Deuteronomy 5:23

23 And after that ye heard the voice from the midst of the darknesses, and ye saw the hill burn, all ye princes of the lineages, and the greater men in birth, nighed to me, (And after that ye heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, and ye saw the mountain burning with fire, all ye leaders of the tribes, and the men of great age, that is, the elders, came to me,)

Deuteronomy 5:23 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 5:23

And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst
of the darkness
The thick darkness, where God was, and with which the mountain was covered, ( Exodus 20:21 )

for the mountain did burn with fire;
which is a reason both why the Lord spoke out of the midst of the fire, the mountain on which he descended burning with it and also for his speaking out of the midst of darkness, because not only a thick cloud covered the mountain, but it was altogether on a smoke, which ascended as the smoke of a furnace, ( Exodus 19:16 Exodus 19:18 )

that ye come near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes and your
elders;
or wise men, as the Targum of Jonathan; by which it appears, that not only the common people were frightened at what they heard and saw on Mount Sinai, but those of the first rank and eminence among them, who were the most famous for their authority and wisdom.

Deuteronomy 5:23 In-Context

21 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his house, nor his field, nor his servant, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor ass, and all things, that is, nothing of all the things, that be his. (Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his house, nor his field, nor his slave, nor his slave-girl, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that be his.)

22 The Lord spake these words to all your multitude, in the hill, from the midst of the fire, and of the cloud, and of the mist, with great voice, and he added to (it) nothing more; and he wrote those words in two tables of stone, which he gave to me. (The Lord spoke these words to all the multitude of you, on the mountain, from the midst of the fire, and of the cloud, and of the mist, with a great voice, and he added nothing more to it; and he wrote those words on two stone tablets, which he gave to me.)

23 And after that ye heard the voice from the midst of the darknesses, and ye saw the hill burn, all ye princes of the lineages, and the greater men in birth, nighed to me, (And after that ye heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, and ye saw the mountain burning with fire, all ye leaders of the tribes, and the men of great age, that is, the elders, came to me,)

24 and ye said, Lo! our Lord God hath showed to us his majesty and greatness; we heard his voice from [the] midst of the fire, and we have proved today that a man liveth, God speaking with man. (and ye said, Lo! the Lord our God hath shown us his majesty and his greatness; we heard his voice from the midst of the fire, and we have proven today that a person can live, even after God hath spoken with him.)

25 Why therefore shall we die, and shall this greatest fire devour us? For if we hear more the voice of our Lord God, we shall die. (And so why should we risk death again? for this great fire shall devour us! Yea, if we hear the voice of the Lord our God again, surely we shall all die!)