2 I am the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 which have brought H3318 thee out of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 out of the house H1004 of bondage. H5650
Yet I am the LORD H3068 thy God H430 from the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and thou shalt know H3045 no god H430 but me: H2108 for there is no saviour H3467 beside me. H1115
And Moses H4872 said H559 unto the people, H5971 Remember H2142 this H2088 day, H3117 in which ye came out H3318 from Egypt, H4714 out of the house H1004 of bondage; H5650 for by strength H2392 of hand H3027 the LORD H3068 brought you out H3318 from this place: there shall no leavened bread H2557 be eaten. H398
But because the LORD H3068 loved H160 you, and because he would keep H8104 the oath H7621 which he had sworn H7650 unto your fathers, H1 hath the LORD H3068 brought you out H3318 with a mighty H2389 hand, H3027 and redeemed H6299 you out of the house H1004 of bondmen, H5650 from the hand H3027 of Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt. H4714
And remember H2142 that thou wast a servant H5650 in the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and that the LORD H3068 thy God H430 brought H3318 thee out thence through a mighty H2389 hand H3027 and by a stretched out H5186 arm: H2220 therefore the LORD H3068 thy God H430 commanded H6680 thee to keep H6213 the sabbath H7676 day. H3117
I am the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 which brought thee out H3318 of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 from the house H1004 of bondage. H5650
I am the LORD H3068 your God, H430 which brought you forth H3318 out of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 that ye should not be their bondmen; H5650 and I have broken H7665 the bands H4133 of your yoke, H5923 and made you go H3212 upright. H6968
And the Egyptians H4713 evil entreated H7489 us, and afflicted H6031 us, and laid H5414 upon us hard H7186 bondage: H5656 And when we cried H6817 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of our fathers, H1 the LORD H3068 heard H8085 our voice, H6963 and looked H7200 on our affliction, H6040 and our labour, H5999 and our oppression: H3906 And the LORD H3068 brought us forth H3318 out of Egypt H4714 with a mighty H2389 hand, H3027 and with an outstretched H5186 arm, H2220 and with great H1419 terribleness, H4172 and with signs, H226 and with wonders: H4159
That your generations H1755 may know H3045 that I made the children H1121 of Israel H3478 to dwell H3427 in booths, H5521 when I brought them out H3318 of the land H776 of Egypt: H4714 I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430
Ye shall make H6213 you no idols H457 nor graven image, H6459 neither rear you up H6965 a standing image, H4676 neither shall ye set up H5414 any image H4906 of stone H68 in your land, H776 to bow down H7812 unto it: for I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430
And I will establish H6965 my covenant H1285 between me and thee and thy seed H2233 after thee H310 in their generations H1755 for an everlasting H5769 covenant, H1285 to be a God H430 unto thee, and to thy seed H2233 after thee. H310 And I will give H5414 unto thee, and to thy seed H2233 after thee, H310 the land H776 wherein thou art a stranger, H4033 all the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 for an everlasting H5769 possession; H272 and I will be their God. H430
And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Go H935 in unto Pharaoh: H6547 for I have hardened H3513 his heart, H3820 and the heart H3820 of his servants, H5650 that I might shew H7896 these my signs H226 before H7130 him: And that thou mayest tell H5608 in the ears H241 of thy son, H1121 and of thy son's H1121 son, H1121 what things I have wrought H5953 in Egypt, H4714 and my signs H226 which I have done H7760 among them; that ye may know H3045 how that I am the LORD. H3068 And Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 came in H935 unto Pharaoh, H6547 and said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 God H430 of the Hebrews, H5680 How long H4970 wilt thou refuse H3985 to humble H6031 thyself before H6440 me? let my people H5971 go, H7971 that they may serve H5647 me. Else, H3588 if thou refuse H3986 to let my people H5971 go, H7971 behold, to morrow H4279 will I bring H935 the locusts H697 into thy coast: H1366 And they shall cover H3680 the face H5869 of the earth, H776 that one cannot be able H3201 to see H7200 the earth: H776 and they shall eat H398 the residue H3499 of that which is escaped, H6413 which remaineth H7604 unto you from the hail, H1259 and shall eat H398 every tree H6086 which groweth H6779 for you out of the field: H7704 And they shall fill H4390 thy houses, H1004 and the houses H1004 of all thy servants, H5650 and the houses H1004 of all the Egyptians; H4714 which neither thy fathers, H1 nor thy fathers' H1 fathers H1 have seen, H7200 since the day H3117 that they were upon the earth H127 unto this day. H3117 And he turned H6437 himself, and went out H3318 from Pharaoh. H6547 And Pharaoh's H6547 servants H5650 said H559 unto him, How long shall this man be a snare H4170 unto us? let the men H582 go, H7971 that they may serve H5647 the LORD H3068 their God: H430 knowest H3045 thou not yet H2962 that Egypt H4714 is destroyed? H6 And Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 were brought again H7725 unto Pharaoh: H6547 and he said H559 unto them, Go, H3212 serve H5647 the LORD H3068 your God: H430 but who are they that shall go? H1980 And Moses H4872 said, H559 We will go H3212 with our young H5288 and with our old, H2205 with our sons H1121 and with our daughters, H1323 with our flocks H6629 and with our herds H1241 will we go; H3212 for we must hold a feast H2282 unto the LORD. H3068 And he said H559 unto them, Let the LORD H3068 be so with you, as I will let you go, H7971 and your little ones: H2945 look H7200 to it; for evil H7451 is before H6440 you. Not so: go H3212 now ye that are men, H1397 and serve H5647 the LORD; H3068 for that ye did desire. H1245 And they were driven out H1644 from Pharaoh's H6547 presence. H6440 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Stretch out H5186 thine hand H3027 over the land H776 of Egypt H4714 for the locusts, H697 that they may come up H5927 upon the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and eat H398 every herb H6212 of the land, H776 even all that the hail H1259 hath left. H7604 And Moses H4872 stretched forth H5186 his rod H4294 over the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and the LORD H3068 brought H5090 an east H6921 wind H7307 upon the land H776 all that day, H3117 and all that night; H3915 and when it was morning, H1242 the east H6921 wind H7307 brought H5375 the locusts. H697 And the locusts H697 went up H5927 over all the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and rested H5117 in all the coasts H1366 of Egypt: H4714 very H3966 grievous H3515 were they; before H6440 them there were no such H3651 locusts H697 as they, neither after H310 them shall be such. For they covered H3680 the face H5869 of the whole earth, H776 so that the land H776 was darkened; H2821 and they did eat H398 every herb H6212 of the land, H776 and all the fruit H6529 of the trees H6086 which the hail H1259 had left: H3498 and there remained H3498 not any green thing H3418 in the trees, H6086 or in the herbs H6212 of the field, H7704 through all the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
But this shall be the covenant H1285 that I will make H3772 with the house H1004 of Israel; H3478 After H310 those days, H3117 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 I will put H5414 my law H8451 in their inward parts, H7130 and write H3789 it in their hearts; H3820 and will be their God, H430 and they shall be my people. H5971
Is he G2228 the God G2316 of the Jews G2453 only? G3440 is he not G3780 also G1161 G2532 of the Gentiles? G1484 Yes, G3483 of the Gentiles G1484 also: G2532
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.