Bible Strands
Exodus 24:1
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders—and you are to worship at a distance.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The LORD addresses Moses, instructing him to ascend with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders. This directive occurs at the moment of covenant ratification, immediately preceding the formalization of the agreement.
The words — The verb עֲלֵה ('a.Leh) literally means "come up," directing the group toward the mountain. The preposition אֶל־ ('el-) marks direction "to" Yahweh, framing the ascent as a targeted movement toward the divine presence.
The thread — The seventy elders reappear in Numbers 11:16 when the LORD commands Moses to gather them for Spirit-endowed leadership. The same priestly line, including Nadab and Abihu, surfaces in Exodus 6:23 and later offers unauthorized fire in Leviticus 10:1.
Why it lands — The text explicitly orders a group to approach while simultaneously restricting physical proximity, establishing that divine access is regulated. It requires the reader to note that authority and encounter with God operate within strict, non-negotiable boundaries.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
Cross-references
- Numbers 11:16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Bring Me seventy of the elders of Israel known to you as leaders and officers of the people. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting and have them stand there with you.
- Exodus 6:23 And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
- Leviticus 10:1 Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.
- Exodus 19:24 And the LORD replied, “Go down and bring Aaron with you. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the LORD, or He will break out against them.”
- Exodus 28:1 “Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.
- Exodus 1:5 The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt.
- Exodus 3:5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
- Exodus 19:9 The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will always put their trust in you.” And Moses relayed to the LORD what the people had said.
- Exodus 19:20 The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the summit. So Moses went up,
- Exodus 20:21 And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.