The Sinai Peninsula, though not named explicitly as such in Scripture, is the geographical region where Mount Sinai is located. Mount Sinai, also called Horeb, is the mountain where God revealed Himself to Moses and gave the Law to Israel. It is central to several major events during the Exodus and the early formation of the Israelite nation.
The most significant biblical event at Mount Sinai is the giving of the Ten Commandments. After the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped before the mountain (Exodus 19:1–2). There, God called Moses up the mountain and established His covenant with Israel. The mountain trembled with fire, smoke, thunder, and the sound of a trumpet, and the people were commanded to stay back as the presence of God descended upon it (Exodus 19:16–20).
Exodus 20 records the giving of the Ten Commandments. Following this, Moses remained on the mountain for forty days and forty nights, during which he received the tablets of stone and detailed instructions for the tabernacle and the priesthood (Exodus 24:12–18). During this time, the Israelites sinned by creating a golden calf, leading to severe judgment (Exodus 32).
Mount Sinai was also the place where Moses interceded for the people and where the covenant was reaffirmed (Exodus 34). Later, the Israelites departed from Sinai and journeyed toward the Promised Land, guided by the cloud by day and fire by night (Numbers 10:11–12).
The apostle Paul refers to Mount Sinai in Galatians 4:24–25, associating it with the old covenant and the law, in contrast to the new covenant of grace through Christ. He writes, “For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia.”
The Sinai Peninsula, therefore, serves as the sacred ground of divine revelation and covenant. It represents God’s holiness, the seriousness of His law, and His desire to dwell among His people. It also emphasizes that while the law reveals God’s standards, it points forward to the need for grace and redemption through Christ.
