Ex. 24 Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu are commanded to appear before the Lord, Ex. 24:1. Who was to come near the Lord, Ex. 24:2. Moses buildeth an altar and twelve pillars, Ex. 24:4. He sends young men to sacrifice unto the Lord, Ex. 24:5. He sprinkles the altar with the blood, Ex. 24:6.

After thou hast gone down and acquainted the people with my will, and received their answer, then come up again. This sense is gathered from the repetition of this command after that was done, Ex. 24:12.

Moses alone, i.e. without the persons now mentioned, though not without Joshua his minister, as some conceive from Ex. 24:13, though even there Moses seems to ascend into the mount without Joshua. Neither shall the people go up with him to any part of the mount, as Aaron, and Nadab, &c.

Moses came down from the mount to the people, after he had received the laws from God. All the words which the Lord hath said will we do: this they so readily and rashly promise, because they were not sensible of their own weakness, and because they did not understand the comprehensiveness, and…

Moses wrote, to wit, in a book, Heb. 9:19. And the ten commandments God himself wrote also in tables of stone, Ex. 31:18. Builded an altar; representing God in Christ, as one party in the covenant. Twelve pillars; representing the people of Israel, the other party.

It matters not whether they were the first-born, or others; it is sufficient that they were persons appointed and authorized for the present service, not without God’s direction.

Half of the blood of the beasts killed, which for conveniency of sprinkling was mixed with a little water, Heb. 9:19, whereby also Christ was most fitly represented, who came by water and blood, 1 John 5:6.

The book of the covenant, wherein Moses had written the conditions of this covenant, to wit, the words and laws of God, above, Ex. 24:4. In the audience of the people, i.e.

Moses took the blood; the other half of the blood, which was put in the basons for this end, Ex. 24:6. On the people; either upon the twelve pillars representing the people; or upon the people’s representatives, to wit, the elders mentioned Ex.

In obedience to that command of God given Ex. 24:1.

They saw the God of Israel; not any visible resemblance of the Divine nature, which is expressly denied, Deut. 4:15, 1 Tim. 6:16, and was refused to Moses when he desired it, Ex. 33:18, Ex.

The nobles; or, separated or select ones, i.e. the persons who were singled out to go up with Moses, Ex. 24:1, Ex. 24:9, the same of whom it is said here, and Ex. 24:10, that they saw God. He laid not his hand, i.e.

Be there, i.e. abide, as that verb is used 1 Tim. 4:15, and elsewhere. Tables of stone; he chose that material, partly as very durable, yet so that it was capable of being broken, which God, foreseeing their wickedness, intended to do; and partly for signification, to note the hardness of their…

Joshua did not go up with Moses to the top of the mount, as is sufficiently implied both here and above, Ex. 24:1–2; but abode in some lower place, waiting for Moses’s return, as appears from Ex. 32:17.

For us, i.e. for me and Joshua, and here, i.e. in the camp, where he was when he spake these words; for it was where not only Aaron and Hur, but the people might come, as it here follows, and therefore not upon the mount.

The glory of the Lord, i.e. the tokens of his glorious presence in the fire, Ex. 24:17, Deut. 4:36. The cloud covered it from the eyes of the people. The seventh day; so long God made Moses wait, either to exercise his humility, devotion, and dependence upon God; or to prepare him by degrees for so…

He saith like it, for it was not devouring fire, as appears by Moses’s long abode in it. Note here, whatsoever the elders of Israel saw before, the people saw no similitude of God, as Moses observes, Deut. 4:15.

Into the midst of the cloud, the God that called him enabling him to enter and abide there; whereas, when he was left to himself, he could not enter into the tabernacle, Ex. 40:35. Forty days and forty nights; in which he did neither eat nor drink, Ex. 34:28, Deut. 9:9, Deut.