Exodus 19

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¹In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. ✦ ²When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain. ✦ ³Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him out of the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ✦ ⁴‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. ✦ ⁵Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; ✦ ⁶and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” ✦ ⁷Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which Yahweh commanded him. ✦ ⁸All the people answered together, and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do.” Moses reported the words of the people to Yahweh. ✦ ⁹Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh. ✦ ¹⁰Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, ✦ ¹¹and be ready against the third day; for on the third day Yahweh will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai. ✦ ¹²You shall set bounds to the people all around, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t go up onto the mountain, or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain shall be surely put to death. ✦ ¹³No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it is animal or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain.” ✦ ¹⁴Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. ✦ ¹⁵He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.” ✦ ¹⁶On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. ✦ ¹⁷Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain. ✦ ¹⁸All of Mount Sinai smoked, because Yahweh descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. ✦ ¹⁹When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. ✦ ²⁰Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. ✦ ²¹Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to gaze, and many of them perish. ✦ ²²Let the priests also, who come near to Yahweh, sanctify themselves, lest Yahweh break out on them.” ✦ ²³Moses said to Yahweh, “The people can’t come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain, and sanctify it.’” ✦ ²⁴Yahweh said to him, “Go down! You shall bring Aaron up with you, but don’t let the priests and the people break through to come up to Yahweh, lest he break out against them.” ✦ ²⁵So Moses went down to the people, and told them.

Tap any verse for its study page. Underlined terms mark a concept, person, or place; ✦ marks verses with cross-references.

Where this chapter connects

Exod 19 ·24 Exod 24 ·11 Heb 12 ·10 Deut 4 ·8 Exod 3 ·8 Exod 20 ·5 Exod 34 ·5 Deut 5 ·5

Christ at the center

The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.

How Exodus 19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Resources, by level

Lay

★ Start hereDocumentaryExpedition BibleJoel Kramer · Free · evangelical
On-location biblical archaeology from a credentialed archaeologist (M.A., excavated in Israel) — the best free place to start on "did it really happen?"
★ Start hereVideoBibleProject — video overviews & word studiesBibleProject · 5–10 min · Free · evangelical
Free animated overviews of every book of the Bible, plus themes and Hebrew/Greek word studies — the best visual on-ramp to any book. (Biblical-theology, broadly evangelical, not distinctly Reformed.)
★ Start hereAudioThrough the WordThrough the Word · ~10 min/chapter · Free · evangelical
A clear ~10-minute audio teaching for every one of the Bible's 1,189 chapters — the most systematic free way to study chapter by chapter.
VideoSpoken GospelSpoken Gospel · Free · evangelical
Short, gospel-centered videos and spoken-word poems showing how each passage points to Jesus — especially strong on the Old Testament.
DocumentaryPatterns of Evidence: The ExodusTim Mahoney · Paid · evangelical
Investigates the archaeological evidence for the Exodus. Note: it advances a minority biblical chronology that mainstream scholars dispute — engaging, but weigh its conclusions critically.

Pastoral

★ Start hereCommentaryExodus (New American Commentary)Douglas K. Stuart · Paid · evangelical
The best evangelical, semi-technical commentary on Exodus — accessible to pastors and serious students.
DocumentaryThat the World May KnowRay Vander Laan · Paid · evangelical
Ray Vander Laan's on-location series immersing you in the Bible's historical and cultural world. (Mostly paid via Focus on the Family; some free clips.)
SermonChuck Smith — C2000 SeriesChuck Smith · Free · evangelical
Free verse-by-verse audio through the entire Bible from the founder of Calvary Chapel.

Commentaries & study tools

VideoBibleProject — Exodus videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
VideoWatch teaching on Exodus 19YouTube · Lay · Free
Sermons and chapter teaching from across YouTube.
CommentaryEnduring Word — Exodus 19David Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical
Readable, verse-by-verse exposition of the whole chapter.
CommentaryMatthew Henry on ExodusMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
ReferenceBlue Letter Bible — Exodus 19Blue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free
Interlinear, lexicon, and study tools across the chapter.

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