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Selected Verse: Exodus 24:9 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ex 24:9	Strong Concordance	Then went up [05927] Moses [04872], and Aaron [0175], Nadab [05070], and Abihu [030], and seventy [07657] of the elders [02205] of Israel [03478]:
	King James	Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Then went up Moses, and Aaron--in obedience to a command given (Exo 24:1-2; also Exo 19:24), previous to the religious engagement of the people, now described. Nadab, and Abihu--the two oldest sons of Aaron [Exo 6:23]. seventy of the elders--a select number; what was the principle of selection is not said; but they were the chief representatives, the most conspicuous for official rank and station, as well as for their probity and weight of character in their respective tribes.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Then went up Moses, and Aaron--in obedience to a command given (Exo 24:1-2; also Exo 19:24), previous to the religious engagement of the people, now described.

Nadab, and Abihu--the two oldest sons of Aaron [Exo 6:23].

seventy of the elders--a select number; what was the principle of selection is not said; but they were the chief representatives, the most conspicuous for official rank and station, as well as for their probity and weight of character in their respective tribes.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
It would appear that Moses, Aaron with his two sons, and seventy of the elders Exo 19:7 went a short distance up the mountain to eat the meal of the covenant (compare Gen 31:43-47), which must have consisted of the flesh of the peace offerings Exo 24:5. Joshua accompanied Moses as his servant Exo 24:13.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
Through their consecration with the blood of the covenant, the Israelites were qualified to ascend the mountain, and there behold the God of Israel and celebrate the covenant meal; of course, not the whole of the people, for that would have been impracticable on physical grounds, but the nation in the persons of its representatives, viz., the seventy elders, with Aaron and his two eldest sons. The fact that the latter were summoned along with the elders had reference to their future election to the priesthood, the bearers of which were to occupy the position of mediators between Jehovah and the nation, an office for which this was a preparation. The reason for choosing seventy out of the whole body of elders (Exo 24:3) is to be found in the historical and symbolical significance of this number. "They saw the God of Israel." This title is very appropriately given to Jehovah here, because He, the God of the fathers, had become in truth the God of Israel through the covenant just made. We must not go beyond the limits drawn in Exo 33:20-23 in our conceptions of what constituted the sight (חזה Exo 24:11) of God; at the same time we must regard it as a vision of God in some form of manifestation which rendered the divine nature discernible to the human eye. Nothing is said as to the form in which God manifested Himself. This silence, however, is not intended "to indicate the imperfection of their sight of God," as Baumgarten affirms, nor is it to be explained, as Hoffmann supposes, on the ground that "what they saw differed from what the people had constantly before their eyes simply in this respect, that after they had entered the darkness, which enveloped the mountain that burned as it were with fire at its summit, the fiery sign separated from the cloud, and assumed a shape, beneath which it was bright and clear, as an image of untroubled bliss." The words are evidently intended to affirm something more than, that they saw the fiery form in which God manifested Himself to the people, and that whilst the fire was ordinarily enveloped in a cloud, they saw it upon the mountain without the cloud. For, since Moses saw the form (תּמוּנה) of Jehovah (Num 12:8), we may fairly conclude, notwithstanding the fact that, according to Exo 24:2, the representatives of the nation were not to draw near to Jehovah, and without any danger of contradicting Deu 4:12 and Deu 4:15, that they also saw a form of God. Only this form is not described, in order that no encouragement might be given to the inclination of the people to make likenesses of Jehovah. Thus we find that Isaiah gives no description of the form in which he saw the Lord sitting upon a high and lofty throne (Isa 6:1). Ezekiel is the first to describe the form of Jehovah which he saw in the vision, "as the appearance of a man" (Eze 1:26; compare Dan 7:9 and Dan 7:13). "And there was under His feet as it were work of clear sapphire (לבנת, from לבנה whiteness, clearness, not from לבנה a brick), (Note: This is the derivation adopted by the English translators in their rendering "paved work." - Tr.) and as the material (עצם body, substance) of heaven in brilliancy," - to indicate that the God of Israel was enthroned above the heaven in super-terrestrial glory and undisturbed blessedness. And God was willing that His people should share in this blessedness, for "He laid not His hand upon the nobles of Israel," i.e., did not attack them. "They saw God, and did eat and drink," i.e., they celebrated thus near to Him the sacrificial meal of the peace-offerings, which had been sacrificed at the conclusion of the covenant, and received in this covenant meal a foretaste of the precious and glorious gifts with which God would endow and refresh His redeemed people in His kingdom. As the promise in Exo 19:5-6, with which God opened the way for the covenant at Sinai, set clearly before the nation that had been rescued from Egypt the ultimate goal of its divine calling; so this termination of the ceremony was intended to give to the nation, in the persons of its representatives, a tangible pledge of the glory of the goal that was set before it. The sight of the God of Israel was a foretaste of the blessedness of the sight of God in eternity, and the covenant meal upon the mountain before the face of God was a type of the marriage supper of the Lamb, to which the Lord will call, and at which He will present His perfected Church in the day of the full revelation of His glory (Rev 19:7-9).

