Exodus 20:20

And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

Cross-references

Exodus 15:25 says God 'proved them' at Marah; Exodus 20:20 says God proves Israel at Sinai. Same Hebrew root for testing.

Exodus 15:26 ties obedience and fear of God to avoiding plagues; Exodus 20:20 says fear of God prevents sin. Both link reverent fear to covenant obedience.

In Genesis 22:1, God tests Abraham — a parallel example of divine testing with the same purpose of revealing fear of God.

Genesis 22:12 shows Abraham's fear of God proven through his obedience, directly linking to the fear that keeps from sin.

In Proverbs 3:7, fearing the Lord is tied to shunning evil, directly paralleling the sin-preventing purpose of fear.

In Proverbs 1:7, fear of the Lord is called the beginning of knowledge, echoing the foundational role of fear in preventing sin.

Job 28:28 Parallel

Job 28:28 directly states that fear of the Lord is wisdom and shunning evil, identical to the purpose of fear here.

Deuteronomy 4:10 Historical context

In Deuteronomy 4:10, Moses recalls the Horeb assembly where learning to revere God was the explicit purpose.

Acts 7:38 Historical context

In Acts 7:38, Stephen identifies Moses receiving the living words at Sinai, placing the fear command in its covenantal setting.

In 2 Chronicles 6:31, fearing God is directly linked to walking in obedience, echoing the sin-preventing outcome of fear.

In Revelation 1:17, John's terror at Christ's glory mirrors Israel's fear at Sinai—both receive 'Do not be afraid' from God.

Genesis 20:11 highlights lack of fear of God leading to sin, contrasting with the fear that keeps from sin here.

Deuteronomy 13:3 warns that God tests whether you love him, paralleling the testing motive and response of fear.

Deuteronomy 8:2 describes God testing Israel in the wilderness to know their heart, echoing the testing and obedience purpose here.

Joshua 4:24 Parallel

In Joshua 4:24, the miracle of Jordan crossing aims to induce fear of God, mirroring the testing purpose at Sinai.

Deuteronomy 10:12 summarizes fearing God as a core requirement, aligning with the fear that produces sinlessness.

Isaiah 8:13 Parallel

In Isaiah 8:13, the command to fear only God reinforces the exclusive reverence implied by the test at Sinai.

Deuteronomy 6:2 calls for fearing God by keeping commands, reinforcing the same link between fear and obedience.

In Leviticus 25:17, fearing God is commanded as motive for ethical treatment, similar to moral restraint in Exodus 20:20.

Joshua 24:14 Related theme

Joshua 24:14 commands fear of God and faithful service, expanding the practical outworking of the fear mentioned here.

1 Kings 8:40 Related theme

In 1 Kings 8:40, Solomon prays that foreigners may fear God, reflecting the ongoing aim of reverence seen in the Sinai test.

Nehemiah 5:15 Related theme

Nehemiah 5:15 shows fear of God leading Nehemiah to act rightly, illustrating the sin-preventing effect of reverence.