Exodus 19:22 (YLT)

Passage

and also the priests who are coming nigh unto Jehovah do sanctify themselves, lest Jehovah break forth on them.'

Nearby Context

Exodus 19:20 And Jehovah cometh down on mount Sinai, unto the top of the mount, and Jehovah calleth for Moses unto the top of the mount, and Moses goeth up.

Exodus 19:21 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Go down, protest to the people, lest they break through unto Jehovah to see, and many of them have fallen;

Exodus 19:22 and also the priests who are coming nigh unto Jehovah do sanctify themselves, lest Jehovah break forth on them.'

Exodus 19:23 And Moses saith unto Jehovah, `The people <FI>is<Fi> unable to come up unto mount Sinai, for Thou--Thou hast protested to us, saying, Make a border <FI>for<Fi> the mount, then thou hast sanctified it.'

Exodus 19:24 And Jehovah saith unto him, `Go, descend, then thou hast come up, thou, and Aaron with thee; and the priests and the people do not break through, to come up unto Jehovah, lest He break forth upon them.'

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "And Jehovah saith unto Moses Go down..." into verse 23's "And Moses saith unto Jehovah The people...", so "priests" and "coming" 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 "coming" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.