediator?


 
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