Exodus 20:20 (GNV)

Passage

Then Moses sayde vnto the people, Feare not: for God is come to proue you, and that his feare may be before you, that ye sinne not.

Nearby Context

Exodus 20:18 And all the people sawe the thunders, and the lightnings, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mountaine smoking and when the people saw it they fled and stoode afare off,

Exodus 20:19 And sayde vnto Moses, Talke thou with vs, and we will heare: but let not God talke with vs, lest we die.

Exodus 20:20 Then Moses sayde vnto the people, Feare not: for God is come to proue you, and that his feare may be before you, that ye sinne not.

Exodus 20:21 So the people stoode afarre off, but Moses drew neere vnto the darkenes where God was.

Exodus 20:22 And the Lord sayde vnto Moses, Thus thou shalt say vnto the children of Israel, Ye haue seene that I haue talked with you from heauen.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "moses", "sayde", "vnto", "people", "feare", "come", and "proue". 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 19's "And sayde vnto Moses Talke thou with..." into verse 21's "So the people stoode afarre off but...", 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.