Exodus 19:22 (KJV)

Passage

And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.

Nearby Context

Exodus 19:20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.

Exodus 19:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.

Exodus 19:22 And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.

Exodus 19:23 And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.

Exodus 19:24 And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "priests", "come", "near", "lord", "sanctify", "themselves", and "lest". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "priests" and "come", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "And the LORD said unto Moses Go..." into verse 23's "And Moses said unto the LORD The...", so "priests" and "come" belong inside that flow. In Exodus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "priests" and "come" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.