Exodus 19:23 (GNV)

Passage

And Moses sayde vnto the Lord, The people can not come vp into the mount Sinai: for thou hast charged vs, saying, Set markes on the mountaine, and sanctifie it.

Nearby Context

Exodus 19:21 Then the Lord said vnto Moses, Go down, charge the people, that they breake not their boundes, to go vp to the Lord to gaze, least many of them perish.

Exodus 19:22 And let the Priestes also which come to the Lord be sanctified, least the Lord destroy them.

Exodus 19:23 And Moses sayde vnto the Lord, The people can not come vp into the mount Sinai: for thou hast charged vs, saying, Set markes on the mountaine, and sanctifie it.

Exodus 19:24 And the Lord sayd vnto him, Go, get thee downe, and come vp, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the Priestes and the people breake their boundes to come vp vnto the Lord, least he destroy them.

Exodus 19:25 So Moses went downe vnto the people, and tolde them.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "moses", "sayde", "vnto", "lord", "people", "come", "mount", and "sinai". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "moses" and "sayde", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "And let the Priestes also which come..." into verse 24's "And the Lord sayd vnto him Go...", so "moses" and "sayde" 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 "moses" and "sayde" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.