Exodus 19:9
in Exodus 19The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will always put their trust in you.” And Moses relayed to the LORD what the people had said.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and may also believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto Jehovah.
KJV
And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.
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This verse in Exodus 19
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe people then beheld the pillar of cloud, and it spoke to Moses. But who was the speaker? Obviously the pillar of cloud, which before appeared to the fathers in a corporeal form. And I have already shown that this was not directly and visibly the almighty God as such but the One whom we name as the Word of God, the Christ who was seen for the sake of the multitude of Moses and the people in a pillar of cloud, because it was not possible for them to see him like their fathers in human shape.
This site's exposition
in a dense cloud
The cloud that led them out at 13:21 settles on the mountain, and God gives the reason. The people are to hear God speak with Moses and trust Moses always, so the appearing is a matter of credentials.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
1 ), and make this his pavilion ( Ps. xviii. 11 ), holding back the face of his throne when he set it upon mount Sinai, and spreading a cloud upon it, Job xxvi. This thick cloud was to prohibit curious enquiries into things secret, and to command an awful adoration of that which was revealed.
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Thus the correspondence was to be first settled by a sensible appearance of the divine glory, which was afterwards to be carried on more silently by the ministry of Moses. In like manner, the Holy Ghost descended visibly upon Christ at his baptism, and all that were present heard God speak to him ( Matt. iii.
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And the Lord said unto Moses,....
Thus the correspondence was to be first settled by a sensible appearance of the divine glory, which was afterwards to be carried on more silently by the ministry of Moses. In like manner, the Holy Ghost descended visibly upon Christ at his baptism, and all that were present heard God speak to him ( Matt. iii.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A thick cloud - This is interpreted by Exo 19:18: And Mount Sinai was altogether on a Smoke - and the Smoke thereof ascended as the Smoke of a furnace; his usual appearance was in the cloudy pillar, which we may suppose was generally clear and luminous. That the people may hear - See Clarke’s note on Exo 15:
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come . . . in a thick cloud, &c.--The deepest impressions are made on the mind through the medium of the senses; and so He who knew what was in man signalized His descent at the inauguration of the ancient church, by all the sensible tokens of august majesty that were fitted to produce the conviction that He is the great and terrible God.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come . . . in a thick cloud, &c.--The deepest impressions are made on the mind through the medium of the senses; and so He who knew what was in man signalized His descent at the inauguration of the ancient church, by all the sensible tokens of august majesty that were fitted to produce the conviction that He is the great and terrible God.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Rashi explained: “ V’kidashtam means ‘and thou shalt prepare them.’” And so is the opinion of Onkelos. A similar usage is found in the verse: I have commanded ‘lim’kudashai’ (“those who are prepared for Me” or “My consecrated ones”), 200 Isaiah:3.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Adonoy said to Moshe, “Go to the people, and sanctify [prepare] them today and tomorrow, and let them cleanse their clothing.
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. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֗ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| הִנֵּ֨ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אָנֹכִ֜י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| בָּ֣א | ba' | [am] about to come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלֶיךָ֮ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּעַ֣ב | beav | in [the] dark cloud of | H5645 → | |
| הֶֽעָנָן֒ | heanan | the cloud | H6051 → | 87 times |
| בַּעֲב֞וּר | baavur | inorder that | H5668 → | 49 times |
| יִשְׁמַ֤ע | yishma' | <it> may hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| הָעָם֙ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| בְּדַבְּרִ֣י | bedaberi | when speak I | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| עִמָּ֔ךְ | ʾimakh | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וְגַם־ | vegam- | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| בְּךָ֖ | bekha | in <the> you | ||
| יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ | yaaminu | they will trust | H539 → | 106 times |
| לְעוֹלָ֑ם | leolam | for ever | H5769 → | 438 times |
| וַיַּגֵּ֥ד | vaiyaged | and he told | H5046 → | 370 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֛ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֥י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הָעָ֖ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מֹשֶׁ֗הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
הִנֵּ֨הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
אָנֹכִ֜יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
בָּ֣א[am] about to come
ba'H935 →2568 times
אֵלֶיךָ֮to you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
בְּעַ֣בin [the] dark cloud of
beavH5645 →
הֶֽעָנָן֒the cloud
heananH6051 →87 times
בַּעֲב֞וּרinorder that
baavurH5668 →49 times
יִשְׁמַ֤ע<it> may hear
yishma'H8085 →1159 times
הָעָם֙the people
haamH5971 →1873 times
בְּדַבְּרִ֣יwhen speak I
bedaberiH1696 →1141 times
עִמָּ֔ךְwith you
ʾimakhH5973 →1050 times
וְגַם־and also
vegam-H1571 →769 times
בְּךָ֖in <the> you
bekha
יַאֲמִ֣ינוּthey will trust
yaaminuH539 →106 times
לְעוֹלָ֑םfor ever
leolamH5769 →438 times
וַיַּגֵּ֥דand he told
vaiyagedH5046 →370 times
מֹשֶׁ֛הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דִּבְרֵ֥י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
הָעָ֖םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
Psalms 97:2Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation.
it leads to
- Psalms 89:14
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; loving devotion and faithfulness go before You.
- Proverbs 16:12
Wicked behavior is detestable to kings, for a throne is established through righteousness.
- Hebrews 1:8–9
But about the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom.
- Psalms 89:14
Through
Exodus 19:16On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the…
it leads to
- Hebrews 12:18–19
For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm;
- Psalms 18:11–14
He made darkness His hiding place, and storm clouds a canopy around Him.
- Revelation 4:1
After this I looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had previously heard speak to me like a trumpet was saying, “Come up here, and I will show…
- Hebrews 12:21
The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
- Revelation 8:5
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, and rumblings, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
- Hebrews 12:18–19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies16
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Eusebius of Caesarea, PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 5.14.241; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.