Deuteronomy 5:27
Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say, and speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The people aren't just asking Moses to relay information; they're explicitly saying, "You go near and hear all that the LORD says, and then you speak all that the LORD tells you." This emphasizes their desire for Moses to be the sole, unfiltered conduit of God's word, acknowledging their own inability to bear direct divine communication. Their promise to "hear and do" is a direct response to their fear, revealing their hope that mediating God's word through Moses will make obedience possible and safe for them.
The Israelites, overwhelmed by the terrifying display of God's presence on Mount Sinai, express their fear and inability to directly hear God's voice anymore. They ask Moses to approach God on their behalf, to hear what God has to say and then relay it to them, promising to listen and obey what he brings. God hears their request and affirms their response, but also expresses a longing for their hearts to truly fear and obey Him consistently.
Imagine standing at the foot of a mountain engulfed in fire and smoke, hearing God's voice boom from the heavens. It’s a scene of incredible power and terror. The Israelites experienced this firsthand, and their reaction tells us a lot about our own struggles with divine encounter.
The giving of the Law at Mount Sinai was a terrifying event. The fire, smoke, and thunder weren't just for show; they were meant to convey the overwhelming holiness and power of God. The people, acutely aware of their own sinfulness, were so overwhelmed by God's immediate presence that they couldn't bear it. They said, 'Let not God speak to us, lest we die' (Deuteronomy 5:25). This fear reveals a profound truth: our sinful nature cannot stand in God's pure presence without immediate destruction. It wasn't that God was inherently hostile, but that His perfect holiness is utterly incompatible with sin.
The Israelites, terrified by God's voice, didn't just ask for silence. They asked for a middleman – someone to hear God and speak to them. This request points to a crucial role God established in His relationship with humanity.
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When the people cried out in fear, they didn't reject God, but they did reject hearing Him directly. They pleaded, 'Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say, and speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you.' They recognized Moses as God's appointed mediator. God affirmed this role, acknowledging that the people 'have done well in all that they have said' (Deuteronomy 5:28). This established Moses as the unique bridge between God and Israel. Later, God would promise another prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15), pointing forward to Jesus, our ultimate Mediator, who bridges the gap between God and us perfectly.
In the shadow of God's fearsome power, the Israelites made a bold promise: 'we will hear and do it.' But was this a genuine commitment, or a desperate plea born out of immediate fear?
The people's declaration, 'we will hear and do it,' sounds like a sincere vow of obedience. God Himself even said, 'they have well said' (Deuteronomy 5:28). However, the context and later history reveal a more complex truth. This promise, made in terror and awe, was not rooted in a transformed heart. It was an immediate reaction to a powerful divine encounter, not a settled conviction. As one commentator noted, they were 'convicted of the word they heard... fair promises are extorted from them, but no good principles are fixed.' God's desire, expressed in verse 29, 'Oh that there were such an heart in them,' shows that true obedience flows not from fear, but from a willing, changed heart. Our own promises to God need to be examined: are they born of a genuine desire for holiness, or a fleeting reaction to conviction?
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenant name of God (Yahweh), revealed to Moses. It signifies His unchanging faithfulness, His self-existence, and His commitment to His covenant relationship with His people.
This passage describes the Israelites' fearful reaction to God's voice, directly leading to their request for Moses to act as an intermediary, mirroring the sentiment in Deuteronomy 5:27.
Hebrews 12:18-19This New Testament passage contrasts the terrifying experience of Mount Sinai, where God's voice was heard from fire and darkness, with the spiritual reality of Mount Zion, highlighting the Israelites' desire to hear God through a mediator.
John 1:14This verse speaks of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us, showing how God, who is unapproachable in His full glory, provided a way for humanity to hear and see Him through Jesus, fulfilling the people's need for mediated communication.
1 Samuel 3:9-10This passage shows young Samuel responding to God's call with 'Speak, for your servant is listening,' demonstrating a willingness to hear and obey that the Israelites, though initially promising it, struggled to maintain.
Matthew 17:5The voice from the cloud at Jesus' transfiguration declares 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him!', echoing the Israelites' desire to hear God through a chosen representative, now fulfilled in Jesus.
gillDeuteronomy 5:27: "Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it."
Go thou near,.... To the mount, and to God on it: and hear all that the Lord our God shall say; for they supposed, by the continuance of the Lord on the mount, and the fire burning on it, that he had more to say, which they were not averse to hear; but desired it might be not immediately delivered to them, but by…
calvinDeuteronomy 5:22-31: "These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me."
- These words the Lord spoke unto all your assembly in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and he added no more: and he wrote them in two tables of stone, and del…
The people aren't just asking Moses to relay information; they're explicitly saying, "You go near and hear all that the LORD says, and then you speak all that the LORD tells you." This emphasizes their desire for Moses to be the sole, unfiltered conduit of God's word, acknowledging their own inability to bear direct divine communication. Their promise to "hear and do" is a direct response to their fear, revealing their hope that mediating God's word through Moses will make obedience possible and safe for them.
The Israelites, overwhelmed by the terrifying display of God's presence on Mount Sinai, express their fear and inability to directly hear God's voice anymore. They ask Moses to approach God on their behalf, to hear what God has to say and then relay it to them, promising to listen and obey what he brings. God hears their request and affirms their response, but also expresses a longing for their hearts to truly fear and obey Him consistently.
The Israelites, overwhelmed by the terrifying display of God's presence on Mount Sinai, express their fear and inability to directly hear God's voice anymore. They ask Moses to approach God on their behalf, to hear what God has to say and then relay it to them, promising to listen and obey what he brings. God hears their request and affirms their response, but also expresses a longing for their hearts to truly fear and obey Him consistently.
"Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say, and speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’" — The people aren't just asking Moses to relay information; they're explicitly saying, "You go near and hear all that the LORD says, and then you speak all that the LORD tells you." This emphasizes…
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