Exodus 19:12

“You shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up on the mountain or touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.”
Exodus 19:12 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

You shall set limits forוְהִגְבַּלְתָּthe peopleאֶת הָעָםall around,סָבִיבsaying,לֵאמֹר‘Take careהִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶםnot to go upעֲלוֹתon the mountainבָּהָרorוּtouchנְגֹעַits edge.בְּקָצֵהוּWhoeverכָּל הַtouchesנֹּגֵעַthe mountainבָּהָרshall surelyמוֹתbe put to death.יוּמָת

Quotation · Hebrews 12:20

Go to Hebrews 12:20

Hebrews sums up the order of Exodus 19:12-13 with the case of the animal.

Formula: οὐκ ἔφερον γὰρ τὸ διαστελλόμενον “for they could not bear what was commanded” (Hebrews 12:20)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: οὐκ ἔφερον γὰρ τὸ διαστελλόμενον Κἂν θηρίον θίγῃ τοῦ ὄρους λιθοβοληθήσεται

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וְהִגְבַּלְתָּ אֶת הָעָם סָבִיב לֵאמֹר הִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם עֲלוֹת בָּהָר וּנְגֹעַ בְּקָצֵהוּ כָּל הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּהָר מוֹת יוּמָת לֹא תִגַּע בּוֹ יָד כִּי סָקוֹל יִסָּקֵל אוֹ יָרֹה יִיָּרֶה אִם בְּהֵמָה אִם אִישׁ לֹא יִחְיֶה בִּמְשֹׁךְ הַיֹּבֵל הֵמָּה יַעֲלוּ בָהָר

Septuagint (Exodus 19:13 in the Septuagint numbering): οὐχ ἅψεται αὐτοῦ χείρ· ἐν γὰρ λίθοις λιθοβοληθήσεται ἢ βολίδι κατατοξευθήσεται· ἐάν τε κτῆνος ἐάν τε ἄνθρωπος, οὐ ζήσεται ὅταν αἱ φωναὶ καὶ αἱ σάλ- πιγγες καὶ ἡ νεφέλη ἀπέλθῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους, ἐκεῖνοι ἀναβήσονται ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 2 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Exodus 19:12, word by word

You shall set limits forהִגְבַּלְתָּhigbalta

set a boundary

Set a limit or a boundary; border on.

Where else “higbalta” appears

the peopleעָםam

crowd

The people gathered in a place: the crowd, or the troops that go out to war.

Where else “am” appears

all aroundסָבִיבsaviv

around

In a circle or on every side of something: the camp, the city, the altar.

Where else “saviv” appears

sayingאמֹרmor

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “mor” appears

‘Take careהִשָּׁמְרוּhishamru

take care

To watch out for oneself.

Where else “hishamru” appears

not to go upעֲלוֹתalot

go up

To go from a low place to a higher one: up the mountain, to Jerusalem or to a city.

Where else “alot” appears

on the mountainהָרhar

mountain

A great rise of land, like Sinai or Zion.

Where else “har” appears

touchנְגֹעַnegoa

touch

To lay a hand or finger on something, sometimes to take it or harm it.

Where else “negoa” appears

its edgeקָצֵkatse

end

The place where something ends: its edge or farthest point.

Where else “katse” appears

shall surelyמוֹתmot

be put to death

To lose one's life as punishment.

Where else “mot” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Hebrews 12:20

Hebrews sums up the order of Exodus 19:12-13 with the case of the animal.

See them side by side

Exodus 19:12

¹²You shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up on the mountain or touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.

Hebrews 12:20

²⁰for they could not bear what was commanded: If even an animal touches the mountain, it will be stoned.

The context

11and be ready for the third day; for on the third day YHWH will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai.

12 · This verse (above)

13No hand shall touch him, for he shall surely be stoned or surely shot with arrows; whether animal or man, he shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall go up on the mountain.”

Read all of Exodus 19

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