Discovery BoxExodus 19:22-23 
Context19:22 Let the priests also, who approach the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break through 1 against them.”
19:23 Moses said to the Lord, “The people are not able to come up to Mount Sinai, because you solemnly warned us, 2 ‘Set boundaries for the mountain and set it apart.’” 3
1 tn The verb יִפְרֹץ (yifrots) is the imperfect tense from פָּרַץ (parats, “to make a breach, to break through”). The image of Yahweh breaking forth on them means “work destruction” (see 2 Sam 6:8; S. R. Driver, Exodus, 174).
2 tn The construction is emphatic: “because you – you solemnly warned us.” Moses’ response to God is to ask how they would break through when God had already charged them not to. God knew them better than Moses did.
3 tn Heb “sanctify it.”
