Moses came down from the mountain and "called to the elders of the people" (Exodus 19:7). The Mekhilta draws a lesson about leadership from this simple narrative detail: Moses did not bypass the elders. He did not go directly to the masses. He summoned the elders first, according them the honor of their position. Even though Moses had just spoken face to face with God, he respected the existing structures of communal authority.
This teaches something fundamental about how prophecy enters the community. The divine message does not override human institutions — it works through them. Moses could have stood on a rock and addressed the entire nation simultaneously. Instead, he went through the proper chain of leadership, honoring the elders as the first recipients of God's words after himself.
The Mekhilta then examines the phrase "and he put before them." This is interpreted as meaning that Moses enlightened their eyes — he did not simply recite words but made the elders understand what they were hearing. The message was not delivered as raw data to be passed along mechanically. Moses ensured comprehension before transmission.
The phrase "all these things" is parsed as well: first things first, last things last. Moses preserved the order of God's communication perfectly, delivering each element in the sequence it was given. Nothing was rearranged for rhetorical effect or convenience.
Finally, the Mekhilta notes that "the Lord had commanded him" includes the women. The commandments delivered at Sinai were not directed only to the male elders or heads of household. God's instructions were meant for all of Israel — men and women alike — and Moses was responsible for ensuring that the entire people received them.