The Giving of the Law at Sinai
Three months out of Egypt the people camp in front of the mountain. The offer made there is a covenant, not a decree — if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession — and the people answer before hearing the terms.
The theophany is deliberately overwhelming: limits set around the mountain, thunder, smoke, a trumpet growing louder, and the people trembling and asking Moses to speak with God on their behalf instead.
The Ten Commandments open with a statement of who is speaking and what he has already done — I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt — so the obligations follow the rescue rather than earning it. Four concern God, six concern neighbours, and the whole is repeated a generation later in Deuteronomy with the sabbath grounded in slavery rather than creation.
Where in scripture
[1] In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. [2] When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain. [3] Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him out of the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: [4] ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. [5] Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; …
Exodus 19:1–25 — opening verses
[1] God spoke all these words, saying, [2] “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. [3] “You shall have no other gods before me. [4] “You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: [5] you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, [6] and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. …
Exodus 20:1–21 — opening verses
[1] Moses called to all Israel, and said to them, “Hear, Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears today, that you may learn them, and observe to do them.” [2] Yahweh our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. [3] Yahweh didn’t make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive today. [4] Yahweh spoke with you face to face on the mountain out of the middle of the fire, [5] (I stood between Yahweh and you at that time, to show you Yahweh’s word: for you were afraid because of the fire, and didn’t go up onto the mountain;) saying, [6] “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. [7] “You shall have no other gods before me. …
Deuteronomy 5:1–22 — opening verses
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
