Exodus 20:19

20:19 They said to Moses, “You speak ¹  to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die.”

Exodus 24:3

24:3 Moses came ²  and told the people all the Lord’s words ³  and all the decisions. All the people answered together, ⁴  “We are willing to do ⁵  all the words that the Lord has said,”

Exodus 24:7

24:7 He took the Book of the Covenant ⁶  and read it aloud ⁷  to the people, and they said, “We are willing to do and obey ⁸  all that the Lord has spoken.”

Deuteronomy 5:27-29

5:27 You go near so that you can hear everything the Lord our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he ⁹  says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.” 5:28 When the Lord heard you speaking to me, he ¹⁰  said to me, “I have heard what these people have said to you – they have spoken well. 5:29 If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey ¹¹  all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever.

Deuteronomy 26:17-19

26:17 Today you have declared the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk in his ways, keep his statutes, commandments, and ordinances, and obey him. 26:18 And today the Lord has declared you to be his special people (as he already promised you) so you may keep all his commandments. 26:19 Then ¹²  he will elevate you above all the nations he has made and you will receive praise, fame, and honor. ¹³  You will ¹⁴  be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he has said.

Joshua 24:24

24:24 The people said to Joshua, “We will worship ¹⁵  the Lord our God and obey him.” ¹⁶ 

Nehemiah 10:29

10:29 hereby participate with their colleagues the town leaders ¹⁷  and enter into a curse and an oath ¹⁸  to adhere to ¹⁹  the law of God which was given through Moses the servant of God, and to obey ²⁰  carefully all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, ²¹  along with his ordinances and his statutes.

[20:19]  ¹ tn The verb is a Piel imperative. In this context it has more of the sense of a request than a command. The independent personal pronoun “you” emphasizes the subject and forms the contrast with God’s speaking.

[24:3]  ² sn The general consensus among commentators is that this refers to Moses’ coming from the mountain after he made the ascent in 20:21. Here he came and told them the laws (written in 20:22-23:33), and of the call to come up to Yahweh.

[24:3]  ³ sn The Decalogue may not be included here because the people had heard those commands themselves earlier.

[24:3]  ⁴ tn The text simply has “one voice” (קוֹל אֶחָד, qol ’ekhad); this is an adverbial accusative of manner, telling how the people answered – “in one voice,” or unanimously (see GKC 375 §118.q).

[24:3]  ⁵ tn The verb is the imperfect tense (נַעֲשֶׂה, na’aseh), although the form could be classified as a cohortative. If the latter, they would be saying that they are resolved to do what God said. If it is an imperfect, then the desiderative would make the most sense: “we are willing to do.” They are not presumptuously saying they are going to do all these things.

[24:7]  ⁶ tn The noun “book” would be the scroll just written containing the laws of chaps. 20-23. On the basis of this scroll the covenant would be concluded here. The reading of this book would assure the people that it was the same that they had agreed to earlier. But now their statement of willingness to obey would be more binding, because their promise would be confirmed by a covenant of blood.

[24:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “read it in the ears of.”

[24:7]  ⁸ tn A second verb is now added to the people’s response, and it is clearly an imperfect and not a cohortative, lending support for the choice of desiderative imperfect in these commitments – “we want to obey.” This was their compliance with the covenant.

[5:27]  ⁹ tn Heb “the Lord our God.” See note on “He” in 5:3.

[5:28]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “He” in 5:3.

[5:29]  ¹¹ tn Heb “keep” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[26:19]  ¹² tn Heb “so that.” Verses 18-19 are one sentence in the Hebrew text, but the translation divides it into three sentences for stylistic reasons. The first clause in verse 19 gives a result of the preceding clause. When Israel keeps God’s law, God will bless them with fame and honor (cf. NAB “he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory”; NLT “And if you do, he will make you greater than any other nation”).

[26:19]  ¹³ tn Heb “for praise and for a name and for glory.”

[26:19]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and to be.” A new sentence was started here for stylistic reasons.

[24:24]  ¹⁵ tn Or “will serve.”

[24:24]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and listen to his voice.”

[10:29]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the nobles.”

[10:29]  ¹⁸ tn The expression “a curse and an oath” may be a hendiadys, meaning “an oath with penalties.”

[10:29]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “to walk in.”

[10:29]  ²⁰ tn Heb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.

[10:29]  ²¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).