Exodus 24: We Will Do and We Will Listen

“All that God tells us to do we will do and we will listen” (Verse 7).וַיִּקַּח סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית וַיִּקְרָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע׃ (שמות כד:ז) This famous utterance has become symbolic of the selfless trust and blind faith that the people had in God. They agreed to act on the laws of God even before they heard them, goes the popular saying. However, the text itself does not seem to match this grand assumption.First, the people have twice already responded to declarations of Moshe with “we will do!” In chapter 19, Moshe assembles the Elders and instructs them on the commandments:“All those assembled answered as one, saying, ‘All that God has spoken we will do!’ And Moses brought back the people’s words to God.” (19:8)וַיַּעֲנוּ כָל־הָעָם יַחְדָּו וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה וַיָּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל־ה׳׃ (שמות יט:ח) In verse 3 of chapter 24, they have a similar reaction:“Moses went and repeated to the people all the commands of God and all the rules; and all the people answered with one voice, saying, ‘All the things that God has commanded we will do!’”וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וַיְסַפֵּר לָעָם אֵת כָּל־דִּבְרֵי ה׳ וְאֵת כָּל־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וַיַּעַן כָּל־הָעָם קוֹל אֶחָד וַיֹּאמְרוּ כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה׃ (שמות כד:ג) The affirmation of the people in both of these verses is quite admirable, but it lacks the oomph of “we will do and we will listen.”The second problem with the popular saying is that the people have already heard many of the commandments before they call this out. Besides the Ten Commandments, the first part of this verse explains outright that Moshe “took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people…”One explanation is that the Torah is not written in order. This chapter actually takes place earlier in chapter 19. This is another perspective of the giving of the Torah in the same way that there were multiple perspectives of creation and the flood story earlier in Genesis. This answer works in many ways, but fails to explain the fact that in this very verse Moshe reads from the scroll to the people.One possibility is that The addition of “נשמע” (we will listen) signals that law is not static. It requires understanding, interpretation, and engagement—hallmarks of autonomy. Rabbinic tradition turns this into a lifelong process of study (Talmud Torah), making obedience inseparable from intellectual freedom. This is against Kant’s critique of Judaism as heteronomous, namely obedience to external authority and not an autonomous acceptance of the law. The people are saying that they will continue to listen as the law develops and be a part of the listening in the future. Another possible answer is that this is sequential. Initially, the people voice their support by blindly saying to Moshe that they will act on what God commands. They then hear the Ten Commandments, and in this chapter again repeat their fealty. Now Moshe reads from the record of the covenant. Most commentators interpret this as the manuscript of the Torah covering everything from Genesis until now. This is different from what the people had been given beforehand. Those were just laws. Of course their response would be “we will do” to just laws. Now they are given the whole history of the people in addition to the laws.Their proclamation then is twofold—first a repetition of their oath to follow the commandments, but now they also add an oath to listen and hear the stories of their past. This sets the tone for the essential elements of Judaism: following ה׳’s law and listening to the stories of the past.