2 Chronicles 35:6

35:6 Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your countrymen to do what the Lord commanded through Moses.” ¹ 

Exodus 19:10

19:10 The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and sanctify them ²  today and tomorrow, and make them wash ³  their clothes

Exodus 19:15

19:15 He said to the people, “Be ready for the third day. Do not go near your wives.” ⁴ 

Exodus 19:1

Israel at Sinai

19:1 ⁵ In the third month after the Israelites went out ⁶  from the land of Egypt, on the very day, ⁷  they came to the Desert of Sinai.

Exodus 15:12

15:12 You stretched out your right hand,

the earth swallowed them. ⁸ 

[35:6]  ¹ tn Heb “according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.”

[19:10]  ² tn This verb is a Piel perfect with vav (ו) consecutive; it continues the force of the imperative preceding it. This sanctification would be accomplished by abstaining from things that would make them defiled or unclean, and then by ritual washings and ablutions.

[19:10]  ³ tn The form is a perfect 3cpl with a vav (ו) consecutive. It is instructional as well, but now in the third person it is like a jussive, “let them wash, make them wash.”

[19:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “do not go near a woman”; NIV “Abstain from sexual relations.”

[19:1]  ⁵ sn This chapter is essentially about mediation. The people are getting ready to meet with God, receive the Law from him, and enter into a covenant with him. All of this required mediation and preparation. Through it all, Israel will become God’s unique possession, a kingdom of priests on earth – if they comply with his Law. The chapter can be divided as follows: vv. 1-8 tell how God, Israel’s great deliverer promised to make them a kingdom of priests; this is followed by God’s declaration that Moses would be the mediator (v. 9); vv. 10-22 record instructions for Israel to prepare themselves to worship Yahweh and an account of the manifestation of Yahweh with all the phenomena; and the chapter closes with the mediation of Moses on behalf of the people (vv. 23-25). Having been redeemed from Egypt, the people will now be granted a covenant with God. See also R. E. Bee, “A Statistical Study of the Sinai Pericope,” Journal of the Royal Statistical Society 135 (1972): 406-21.

[19:1]  ⁶ tn The construction uses the infinitive construct followed by the subjective genitive to form a temporal clause.

[19:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “on this day.”

[15:12]  ⁸ tn The verb is the prefixed conjugation, the preterite without the vav consecutive. The subject, the “earth,” must be inclusive of the sea, or it may indicate the grave or Sheol; the sea drowned them. Some scholars wish to see this as a reference to Dathan and Abiram, and therefore evidence of a later addition or compilation. It fits this passage well, however.