(6) And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments--i.e., left off their ornaments, ceased to wear them altogether.

By the mount Horeb.--Rather, from mount Horeb, i.e., from the time of their first discarding them in Horeb (= Sinai).

Verse 6. - The people accepted the test and stripped themselves of their ornaments - i.e., ceased to wear them henceforward. By the Mount Horeb. Rather, "from Mount Horeb." From and after this occurrence at Horeb ( = Sinai), the Israelites wore no ornaments, in token of their continued contrition for their apostasy

CHAPTER 33:7-11

33:1-6 Those whom God pardons, must be made to know what their sin deserved. Let them go forward as they are; this was very expressive of God's displeasure. Though he promises to make good his covenant with Abraham, in giving them Canaan, yet he denies them the tokens of his presence they had been blessed with. The people mourned for their sin. Of all the bitter fruits and consequences of sin, true penitents most lament, and dread most, God's departure from them. Canaan itself would be no pleasant land without the Lord's presence. Those who parted with ornaments to maintain sin, could do no less than lay aside ornaments, in token of sorrow and shame for it.And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments,.... Such as before described, and this they did:

by the Mount Horeb; before their departure from thence, and where they had been guilty of the idolatry: the words may be literally rendered, "from Mount Horeb" (u); and Jonathan understands the preceding clause of something they put off which they received from thence; but the meaning is, that they went to some distance from Mount Horeb, and there stripped themselves to show their greater humiliation, and the sense they had of their unworthiness of being near to the Lord, or enjoying his presence.

(u) "a monte", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "procul a monte", Junius & Tremellius, Piscato.