“And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.”
Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded: we will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey. The Book of the Covenant — the written record of Exodus 20–23 — is read aloud to the assembled community before the blood is applied. The covenant is not entered blindly: the terms are stated, written, read aloud, and responded to before the binding act occurs. The second affirmation — we will obey — adds a stronger word to the first acceptance of verse 3: the people are deepening their commitment. Deuteronomy 6:4–9 commands that the law be heard, recited, and taught continuously. The reading of the covenant before its ratification establishes the principle that covenant is entered through hearing — faith comes from hearing, as Romans 10:17 will later say.
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