Exodus 19:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The apostle reiterates in his letter to the Hebrews that if even a beast touches the mountain, it must be stoned (Heb. 12:20).

Every measure and safeguard was established to ensure that nothing devoid of speech could approach the mountain. In the event that such a thing did arise, it was decreed that the people should stone any entity that emerged from the realm of the voiceless upon the mountain.

Once these precautions were taken and the presence of the voiceless was expelled from the mountain to the fullest extent possible, one could then ascend to elevated truths. The prohibition against any speechless being appearing on the mountain suggests that, in the realm of intellectual contemplation, the understanding derived from sensory perception must be transcended.

If there exists a ferocious and untamed creature, wholly incapable of comprehending the profound speculative and theological truths, it should not lurk in its lair with the sinister intent to ambush and snatch away some doctrine or phrase and with a hostile demeanor seek to dismantle the pure teachings. Instead, it should withdraw and distance itself from the sacred ground, lest it face judgment (Heb. 12:20) and be crushed, for 'the wicked man shall die a wicked death' (Matt. 21:41). Indeed, solid and righteous doctrines serve as stones against those who act like beasts.

The Israelites were expressly prohibited from ascending Mount Sinai, as it was commanded: “Take heed unto yourselves not to go up into the mount, neither by any means to touch it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall die a death” (12). This stringent command appears contradictory to the later statement within the same chapter that, “when the voice and the trumpet and the cloud depart from the mountain, these shall ascend the mountain” (13).

The holiness of the mountain, marked by the manifestation of God's glory, is so profound that it prohibits crossing designated boundaries under penalty of death. Not only is it forbidden to breach this sacred line, but pursuing someone who has done so to bring them back is also strictly forbidden. The mountain itself remains untouched by the hand of the pursuer. Whether it be man or beast that crosses this line, it is appropriate to use stones or arrows to dispatch them from a distance rather than pursuing them on foot. Should the pursuer step over the boundary to retrieve them, he would defile the mountain by his contact, as well as those he seeks to catch. However, when the thunder, the trumpet, and the cloud lift from the mountain, permission is granted for those to ascend. This does not imply that anyone can reach the summit, which the Lord designated solely for Moses, but rather that individuals may approach only the lower portion of the mountain, close to its base.

In this context, the term "they" as agreed upon by scholars refers not to the entire populace, but specifically to the elders mentioned in verses 7 and 22. These elders, who were part of the seventy alongside Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, entered the mount with Moses, as indicated in Exodus 24:1. While Moses ascended to the summit, the elders remained on the slope, likely at the base of the formidable rock known as Raz-Sufsafeh.