Exodus 20:21 (YLT)

Passage

And the people stand afar off, and Moses hath drawn nigh unto the thick darkness where God <FI>is<Fi> .

Nearby Context

Exodus 20:19 and say unto Moses, `Speak thou with us, and we hear, and let not God speak with us, lest we die.'

Exodus 20:20 And Moses saith unto the people, `Fear not, for to try you hath God come, and in order that His fear may be before your faces--that ye sin not.'

Exodus 20:21 And the people stand afar off, and Moses hath drawn nigh unto the thick darkness where God <FI>is<Fi> .

Exodus 20:22 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Thus dost thou say unto the sons of Israel: Ye--ye have seen that from the heavens I have spoken with you;

Exodus 20:23 ye do not make with Me gods of silver, even gods of gold ye do not make to yourselves.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "darkness", "people", "stand", "afar", "moses", "hath", "drawn", and "nigh". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "darkness" and "people", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "And Moses saith unto the people Fear..." into verse 22's "And Jehovah saith unto Moses Thus dost...", so "darkness" and "people" 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 "darkness" and "people" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.