The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 112

EXPOSITION. Vers. 10-15.-TRE PBll:PAB..lTION OF THE Ver. 10.-ao unto the people. Moses had PEOPLE AND OF THE MOUNTAIN FOB THE MANI· withdrawn himself from the people to report F'BSTATION OF Gon UPON IT. The people having their words to God (vers. 8, 9). He was now commanded to return to them. Sanctify them, accepted God's terms, the time had come for Or" purify them." Purification in Egypt was the revela.tion in all ibi fulness of the covenant partly by washing, partly by shaving the hair, 1\'hich God designed to make with them. either from the head only, or from the entire This. it wu essential, they should perceive and body (Herod. ii. 37), partly perhaps by other know to come from God, and not to be the in- rites. The Israelites seem ordinarily to have purified themselves by washing only. To-day vention of Moses. God, therefore, was about and to-morrow. The fourth and fifth of Sivan, to manifest himself. But ere he coold do this according to the Jewish tradition, the Decalogue with safety, it was requisite that certain pre- having been given npon the sixth. The re- parations should be made. Before man can be quirement of a two-days' preparation marked fit to approach God, he needs to be sanctified. the extreme sanctity of the occasion. Let them wuh their clothea, Compare Lev. xv. 5. The -tia.l sanctification is internal ; bot, Bich people could " change their garments '' as inte, oal purity and holiness cannot be pro- on a sacred occasion (Gen. XJLXV. 2); the duced at a given moment, Moses was ordered poorer sort, having no change, could o.uly to reqnire its outward symbol, external bodily wash them. cleanliness, by ablution and the washing of Ver.11.-TheLord willoomedown. Jeho- clothes, as a preliminary to God's descent upon vah is regarded as dwelling in the heaven above, not exclusively (Ps. cxxxix. 7-10), but the mount.a.in (vers. 10, 13). It would be especially; and therefore, when he appears on genera.lly nnderstood that this external purity earth, he" comes down" (Gen. xi. 5---7; xviii. was symbolical only, and needed to be accom- 21 ; EL iii. 8 ; etc.). In the light of all the p:mied by internal cleanliness. Further, since people. That 11, visible manifestation of t~e t>ven the purest of men is impure in God's Divine presence is intended appears, llilllllS- takably, from ven;es 16 and 18. 1,ight, and since there would be many in the Ver. 12.-Thon shalt aet bounds. The erec- congregation who had attempted no internal tion of a fence or barrier, between the camp cleansing, it was necessary to provide that and the mountain-not necessarily all round they should not draw too near, so as to intrude the mountain-ems to be meant. This bar- on the holy ground or on God's presence. rier may have run along the line of low alluvial mounds at the foot of the cliff of Res Sufse.feh, Mosei; was therefore rcqnired to have a fence mentioned by Dean Stanley (Sinai and PaJes- ert,<:ted round the mountain, between it and tiflll, p. 43), but cannot have been identical the people, and to proclaim the penalty of with them, since it was an artificial fence. death against all who should pBBS it and tonch That ye go not up into the mount. Curiosity tl,t: mount (vcrs. 12, 13). In executing these might have tempted some to ascend the mount, if it had not been positively forbidden under orclero, Moses gave an additional charge to the the penalty of death; carelessness might havo 111,ads of families, that they should purify brought many into contact with it, since th11 Uwn,,,elves by an act of abstinence which he cWf rises abruptly from the plain. Unless SJ.H.:cdicd (,er. 15 J the fence had been made, cattle would, nr.tur-  CIJ. XIX. 10-Hi.J THE 1100K OF EXOIJUS. 117