The Narrow Path Ministries

Using the NIV: Exodus 20:19 ..."Speak to us yourself and we will listen(sama). But do not have God speak to us or we will die."

Deut. 18:16..."Let us not hear(sama) the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die."

I am aware that sama may be used here as the physical sense of hearing sound or the spiritual sense of hearing the decree of the Lord which then must be obeyed by repenting and following the commandment in the future. Or, possibly it could include both.

In Acts 3:22, Peter applies this language in reference to Christ as the Prophet who is raised up. ...'you must listen(Greek akouo) to everything he tells you.' My lexicon tells me that, in this case, akouo means to embrace or accept what is said.

I assume someone has already studied this and I would appreciate your opinion on whether the use of sama in the Exodus and Deut. passages refers to only physical hearing of sound or whether it more likely encompasses the spiritual meaning, both, or neither.

livingink

I haven’t studied the particular words, but perhaps the meaning could be deduced from another passage, in Hebrews:
(MKJV)
Heb 12:18 For you have not come to the mountain that might be touched and that burned with fire, nor to blackness and darkness and tempest,
Heb 12:19 and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words (which voice they who heard begged that a word should not be spoken to them any more,
Heb 12:20 for they could not endure the thing commanded, "And if so much as a beast should touch the mountain, it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart,"
Heb 12:21 and so fearful was the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake).

To me it seems like the people were just plain terrified at the physical manifestations, and of the possible consequences to themselves.
They did say they were prepared to listen to Moses, presumably with the intent to obey.

Deuteronomy 5:27 (KJV) Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.

Deuteronomy 5:24-27 (KJV)24 And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth. 25 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die. 26 For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.

Perhaps they feared their luck was about to run out! Guilty consciences?

Exo 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. And when the people saw, they trembled, and stood afar off.
Exo 20:19 And they said to Moses, You speak with us, and we will hear. But let not God speak with us, lest we die.
Exo 20:20 And Moses said to the people, Do not fear, for God has come to test you, and so that His fear may be before your faces, so that you may not sin.

Hopefully someone else will be able to shed more light on the word meaning.