Deuteronomy 4:11-15

4:11 You approached and stood at the foot of the mountain, a mountain ablaze to the sky above it ¹  and yet dark with a thick cloud. ²  4:12 Then the Lord spoke to you from the middle of the fire; you heard speech but you could not see anything – only a voice was heard. ³  4:13 And he revealed to you the covenant ⁴  he has commanded you to keep, the ten commandments, ⁵  writing them on two stone tablets. 4:14 Moreover, at that same time the Lord commanded me to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to keep in the land which you are about to enter and possess. ⁶ 

The Nature of Israel’s God

4:15 Be very careful, ⁷  then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire.

Deuteronomy 5:22-26

The Narrative of the Sinai Revelation and Israel’s Response

5:22 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. ⁸  Then he inscribed the words ⁹  on two stone tablets and gave them to me. 5:23 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. 5:24 You said, “The Lord our God has shown us his great glory ¹⁰  and we have heard him speak from the middle of the fire. It is now clear to us ¹¹  that God can speak to human beings and they can keep on living. 5:25 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! 5:26 Who is there from the entire human race ¹²  who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the middle of the fire as we have, and has lived?

Exodus 19:18

19:18 Now Mount Sinai was completely covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire, and its smoke went up like the smoke of a great furnace, ¹³  and the whole mountain shook ¹⁴  violently.

Hebrews 12:18-19

12:18 For you have not come to something that can be touched, ¹⁵  to a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a whirlwind 12:19 and the blast of a trumpet and a voice uttering words ¹⁶  such that those who heard begged to hear no more. ¹⁷ 

¹ tn Heb “a mountain burning with fire as far as the heart of the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.

² tn Heb “darkness, cloud, and heavy cloud.”

³ tn The words “was heard” are supplied in the translation to avoid the impression that the voice was seen.

⁴ sn This is the first occurrence of the word בְּרִית (bÿrit, “covenant”) in the Book of Deuteronomy but it appears commonly hereafter (4:23, 31; 5:2, 3; 7:9, 12; 8:18; 9:9, 10, 11, 15; 10:2, 4, 5, 8; 17:2; 29:1, 9, 12, 14, 15, 18, 21, 25; 31:9, 16, 20, 25, 26; 33:9). Etymologically, it derives from the notion of linking or yoking together. See M. Weinfeld, TDOT 2:255.

⁵ tn Heb “the ten words.”

⁶ tn Heb “to which you are crossing over to possess it.”

⁷ tn Heb “give great care to your souls.”

⁸ tn Heb “and he added no more” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NLT “This was all he said at that time.”

⁹ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the words spoken by the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ tn Heb “his glory and his greatness.”

¹¹ tn Heb “this day we have seen.”

¹² tn Heb “who is there of all flesh.”

¹³ sn The image is that of a large kiln, as in Gen 19:28.

¹⁴ tn This is the same word translated “trembled” above (v. 16).

¹⁵ tn This describes the nation of Israel approaching God on Mt. Sinai (Exod 19). There is a clear contrast with the reference to Mount Zion in v. 22, so this could be translated “a mountain that can be touched.” But the word “mountain” does not occur here and the more vague description seems to be deliberate.

¹⁶ tn Grk “a voice of words.”

¹⁷ tn Grk “a voice…from which those who heard begged that a word not be added to them.”