Keluaran 19:12

19:12 You must set boundaries ¹  for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed ²  to yourselves not to go up on the mountain nor touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death!

Keluaran 30:29

30:29 So you are to sanctify them, ³  and they will be most holy; ⁴  anything that touches them will be holy. ⁵ 

Keluaran 29:37

29:37 For seven days ⁶  you are to make atonement for the altar and set it apart as holy. Then the altar will be most holy. ⁷  Anything that touches the altar will be holy. ⁸ 

Keluaran 4:25

4:25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off the foreskin of her son and touched it to Moses’ feet, ⁹  and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood ¹⁰  to me.”

Keluaran 19:13

19:13 No hand will touch him ¹¹  – but he will surely be stoned or shot through, whether a beast or a human being; ¹²  he must not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast they may ¹³  go up on the mountain.”

[19:12]  ¹ tn The verb is a Hiphil perfect (“make borders”) with vav (ו) consecutive, following the sequence of instructions.

[19:12]  ² tn The Niphal imperative (“guard yourselves, take heed to yourselves”) is followed by two infinitives construct that provide the description of what is to be avoided – going up or touching the mountain.

[30:29]  ³ tn The verb is a Piel perfect with vav (ו) consecutive; in this verse it is summarizing or explaining what the anointing has accomplished. This is the effect of the anointing (see Exod 29:36).

[30:29]  ⁴ tn This is the superlative genitive again, Heb “holy of holies.”

[30:29]  ⁵ tn See Exod 29:37; as before, this could refer to anything or anyone touching the sanctified items.

[29:37]  ⁶ tn Once again this is an adverbial accusative of time. Each day for seven days the ritual at the altar is to be followed.

[29:37]  ⁷ tn The construction is the superlative genitive: “holy of holies,” or “most holy.”

[29:37]  ⁸ sn This line states an unusual principle, meant to preserve the sanctity of the altar. S. R. Driver explains it this way (Exodus, 325): If anything comes in contact with the altar, it becomes holy and must remain in the sanctuary for Yahweh’s use. If a person touches the altar, he likewise becomes holy and cannot return to the profane regions. He will be given over to God to be dealt with as God pleases. Anyone who was not qualified to touch the altar did not dare approach it, for contact would have meant that he was no longer free to leave but was God’s holy possession – and might pay for it with his life (see Exod 30:29; Lev 6:18b, 27; and Ezek 46:20).

[4:25]  ⁹ tn Heb “to his feet.” The referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The LXX has “and she fell at his feet” and then “the blood of the circumcision of my son stood.” But it is clear that she caused the foreskin to touch Moses’ feet, as if the one were a substitution for the other, taking the place of the other (see U. Cassuto, Exodus, 60).

[4:25]  ¹⁰ sn U. Cassuto explains that she was saying, “I have delivered you from death, and your return to life makes you my bridegroom a second time, this time my blood bridegroom, a bridegroom acquired through blood” (Exodus, 60-61).

[19:13]  ¹¹ sn There is some ambiguity here. The clause either means that no man will touch the mountain, so that if there is someone who is to be put to death he must be stoned or shot since they could not go into the mountain region to get him, or, it may mean no one is to touch the culprit who went in to the region of the mountain.

[19:13]  ¹² tn Heb “a man.”

[19:13]  ¹³ tn The nuance here is permissive imperfect, “they may go up.” The ram’s horn would sound the blast to announce that the revelation period was over and it was permitted then to ascend the mountain.