Exodus 19:13

(13) There shall not an hand touch it.—This translation gives an entirely wrong sense. The meaning is, beyond all doubt, “There shall not a hand touch him,” i.e., the transgressor. To stop him and seize him, another person must have transgressed the bounds, and so have repeated the act which was forbidden. This course was to be avoided, and punishment was to be inflicted on the transgressor by stoning him, or transfixing him with arrows, from within the barrier.

Whether it be beast or man.—Though beasts are innocent of wrong-doing, and are thus no proper objects of punishment, yet the law of God requires their slaughter in certain eases—e.g. (1) when they are dangerous (Exo_21:28); (2) when they have become polluted (Lev_20:15); (3) When their owner’s sin is appropriately punished through their loss (Exo_13:13). In the present case, it could only be through the culpable carelessness of an owner that a beast could get inside the barrier.

When the trumpet soundeth long.—Comp. Exo_19:19.

They shall come up to the mount.—Rather, into the mount. The expression used is identical with that of the preceding verse, and there rendered “go up into the mount.” Thus the act forbidden in Exo_19:12 is allowed in Exo_19:13; it is not, however, allowed to the same persons. The word “they” (hêmah) in this present place is emphatic, and refers to certain privileged persons, as Moses and Aaron (Exo_19:24), not to the people generally.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Exo 19:13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether [it be] beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

Ver. 13. They shall come up to the mount,] i.e., To the bottom of the mount, to the foot thereof. {Exo 19:17} {See Trapp on "Heb 12:20"} "The way of life is above to the wise," saith Solomon. {Pro 15:24} As Moses was with God in the mount, when the people were below in the valley.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Exo 19:13. When the trumpet soundeth long — Then let them take their places at the foot of the mount. Never was so great a congregation called together and preached to at once as this was here. No one man’s voice could have reached so many, but the voice of God did.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, trumpet.

Or, toward.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 13. There shall not a hand touch it] בו bo, HIM, not the mountain, but the man who had presumed to touch the mountain. He should be considered altogether as an unclean and accursed thing, not to be touched for fear of conveying defilement; but should be immediately stoned or pierced through with a dart, Heb 12:20.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. no hand, &c.] i.e. he is not to be followed, and seized on the mount, but to be stoned or shot from a distance. Possibly the underlying idea may be (Bä.) that the trespasser, having touched sacred ground without proper authority, becomes thereby taboo—i.e. dangerous to touch, on account of the supernatural penalties that would be thereby incurred (see DB. ii. 395b n., iv. 826 ff.)—and forfeits his life to the deity, and anyone touching him afterwards is liable to become taboo likewise (cf. on Exo_29:37). RVm. it means the mountain; but this is not probable.

13b. the ram(’s horn)] Heb. yôbçl, as Jos_6:5 (קרן היובל, also with ‘soundeth long’); 4, 6, 8, 13 (שופרות (ה)יובלים). Not the word rendered ‘trumpet’ in vv. 16, 19, Exo_20:18.

they (emph.) may come up into (Heb., as v. 12) the mount, &c.] It may be doubted whether this clause is in its original position. Where it stands, it apparently refers to what may be done when the signal is given by the ‘ram’s horn’ at the end of the solemnity. Bacon would transfer vv. 11b–13 to v. 24, to follow priests (as in the note): ‘they shall come’ would then refer to the priests, and, vv. 23, 24 (to down) being rejected as a gloss, vv. 20–22, 24a, 11b–13, 24b would read consecutively (cf. McNeile, pp. xxvi. 113).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

There shall not a hand touch it,.... The mountain or the border of it, which is repeated that it might be taken notice of; and to show that it would be resented if they were to stretch out their hand and only lightly touch it, much more should they set their feet upon it and attempt to ascend it: or rather, "shall not touch him" (o); that is, the man that shall touch the mountain; he shall be so detestable and abominable, whoever touches it or breaks through the bounds of it, and attempts to ascend it, that no man shall follow him to lay hold on him, in order to bring him back to justice, but shall dispatch him at once in one or other of the ways directed to:

but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; if near at hand, all about him shall rise upon him, and take up stones and stone him; but if he is got at a distance, then they were to shoot arrows at him; and in this way Aben Ezra interprets it; the words, says he, refer to the man that toucheth the mount, who is not to be followed and apprehended, but those that see him, and are near, abiding in the place where they are, are to stone him immediately, and if afar off they are to throw darts at him: though the Targum of Jonathan seems to understand it, as if punishment would be immediately inflicted upon such a person, not by the hands of men, but by the hand of God; for it says, such an one shall be stoned with hailstones, and fiery darts shall be spread upon him; or, as the Jerusalem Targum, shall be shot at him:

