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Monday, September 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Read the Bible

New Revised Standard

Exodus 19:21

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.

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 Life Bible
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.
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, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder. 20 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. 21 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. 22 Even the priests who approach the Lord must consecrate themselves or the Lord will break out against them." 23 Moses said to the Lord , "The people are not permitted to come up to Mount Sinai; for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and keep it holy.'" 24 The Lord said to him, "Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you; but do not let either the priests or the people break through to come up to the Lord ; otherwise he will break out 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
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it."
Genesis 12:2
I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
Genesis 18:24
Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it?
Genesis 19:8
Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please; only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof."
Genesis 19:9
But they replied, "Stand back!" And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and he would play the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them." Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near the door to break it down.
Genesis 19:15
When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Get up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or else you will be consumed in the punishment of the city."
Genesis 19:16
But he lingered; so the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and left him outside the city.
Psalms 34:15
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.
Psalms 102:17
He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their prayer.
Psalms 145:19
He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves 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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