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Moses the Mediator of God’s Will

22 “These words the Lord spoke with a loud voice to your whole assembly at the mountain, out of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, and he added no more. He wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.(A) 23 When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders, 24 and you said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the fire. We have seen this day that God may speak to someone and the person may still live.(B) 25 But now why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we shall die.(C) 26 For who is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire, as we have, and lived?(D) 27 Go near, you yourself, and hear all that the Lord our God will say. Then tell us everything that the Lord our God tells you, and we will listen and do it.’

28 “The Lord heard your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you; they are right in all that they have spoken.(E) 29 If only they had such a mind as this, to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, so that it might go well with them and with their children forever!(F) 30 Go say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you all the commandments, the statutes and the ordinances, that you shall teach them, so that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’(G) 32 You must therefore be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn to the right or to the left.(H) 33 You must follow exactly the path that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land that you are to possess.(I)

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The Narrative of the Sinai Revelation and Israel’s Response

22 The Lord said these things to your entire assembly at the mountain from the middle of the fire, the cloud, and the darkness with a loud voice, and that was all he said.[a] Then he inscribed the words[b] on two stone tablets and gave them to me. 23 Then, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness while the mountain was ablaze, all your tribal leaders and elders approached me. 24 You said, “The Lord our God has shown us his great glory,[c] and we have heard him speak from the middle of the fire. It is now clear to us[d] that God can speak to human beings and they can keep on living. 25 But now, why should we die, because this intense fire will consume us? If we keep hearing the voice of the Lord our God we will die! 26 Who is there from the entire human race[e] who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the middle of the fire as we have, and has lived? 27 You go near so that you can hear everything the Lord our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he[f] says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.” 28 When the Lord heard you speaking to me, he[g] said to me, “I have heard what these people have said to you—they have spoken well. 29 If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey[h] all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever. 30 Go and tell them, ‘Return to your tents!’ 31 But as for you, remain here with me so I can declare to you all the commandments,[i] statutes, and ordinances that you are to teach them, so that they can carry them out in the land I am about to give them.”[j] 32 Be careful, therefore, to do exactly what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn right or left! 33 Walk just as he[k] has commanded you so that you may live, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long[l] in the land you are going to possess.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 5:22 tn Heb “and he added no more” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NLT “This was all he said at that time.”
  2. Deuteronomy 5:22 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the words spoken by the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  3. Deuteronomy 5:24 tn Heb “his glory and his greatness.”
  4. Deuteronomy 5:24 tn Heb “this day we have seen.”
  5. Deuteronomy 5:26 tn Heb “who is there of all flesh.”
  6. Deuteronomy 5:27 tn Heb “the Lord our God.” See note on “He” in 5:3.
  7. Deuteronomy 5:28 tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “He” in 5:3.
  8. Deuteronomy 5:29 tn Heb “keep” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).
  9. Deuteronomy 5:31 tn Heb “commandment.” The MT actually has the singular (הַמִּצְוָה, hammitsvah), suggesting perhaps that the following terms (חֻקִּים [khuqqim] and מִשְׁפָּטִים [mishpatim]) are in epexegetical apposition to “commandment.” That is, the phrase could be translated “the entire command, namely, the statutes and ordinances.” This would essentially make מִצְוָה (mitsvah) synonymous with תּוֹרָה (torah), the usual term for the whole collection of law.
  10. Deuteronomy 5:31 tn Heb “to possess it” (so KJV, ASV); NLT “as their inheritance.”
  11. Deuteronomy 5:33 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
  12. Deuteronomy 5:33 tn Heb “may prolong your days”; NAB “may have long life”; TEV “will continue to live.”