And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you concerning all these words.
sprinkled
Exodus 24:6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
Leviticus 8:30 And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
Isaiah 52:15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
behold
Zechariah 9:11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Mark 14:24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
splattered it on the people
The splattering of blood on the people signifies their participation in the covenant with God. It is a physical representation of their commitment and consecration to the LORD. This act can be seen as a type of baptism, symbolizing purification and dedication. It also foreshadows the New Testament concept of being covered by the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
and said, “This is the blood of the covenant
The phrase "blood of the covenant" is significant in biblical theology. It establishes a binding agreement between God and His people, sealed with blood. This covenant is reminiscent of ancient Near Eastern treaties, where blood rituals were common. It also points forward to the New Covenant in Christ's blood, as mentioned in the Gospels during the Last Supper (e.g., Matthew 26:28).
that the LORD has made with you
This emphasizes that the covenant is initiated by God, not by the people. It is a divine act of grace and commitment. The LORD's making of the covenant highlights His sovereignty and faithfulness. This covenant is part of the larger narrative of God's redemptive plan, beginning with Abraham and continuing through the history of Israel.
in accordance with all these words.”
The words refer to the laws and commandments given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, which are detailed in the preceding chapters. This underscores the importance of obedience to God's word as part of the covenant relationship. It also highlights the comprehensive nature of the covenant, encompassing both moral and ceremonial aspects of the law. This anticipates the fulfillment of the law through Christ, who perfectly obeyed and fulfilled all righteousness.
Moses has already collected half the blood from the sacrificial oxen and placed it in basins (Exodus 24:6).
• Blood signifies life (Leviticus 17:11) and, when shed, represents life offered in substitution.
• Taking the blood shows Moses acting as mediator, foreshadowing the perfect Mediator who would also offer blood on behalf of the people (Hebrews 9:15).
• The action follows God’s explicit instructions, underscoring that covenant fellowship with God is always on His terms (Hebrews 8:5).
Moses first sprinkled the altar (Exodus 24:6), symbolizing God’s side of the covenant; now he sprinkles the congregation, binding both parties.
• The shared blood links God and His people in a mutual, life-binding agreement.
• Sprinkling rather than pouring illustrates cleansing (Hebrews 9:19-22) and protection under atonement (1 Peter 1:2).
• The physical act made the covenant unmistakably personal—every Israelite likely felt or saw the droplets, a tangible reminder of the seriousness of obedience.
Spoken words interpret the ritual. Covenant is never left to guesswork; it is explained so the people understand its meaning (Exodus 24:3-7).
• Moses’ declaration matches Jesus’ later pattern: He also interprets His sacrificial act as He institutes the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:27-28).
• Words ensure the people cannot claim ignorance; revelation is both act and explanation (Deuteronomy 29:29).
The phrase identifies the blood as the formal seal of the agreement.
• A covenant is more than a promise; it is a solemn, binding oath (Jeremiah 34:18-19).
• The New Covenant in Christ echoes this wording: “This cup is the new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:20), showing that Exodus 24 prefigures the greater covenant secured by Jesus’ sacrifice (Hebrews 12:24).
• The shedding of blood underscores that sin incurs death; covenant blessing demands atonement (Romans 6:23).
God alone authors the covenant; Israel’s part is to receive and obey.
• “All these words” refers to the laws just read aloud—the Ten Commandments and the accompanying ordinances (Exodus 24:7).
• Blessing and life now hinge on obedience to the revealed Word (Deuteronomy 30:15-20).
• The pattern persists: God’s people remain called to respond to His gracious initiative with wholehearted obedience (John 14:15).
Exodus 24:8 portrays a solemn, life-binding covenant moment. Moses, acting as mediator, takes sacrificial blood—symbolizing life given—and sprinkles it first on the altar, then on the people, visibly uniting God and Israel. His declaration, “This is the blood of the covenant,” underscores that only through shed blood can sinful people enter fellowship with a holy God. The scene anticipates the ultimate covenant sealed by Christ’s blood, where He fulfills and transcends the Mosaic pattern, offering permanent atonement and calling His people to loving obedience to “all these words.”
(8) And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it . . . --Half of the blood had been sprinkled upon the altar, which symbolised Jehovah; the other half was now sprinkled upon the people, or rather upon their representatives--the elders and others who stood nearest to Moses. Thus the two parties to the covenant, sprinkled with the blood of the same sacrifices, were brought into sacramental union. Rites somewhat similar, involving blood communion, were common throughout the East in connection with covenants (Horn. Il. iii. 298, xix. 252; Herod. I. 74, iii. 8, iv. 70; Xen. Anab. ii. 2, ? 9; Lucian. Toxar. 37; Pomp. Mel. ii. 1; Tac. Ann. xii. 47; &c), and were regarded as adding to their force and sacredness.On the people.--It has been suggested (Abarbarnel) that the blood was really sprinkled on the twelve pillars which represented the people; but the words used scarcely seem to admit of such an interpretation. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews understood the passage as declaring that the people were sprinkled (Hebrews 9:19).
Verse 8. - Moses then proceeded to the final act - He took the blood from the basins, and sprinkled it - not certainly upon all the people, who numbered above two millions - but upon their leaders and representatives, the "elders" and other chief men, drawn up at the head of each tribe, and thus brought within his reach. It has been supposed by some that he merely sprinkled the blood on the twelve pillars, as representing the twelve tribes; but, had this been the case, the expression in the text would probably have been different. We read, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, that he "sprinkled both the book, and all the people" (Hebrews 9:19). As he sprinkled, he said, Behold the blood of the covenant, etc. It was a common practice among the nations of antiquity to seal covenants with blood. Sometimes the blood was that of a victim, and the two parties to the covenant prayed, that, if they broke it, his fate might be theirs (Hom. 1l. 3:298; 19:252; Leviticus 1:24; 21:45; etc.). Sometimes it was the blood of the two parties themselves, who each drank of the other's blood, and thereby contracted a blood-relationship, which would have made their breaking the covenant more unpardonable (Herod. 1:74; 4:70; Tacit. Ann. 12:47). Moses seems to have followed neither practice at all closely, but, adopting simply the principle that a covenant required to be sealed with blood, to have arranged the details as he thought best. By the sprinkling of both the altar and the people the two parties to the covenant were made partakers of one and the same blood, and so brought into a sort of sacramental union. CHAPTER 24:9-11
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