Exodus 19 · Verse 9

Exodus 19:9

And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.
Exodus 19:9, King James Version

Exodus 19:9 in other translations

BSBThe 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.
WEBThe LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.
ASVAnd Jehovah said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and may also believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto Jehovah.
YLTAnd Jehovah saith unto Moses, ‘Lo, I am coming unto thee in the thickness of the cloud, so that the people hear in My speaking with thee, and also believe in thee to the age;' and Moses declareth the words of the people unto Jehovah.
DARBYAnd Jehovah said to Moses, Lo, I will come to thee in the cloud's thick darkness, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee also for ever. And Moses told the words of the people to Jehovah.
BBEAnd the Lord said to Moses, See, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that what I say to you may come to the ears of the people and they may have belief in you for ever. And Moses gave the Lord word of what the people had said.
WebsterAnd the LORD said to Moses, Lo, I come to thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.

What does Exodus 19:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 19:9-15
9-15. The Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come ... in a thick cloud, &c.--The deepest impressions are made on the mind through the medium of the senses; and so He who knew what was in man signalized His descent at the inauguration of the ancient church, by all the sensible tokens of august majesty that were fitted to produce the conviction that He is the great and terrible God. The whole multitude must have anticipated the event with feelings of intense solemnity and awe. The extraordinary preparations enjoined, the ablutions and rigid abstinence they were required to observe, the barriers erected all round the base of the mount, and the stern penalties annexed to the breach of any of the conditions, all tended to create an earnest and solemn expectation which increased as the appointed day drew near.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 A thick cloud - This is interpreted by Exo 19:18 : And Mount Sinai was altogether on a Smoke - and the Smoke thereof ascended as the Smoke of a furnace; his usual appearance was in the cloudy pillar, which we may suppose was generally clear and luminous. That the people may hear - See Clarke's note on Exo 15:9. The Jews consider this as the fullest evidence their fathers had of the Divine mission of Moses; themselves were permitted to see this awfully glorious sight, and to hear God himself speak out of the thick darkness: for before this, as Rabbi Maymon remarks, they might have thought that Moses wrought his miracles by sorcery or enchantment; but now, hearing the voice of God himself, they could no longer disbelieve nor even doubt.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 19:9-15
The solemn manner in which the law was delivered, was to impress the people with a right sense of the Divine majesty. Also to convince them of their own guilt, and to show that they could not stand in judgment before God by their own obedience. In the law, the sinner discovers what he ought to be, what he is, and what he wants. There he learns the nature, necessity, and glory of redemption, and of being made holy. Having been taught to flee to Christ, and to love him, the law is the rule of his obedience and faith.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Exodus 19:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוָ֜הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶל\־'el-toH413
מֹשֶׁ֗הmo.ShehMosesH4872
הִנֵּ֨הhi.Nehhere!H2009
אָנֹכִ֜י'a.no.KhiIH595
בָּ֣אba'[am] about to comeH935
אֵלֶיךָ֮'e.lei.Khato youH413
בְּעַ֣בbe.'Avin [the] dark cloud ofH5645
הֶֽעָנָן֒he.'a.Nanthe cloudH6051
בַּעֲב֞וּרba.'a.Vurin order thatH5668
יִשְׁמַ֤עyish.Ma'<it> may hearH8085
הָעָם֙ha.'Amthe peopleH5971
בְּדַבְּרִ֣יbe.da.be.Riwhen speak IH1696
עִמָּ֔ךְ'i.Makhwith youH5973
וְגַם\־ve.gam-and alsoH1571
בְּךָ֖be.Khain <the> you
יַאֲמִ֣ינוּya.'a.Mi.nuthey will trustH539
לְעוֹלָ֑םle.'o.Lamfor everH5769
וַיַּגֵּ֥דvai.ya.Gedand he toldH5046
מֹשֶׁ֛הmo.ShehMosesH4872
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דִּבְרֵ֥יdiv.Rei[the] words ofH1697
הָעָ֖םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 19:9

  • Deuteronomy 4:36

    Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.

  • Exodus 19:16

    And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.

  • Exodus 24:15-16

    And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

  • Psalms 97:2

    Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

  • Matthew 17:5

    While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

  • Exodus 14:31

    And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.

  • Deuteronomy 4:11-12

    And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.

  • Exodus 20:21

    And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

  • 1 Kings 8:12

    Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

  • Luke 9:34-35

    While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

  • Isaiah 7:9

    And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.

  • Psalms 18:11-12

    He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lo.
16; 20:21; 24:15,16; De 4:11; 1Ki 8:12; 2Ch 6:1; Ps 18:11,12
Ps 97:2; Isa 19:1; Mt 17:5; Mr 9:7; Lu 9:34,35; Re 1:7
that the.
De 4:12,36; Joh 12:29,30
believe.
14:31; 2Ch 20:20; Isa 7:9; Lu 10:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 19:8

    And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.

  • Exodus 19:9

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.

  • Exodus 19:10

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

Read all of Exodus 19

Exodus 19:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Jehová dijo á Moisés: He aquí, yo vengo á ti en una nube espesa, para que el pueblo oiga mientras yo hablo contigo, y también para que te crean para siempre. Y Moisés denunció las palabras del pueblo á Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel dit à Moïse: Voici, je viendrai à toi dans l’obscurité d’une nuée, afin que le peuple entende quand je parlerai avec toi, et qu’aussi ils te croient à toujours. Et Moïse rapporta à l’ Éternel les paroles du peuple.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova sprach zu Mose: Siehe, ich werde zu dir kommen im Dunkel des Gewölks, damit das Volk höre, wenn ich mit dir rede, und dir auch glaube ewiglich. Und Mose tat Jehova die Worte des Volkes kund.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		ait ei Dominus: Jam nunc veniam ad te in caligine nubis, ut audiat me populus loquentem ad te, et credat tibi in perpetuum. Nuntiavit ergo Moyses verba populi ad Dominum.