20 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto the people, H5971 Fear H3372 not: for God H430 is come H935 to H5668 prove H5254 you, and that his fear H3374 may be before your faces, H6440 that ye sin H2398 not.
Thou shalt not hearken H8085 unto the words H1697 of that prophet, H5030 or that dreamer H2492 of dreams: H2472 for the LORD H3068 your God H430 proveth H5254 you, to know H3045 whether ye H3426 love H157 the LORD H3068 your God H430 with all your heart H3824 and with all your soul. H5315
Be not wise H2450 in thine own eyes: H5869 fear H3372 the LORD, H3068 and depart H5493 from evil. H7451
And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto the people, H5971 Fear H3372 not: ye have done H6213 all this wickedness: H7451 yet turn not aside H5493 from following H310 the LORD, H3068 but serve H5647 the LORD H3068 with all your heart; H3824
And thou shalt remember H2142 all the way H1870 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 led H3212 thee these forty H705 years H8141 in the wilderness, H4057 to humble H6031 thee, and to prove H5254 thee, to know H3045 what was in thine heart, H3824 whether thou wouldest keep H8104 his commandments, H4687 or no.
And it came to pass after H310 these things, H1697 that God H430 did tempt H5254 Abraham, H85 and said H559 unto him, Abraham: H85 and he said, H559 Behold, here I am.
And Abraham H85 said, H559 Because I thought, H559 Surely H7535 the fear H3374 of God H430 is not in this place; H4725 and they will slay me H2026 for my wife's H802 sake. H1697
And unto man H120 he said, H559 Behold, the fear H3374 of the Lord, H136 that is wisdom; H2451 and to depart H5493 from evil H7451 is understanding. H998
But the former H7223 governors H6346 that had been before H6440 me were chargeable H3513 unto the people, H5971 and had taken H3947 of them bread H3899 and wine, H3196 beside H310 forty H705 shekels H8255 of silver; H3701 yea, even H1571 their servants H5288 bare rule H7980 over the people: H5971 but so did H6213 not I, because H6440 of the fear H3374 of God. H430
Now therefore fear H3372 the LORD, H3068 and serve H5647 him in sincerity H8549 and in truth: H571 and put away H5493 the gods H430 which your fathers H1 served H5647 on the other side H5676 of the flood, H5104 and in Egypt; H4714 and serve H5647 ye the LORD. H3068
And now, Israel, H3478 what doth the LORD H3068 thy God H430 require H7592 of thee, but to fear H3372 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 to walk H3212 in all his ways, H1870 and to love H157 him, and to serve H5647 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 with all thy heart H3824 and with all thy soul, H5315
That thou mightest fear H3372 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 to keep H8104 all his statutes H2708 and his commandments, H4687 which I command H6680 thee, thou, and thy son, H1121 and thy son's H1121 son, H1121 all the days H3117 of thy life; H2416 and that thy days H3117 may be prolonged. H748
Specially the day H3117 that thou stoodest H5975 before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 in Horeb, H2722 when the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, Gather H6950 me the people H5971 together, H6950 and I will make them hear H8085 my words, H1697 that they may learn H3925 to fear H3372 me all the days H3117 that they shall live H2416 upon the earth, H127 and that they may teach H3925 their children. H1121
And he cried H6817 unto the LORD; H3068 and the LORD H3068 shewed H3384 him a tree, H6086 which when he had cast H7993 into the waters, H4325 the waters H4325 were made sweet: H4985 there he made H7760 for them a statute H2706 and an ordinance, H4941 and there he proved H5254 them, And said, H559 If thou wilt diligently H8085 hearken H8085 to the voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and wilt do H6213 that which is right H3477 in his sight, H5869 and wilt give ear H238 to his commandments, H4687 and keep H8104 all his statutes, H2706 I will put H7760 none of these diseases H4245 upon thee, which I have brought H7760 upon the Egyptians: H4714 for I am the LORD H3068 that healeth H7495 thee.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Exodus 20
Commentary on Exodus 20 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 20
Ex 20:1-26. The Ten Commandments.
1. And God spake all these words—The Divine Being Himself was the speaker (De 5:12, 32, 33), in tones so loud as to be heard—so distinct as to be intelligible by the whole multitude standing in the valleys below, amid the most appalling phenomena of agitated nature. Had He been simply addressing rational and intelligent creatures, He would have spoken with the still small voice of persuasion and love. But He was speaking to those who were at the same time fallen and sinful creatures, and a corresponding change was required in the manner of God's procedure, in order to give a suitable impression of the character and sanctions of the law revealed from heaven (Ro 11:5-9).
2. I am the Lord thy God—This is a preface to the ten commandments—the latter clause being specially applicable to the case of the Israelites, while the former brings it home to all mankind; showing that the reasonableness of the law is founded in their eternal relation as creatures to their Creator, and their mutual relations to each other.
3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me—in My presence, beside, or except Me.
4, 5. Thou shalt not make … any graven image … thou shalt not bow down thyself to them—that is, "make in order to bow." Under the auspices of Moses himself, figures of cherubim, brazen serpents, oxen, and many other things in the earth beneath, were made and never condemned. The mere making was no sin—it was the making with the intent to give idolatrous worship.
8. Remember the sabbath day—implying it was already known, and recognized as a season of sacred rest. The first four commandments [Ex 20:3-11] comprise our duties to God—the other six [Ex 20:12-17] our duties to our fellow men; and as interpreted by Christ, they reach to the government of the heart as well as the lip (Mt 5:17). "If a man do them he shall live in them" [Le 18:5; Ne 9:29]. But, ah! what an if for frail and fallen man. Whoever rests his hope upon the law stands debtor to it all; and in this view every one would be without hope were not "the Lord our Righteousness" [Jer 23:6; 33:16] (Joh 1:17).
18-21. all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings—They were eye and ear witnesses of the awful emblems of the Deity's descent. But they perceived not the Deity Himself.
19. let not God speak with us, lest we die, &c.—The phenomena of thunder and lightning had been one of the plagues so fatal to Egypt, and as they heard God speaking to them now, they were apprehensive of instant death also. Even Moses himself, the mediator of the old covenant, did "exceedingly quake and fear" (Heb 12:21). But doubtless God spake what gave him relief—restored him to a frame of mind fit for the ministrations committed to him; and hence immediately after he was enabled to relieve and comfort them with the relief and comfort which he himself had received from God (2Co 1:4).
22, 23. the Lord said unto Moses—It appears from De 4:14-16, that this injunction was a conclusion drawn from the scene on Sinai—that as no similitude of God was displayed then, they should not attempt to make any visible figure or form of Him.
24. An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me—a regulation applicable to special or temporary occasions.
25. thou shalt not build it of hewn stone, &c.—that is, carved with figures and ornaments that might lead to superstition.
26. by steps—a precaution taken for the sake of decency, in consequence of the loose, wide, flowing garments of the priests.