III. ISRAEL AT SINAI ( XIX.- XL.). The division Num 19- 40 presents difficulties due to its very importance, _see_ introduction to Ex. (last paragraph). But Num 25- 31, 35- 40 readily fall apart from the rest, as containing P's account of the Tabernacle (_see_ on Exodus 25:1), the introduction to wh... [ Continue Reading ]
EXODUS 20-24, 34. THE CODES IN EXODUS. Recent study has by many converging lines of argument, based on subject matter, choice of words, relation to the context, idiomatic phrasing, comparison with the historical and prophetical literature, etc., and from an immense accumulation of Biblical facts, pr... [ Continue Reading ]
EXODUS 20:18 E. ALARM OF THE PEOPLE. This resumes Exodus 19:17 or Exodus 19:19), and describes how the frightened people (read in Exodus 20:18_ b_ and the people were afraid and trembled) asked that Moses and not God should speak to them. Then Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was (E... [ Continue Reading ]
EXODUS 20:22 E. LAWS OF WORSHIP. This begins the Book of the Covenant, a small collection of religious and moral laws. The reference to God as talking with the people from heaven (Exodus 20:22_ b)_ was probably added after the insertion of the Decalogue. In Exodus 20:23 the pl. ye shows that this wa... [ Continue Reading ]