whether it be beast, or man, it shall not live; that touches the mountain, and so it is explained, Heb 12:20, the word beast comprehends all kinds of beasts, wild and tame, and all sorts of cattle, of the herd or flock; as the word "man" takes in women as well as men, as Ben Gersom observes; Aben Ezra thinks fowls are not mentioned, because they cannot be taken, but fly away immediately; but then they might be shot:

when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount; this, according to Jarchi, was a trumpet of a ram's horn; the word used in the Arabic language signifying a ram; but it is a mere fancy and fable of his, that this was of the ram of Isaac which was sacrificed in his stead; it is much more likely that there was indeed no real trumpet, only a sound was formed like the sound of one; and, it is highly probable, was formed by the ministering angels; Aben Ezra observes, that the sound of a trumpet was never heard until the day of the decalogue, until the day that was given; and that there was not a greater wonder on Mount Sinai than this: the design and use of it was to gather, this vast body of people together, to come and hear what God had to say unto them; and when its sound was protracted to a great length, or was in one continued tone, and somewhat lower, as is usual when a trumpet is about to cease blowing, then the people were to take it as a token that they should approach the mountain; not to ascend it, but come to the lower and nether part of it, where bounds were set to direct them how far they might go, and no further: so the Septuagint version is,"when the voices (or thunders) and the trumpets and the cloud departed from the mountain, they went up to the mountain:''a certain Jewish writer (p) interprets this, not of the people in general, but of Aaron and his sons, and of the seventy elders, see Exo 19:24.

(o) "non tanget eum", Vatablus, Drusius, "non feriet eum", Tigurine version. (p) R. Samuel Ben Hophni, apud Aben Ezram, in loc.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Touch it - Rather “touch him.” The person who had touched the mount was not to be touched, since the contact would be pollution.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Him. In detestation of his impiety, which has made him unclean. (Haydock) --- Go up into the precincts of the mountain, to which Moses conducted them; (ver. 17. 21,) or they might ascend after the trumpet ceased, and the law was given. For some understand shall begin, in a contrary sense with the Roman Septuagint, "when the voices of thunder, and the trumpets, and the cloud shall be no more;" (apelthe) so also the Chaldean, Syriac. (Vatable) The sound which was heard, resembled that of a horn. (Jobel.) See Leviticus xxv. 10. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

There shall not an hand touch it, i.e. the mountain. But,

1. This seems to be a gross tautology, for it was twice forbidden in the words next foregoing.

2. So the word hand would seem to be ascribed both to man and beast. Others therefore render it

touch him, i.e. they shall look upon such an impudent transgressor of my express command as an abominable person, whom they cannot touch without defilement, and therefore he shall be put to death in such a manner as may be performed without touching him.

Whether it be beast; for though the beasts are not capable of a law, yet they might be threatened for man’s caution, and punished for the fault of their owners in not keeping them at a distance from the mount.

When the trumpet soundeth long, i.e. with one continued, equal, and gentle sound, as is usual in the end of the music song, which is opposed to a rough, and loud, and unequal sound. There was no real trumpet here, but an angel made a sound like that of a trumpet.

They shall come up to the mount.

Object. This was forbidden to them, Exo 19:12.

Answ. 1. They were forbidden to come up to the mount whilst God was delivering his laws, but allowed it afterwards when that action ceased, which was signified by the long sound of the trumpet.

2. They might not come into the mount or towards the top of it, but they might come to the bottom or lower parts of it, where the bounds were set, or at least towards or near it, as the Hebrew preposition beth is sometimes used. So the mount may be understood, more strictly, Exo 19:12, for an eminent part or top of it, where the thick cloud appeared, and where Moses was, and here more largely for the whole mountain.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. Not a hand touch it — So sacred and so awful was that mount to be esteemed that no one unsanctified and unbidden might touch it, on the peril of life. Not even a beast would be permitted to touch it, and live. This rigorous requirement was adapted to inculcate reverence for the law.

