Exodus 20:20

20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

Exodus 20:20 in Other Translations

20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

20 Moses said to the people, "Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin."

20 “Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!”

20 Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won't sin."

20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not.

20 Moses answered the people, "Don't be afraid! God has come only to test you, so that you will be in awe of him and won't sin."

20 Moses responded to the people, "Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin."

20 Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. God has come to put you to the test. He wants you to have respect for him. That will keep you from sinning."

Exodus 20:20 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 20:20

And Moses said unto the people
By representatives and messengers, the heads of the tribes and elders:

fear not;
be not afraid of God with a slavish fear; be not afraid of the thunders and lightnings, as if they were like one of the plagues of Egypt, which terrified Pharaoh and his people; be not afraid of being consumed by them, they will do you no hurt; be not afraid of dying by the hand of God, at his presence, and through the voice of his words spoken to you; be of good courage, for the design of God is not to destroy you, but to instruct you, and do you good:

for God is come to prove you;
whether, being now freed by him from Egyptian bondage, they would take and own him for their King, and be subject to his laws and government; whether they would abide by what they had said, all that the Lord hath spoken will we do, ( Exodus 19:8 ) , whether they thought they had purity and righteousness enough to answer to the divine law, and whether they imagined they had strength enough to fulfil it, and whether they needed a mediator between God and them or not: some Jewish writers ^F17 give a different sense of this clause, as if the coming of God to them in this grand and majestic manner was to exalt them, and make them great and honourable among the nations of the world; taking the word used to be derived from a root, which signifies to lift up, as a banner or ensign is lifted up on high: but the former sense is best;

and that his fear may be before your faces;
not a slavish fear of death, of wrath, and damnation, before dehorted from; but a reverence of the divine Majesty, an awe of his greatness and glory, a serious regard to his commands, delivered in so grand a manner, and a carefulness to offend him by disobeying them:

that ye sin not:
by breaking the law, and transgressing the precepts of it, which they might be deterred from, as it might be reasonably thought, when they reflected with what solemnity, and in what an awful manner it was delivered to them.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F17 Jarchi in loc. Medrash apud Kimchi in Sepher Shorash. rad. (hog) & Ben Melech in loc.

Exodus 20:20 In-Context

18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance

19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:

Cross References

• 1. S Genesis 15:1
• 2. S Genesis 22:1
• 3. Deuteronomy 4:10; Deuteronomy 6:2,24; Deuteronomy 10:12; Psalms 111:10; Psalms 128:1; Proverbs 1:7; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Isaiah 8:13
• 4. Job 1:8; Job 2:3; Job 28:28; Proverbs 3:7; Proverbs 8:13; Proverbs 14:16; Proverbs 16:6