For you are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
Read Chapter 12
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
For you are not come to a mountain That is, to a mountain on earth that can be touched; to wit, to Mount Sinai, where the law was given to Moses, where the mountain seemed all on fire, with dreadful thunder and lightning, whirlwinds, darkness, tempests, sounding of trumpets, voices which they who heard excused themselves, begging that Moses only, and not God, might speak to them, for they could not without exceeding consternation think of what was then said; that if any man, or even beast, should touch the mountain, he should be stoned to death. (Exodus xix. 15.) Nay Moses himself, trembling, was frightened. This particular is nowhere mentioned in the Scripture, but the apostle might know it by revelation, or by some tradition among the Jews. (Witham)
3. Fearful were those things, but these are far more admirable and glorious. For here there is not darkness, nor blackness, nor tempest. It seems to me that by these words he hints at the obscurity of the Old [Testament], and the overshadowed and veiled character of the Law. And besides the Giver of the Law appears in fire terrible, and apt to punish those who transgress.
Wonderful indeed were the things in the Temple, the Holy of Holies; and again awful were those things also that were done at Mount Sina, the fire, the darkness, the blackness, the tempest. cf. Deuteronomy 33:2 For, it says, God appeared in Sina, and long ago were these things celebrated. The New Covenant, however, was not given with any of these things, but has been given in simple discourse by God.
See then how he makes the comparison in these points also. And with good reason has he put them afterwards. For when he had persuaded them by innumerable [arguments], when he had also shown the difference between each covenant, then afterwards, the one having been already condemned, he easily enters on these points also.
