Exodus 24:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

How could Moses perceive Him with physical eyesight when such eyes cannot discern not only the Wisdom of God, which is Christ, but also the soul of a wise individual, or even any human being? Furthermore, since it is noted that the elders of Israel beheld the place where the God of Israel stood, and beneath His feet was something resembling a work of pure sapphire, clear as the heavens, we must understand that in a specific earthly context, through His essence, the Word and Wisdom of God were present, rapidly extending from one end to the other and orchestrating all things for good (Prem. 8:1). The Word of God, through whom all things came into existence (Jn. 1:3), can seem mutable, contracting and expanding! May the Lord cleanse the hearts of His faithful from such notions!

The base served as a reminder to the Israelites of their captivity in Egypt; the sapphire symbolized the miraculous division of the sea; the hue of the pristine sky echoed his words cautioning them against adopting the lascivious gaze of a wayward woman.

Moses bears witness that the leaders of Israel encountered God, witnessing the location where the God of Israel stood. Beneath Him was something resembling sapphire stone, akin to the clarity of the sky. Not a single chosen individual from Israel was harmed; they were in the presence of God and partook of food and drink. God made it clear to His servant Moses that it is impossible for man to see Him directly, saying, "Thou canst not see My face: for man shall not see My face, and live" (Ex. 33:20). Some assert that God's Majesty was shown to the elders of Israel in a manner devoid of any human or animal likeness, manifested instead as a brilliant, radiant cloud.

The translation of the Seventy, which includes the phrase ‘a standing-place,’ is praised by numerous commentators. Even Moses, as noted in Exodus 33:19-20, was not afforded the privilege of witnessing the form of God atop the mountain. In Deuteronomy 4:12, Moses reminds the Israelites of God's mercies, declaring to all, including the elders, ‘the voice of His word ye have heard, but ye have not seen the image, but only the voice.’ Cook interprets the Hebrew of the current verse (‘and they saw God’) as indicating that they experienced His gracious presence, as if ‘the heart burned within them.’