9 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Lo, I am coming unto thee in the thickness of the cloud, so that the people hear in My speaking with thee, and also believe in thee to the age;' and Moses declareth the words of the people unto Jehovah. 10 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Go unto the people; and thou hast sanctified them to-day and to-morrow, and they have washed their garments, 11 and have been prepared for the third day; for on the third day doth Jehovah come down before the eyes of all the people, on mount Sinai. 12 'And thou hast made a border 'for' the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, going up into the mount, or coming against its extremity; whoever is coming against the mount is certainly put to death; 13 a hand cometh not against him, for he is certainly stoned or shot through, whether beast or man it liveth not; in the drawing out of the jubilee cornet they go up into the mount.' 14 And Moses cometh down from the mount unto the people, and sanctifieth the people, and they wash their garments; 15 and he saith unto the people, 'Be ye prepared for the third day, come not nigh unto a woman.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 19:9-15
Commentary on Exodus 19:9-15
(Read Exodus 19:9-15)
The solemn manner in which the law was delivered, was to impress the people with a right sense of the Divine majesty. Also to convince them of their own guilt, and to show that they could not stand in judgment before God by their own obedience. In the law, the sinner discovers what he ought to be, what he is, and what he wants. There he learns the nature, necessity, and glory of redemption, and of being made holy. Having been taught to flee to Christ, and to love him, the law is the rule of his obedience and faith.