Exodus 20:19
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“Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!”
He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us.
But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
At that time I was standing between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain. And He said:
Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.
to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken.