Exodus20
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And God spake all these words, saying,
2I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me,
6and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
7Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work;
10but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.
13Thou shalt not kill.
14Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15Thou shalt not steal.
16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
17Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.
18And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off.
19And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
20And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not.
21And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
22And Jehovah said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
23Ye shall not make other gods with me; gods of silver, or gods of gold, ye shall not make unto you.
24An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings, and thy peace-offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in every place where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee.
25And if thou make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not uncovered thereon.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Exodus 20.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The preface to the ten commandments. (1, 2). The commandments of the first table. (3–11). Of the second table. (12–17). The fear of the people. (18–21). Idolatry again forbidden. (22–26).
vv1-2
God speaks many ways to the children of men; by conscience, by providences, by his voice, to all which we ought carefully to attend; but he never spake at any time so as he spake the TEN COMMANDMENTS. This law God had given to man before; it was written in his heart; but sin so defaced it, that it was necessary to revive the knowledge of it. The law is spiritual, and takes knowledge of the secret thoughts, desires, and dispositions of the heart. Its grand demand is love, without which outward obedience is mere hypocrisy. It requires perfect, unfailing, constant obedience; no law in the world admits disobedience to itself. Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all, Jas 2:10. Whether in the heart or the conduct, in thought, word, or deed, to omit or to vary any thing, is sin, and the wages of sin is death.
vv3-11
The first four of the ten commandments, commonly called the FIRST table, tell our duty to God. It was fit that those should be put first, because man had a Maker to love, before he had a neighbour to love. It cannot be expected that he should be true to his brother, who is false to his God. The first commandment concerns the object of worship, JEHOVAH, and him only. The worship of creatures is here forbidden. Whatever comes short of perfect love, gratitude, reverence, or worship, breaks this commandment. Whatsoever ye do, do all the glory of God. The second commandment refers to the worship we are to render to the Lord our God. It is forbidden to make any image or picture of the Deity, in any form, or for any purpose; or to worship any creature, image, or picture. But the spiritual import of this command extends much further. All kinds of superstition are here forbidden, and the using of mere human inventions in the worship of God. The third commandment concerns the manner of worship, that it be with all possible reverence and seriousness. All false oaths are forbidden. All light appealing to God, all profane cursing, is a horrid breach of this command. It matters not whether the word of God, or sacred things, all such-like things break this commandment, and there is no profit, honour, or pleasure in them. The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. The form of the fourth commandment, “Remember,” shows that it was not now first given, but was known by the people before. One day in seven is to be kept holy. Six days are allotted to worldly business, but not so as to neglect the service of God, and the care of our souls. On those days we must do all our work, and leave none to be done on the sabbath day. Christ allowed works of necessity, charity, and piety; for the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath, Mr 2:27; but all works of luxury, vanity, or self-indulgence in any form, are forbidden. Trading, paying wages, settling accounts, writing letters of business, worldly studies, trifling visits, journeys, or light conversation, are not keeping this day holy to the Lord. Sloth and indolence may be a carnal, but not a holy rest. The sabbath of the Lord should be a day of rest from worldly labour, and a rest in the service of God. The advantages from the due keeping of this holy day, were it only to the health and happiness of mankind, with the time it affords for taking care of the soul, show the excellency of this commandment. The day is blessed; men are blessed by it, and in it. The blessing and direction to keep holy are not limited to the seventh day, but are spoken of the sabbath day.
vv12-17
The laws of the SECOND table, that is, the last six of the ten commandments, state our duty to ourselves and to one another, and explain the great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, Lu 10:27. Godliness and honesty must go together. The fifth commandment concerns the duties we owe to our relations. Honour thy father and thy mother, includes esteem of them, shown in our conduct; obedience to their lawful commands; come when they call you, go where they send you, do what they bid you, refrain from what they forbid you; and this, as children, cheerfully, and from a principle of love. Also submission to their counsels and corrections. Endeavouring, in every thing, to comfort parents, and to make their old age easy; maintaining them if they need support, which our Saviour makes to be particularly intended in this commandment, Mt 15:4–6. Careful observers have noted a peculiar blessing in temporal things on obedient, and the reverse on disobedient children. The sixth commandment requires that we regard the life and the safety of others as we do our own. Magistrates and their officers, and witnesses testifying the truth, do not break this command. Self-defence is lawful; but much which is not deemed murder by the laws of man, is such before God. Furious passions, stirred up by anger or by drunkenness, are no excuse: more guilty is murder in duels, which is a horrible effect of a haughty, revengeful spirit. All fighting, whether for wages, for renown, or out of anger and malice, breaks this command, and the bloodshed therein is murder. To tempt men to vice and crimes which shorten life, may be included. Misconduct, such as may break the heart, or shorten the lives of parents, wives, or other relatives, is a breach of this command. This command forbids all envy, malice, hatred, or anger, all provoking or insulting language. The destruction of our own lives is here forbidden. This commandment requires a spirit of kindness, longsuffering, and forgiveness. The seventh commandment concerns chastity. We should be as much afraid of that which defiles the body, as of that which destroys it. Whatever tends to pollute the imagination, or to raise the passions, falls under this law, as impure pictures, books, conversation, or any other like matters. The eighth commandment is the law of love as it respects the property of others. The portion of worldly things allotted us, as far as it is obtained in an honest way, is the bread which God hath given us; for that we ought to be thankful, to be contented with it, and, in the use of lawful means, to trust Providence for the future. Imposing upon the ignorance, easiness, or necessity of others, and many other things, break God's law, though scarcely blamed in society. Plunderers of kingdoms though above human justice, will be included in this sentence. Defrauding the public, contracting debts without prospect of paying them, or evading payment of just debts, extravagance, all living upon charity when not needful, all squeezing the poor in their wages; these, and such things, break this command; which requires industry, frugality, and content, and to do to others, about worldly property, as we would they should do to us. The ninth commandment concerns our own and our neighbour's good name. This forbids speaking falsely on any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising or designing to deceive our neighbour. Speaking unjustly against our neighbour, to hurt his reputation. Bearing false witness against him, or in common conversation slandering, backbiting, and tale-bearing; making what is done amiss, worse than it is, and in any way endeavouring to raise our reputation upon the ruin of our neighbour's. How much this command is every day broken among persons of all ranks! The tenth commandment strikes at the root; Thou shalt not covet. The others forbid all desire of doing what will be an injury to our neighbour; this forbids all wrong desire of having what will gratify ourselves.
Key Words
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
אֵלֶּה: these or those
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
יָצָא: to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
מִצְרַיִם: Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt
Cross References
Exodus 20Jesus quotes the fifth commandment and explains its practical application to supporting parents.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Paul cites the tenth commandment to demonstrate the spiritual nature of the law convicting internal desire.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Deuteronomy confirms they saw no form/similitude when God spoke from heaven, reinforcing the ban on images.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct parallel command to make linen breeches for priests to prevent exposure of nakedness during service.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The apostle cites the fifth commandment as the first commandment with a promise.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jesus interprets the seventh commandment spiritually, extending it to the lustful thoughts of the heart.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Contrasts the terrifying physical manifestations of Sinai's law-giving with the grace of Mount Zion.
Supported by JFB
Repeats the command to build an altar of stone without lifting any iron tool upon it.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prescribes building the altar of whole, unhewn stones to offer peace and burnt offerings.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Joshua builds an altar of whole, unhewn stones exactly as commanded here by Moses.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Warns against making images because Israel saw no physical form of God at Sinai.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels the warning that Yahweh is a jealous God who demands exclusive worship.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Christ explains the purpose of the Sabbath's rest, which is grounded in creation.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The historical foundation of the Sabbath commandment, rooted in God's creation rest.
Supported by Matthew Henry
God promises to come in a thick cloud to Moses, establishing the darkness of His presence.
Supported by John Calvin
Solomon declares that the Lord said He would dwell in the thick darkness, echoing Sinai.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Moses states he stood between the Lord and the people, explaining their standing afar off.
Supported by John Calvin
Levitical command forbidding the making of molten gods, echoing the prohibition of gold/silver gods.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Elaborates on seeking the place where God chooses to put and record His name.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The central sanctuary where God causes His name to dwell and where offerings are brought.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The supreme command of love which forms the spiritual summary of the first table.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Reinforces the prohibition of graven images, standing pillars, or figured stones for worship.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Repeats the divine formula of visiting iniquity to generations yet showing abundant mercy.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Summarizes the commandments of the second table under the single law of neighborly love.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The physical description of the smoke, trumpets, and lightning that preceded the law's delivery.
Supported by John Calvin
The people request a mediator so they do not hear the terrifying voice of God directly.
Supported by John Calvin
Refers to the voice of words from Sinai, which they entreated should not be spoken.
Supported by JFB
Direct, tragic violation of this command when Aaron fashions the golden calf.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identifies Jerusalem as the city chosen out of all tribes to put His name there.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Ezekiel's vision details temple altar steps, contrasting with this early command as priesthood regulations developed.
Supported by JFB