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

Through their consecration with the blood of the covenant, the Israelites were qualified to ascend the mountain, and there behold the God of Israel and celebrate the covenant meal; of course, not the whole of the people, for that would have been impracticable on physical grounds, but the nation in the persons of its representatives, viz., the seventy elders, with Aaron and his two eldest sons. The fact that the latter were summoned along with the elders had reference to their future election to the priesthood, the bearers of which were to occupy the position of mediators between Jehovah and the nation, an office for which this was a preparation. The reason for choosing seventy out of the whole body of elders (Exo 24:3) is to be found in the historical and symbolical significance of this number. "They saw the God of Israel." This title is very appropriately given to Jehovah here, because He, the God of the fathers, had become in truth the God of Israel through the covenant just made. We must not go beyond the limits drawn in Exo 33:20-23 in our conceptions of what constituted the sight (חזה Exo 24:11) of God; at the same time we must regard it as a vision of God in some form of manifestation which rendered the divine nature discernible to the human eye. Nothing is said as to the form in which God manifested Himself. This silence, however, is not intended "to indicate the imperfection of their sight of God," as Baumgarten affirms, nor is it to be explained, as Hoffmann supposes, on the ground that "what they saw differed from what the people had constantly before their eyes simply in this respect, that after they had entered the darkness, which enveloped the mountain that burned as it were with fire at its summit, the fiery sign separated from the cloud, and assumed a shape, beneath which it was bright and clear, as an image of untroubled bliss." The words are evidently intended to affirm something more than, that they saw the fiery form in which God manifested Himself to the people, and that whilst the fire was ordinarily enveloped in a cloud, they saw it upon the mountain without the cloud. For, since Moses saw the form (תּמוּנה) of Jehovah (Num 12:8), we may fairly conclude, notwithstanding the fact that, according to Exo 24:2, the representatives of the nation were not to draw near to Jehovah, and without any danger of contradicting Deu 4:12 and Deu 4:15, that they also saw a form of God. Only this form is not described, in order that no encouragement might be given to the inclination of the people to make likenesses of Jehovah. Thus we find that Isaiah gives no description of the form in which he saw the Lord sitting upon a high and lofty throne (Isa 6:1). Ezekiel is the first to describe the form of Jehovah which he saw in the vision, "as the appearance of a man" (Eze 1:26; compare Dan 7:9 and Dan 7:13). "And there was under His feet as it were work of clear sapphire (לבנת, from לבנה whiteness, clearness, not from לבנה a brick),

(Note: This is the derivation adopted by the English translators in their rendering "paved work." - Tr.)

