And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
God gave the law in thunder and lightning to show us His terrible majesty, to give us a foretaste of judgment day, and to humble our hearts before the gospel's comfort. The people had been bold enough to push forward before; now they learned to keep their distance, and begged Moses to speak for them instead.
AI summary
Commenting on Exodus 20:18-21
Ye shall not make with me,.... This is a proposition of itself, as appears by the accent Athnach placed at the end of it, which divides it from the following, and therefore "gods of silver" belong to the next clause or proposition; something seems to be wanting to complete the sense, which the Talmudists (s) and Jarchi after them supply thus,"ye shall not make with...
Exo 20:21 “So the people stood afar off” (as in Exo 20:18), not “went far away,” although, according to Deu 5:30, Moses was directed by God to tell the people to return to their tents. This is passed over here, and it is merely observed, for the purpose of closing the first act in the giving the law, and preparing the way for the second...