Exodus 24:11
in Exodus 24But God did not lay His hand on the nobles of Israel; they saw Him, and they ate and drank.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: and they beheld God, and did eat and drink.
KJV
And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
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This verse in Exodus 24
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
He laid not his hand - i. e. He did not strike them. It was believed that a mortal could not survive the sight of God Exo 33:20; Gen 32:30; Jdg 6:22; Jdg 13:22: but these rulers of Israel were permitted to eat and drink, while they were enjoying in an extraordinary degree the sense of the divine presence, and received no harm.
This site's exposition
they saw God, and did eat and drink
Here the nobles see God, eat and drink, and are not struck, while at 33:20 the same book says there shall no man see me, and live. Exodus sets the two beside each other and reconciles neither, and 33:11 adds a third, that the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. John 1:18 says no man hath seen God at any time and points to the Son who declared him. Readers who take the appearances of God in the Old Testament as appearances of the pre-incarnate Christ read this verse that way, and others hold that what was shown was a glory rather than an unveiled sight.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 3 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
In contemplation, there is admiration, expansion, a transference and restoration of one's self. Hence, "after gazing on God, they could still eat and drink."
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They feasted upon the sacrifice, before God, in token of their cheerful consent to the covenant now made, their grateful acceptance of the benefits of it, and their communion with God, in pursuance of that covenant. Thus believers eat and drink with Christ at his table, Luke xxii.
And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand--The "nobles," that is, the elders, after the sprinkling of the blood, were not inspired with terror in presence of the calm, benign, radiant symbol of the divine majesty; so different from the terrific exhibitions at the giving of the law.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Upon the nobles of - Israel he laid not his hand - This laying on of the hand has been variously explained. 1. He did not conceal himself from the nobles of Israel by covering them with his hand, as he did Moses, Exo 33:22. 2. He did not endue any of the nobles, i.e., the seventy elders, with the gift of prophecy; for so laying on of the hand has been understood. 3. He did not slay any of them; none of them received any injury; which is certainly one meaning of the phrase: see Neh 13:21; Psa 55:20. Also they saw God, i.e., although they had this discovery of his majesty, yet they did eat and drink, i.e., were preserved alive and unhurt. Perhaps the eating and drinking here may refer to the peace-offerings on which they feasted, and the libations that were then offered on the ratification of the covenant. But they rejoiced the more because they had been so highly favored, and were still permitted to live; for it was generally apprehended that God never showed his glory in this signal manner but for the purpose of manifesting his justice; and therefore it appeared a strange thing that these should have seen God as it were face to face, and yet live. See Gen 16:13; Gen 33:10; and Jdg 13:22, Jdg 13:23.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
AND TO ‘ATZILEI’ (THE NOBLES OF) THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. These are Nadab, and Abihu, and the elders mentioned above. 540 Verse. They are called atzilim [of the root atzal, to emanate] because the spirit of G-d emanated upon them. Similarly, I have called thee ‘mei’atzilehah’ 541 Isaiah:9.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained: “They saw Him in a prophetic vision, this being similar to the verse: I saw the Eternal standing beside the altar. 529 Amos:1. — And there was under His feet the like of a paved work of sapphire stone.
‘COME UP TO ME INTO THE MOUNTAIN.’ This is the same command which He had said to him on the preceeding day [i.e., on the sixth of Sivan], Come up unto the Eternal; 551 Verse. and Moses alone shall come near unto the Eternal, 552 Verse.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲצִילֵי֙ | ʾatzilei | [the] nobles of | H678 → | |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁלַ֖ח | shalach | he stretched out | H7971 → | 845 times |
| יָד֑וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וַֽיֶּחֱזוּ֙ | vaiyechezu | and they saw | H2372 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וַיֹּאכְל֖וּ | vaiyokhelu | and they ate | H398 → | 810 times |
| וַיִּשְׁתּֽוּ׃ ס | vaiyishtu | and they drank | H8354 → | 217 times |
וְאֶל־and against
veel-H413 →5510 times
אֲצִילֵי֙[the] nobles of
ʾatzileiH678 →
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
שָׁלַ֖חhe stretched out
shalachH7971 →845 times
יָד֑וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
וַֽיֶּחֱזוּ֙and they saw
vaiyechezuH2372 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וַיֹּאכְל֖וּand they ate
vaiyokheluH398 →810 times
וַיִּשְׁתּֽוּ׃ סand they drank
vaiyishtuH8354 →217 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 12:7There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:18
Instead, you must eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within…
- Leviticus 23:40
On the first day you are to gather the fruit of majestic trees, the branches of palm trees, and the boughs of leafy trees and of willows of the brook. And you are to…
- Deuteronomy 14:26
Then you may spend the money on anything you desire: cattle, sheep, wine, strong drink, or anything you wish. You are to feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice…
- Deuteronomy 12:12
And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.
- Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
- Deuteronomy 12:18
Through
Genesis 31:54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.
it leads to
- Exodus 18:12
Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
- Exodus 18:12
Through
Exodus 18:12Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
it leads to
- Genesis 31:54
Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.
- Deuteronomy 12:7
There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
- Genesis 31:54
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.