Exodus Chapter 24 — The Blood of the Covenant
Moses and the people formalize their covenant with God through sacrifice and the reading of the law before Moses ascends Mount Sinai for forty days.
1He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship from a distance.
2Moses alone shall come near to the LORD, but they shall not come near. The people shall not go up with him.”
3Moses came and told the people all the LORD’s words, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words which the LORD has spoken will we do.”
4Moses wrote all the LORD’s words, then rose up early in the morning and built an altar at the base of the mountain, with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
5He sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of cattle to the LORD.
6Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “We will do all that the LORD has said, and be obedient.”
8Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you concerning all these words.”
9Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up.
10They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire*or, lapis lazuli stone, like the skies for clearness.
11He didn’t lay his hand on the nobles of the children of Israel. They saw God, and ate and drank.
12The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commands that I have written, that you may teach them.”
13Moses rose up with Joshua, his servant, and Moses went up onto God’s Mountain.
14He said to the elders, “Wait here for us, until we come again to you. Behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever is involved in a dispute can go to them.”
15Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
16The LORD’s glory settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. The seventh day he called to Moses out of the middle of the cloud.
17The appearance of the LORD’s glory was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18Moses entered into the middle of the cloud, and went up on the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Exodus 24:7
“He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “We will do all that the LORD has said, and be obedient.””
This verse records the people's collective commitment to follow God's laws and serves as the foundation of the covenant relationship.
Exodus 24:8
“Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you concerning all these words.””
This ritual marks the formal and sacred sealing of the agreement between God and His people through sacrifice.
Exodus 24:10
“They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the skies for clearness.”
This passage provides a rare and vivid description of a divine encounter shared by the leaders of Israel.
Chapter Summary
Exodus 24 describes the formal ratification of the covenant between God and the nation of Israel. After Moses relates God's laws to the people, they respond with a unanimous promise of obedience. Moses then builds an altar at the base of Mount Sinai with twelve pillars representing the twelve tribes. He performs sacrifices and rituals involving the 'blood of the covenant,' which is sprinkled on the altar and the people to seal their agreement. Following this, Moses, Aaron, his sons, and seventy elders ascend part of the mountain where they witness a vision of God's presence on a sapphire pavement. Moses is then called further up into the cloud of God's glory, accompanied by Joshua, to receive the stone tablets of the law. He remains on the mountain for forty days and forty nights while the glory of the Lord appears as a consuming fire to those watching from below.
Frequently Asked Questions
The blood of the covenant refers to the blood from sacrificed animals that Moses sprinkled on the altar and the people. This act served as a physical sign and seal of the solemn legal and spiritual agreement made between God and the Israelites.
The seventy elders, along with Moses and Aaron's family, saw a vision of the God of Israel. They described seeing a clear sapphire-like pavement beneath His feet, and the text notes they were able to eat and drink in the presence of God without being harmed.
Moses stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. He entered the cloud of God's glory to receive the stone tablets containing the law and commandments that God had written for the instruction of the people.
Study Note
The mention of seventy elders reflects a recurring biblical motif where the number seventy represents the leadership and representative totality of a community.
Related Chapters
Exodus 19
Exodus 19 describes the initial arrival at Sinai and the preparation for this covenant ceremony.
Exodus 32
Exodus 32 provides the contrast to this chapter, showing the people breaking the covenant while Moses is still on the mountain.
Hebrews 9
Hebrews 9 offers a New Testament perspective on the significance of the blood used to inaugurate the first covenant.
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