Exodus 19:10
New International Version
And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes

New Living Translation
Then the LORD told Moses, “Go down and prepare the people for my arrival. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing.

English Standard Version
the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments

Berean Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes

King James Bible
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

New King James Version
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes.

New American Standard Bible
The LORD also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their garments;

NASB 1995
The LORD also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments;

NASB 1977
The LORD also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments;

Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh also said to Moses, “Go to the people and set them apart as holy today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments;

Amplified Bible
The LORD also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow [that is, prepare them for My sacred purpose], and have them wash their clothes

Christian Standard Bible
and the LORD told Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And the LORD told Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes

American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their garments,

Contemporary English Version
Once more the LORD spoke to Moses: Go back and tell the people that today and tomorrow they must get themselves ready to meet me. They must wash their clothes

English Revised Version
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people, and tell them they have two days to get ready. They must set themselves apart as holy. Have them wash their clothes

Good News Translation
and the LORD said to him, "Go to the people and tell them to spend today and tomorrow purifying themselves for worship. They must wash their clothes

International Standard Version
The LORD told Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes,

Majority Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes

NET Bible
The LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and make them wash their clothes

New Heart English Bible
The LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments,

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to Moses, Go to the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

World English Bible
Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And YHWH says to Moses, “Go to the people and you have sanctified them today and tomorrow, and they have washed their garments,

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Go unto the people; and thou hast sanctified them to-day and to-morrow, and they have washed their garments,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehovah will say to Moses, Go to the people and consecrate them this day, and the morrow; and they washed their garments,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to him: Go to the people, and sanctify them to day, and to morrow, and let them wash their garments.

Catholic Public Domain Version
who said to him: “Go to the people, and sanctify them today, and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments.

New American Bible
the LORD said to Moses: Go to the people and have them sanctify themselves today and tomorrow. Have them wash their garments

New Revised Standard Version
the LORD said to Moses: “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the LORD said to Moses, Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And LORD JEHOVAH said to Moshe, “Go to the people and hallow them today and tomorrow, and they will wash their clothes,
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their garments,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Lord said to Moses, Go down and solemnly charge the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their garments.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Israel at Mount Sinai
9The 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. 10Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes 11and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.…

Cross References
Leviticus 11:44
For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground.

Leviticus 20:7
Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am the LORD your God.

Numbers 8:21
The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.

Numbers 11:18
And say to the people: Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, because you have cried out in the hearing of the LORD, saying: ‘Who will feed us meat? For we were better off in Egypt!’ Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat.

Joshua 3:5
Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”

1 Samuel 16:5
“In peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

2 Chronicles 29:5
“Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity.

Nehemiah 12:30
After the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

Isaiah 1:16
Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!

Ezekiel 36:25
I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.

Zechariah 13:1
“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.

Matthew 3:11
I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

John 15:3
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

Acts 22:16
And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’


Treasury of Scripture

And the LORD said to Moses, Go to the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

sanctify

Exodus 16:15
And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

Leviticus 11:44,45
For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth…

Joshua 3:5
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.

wash

Exodus 19:14
And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

Genesis 35:2
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

Leviticus 11:25
And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

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Clothes Clothing Consecrate Garments Hallow Morrow Moses Sanctified Sanctify Today To-Day Tomorrow To-Morrow Wash Washed
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Clothes Clothing Consecrate Garments Hallow Morrow Moses Sanctified Sanctify Today To-Day Tomorrow To-Morrow Wash Washed
Exodus 19
1. The people arrive at Sinai
3. God's message by Moses unto the people out of the mount
8. The people are prepared against the third day, for the giving of the law
12. The mountain must not be touched
16. The fearful presence of God upon the mount














Then the LORD said to Moses
This phrase underscores the direct communication between God and Moses, a central theme in the narrative of Exodus. The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "YHWH," the sacred and personal name of God, emphasizing His covenant relationship with Israel. This divine instruction highlights Moses' role as a mediator between God and His people, a foreshadowing of Christ as the ultimate mediator in the New Testament.

Go to the people
The command to "go" signifies an active engagement with the Israelites. Moses is not merely a passive recipient of God's word but is tasked with delivering and implementing God's instructions. This reflects the responsibility of spiritual leaders to guide and prepare their communities for encounters with the divine.

and consecrate them
The Hebrew root for "consecrate" is "qadash," meaning to set apart or make holy. This act of consecration is a preparation for the Israelites to meet God, emphasizing the holiness required to stand in His presence. It serves as a reminder of the call to holiness for believers, as echoed in 1 Peter 1:16, "Be holy, because I am holy."

today and tomorrow
The specific timeframe of "today and tomorrow" indicates a period of preparation and anticipation. It suggests that approaching God requires intentionality and readiness, a principle that applies to worship and spiritual disciplines in the life of a believer.