and as the material (עצם body, substance) of heaven in brilliancy," - to indicate that the God of Israel was enthroned above the heaven in super-terrestrial glory and undisturbed blessedness. And God was willing that His people should share in this blessedness, for "He laid not His hand upon the nobles of Israel," i.e., did not attack them. "They saw God, and did eat and drink," i.e., they celebrated thus near to Him the sacrificial meal of the peace-offerings, which had been sacrificed at the conclusion of the covenant, and received in this covenant meal a foretaste of the precious and glorious gifts with which God would endow and refresh His redeemed people in His kingdom. As the promise in Exo 19:5-6, with which God opened the way for the covenant at Sinai, set clearly before the nation that had been rescued from Egypt the ultimate goal of its divine calling; so this termination of the ceremony was intended to give to the nation, in the persons of its representatives, a tangible pledge of the glory of the goal that was set before it. The sight of the God of Israel was a foretaste of the blessedness of the sight of God in eternity, and the covenant meal upon the mountain before the face of God was a type of the marriage supper of the Lamb, to which the Lord will call, and at which He will present His perfected Church in the day of the full revelation of His glory (Rev 19:7-9).

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²³ And Aaron [0175] took [03947] him Elisheba [0472], daughter [01323] of Amminadab [05992], sister [0269] of Naashon [05177], to wife [0802]; and she bare [03205] him Nadab [05070], and Abihu [030], Eleazar [0499], and Ithamar [0385].

²⁴ And the LORD [03068] said [0559] unto him, Away [03212], get thee down [03381], and thou shalt come up [05927], thou, and Aaron [0175] with thee: but let not the priests [03548] and the people [05971] break through [02040] to come up [05927] unto the LORD [03068], lest he break forth [06555] upon them.

¹ And he said [0559] unto Moses [04872], Come up [05927] unto the LORD [03068], thou, and Aaron [0175], Nadab [05070], and Abihu [030], and seventy [07657] of the elders [02205] of Israel [03478]; and worship [07812] ye afar off [07350].
² And Moses [04872] alone shall come near [05066] the LORD [03068]: but they shall not come nigh [05066]; neither shall the people [05971] go up [05927] with him.

¹³ And Moses [04872] rose up [06965], and his minister [08334] Joshua [03091]: and Moses [04872] went up [05927] into the mount [02022] of God [0430].

⁵ And he sent [07971] young men [05288] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478], which offered [05927] burnt offerings [05930], and sacrificed [02076] peace [08002] offerings [02077] of oxen [06499] unto the LORD [03068].

⁴³ And Laban [03837] answered [06030] and said [0559] unto Jacob [03290], These daughters [01323] are my daughters [01323], and these children [01121] are my children [01121], and these cattle [06629] are my cattle [06629], and all that thou seest [07200] is mine: and what can I do [06213] this day [03117] unto these my daughters [01323], or [0176] unto their children [01121] which they have born [03205]?
⁴⁴ Now therefore come thou [03212], let us make [03772] a covenant [01285], I and thou; and let it be for a witness [05707] between me and thee.
⁴⁵ And Jacob [03290] took [03947] a stone [068], and set it up [07311] for a pillar [04676].
⁴⁶ And Jacob [03290] said [0559] unto his brethren [0251], Gather [03950] stones [068]; and they took [03947] stones [068], and made [06213] an heap [01530]: and they did eat [0398] there upon the heap [01530].
⁴⁷ And Laban [03837] called [07121] it Jegarsahadutha [03026]: but Jacob [03290] called [07121] it Galeed [01567].

⁷ And Moses [04872] came [0935] and called [07121] for the elders [02205] of the people [05971], and laid [07760] before their faces [06440] all these words [01697] which the LORD [03068] commanded [06680] him.

⁷ Let us be glad [5463] and [2532] rejoice [21], and [2532] give [1325] honour [1391] to him [846]: for [3754] the marriage [1062] of the Lamb [721] is come [2064], and [2532] his [846] wife [1135] hath made [2090] herself [1438] ready [2090].
⁸ And [2532] to her [846] was granted [1325] that [2443] she should be arrayed [4016] in fine linen [1039], clean [2513] and [2532] white [2986]: for [1063] the fine linen [1039] is [2076] the righteousness [1345] of saints [40].
⁹ And [2532] he saith [3004] unto me [3427], Write [1125], Blessed [3107] are they which are called [2564] unto [1519] the marriage [1062] supper [1173] of the Lamb [721]. And [2532] he saith [3004] unto me [3427], These [3778] are [1526] the true [228] sayings [3056] of God [2316].

