Exodus 20:21
New International Version
The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

New Living Translation
As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.

English Standard Version
The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

Berean Standard Bible
And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

King James Bible
And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

New King James Version
So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

New American Standard Bible
So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

NASB 1995
So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

NASB 1977
So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

Legacy Standard Bible
So the people stood at a distance, but Moses came near the dense gloom where God was.

Amplified Bible
So the people stood at a [safe] distance, but Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

Christian Standard Bible
And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the total darkness where God was.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

American Standard Version
And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the people stood at a distance and Moshe came to the thick darkness of the place of God.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the people stood afar off, and Moses went into the darkness where God was.

Contemporary English Version
But when Moses went near the thick cloud where God was, the people stayed a long way off.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the people stood afar off. But Moses went to the dark cloud wherein God was.

English Revised Version
And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The people kept their distance while Moses went closer to the dark cloud where God was.

Good News Translation
But the people continued to stand a long way off, and only Moses went near the dark cloud where God was.

International Standard Version
Then the people stood at a distance, and Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the people stood afar off; but Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

Literal Standard Version
And the people stand far off, and Moses has drawn near to the thick darkness where God [is].

Majority Standard Bible
And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

New American Bible
So the people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.

NET Bible
The people kept their distance, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

New Heart English Bible
The people stayed at a distance, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

World English Bible
The people stayed at a distance, and Moses came near to the thick darkness where God was.

Young's Literal Translation
And the people stand afar off, and Moses hath drawn nigh unto the thick darkness where God is.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Moses Comforts the People
20“Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.” 21And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Cross References
Exodus 19:16
On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram's horn went out, so that all the people in the camp trembled.

Deuteronomy 5:22
The LORD spoke these commandments in a loud voice to your whole assembly out of the fire, the cloud, and the deep darkness on the mountain; He added nothing more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.


Treasury of Scripture

And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

the people

Exodus 19:16,17
And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled…

Deuteronomy 5:5
(I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,

thick

1 Kings 8:12
Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

2 Chronicles 6:1
Then said Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

Psalm 18:9,12
He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet…

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Exodus 20
1. The ten commandments are spoken by Jehovah
18. The people are afraid, but Moses comforts them
21. Idolatry is forbidden
23. Of what sort the altar should be














Verse 21. - The people stood afar off. They retired from the base of Sinai to their tents, where they "stood," probably in their tent doors. And Moses drew near unto the thick darkness. As the people drew back, Moses drew near. The display which drove them off, attracted him. He did not even fear the "thick darkness" - a thing front which human nature commonly shrinks. Where God was, he would be.

CHAPTER 20:22-26

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And the people
הָעָ֖ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

stood
וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד (way·ya·‘ă·mōḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

at a distance
מֵרָחֹ֑ק (mê·rā·ḥōq)
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7350: Remote, of place, time, precious

as Moses
וּמֹשֶׁה֙ (ū·mō·šeh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

approached
נִגַּ֣שׁ (nig·gaš)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5066: To draw near, approach

the thick darkness
הָֽעֲרָפֶ֔ל (hā·‘ă·rā·p̄el)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6205: Cloud, heavy cloud

where
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

God was.
הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT Law: Exodus 20:21 The people stayed at a distance (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 20:20
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