Exodus 20:21

And the people stood afar (off); and Moses nighed to the darkness, wherein God was.

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

In Context

20And Moses said to the people, Do not ye dread, for God came to prove you, and that his dread should be in you, and that ye should not do sin. (And Moses said to the people, Do not ye fear or Fear not, for God came to prove you, so that his fear would be in you, and then ye shall not sin.)

22And the Lord said furthermore to Moses, Thou shalt say these things to the sons of Israel, Ye saw that from heaven I have spoken to you; (And the Lord also said to Moses, Thou shalt say these things to the Israelites, Ye have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven;)

Read all of Exodus 20

Cross References

Exodus 19:16And now the third day was come, and the morrowtide was clear; and, lo! thunders began to be heard, and lightnings to shine, and a most thick cloud to cover the mountain; and the sounding of a clarion made noise full greatly, and the people dreaded, that was in the tents, (or and the sounding of a trumpet made a very great noise, and the people in their tents had great fear).

Deuteronomy 5:22The Lord spake these words to all your multitude, in the hill, from the midst of the fire, and of the cloud, and of the mist, with great voice, and he added to (it) nothing more; and he wrote those words in two tables of stone, which he gave to me. (The Lord spoke these words to all the multitude of you, on the mountain, from the midst of the fire, and of the cloud, and of the mist, with a great voice, and he added nothing more to it; and he wrote those words on two stone tablets, which he gave to me.)

2 Chronicles 6:1Then Solomon said, The Lord promised, that he would dwell in [the] darkness;

Psalms 18:12Full clear clouds passed in his sight; hail and the coals of fire.

Psalms 104:2and thou art clothed with light, as with a cloth. And thou stretchest forth heaven as a skin; (and thou art clothed with light, like with a cloak. And thou stretchest forth, or spreadest out, the heavens like a tent;)

Matthew Henry on Exodus 20:19-22

Terror with Which the Law Was Given. ( b. c. 1491.) 18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off, and… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Exodus 20:21