⁵ Now therefore, if ye will obey [08085] my voice [06963] indeed [08085], and keep [08104] my covenant [01285], then ye shall be a peculiar treasure [05459] unto me above all people [05971]: for all the earth [0776] is mine:
⁶ And ye shall be unto me a kingdom [04467] of priests [03548], and an holy [06918] nation [01471]. These are the words [01697] which thou shalt speak [01696] unto the children [01121] of Israel [03478].

¹³ I saw [01934] [02370] in the night [03916] visions [02376], and, behold [0718], one like the Son [01247] of man [0606] came [0858] with [05974] the clouds [06050] of heaven [08065], and came [04291] to [05705] the Ancient [06268] of days [03118], and they brought him near [07127] before [06925] him.

⁹ I beheld [01934] [02370] till [05705] the thrones [03764] were cast down [07412], and the Ancient [06268] of days [03118] did sit [03488], whose garment [03831] was white [02358] as snow [08517], and the hair [08177] of his head [07217] like the pure [05343] wool [06015]: his throne [03764] was like the fiery [05135] flame [07631], and his wheels [01535] as burning [01815] fire [05135].

²⁶ And above [04605] the firmament [07549] that was over their heads [07218] was the likeness [01823] of a throne [03678], as the appearance [04758] of a sapphire [05601] stone [068]: and upon the likeness [01823] of the throne [03678] was the likeness [01823] as the appearance [04758] of a man [0120] above [04605] upon it.

¹ In the year [08141] that king [04428] Uzziah [05818] died [04194] I saw [07200] also [0853] the Lord [0136] sitting [03427] upon a throne [03678], high [07311] and lifted up [05375], and his train [07757] filled [04392] [0853] the temple [01964].

¹⁵ Take ye therefore good [03966] heed [08104] unto yourselves [05315]; for ye saw [07200] no manner of similitude [08544] on the day [03117] that the LORD [03068] spake [01696] unto you in Horeb [02722] out of the midst [08432] of the fire [0784]:

¹² And the LORD [03068] spake [01696] unto you out of the midst [08432] of the fire [0784]: ye heard [08085] the voice [06963] of the words [01697], but saw [07200] no similitude [08544]; only [02108] ye heard a voice [06963].

² And Moses [04872] alone shall come near [05066] the LORD [03068]: but they shall not come nigh [05066]; neither shall the people [05971] go up [05927] with him.

⁸ With him will I speak [01696] mouth [06310] to mouth [06310], even apparently [04758], and not in dark speeches [02420]; and the similitude [08544] of the LORD [03068] shall he behold [05027]: wherefore then were ye not afraid [03372] to speak [01696] against my servant [05650] Moses [04872]?

¹¹ And upon the nobles [0678] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478] he laid [07971] not his hand [03027]: also they saw [02372] God [0430], and did eat [0398] and drink [08354].

²⁰ And he said [0559], Thou canst [03201] not see [07200] my face [06440]: for there shall no man [0120] see [07200] me, and live [02425].
²¹ And the LORD [03068] said [0559], Behold, there is a place [04725] by me, and thou shalt stand [05324] upon a rock [06697]:
²² And it shall come to pass, while my glory [03519] passeth by [05674], that I will put [07760] thee in a clift [05366] of the rock [06697], and will cover [05526] thee with my hand [03709] while [05704] I pass by [05674]:
²³ And I will take [05493] away mine hand [03709], and thou shalt see [07200] my back parts [0268]: but my face [06440] shall not be seen [07200].

³ And Moses [04872] came [0935] and told [05608] the people [05971] all the words [01697] of the LORD [03068], and all the judgments [04941]: and all the people [05971] answered [06030] with one [0259] voice [06963], and said [0559], All the words [01697] which the LORD [03068] hath said [01696] will we do [06213].