Discovery BoxExodus 19:16 
Context19:16 On 1 the third day in the morning there was thunder and lightning and a dense 2 cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a very loud 3 horn; 4 all the people who were in the camp trembled.
Exodus 20:18
Context20:18 All the people were seeing 5 the thundering and the lightning, and heard 6 the sound of the horn, and saw 7 the mountain smoking – and when 8 the people saw it they trembled with fear 9 and kept their distance. 10
Exodus 23:22
Context23:22 But if you diligently obey him 11 and do all that I command, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will be an adversary to your adversaries.
Exodus 28:33
Context28:33 You are to make pomegranates 12 of blue, purple, and scarlet all around its hem 13 and bells of gold between them all around.
Exodus 35:25
Context35:25 Every woman who was skilled 14 spun with her hands and brought what she had spun, blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen,
Exodus 37:26
Context37:26 He overlaid it with pure gold – its top, 15 its four walls, 16 and its horns – and he made a surrounding border of gold for it. 17
1 tn Heb “and it was on.”
2 tn Heb “heavy” (כָּבֵד, kaved).
3 tn Literally “strong” (חָזָק, khazaq).
4 tn The word here is שֹׁפָר (shofar), the normal word for “horn.” This word is used especially to announce something important in a public event (see 1 Kgs 1:34; 2 Sam 6:15). The previous word used in the context (v. 16) was יֹבֵל (yovel, “ram’s horn”).
5 tn The participle is used here for durative action in the past time (GKC 359 §116.o).
6 tn The verb “to see” (רָאָה, ra’ah) refers to seeing with all the senses, or perceiving. W. C. Kaiser suggests that this is an example of the figure of speech called zeugma because the verb “saw” yokes together two objects, one that suits the verb and the other that does not. So, the verb “heard” is inserted here to clarify (“Exodus,” EBC 2:427).
7 tn The verb “saw” is supplied here because it is expected in English (see the previous note on “heard”).
8 tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated as a temporal clause to the following clause, which receives the prominence.
9 tn The meaning of נוּעַ (nua’) is “to shake, sway to and fro” in fear. Compare Isa 7:2 – “and his heart shook…as the trees of the forest shake with the wind.”
10 tn Heb “and they stood from/at a distance.”
11 tn The infinitive absolute here does not add as great an emphasis as normal, but emphasizes the condition that is being set forth (see GKC 342-43 §113.o).
12 sn This must mean round balls of yarn that looked like pomegranates. The fruit was very common in the land, but there is no indication of the reason for its choice here. Pomegranates are found in decorative schemes in Ugarit, probably as signs of fertility. It may be that here they represent the blessing of God on Israel in the land. The bells that are between them possibly have the intent of drawing God’s attention as the priest moves and the bells jingle (anthropomorphic, to be sure), or that the people would know that the priest was still alive and moving inside. Some have suggested that the pomegranate may have recalled the forbidden fruit eaten in the garden (the gems already have referred to the garden), the reason for the priest entering for atonement, and the bells would divert the eye (of God) to remind him of the need. This is possible but far from supportable, since nothing is said of the reason, nor is the fruit in the garden identified.
13 tn The text repeats the idea: “you will make for its hem…all around its hem.”
14 tn Heb “wisdom of heart,” which means that they were skilled and could make all the right choices about the work.
15 tn Heb “roof.”
16 tn Heb “its walls around.”
17 tn Heb “and he made for it border gold around.”
