Exodus 19:23

Gereviseerde Lutherse Vertaling

Mozes nu sprak tot den Heer: Het volk kan niet op den berg Sina klimmen; want gij hebt ons betuigd en gezegd: Maak ene omheining rondom den berg, en heilig hem.

Parallel Translations

Gereviseerde Leidse Vertaling
Hierop zeide Mozes tot den Heer: Het volk kan den berg Sinai niet beklimmen; want gijzelf hebt ons nadrukkelijk vermaand: houdt u van den berg af als van heiligen grond.

Staten Vertaling
Toen zeide Mozes tot den HEERE: Het volk zal op den berg Sinai niet kunnen klimmen, want Gij hebt ons betuigd, zeggende: Bepaal den berg, en heilig hem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Set bounds: Exodus 19:12, Joshua 3:4, Joshua 3:5

Reciprocal: Psalms 68:17 - as in Sinai

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Moses said unto the Lord,.... Upon his giving such strict orders both with respect to the people and the priests:

the people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; suggesting as if there was no need for him to go down on that account, to give them a charge not to break through and gaze; since, as he thought, there was no probability that they ever would attempt it, seeing such a solemn charge had been given, nor any possibility of it, since such a fence was made:

for thou chargedst us, saying, set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it; and accordingly bounds have been set, that the people may not go up it, and the place has been declared sacred, that so none will presume to do it, according to the solemn charge that has been given: some a read the preceding clause by way of interrogation, "may not the people come up to Mount Sinai?" may not any of them? or, if any of them, who may? and there was the greater reason for asking such a question, since the priests that drew near to God might not, and so the next words are conceived to be an answer to it.

a So some in Vatablus.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 19:23. The people cannot come up — Either because they had been so solemnly forbidden that they would not dare, with the penalty of instant death before their eyes, to transgress the Divine command; or the bounds which were set about the mount were such as rendered their passing them physically impossible.

And sanctify it. — וקדשהי vekiddashio. Here the word קדש kadash is taken in its proper literal sense, signifying the separating of a thing, person or place, from all profane or common uses, and devoting it to sacred purposes.