When the trumpet soundeth long — Hebrews, in the drawing out of the yobel. The word יובל, here translated trumpet, appears to have been some kind of a wind instrument. In Jos_6:4-5; Jos_6:8, we find the word employed to qualify קרן, horn, or cornet, and in Lev_25:10, it denotes the fiftieth year — year of liberty and joy — commonly known as “the year of jubilee.” The Targum and the rabbins understand a wind instrument made of a ram’s horn. The exact meaning is doubtful. Gesenius regards it as an onomatopoetic word, signifying a joyful shout, and, perhaps, is best understood here as the sound of some instrument, rather than the instrument itself. The drawing out of the yobel would thus mean the prolonged tones of a signal call, without specifying the particular instrument employed. See further on Exo_19:16, where the trumpet is mentioned.

They shall come up to the mount — Who? Certainly not the people generally, who were forbidden to touch it, (comp. Exo_19:23-24,) but chosen representatives and elders of the people, (see Exo_24:1-2,) whom the writer does not here stop to specify. We see from Exo_19:20 that only Moses went up at first; subsequently Aaron was permitted to accompany him, (Exo_19:24,) but the priests and the people were forbidden.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

There shall not a hand touch it. Rather, "there shall not a hand touch him." The transgressor shall not be seized and apprehended, for that would involve the repetition of the offence by his arrester, who must overpass the "bounds" set by Moses, in order to make the arrest. Instead of seizing him, they were to kill him with stones or arrows from within the "bounds," and the same was to be done, if any stray beast approached the mountain. When the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. By translating the same Hebrew phrase differently here and in verse 12, the A.V. avoids the difficulty which most commentators see in this passage. According to the apparent construction, the people are first told that they may, on no account, ascend the mountain (ver., 12), and then that they may do so, so soon as the trumpet sounds long (ver. 13). But they do not ascend at that time (ver. 19), nor are they allowed to do so on the contrary, Moses is charged anew to prevent it (ver. 21-25); nor indeed do the people ever ascend, but only Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy eiders. (Exo_24:1, Exo_24:2) What, then, is the permission here given? When we scrutinise the passage closely, we observe that the pronoun "they" is in the Hebrew, emphatic, and, therefore, unlikely to refer to "the people" of ver. 12. To whom then does it refer? Not, certainly, to "the Elders" of ver. 7, which would be too remote an antecedent, but to those chosen persons who are in the writer"s mind, whom God was about to allow to ascend. Even these were not allowed to go up until summoned by the prolonged blast of the trumpet.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When the trumpet soundeth long - Then let them take their places at the foot of the mount. Never was so great a congregation called together and preached to at once as this was here. No one man's voice could have reached so many, but the voice of God did.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

ירה יירה HE SHALL SURELY BE CAST DOWN — From this we derive the law regarding those who are sentenced to be stoned that they have to be thrown down from the place of stoning, which was a spot of the height of twice a man’s stature (Sanhedrin 45a).

יירה means HE SHALL BE THROWN BELOW to the ground, the word being similar to, (Exodus 15:4) “He hath cast down (ירה) into the sea”.

במשך היבל WHEN THE RAM’S HORN SOUNDETH LONG — when the ram’s horn draws out a long sound that is a sign of the departure of the Shechina and that the Divine voice is about to cease, and as soon as “I” shall depart they shall be permitted to ascend [i. e. המה יעלו בהר is not obligatory, signifying, “they shall go up”, but it is permissive] (Mekhilta).

היבל — This denotes a ram’s horn, for so do they term, a ram in Arabia — יובלא (corresponding to the Hebrew יובל) (Rosh Hashanah 26a). The horn used here was that of Isaac’s ram (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 31).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

WHEN ‘HAYOVEIL’ (THE RAM’S HORN) SOUNDETH LONG, THEY SHALL COME UP TO THE MOUNT. “The Hebrew word hayoveil denotes a ram’s horn, and the horn used here was that of Isaac’s ram.” Thus Rashi’s language. But I have not understood this, for Isaac’s ram was burnt as a whole-offering, and horns and hoofs were completely burnt in whole-offerings. Perhaps the Holy One, blessed be He, shaped the ashes of the horn [of Isaac’s ram] and restored it to what it was originally. But in my opinion, this Agadah (homily) contains a secret. Thus they, is unknown to me. have said that this Voice [heard on Mount Sinai, as stated in Verse 16], was that of Pachad Yitzchak (the Fear of Isaac). (Vol. I pp. 388-389). And in Bachya’s commentary here (Vol. II, p. 172 of my edition): “This is the Pachad Yitzchak which they perceived at Mount Sinai.” It is for this reason that Scripture says, and all the people that were in the camp trembled. ” (Bachya, ibid.) At this manifestation of G’vurah. they did not grasp the commandment itself but only a voice.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.