Moses alone shall come near to the LORD seems to contradict verse 1, but the word for come near means to “approach,” so this means that “Moses by himself is to come close to Yahweh” (Durham). Since Yahweh is speaking to Moses, however, it seems more natural to say, as in Good News Translation, “You alone … are to come near me.” But the others shall not come near refers to those mentioned in verse 1. They are to stay some distance away. Contemporary English Version makes it even clearer by including part of this information in verse 1: “… They must worship me at a distance, but you are to come near. Don’t let anyone else come up.”

And the people refers to all the rest of the Israelites at the foot of the mountain. Shall not come up, literally “they shall not ascend,” does not necessarily locate the speaker, Yahweh, on the top of the mountain. Revised English Bible has “The people must not go up with him.” With him means “with Moses” (New American Bible), but the context suggests adding “at all,” as in “shall not come up at all with Moses” (New American Bible). Good News Translation considers with him to be unnecessary: “and the people are not to come up the mountain.”

An alternative translation model for verses 1 and 2 is:

• After the LORD gave laws to the people, he said to Moses, “Come up to me on this mountain. Bring with you Aaron and his two sons Nadab and Abihu as well as seventy of the leaders of Israel. They must worship me from a distance, but you are to come near. However, none of the others are to come near. The people are not even to come up the mountain.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .