Book of the Covenant in Exodus 24
Exodus 24 describes the formal ratification of the covenant between God and the people of Israel at Mount Sinai, a pivotal event in their history. The chapter opens with God summoning Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel to come up the mountain, though only Moses was to approach the Lord closely [6].
Moses first descended from the mountain to relay "all the words of the Lord and all the rules" to the people, which they unanimously affirmed, declaring, "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Exodus 24:3 ESV). These "words of the Lord" are understood to encompass the laws and judgments delivered in the preceding chapters, specifically Exodus 20:19 through Exodus 23:33, which Abraham Ibn Ezra identifies as the "Book of the Covenant" [3, 4]. This collection of laws includes the Ten Commandments and various civil and ceremonial statutes, such as "eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" (Exodus 21:24 ESV) [1]. Ibn Ezra notes that this "Book of the Covenant" begins and ends with warnings against idolatry [3].
Following the people's initial assent, Moses "wrote down all the words of the Lord" (Exodus 24:4 ESV) [4]. He then built an altar at the foot of the mountain and erected twelve pillars, representing the twelve tribes of Israel [6, 9]. Young men of Israel, acting as priests, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord [6]. This act of sacrifice was crucial, as Adam Clarke explains, because "no covenant was considered to be ratified and binding till a sacrifice had been offered on the occasion" [5].
Moses then took "the Book of the Covenant" and read it aloud to the people (Exodus 24:7 ESV). This reading served to reiterate the terms of the agreement, both the laws God required of them and the promises God made to them, such as sending an angel before them and driving out the Canaanites [2]. Upon hearing the written covenant, the people responded a second time, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient" (Exodus 24:7 ESV).
The ratification ceremony culminated with the use of blood from the sacrifices. Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. After the people's renewed promise of obedience, he "took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, 'Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words'" (Exodus 24:8 ESV). This act of sprinkling blood on both the altar (representing God) and the people symbolized the mutual binding of both parties to the covenant [5]. John Gill describes this as a "restipulation of parties, which made a formal covenant" [2].
After this solemn ceremony, Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders ascended part of the mountain. There, they "saw the God of Israel" (Exodus 24:9-10 ESV), an extraordinary vision described as seeing "under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness" (Exodus 24:10 ESV). This vision underscored the divine presence and authority behind the covenant [8]. Moses then proceeded further up the mountain with Joshua, where he would remain for forty days and forty nights to receive the stone tablets inscribed with the law [7].
The "Book of the Covenant" mentioned in Exodus 24 is understood by commentators like Ibn Ezra to refer specifically to the laws given in Exodus 20-23 [3, 4]. This section of Exodus is distinct from the later, more extensive legal codes found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The covenant established in Exodus 24 laid the foundational legal and relational framework for Israel's identity as God's chosen people, setting the stage for their journey to the Promised Land and their life under divine law.
Sources
- Exodus “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, -- Exodus 21:24”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 24:7: And he took the book of the covenant,.... Which contained the words of the Lord he is said to write, Exo 24:4, and consisted both of laws and judgments required of the people, and to which they had given their assent, and promised obedience to; and of promises made by the Lord of sending his angel before them to guide them in the way, and bring them to Canaan, and to drive the Canaanites from thence, and put the Israelites into the possession of it; so that here were promises on both sides, a restipulation of parties, which made a formal covenant: and read in the au”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 23:24: THOU SHALT NOT BOW DOWN TO THEIR GODS. This is what I referred to earlier when I said that the Book of the Covenant 190 Ex. 24:7 speaks of the Book of the Covenant. According to I.E. the Book of the Covenant consists of Ex. 20:19 through Ex. 23:33. When Moses later wrote the entire Pentateuch he incorporated it into the Torah. opens and closes with a warning against idol worship. For Ye yourselves have seen (Ex. 20:19), which opens the Book of the Covenant, is a warning against idolatry, as is for they will be a snare unto thee (v. 33), which closes the book. ”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 24:4: AND MOSES WROTE. After Moses related all the words of God, the commandments, and the ordinances, he wrote them down. This is what the Book of the Covenant consists of.”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 24:7: The book of the covenant - The writing containing the laws mentioned in the three preceding chapters. As this writing contained the agreement made between God and them, it was called the book of the covenant; but as no covenant was considered to be ratified and binding till a sacrifice had been offered on the occasion, hence the necessity of the sacrifices mentioned here. Half of the blood being sprinkled on the Altar, and half of it sprinkled on the People, showed that both God and They were mutually bound by this covenant. God was bound to the People to support, d”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 24 (introduction): Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders, are commanded to go to the mount to meet the Lord, Exo 24:1. Moses alone to come near to the Divine presence, Exo 24:2. He informs the people, and they promise obedience, Exo 24:3. He writes the words of the Lord, erects an altar at the foot of the hill, and sets up twelve pillars for the twelve tribes, Exo 24:4. The young priests offer burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, Exo 24:5. Moses reads the book of the covenant, sprinkles the people with the blood, and they promise obedience, Exo 24:6-8. ”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 24 (introduction): INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 24 In this chapter we have an account that Moses was ordered to come up to the Lord alone, Exo 24:1, but that before he did go up, he related to the people all the above laws delivered to him, which they promised obedience to, and so a covenant was made between God and the people by sacrifice, and by the sprinkling of blood, Exo 24:3, upon which he and Aaron, and his two sons and seventy elders of Israel, went up part of the mountain, and had a vision of God, Exo 24:9, when Moses with Joshua was called, and went up higher, until a”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 24:9: Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu,.... After the above things were done, the words of the Lord were told the people, and the book of the covenant read unto them, to which they agreed, sacrifices were offered, and the blood of them sprinkled on the altar, and on the people. The Samaritan version adds to these, Eleazar and Ithamar, the two younger sons of Aaron: and seventy of the elders of Israel, who were called up to the mountain to the Lord, Exo 24:1.”
- Exodus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Exodus 24 (introduction): DELIVERY OF THE LAW AND COVENANT. (Exo. 24:1-18) Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord--The rehearsal of the foregoing laws and the ten commandments, together with the promises of special blessings in the event of their obedience, having drawn forth from the people a unanimous declaration of their consent, it was forthwith recorded as the conditions of the national covenant. The next day preparations were made for having it (the covenant) solemnly ratified, by building an altar and twelve pillars; the altar representing”