The continuance of this prescription was from the day before the appearance of the glory of God on the mount, until by the long sounding of the trumpet they perceived the presence of God had left the place: Verse 13, “ When the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount;” that is, they had liberty so to do.
41. Things thus prepared, the people were brought forth unto their station, to attend unto the law: Verse 17, “And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to mect with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.” This station of the people in mount Sinai is, amongst the Jews, the most celebrious thing that ever befell them, and many disputes they have about their order therein. Some few things we may observe from it.
A78 MANNER OF GIVING THE LAW. [EXERC. XIX.
Moses brought forth the people prion np, “in oecursum ipsius
Dei,” to meet with God himself, 7 snd np, —“To meet with” (or “ before”) “the Word of God,” saith Onkelos. 7 Nn22¥, saith Ben Uzziel,—“ The glorious presence of God.” ‘O Aéyog rod @cod, and dmavyacua rig d6eng vdrot-— The essential Word of God, the bright- ness of his glory,” the Son of God, the head and lawgiver of the church in all ages.
42. “And they stood at the nether part of the mount.” Verse 2, it is said, WW 133 NTN nv-jn" ;“ And Israel encamped there before the mount,” in the singular number; that is, “in such order,” saith Jarchi, “that they were all as one man.” And saith he, “They were on the east side of the mountain, where also they kept their station at the giv- ing of the law;” for so he would have the word 733 to denote, though he gives no instance to confirm his opinion. But Aben Ezra expressly rejects this fancy, and that by a notable instance, where it is said, “The people pitched their tents 733,” “ before the tabernacle of the congregation round about.” So that although they were round about the tabernacle, they are said to be before it, because of the special regard which they had unto it. And at this station in the wilderness command was given to “set bounds unto the people 130,” “round about,” verse 12; which there had been no need of had not the people been gathered round about the mountain.
43. Now, they generally agree that this was the order wherein they stood:— First stood the priests, mentioned expressly verse 22, -and said there to “‘come near to the LoRD;” that is, nearer than the rest of the people, though they also are expressly forbidden to come so nigh as to touch the mount, verse 24. These priests were as yet the first-born, before a commutation was made, and the tribe of Levi accepted in their room. Next to the priests stood the princes or heads of the tribes, attended with the elders and officers of the people. The body of the people, or the “men of Israel,” as they speak, stood next to them, and behind them the women and children; the remotest of all in this order being, as they suppose, the prose- lytes that adhered unto them. Thus Aben Ezra expressly: nbnna ‘3 » Sx mwa “ia y;— First were the first-born, who drew nigh to God;” D’X'won OF DYDAY ‘wen oAMNN!,—“and after them were
the heads of the tribes,” that is, the princes; O°pIh DA NNY,—“ after’
”
them the elders ;” nmwn onyns) ,—“ after them the officers ;” Ssaw wos 55 nn ns),—“ after them all the men of Israel;” on nw) sun ,—“ after them the children,” that is, males; bw39n oAMns),— “after them the women;” O37 an nxi,—“ after them the prose- lytes” or “ strangers.”
44, All things being thus disposed, in the morning of the third day the appearances of God’s glorious presence began to be mani- fested: Verse 16, “And it came to pass on the third day in the
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SECT. 42-46.] MANNER OF GIVING THE LAW. 479
morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.” Verse 18, * And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lorp descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.” That all these things were the effects of the ministry of angels, preparing the place of God’s glorious presence, and attending upon him in their work, the Scripture elsewhere testifies, and we have before manifested; so that there is no need here further to insist upon it.
45. Upon this preparation for the descent of the glory of God, upon the sight of his harbingers and evidence of his coming, Moses brought forth the people pyioxn nssnp?,—“ to meet with God.” He brought them out of the camp, which was at some farther distance, unto the bounds that by God’s prescription he had set unto mount Sinai. And Rashi on the place observes, not unfitly, that this going of the people to meet with God argues that the glory of God came also to meet with them, as the bridegroom goeth out to meet the bride; for it was a marriage covenant that God then took the people into, whence it is said that “the Lorp came from Sinai,” namely, to meet the people, Deut. xxxiil. 2.