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, ¹  and the whole mountain shook ²  violently.

Exodus 19:2

19:2 After they journeyed ³  from Rephidim, they came to the Desert of Sinai, and they camped in the desert; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. ⁴ 

Exodus 22:8

22:8 If the thief is not caught, ⁵  then the owner of the house will be brought before the judges ⁶  to see ⁷  whether he has laid ⁸  his hand on his neighbor’s goods.

Exodus 22:14

22:14 “If a man borrows an animal ⁹  from his neighbor, and it is hurt or dies when its owner was not with it, the man who borrowed it ¹⁰  will surely pay.

Matthew 27:51

27:51 Just then ¹¹  the temple curtain ¹²  was torn in two, from top to bottom. The ¹³  earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

Matthew 28:2

28:2 Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord ¹⁴  descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it.

Revelation 20:11

The Great White Throne

20:11 Then ¹⁵  I saw a large ¹⁶  white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven ¹⁷  fled ¹⁸  from his presence, and no place was found for them.

[19:18]  ¹ sn The image is that of a large kiln, as in Gen 19:28.

[19:18]  ² tn This is the same word translated “trembled” above (v. 16).

[19:2]  ³ tn The form is a preterite with vav (ו) consecutive, “and they journeyed.” It is here subordinated to the next clause as a temporal clause. But since the action of this temporal clause preceded the actions recorded in v. 1, a translation of “after” will keep the sequence in order. Verse 2 adds details to the summary in v. 1.

[19:2]  ⁴ sn The mountain is Mount Sinai, the mountain of God, the place where God had met and called Moses and had promised that they would be here to worship him. If this mountain is Jebel Musa, the traditional site of Sinai, then the plain in front of it would be Er-Rahah, about a mile and a half long by half a mile wide, fronting the mountain on the NW side (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 169). The plain itself is about 5000 feet above sea level. A mountain on the west side of the Arabian Peninsula has also been suggested as a possible site.

[22:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “found.”

[22:8]  ⁶ tn Here again the word used is “the gods,” meaning the judges who made the assessments and decisions. In addition to other works, see J. R. Vannoy, “The Use of the Word ha’elohim in Exodus 21:6 and 22:7,8,” The Law and the Prophets, 225-41.

[22:8]  ⁷ tn The phrase “to see” has been supplied.

[22:8]  ⁸ tn The line says “if he has not stretched out his hand.” This could be the oath formula, but the construction here would be unusual, or it could be taken as “whether” (see W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:438). U. Cassuto (Exodus, 286) does not think the wording can possibly fit an oath; nevertheless, an oath would be involved before God (as he takes it instead of “judges”) – if the man swore, his word would be accepted, but if he would not swear, he would be guilty.

[22:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “if a man asks [an animal] from his neighbor” (see also Exod 12:36). The ruling here implies an animal is borrowed, and if harm comes to it when the owner is not with it, the borrower is liable. The word “animal” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[22:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man who borrowed the animal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:51]  ¹¹ tn Grk “And behold.”

[27:51]  ¹² tn The referent of this term, καταπέτασμα (katapetasma), is not entirely clear. It could refer to the curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.5 [5.219]), or it could refer to one at the entrance of the temple court (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.4 [5.212]). Many argue that the inner curtain is meant because another term, κάλυμμα (kalumma), is also used for the outer curtain. Others see a reference to the outer curtain as more likely because of the public nature of this sign. Either way, the symbolism means that access to God has been opened up. It also pictures a judgment that includes the sacrifices.

[27:51]  ¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[28:2]  ¹⁴ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.

[20:11]  ¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[20:11]  ¹⁶ tn Traditionally, “great,” but μέγας (megas) here refers to size rather than importance.

[20:11]  ¹⁷ tn Or “and the sky.” The same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky,” and context usually determines which is meant. In this apocalyptic scene, however, it is difficult to be sure what referent to assign the term.

[20:11]  ¹⁸ tn Or “vanished.”