Exodus 20:20
New International Version
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

New Living Translation
“Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!”

English Standard Version
Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.”

Berean Standard Bible
“Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.”

King James Bible
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

New King James Version
And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”

New American Standard Bible
However, Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you will not sin.”

NASB 1995
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.”

NASB 1977
And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may be with you, so that you may not sin.”

Amplified Bible
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him [that is, a profound reverence for Him] will remain with you, so that you do not sin.”

Christian Standard Bible
Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear him and will not sin.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin.”

American Standard Version
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Moshe said to the people, “You shall not be afraid, because God has come to test you and so that his awe may be before your faces and that you will not sin.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Moses says to them, Be of good courage, for God is come to you to try you, that his fear may be among you, that ye sin not.

Contemporary English Version
"Don't be afraid!" Moses replied. "God has come only to test you, so that by obeying him you won't sin."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Moses said to the people: Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that the dread of him might be in you, and you should not sin.

English Revised Version
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Moses answered the people, "Don't be afraid! God has come only to test you, so that you will be in awe of him and won't sin."

Good News Translation
Moses replied, "Don't be afraid; God has only come to test you and make you keep on obeying him, so that you will not sin."

International Standard Version
Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you may fear him in order that you don't sin."

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Moses said unto the people: 'Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before you, that ye sin not.'

Literal Standard Version
And Moses says to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to try you, and in order that His fear may be before your faces—that you do not sin.”

Majority Standard Bible
“Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.”

New American Bible
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid, for God has come only to test you and put the fear of him upon you so you do not sin.”

NET Bible
Moses said to the people, "Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you so that you do not sin."

New Revised Standard Version
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.”

New Heart English Bible
Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won't sin."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses said to the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

World English Bible
Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Moses saith unto the people, 'Fear not, for to try you hath God come, and in order that His fear may be before your faces -- that ye sin not.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Moses Comforts the People
19“Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” 20“Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.” 21And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.…

Cross References
Exodus 14:13
But Moses told the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD's salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.

Exodus 15:25
And Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,

Deuteronomy 4:10
The day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, "Gather the people before Me to hear My words, so that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach them to their children."

Deuteronomy 6:2
so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged.

Deuteronomy 6:24
And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes and to fear the LORD our God, that we may always be prosperous and preserved, as we are to this day.

Deuteronomy 8:2
Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.

Deuteronomy 13:3
you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.


Treasury of Scripture

And Moses said to the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that you sin not.

fear not

1 Samuel 12:20
And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

prove

Exodus 15:25,26
And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, …

Genesis 22:1,12
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am

Deuteronomy 8:2
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

his fear

Genesis 20:11
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

Deuteronomy 6:2
That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

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Exodus 20
1. The ten commandments are spoken by Jehovah
18. The people are afraid, but Moses comforts them
21. Idolatry is forbidden
23. Of what sort the altar should be














(20) Moses said unto the people, Fear not.--God approved the people's proposal, and directed that they should withdraw to their tents (Deuteronomy 5:28-30). Moses then "drew near" to Him, and entered into "the thick darkness where God was" (Exodus 20:21). It is worthy of notice that the same manifestation which repelled the people attracted Moses.

Verse 20. - And Moses said unto the people. Not immediately - Moses first held colloquy with God. God declared that the people had "spoken well" (Deuteronomy 5:28); and authorised Moses to allow of their withdrawal (ib, 30). Fear not. Here Exodus is more full in its details than Deuteronomy. Moses, finding the people in a state of extreme alarm, pacified them - assured them that there was no cause for immediate fear - God had not now come in vengeance - the object of the terrors of Sinai was to "prove" them - i.e., to test them, whether they were inclined to submit themselves to God, or not - and to impress upon their minds permanently an awful fear of God, that they might he kept back from sin by dread of his almighty power. The motive of fear is, no doubt, a low one; but where we can appeal to nothing else, we must appeal to it. Israel was still a child, only fit for childish discipline; and had to be directed by the harsh voice of fear, until it had learnt to he guided by the tender accents of love.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

be afraid,”
תִּירָאוּ֒ (tî·rā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 3372: To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten

Moses
מֹשֶׁ֣ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

replied.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“For
כִּ֗י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

God
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

has come
בָּ֖א (bā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to
לְבַֽעֲבוּר֙ (lə·ḇa·‘ă·ḇūr)
Preposition-l, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5668: Crossed, transit, on account of, in order that

test you,
נַסּ֣וֹת (nas·sō·wṯ)
Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5254: To test, to attempt

so that
וּבַעֲב֗וּר (ū·ḇa·‘ă·ḇūr)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5668: Crossed, transit, on account of, in order that

the fear of Him
יִרְאָת֛וֹ (yir·’ā·ṯōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3374: Fear, reverence

may be before
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

you,
פְּנֵיכֶ֖ם (pə·nê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 6440: The face

to keep
לְבִלְתִּ֥י (lə·ḇil·tî)
Preposition-l
Strong's 1115: A failure of, not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until

you from sinning.”
תֶחֱטָֽאוּ׃ (ṯe·ḥĕ·ṭā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn


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OT Law: Exodus 20:20 Moses said to the people Don't be (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 20:19
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