They must wash their clothes
Washing clothes symbolizes purification and the removal of impurity. In the ancient Near Eastern context, cleanliness was often associated with ritual purity. This act serves as an outward expression of an inward spiritual cleansing, paralleling the New Testament concept of being washed by the Word (Ephesians 5:26) and the blood of Christ (Revelation 7:14). It reminds believers of the importance of purity and preparation in approaching God.

(10) Go unto the people, and sanctify them.--The approaching manifestation required, above all things, that the people should be "sanctified." Sanctification is twofold--outward and inward. The real essential preparation for approach to God is inward sanctification; but no external command can secure this. Moses was therefore instructed to issue directions for outward purification; and it was left to the spiritual insight of the people to perceive and recognise that such purity symbolised and required internal purification as its counterpart. The external purification was to consist in three things--(1) Ablution, or washing of the person; (2) washing of clothes; and (3) abstinence from sexual intercourse (Exodus 19:15).

Let them wash their clothes.--The Levitical law required the washing of clothes on many occasions (Leviticus 11:25; Leviticus 11:28; Leviticus 11:40; Leviticus 13:6; Leviticus 13:34; Leviticus 13:58; Leviticus 14:8-9; Leviticus 14:47; Leviticus 15:5-22, &c.) In connection with purification. The same idea prevailed in Egypt (Herod., 2:37), in Greece (Horn. Od., iv. 1. 759), and in Rome (Dollinger, Jew and Gentile, vol. ii., p. 82). It is a natural extension of the idea that ablution of the person cleanses, not from physical only, but from moral defilement. . . .

Verses 10-15. - THE PREPARATION OF THE PEOPLE AND OF THE MOUNTAIN FOR THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD UPON IT. The people having accepted God's terms, the time had come for the revelation in all its fulness of the covenant which God designed to make with them. This, it was essential, they should perceive and know to come from God, and not to be the invention of Moses. God, therefore, was about to manifest himself. But ere he could do this with safety, it was requisite that certain preparations should be made. Before man can be fit to approach God, he needs to be sanctified. The essential sanctification is internal; but, as internal purity and holiness cannot be produced at a given moment, Moses was ordered to require its outward symbol, external bodily cleanliness, by ablution and the washing of clothes, as a preliminary to God's descent upon the mountain (vers. 10, 13). It would be generally understood that this external purity was symbolical only, and needed to be accompanied by internal cleanliness. Further, since even the purest of men is impure in God's sight, and since there would be many in the congregation who had attempted no internal cleansing, it was necessary to provide that they should not draw too near, so as to intrude on the holy ground or on God's presence. Moses was therefore required to have a fence erected round the mountain, between it and the people, and to proclaim the penalty of death against all who should pass it and touch the mount (vers. 12, 13). In executing these orders, Moses gave an additional charge to the heads of families, that they should purify themselves by an act of abstinence which he specified (ver. 15) Verse 10. - Go unto the people. Moses had withdrawn himself from the people to report their words to God (vers. 8, 9). He was now commanded to return to them. Sanctify them. Or "purify them." Purification in Egypt was partly by washing, partly, by shaving the hair, either front the head only, or from the entire body (Herod. 2:37), partly perhaps by other rites. The Israelites seem ordinarily to have purified themselves by washing only. To-day and to-morrow. The fourth and fifth of Sivan, according to the Jewish tradition, the Decalogue having been given upon the sixth. The requirement of a two-days' preparation marked the extreme sanctity of the occasion. Let them wash their clothes. Compare Leviticus 15:5. Rich people could "change their garments" on a sacred occasion (Genesis 35:2); the poorer sort, having no change, could only wash them.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the LORD
יְהוָ֤ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

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

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

“Go
לֵ֣ךְ (lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the people
הָעָ֔ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

and consecrate
וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֥ם (wə·qid·daš·tām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6942: To be set apart or consecrated

them today
הַיּ֖וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

and tomorrow.
וּמָחָ֑ר (ū·mā·ḥār)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 4279: Deferred, the morrow, tomorrow, hereafter

They must wash
וְכִבְּס֖וּ (wə·ḵib·bə·sū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3526: To trample, to wash

their clothes
שִׂמְלֹתָֽם׃ (śim·lō·ṯām)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8071: A dress, a mantle


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