20:22 2 The Lord said 3 to Moses: “Thus you will tell the Israelites: ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken with you from heaven.
1 tn Heb “And Aaron spoke.”
2 sn Based on the revelation of the holy sovereign God, this pericope instructs Israel on the form of proper worship of such a God. It focuses on the altar, the centerpiece of worship. The point of the section is this: those who worship this holy God must preserve holiness in the way they worship – they worship where he permits, in the manner he prescribes, and with the blessings he promises. This paragraph is said to open the Book of the Covenant, which specifically rules on matters of life and worship.
3 tn Heb “and Yahweh said.”