The Meaning of Exodus 24:10 Explained

Exodus 24:10

KJV: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.

YLT: and they see the God of Israel, and under His feet is as the white work of the sapphire, and as the substance of the heavens for purity;

Darby: and they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were work of transparent sapphire, and as it were the form of heaven for clearness.

ASV: And they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and as it were the very heaven for clearness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they saw  the God  of Israel:  and [there was] under his feet  as it were a paved  work  of a sapphire stone,  and as it were the body  of heaven  in [his] clearness. 

What does Exodus 24:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 24:1-11 - The Covenant Made And Sealed By Blood
Moses remained in communion with God while receiving the laws of the preceding chapters. When they were concluded he descended to ratify with all solemnity the Covenant between Jehovah and Israel. If the altar represented God's side of the transaction, the twelve pillars stood for Israel. The young men filled the priestly office according to Exodus 13:2, and until the Levites were appointed. It must have been a solemn spectacle as the sprinkled blood sealed the covenant. But let us turn from that first covenant, sealed with the blood of beasts, to the New Covenant, by which all the Church of the Redeemed are bound to God, and which was sealed by the shedding of the precious blood of Christ. "This is my blood of the Covenant," said Jesus, when handing round the wine. See Hebrews 9:18-20, and Exodus 13:20. The Lord's Supper is a perpetual reminder of our obligations. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 24

1  Moses is called up into the mountain
3  The people promise obedience
4  Moses builds an altar, and twelve pillars
6  He sprinkles the blood of the covenant
9  The glory of God appears
14  Aaron and Hur have the charge of the people
15  Moses goes into the mountain, where he continues forty days and forty nights

What do the individual words in Exodus 24:10 mean?

and they saw - the God of Israel and [there was] under His feet as it were a work of paved sapphire stone and it was like very the heavens in [its] clarity
וַיִּרְא֕וּ אֵ֖ת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְתַ֣חַת רַגְלָ֗יו כְּמַעֲשֵׂה֙ לִבְנַ֣ת הַסַּפִּ֔יר וּכְעֶ֥צֶם הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם לָטֹֽהַר

וַיִּרְא֕וּ  and  they  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֵ֖ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְתַ֣חַת  and  [there  was]  under 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
רַגְלָ֗יו  His  feet 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
כְּמַעֲשֵׂה֙  as  it  were  a  work 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
לִבְנַ֣ת  of  paved 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: לְבֵנָה  
Sense: tile, pavement, brick.
הַסַּפִּ֔יר  sapphire  stone 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סַפִּיר  
Sense: sapphire, lapis lazuli.
וּכְעֶ֥צֶם  and  it  was  like  very 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם  the  heavens 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
לָטֹֽהַר  in  [its]  clarity 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: טֹהַר 
Sense: purity, purification, purifying.