Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, September 11th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

New Life Version

Exodus 19:21

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Curiosity;   God;   Law;   Reverence;   Sinai;   Worship;   Scofield Reference Index - Israel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Law of Moses, the;  

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

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

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The LORD said to Moshe, "Go down, charge the people, lest they break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
And Yahweh said to Moses, "Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to see and many from them fall.
New Century Version
The Lord said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people that they must not force their way through to see me. If they do, many of them will die.
New English Translation
The Lord said to Moses, "Go down and solemnly warn the people, lest they force their way through to the Lord to look, and many of them perish.
Amplified Bible
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through [the barriers around the mountain] to the LORD to see [Me], and many of them perish [as a result].
New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD spoke to Moses: "Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the LORD to stare, and many of them perish.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the Lord said vnto Moses, Go down, charge the people, that they breake not their boundes, to go vp to the Lord to gaze, least many of them perish.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, "Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to see, and many of them perish.
Contemporary English Version
Then he said, "Moses, go and warn the people not to cross the boundary that you set at the foot of the mountain. They must not cross it to come and look at me, because if they do, many of them will die.
Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai said to Moshe, "Go down and warn the people not to force their way through to Adonai to see him; if they do, many of them will perish.
Darby Translation
And Jehovah said to Moses, Go down, testify to the people that they break not through to Jehovah to gaze, and many of them perish.
Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people not to come near me and look at me. If they do, many will die.
English Standard Version
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.
George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD said to Moses, Go down, warn the people, test they break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
Good News Translation
and the Lord said to him, "Go down and warn the people not to cross the boundary to come and look at me; if they do, many of them will die.
Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord directed Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will die.
Literal Translation
And Jehovah said to Moses, Go down, warn the people lest they break through to gaze at Jehovah, and many of them fall.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde the LORDE vnto him: Go downe, and charge the people, yt they preasse not vnto the LORDE to se him, and so many of them perishe.
American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto Jehovah to gaze, and many of them perish.
Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to Moses, Go down and give the people orders to keep back, for fear that a great number of them, forcing their way through to see the Lord, may come to destruction.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lorde sayd vnto Moyses: Go downe, charge the people, lest they breake out from their boundes to see the Lorde, and so many of them perishe.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
And the Lord said vnto Moses, Goe downe, charge the people, lest they breake thorow vnto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And God spoke to Moses, saying, Go down, and solemnly charge the people, lest at any time they draw nigh to God to gaze, and a multitude of them fall.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
and the LORD said to him, "Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD, lest many of them perish.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
the Lord seide to hym, Go thou doun, and witnesse thou to the puple, lest perauenture it wole passe the termes to se the Lord, and ful greet multitude therof perische;
Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Go down, protest to the people, lest they break through unto Jehovah to see, and many of them have fallen;
Update Bible Version
And Yahweh said to Moses, Go down, charge the people, or else they will break through to Yahweh to gaze, and many of them will perish.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
World English Bible
Yahweh said to Moses, "Go down, charge the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to gaze, and many of them perish.
New King James Version
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
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.
New Revised Standard
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people not to break through to the Lord to look; otherwise many of them will perish.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Go dawn adjure the people, - lest they press through unto Yahweh to see, and so there fall from among them a multitude.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He said unto him: Go down, and charge the people; lest they should have a mind to pass the limits to see the Lord, and a very great multitude of them should perish.
Revised Standard Version
And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the LORD to gaze and many of them perish.
THE MESSAGE
God said to Moses, "Go down. Warn the people not to break through the barricades to get a look at God lest many of them die. And the priests also, warn them to prepare themselves for the holy meeting, lest God break out against them."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.

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

charge: Heb. contest, Exodus 19:12, Exodus 19:13

break: Exodus 3:3, Exodus 3:5, Exodus 33:20, 1 Samuel 6:19, Ecclesiastes 5:1, Hebrews 12:28, Hebrews 12:29

Reciprocal: Exodus 19:24 - but let Exodus 24:11 - laid not Exodus 34:3 - General Numbers 4:18 - General Numbers 4:20 - they shall

Cross-References

Genesis 4:7
Will not your face be happy if you do well? If you do not do well, sin is waiting to destroy you. Its desire is to rule over you, but you must rule over it."
Genesis 12:2
And I will make you a great nation. I will bring good to you. I will make your name great, so you will be honored.
Genesis 18:24
What if there are fifty good people within the city? Will You destroy the place and not save it because of the fifty good people in it?
Genesis 19:8
See, I have two daughters who have never had a man. Let me bring them out to you. And do to them whatever you want. But do nothing to these men, for they have come to be safe under my roof."
Genesis 19:9
But they said, "Get out of our way. This man came to live here from another land. And already he acts like a judge. Now we will do worse things to you than to them." So they pushed hard against Lot and almost broke down the door.
Genesis 19:15
When morning came, the angels told Lot to hurry. They said, "Get up. Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Or else you will be destroyed when the city is punished."
Genesis 19:16
But Lot was slow to move. So the men took him, his wife and two daughters by the hand and brought them out of the city. For the Lord had loving-pity for him.
Psalms 34:15
The eyes of the Lord are on those who do what is right and good. His ears are open to their cry.
Psalms 102:17
He will answer the prayer of those in need. He will not turn from their prayer.
Psalms 145:19
He will fill the desire of those who fear Him. He will also hear their cry and will save them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said unto Moses, go down,.... As soon as he was got to the top of the mount he was bid to go down again to the bottom, with a message to the people:

charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze; to see if they could observe any similitude or likeness of God, that they might have an idea of it in their minds, or make an image like unto it; to prevent which, the Lord, knowing the vanity and curiosity of their minds, ordered Moses to give them a strict charge not to transgress the bounds set them, or to break down or break through the fence of stones and sand, or hedge of bushes, brambles, and branches of trees, or whatever was placed for bounds:

and many of them perish; or "fall" z; by the hand of God; either fall by death, or into some grievous calamity, as the men of Bethshemesh perished through looking into the ark, 1 Samuel 6:19.

z נפל πεσωσιν Sept. "et corruant", Pagninus, Tigurine version; "et cadat", Montanus; "cadant", Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius so Ainsworth.


 
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