King James Bible
"And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them."
God commands Moses to descend Mount Sinai immediately, emphasizing urgency with the double imperative. This occurs during the Sinai theophany, where God's holy presence on the mountain requires strict boundaries between the divine and human realms. Only Moses and Aaron are granted permission to ascend after Moses returns, highlighting their unique mediatorial roles. Aaron's inclusion marks his special status as high priest, establishing a hierarchy of access to God's presence. God explicitly forbids unauthorized approach by both priests and laypeople, using "break through" to suggest forceful violation of sacred boundaries. Even priests, despite their religious status, must respect the limits God establishes. The warning reveals God's holiness as dangerous to the unprepared, with "break forth" mirroring the people's potential "breaking through"—divine judgment matches human presumption. This establishes the principle that approaching God requires His terms, not human initiative.