Exodus 24:7

24:7 He took the Book of the Covenant ¹  and read it aloud ²  to the people, and they said, “We are willing to do and obey ³  all that the Lord has spoken.”

Exodus 28:35

28:35 The robe ⁴  is to be on Aaron as he ministers, ⁵  and his sound will be heard ⁶  when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he leaves, so that he does not die.

[24:7]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “read it in the ears of.”

[24:7]  ³ 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.

[28:35]  ⁴ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the robe) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:35]  ⁵ tn The form is a Piel infinitive construct with the lamed (ל) preposition: “to minister” or “to serve.” It may be taken epexegetically here, “while serving,” although S. R. Driver takes it as a purpose, “in order that he may minister” (Exodus, 308). The point then would be that he dare not enter into the Holy Place without wearing it.

[28:35]  ⁶ sn God would hear the bells and be reminded that this priest was in his presence representing the nation and that the priest had followed the rules of the sanctuary by wearing the appropriate robes with their attachments.