Sinai

Lore & Background

Sinai is the mountain where the LORD descended in fire, causing smoke and quaking (Exodus 19:18). The LORD called Moses to the top of the mount (Exodus 19:20), and the people were forbidden to approach, with bounds set around it (Exodus 19:23). The glory of the LORD abode on Sinai for six days, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from the cloud (Exodus 24:16). At Sinai, the LORD gave Moses two tables of testimony, written with the finger of God (Exodus 31:18). After the first tables were broken, Moses hewed two new tables and went up again as commanded (Exodus 34:2, 34:4). When Moses came down, his face shone because he had spoken with the LORD (Exodus 34:29). He then gave the people all the commandments spoken on the mount (Exodus 34:32). The LORD also commanded Moses at Sinai regarding offerings (Leviticus 7:38) and spoke to him there concerning the sabbatical year (Leviticus 25:1). The mountain is thus the central location for the covenant and law-giving.

Reader's Guide

The passages portray Sinai as a place of divine presence and revelation, marked by fire, smoke, and earthquake (Exodus 19:18). It is a holy mountain, set apart with boundaries that the people cannot cross (Exodus 19:23). The LORD descends upon it (Exodus 19:20) and calls Moses up repeatedly (Exodus 24:16, 34:2). The mountain is the site where the law is given in written form on stone tables (Exodus 31:18, 34:4). Moses' face shines after his encounters there (Exodus 34:29), indicating a transformative effect. The wilderness of Sinai is the broader region where the camp is pitched (Exodus 19:2), and the mountain itself is the focal point of the covenant. The passages do not describe the mountain's physical appearance beyond the theophany, nor do they provide its exact location relative to other landmarks except that it lies beyond the wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16:1).

Did You Know?

• The Israelites arrived at the wilderness of Sinai in the third month after leaving Egypt (Exodus 19:1).
• The LORD's glory covered Sinai for six days before calling Moses on the seventh (Exodus 24:16).
• Moses' face shone after descending from Sinai, though he was unaware (Exodus 34:29).
• The LORD gave Moses two stone tables written with His finger at Sinai (Exodus 31:18).