Exodus 19 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

This chapter consist of a series of Moses going up Mount Sinai, talking to Yahweh, coming down, and talking to the people. He is being the intermediary, carrying messages between Yahweh and the people. - v. 1–2: Arrival at Sinai - v. 3–8: First cycle of Moses going up and down for instruction and response - v. 9–15: Second cycle, people get ready to hear God - v. 16–19: God speaks to the people from the mountain - v. 20–25: Third cycle

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

“A kingdom of priests”

The function of the priests was to intercede for the people. The Levites were the only priests in Israel; this is a metaphor indicating that the nation was to intercede for the world as a whole. They were also to be holy, or set apart, from the rest of the world. (See: priest and figs-metaphor and holy)

Revealing the law

The events of this chapter are concerned with preparing the people to receive the law of Moses. The people go through all of this to prepare themselves for the law, which shows the great importance of this event for Israel. (See: lawofmoses)

Boundaries between Yahweh and the people

Moses is told to make the people holy in preparation for meeting Yahweh, then boundaries are set up to keep the people separate from Yahweh, and then the priests are told to make themselves holy. The theme of a holy separation is beginning to be developed that will become much of the law code.