Êxodo 24:1

XXIV.
THE RATIFICATION OF THE COVENANT.

(1) And he said. — We should have expected “And God said,” or “And Jehovah said.” The omission of the nominative is probably to be accounted for by the insertion into Exodus at this point of “the Book of the Covenant,” which was originally a distinct document. Êxodo 24:1 of Êxodo 24 probably followed originally on Êxodo 20:21 of Êxodo 20. The sequence of the words was then as follows: “And Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. And he said unto Moses,” &c.

Come up. — The ascent of Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders seems to have been commanded in order to give greater solemnity to the ratification of the covenant between God and Israel, which is the main subject of this section. Moses received instructions on the subject before descending, and no doubt was divinely guided in the steps which he took previously to ascending with them.

Nadab, and Abihu. — Aaron’s two elder sons. (See Êxodo 6:23.)

Seventy of the elders. — These are not the “judges” of Êxodo 18:21, who were not yet appointed (see Note on Êxodo 18:24), but rather the heads of tribes and families who had exercised authority over the Israelites in Egypt, and through whom Moses had always communicated with the people. (See Êxodo 3:16; Êxodo 4:29; Êxodo 12:21; Êxodo 17:5.)