5 Thou shalt not bow down H7812 thyself to them, nor serve H5647 them: for I the LORD H3068 thy God H430 am a jealous H7067 God, H410 visiting H6485 the iniquity H5771 of the fathers H1 upon the children H1121 unto the third H8029 and fourth H7256 generation of them that hate H8130 me;
Behold, it is written H3789 before H6440 me: I will not keep silence, H2814 but will recompense, H7999 even recompense H7999 into their bosom, H2436 Your iniquities, H5771 and the iniquities H5771 of your fathers H1 together, H3162 saith H559 the LORD, H3068 which have burned incense H6999 upon the mountains, H2022 and blasphemed H2778 me upon the hills: H1389 therefore will I measure H4058 their former H7223 work H6468 into their bosom. H2436
Thou shalt not be joined H3161 with them in burial, H6900 because thou hast destroyed H7843 thy land, H776 and slain H2026 thy people: H5971 the seed H2233 of evildoers H7489 shall never H5769 be renowned. H7121 Prepare H3559 slaughter H4293 for his children H1121 for the iniquity H5771 of their fathers; H1 that they do not H1077 rise, H6965 nor possess H3423 the land, H776 nor fill H4390 the face H6440 of the world H8398 with cities. H6145 H5892
He that hateth G3404 me G1691 hateth G3404 my G3450 Father G3962 also. G2532 If G1508 I had G4160 not G1508 done G4160 among G1722 them G846 the works G2041 which G3739 none G3762 other man G243 did, G4160 they had G2192 not G3756 had G2192 sin: G266 but G1161 now G3568 have they G3708 both G2532 seen G3708 and G2532 hated G3404 both G2532 me G1691 and G2532 my G3450 Father. G3962
And they that are left H7604 of you shall pine away H4743 in their iniquity H5771 in your enemies' H341 lands; H776 and also in the iniquities H5771 of their fathers H1 shall they pine away H4743 with them. If they shall confess H3034 their iniquity, H5771 and the iniquity H5771 of their fathers, H1 with their trespass H4604 which they trespassed H4603 against me, and that also they have walked H1980 contrary H7147 unto me;
And the LORD H3068 passed by H5674 before him, H6440 and proclaimed, H7121 The LORD, H3068 The LORD H3068 God, H410 merciful H7349 and gracious, H2587 longsuffering, H750 H639 and abundant H7227 in goodness H2617 and truth, H571 Keeping H5341 mercy H2617 for thousands, H505 forgiving H5375 iniquity H5771 and transgression H6588 and sin, H2403 and that will by no means H5352 clear H5352 the guilty; visiting H6485 the iniquity H5771 of the fathers H1 upon the children, H1121 and upon the children's H1121 children, unto the third H8029 and to the fourth H7256 generation.
Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 I remember H6485 that which Amalek H6002 did H6213 to Israel, H3478 how he laid H7760 wait for him in the way, H1870 when he came up H5927 from Egypt. H4714 Now go H3212 and smite H5221 Amalek, H6002 and utterly destroy H2763 all that they have, and spare H2550 them not; but slay H4191 both man H376 and woman, H802 infant H5768 and suckling, H3243 ox H7794 and sheep, H7716 camel H1581 and ass. H2543
For jealousy H7068 is the rage H2534 of a man: H1397 therefore he will not spare H2550 in the day H3117 of vengeance. H5359 He will not regard H5375 H6440 any ransom; H3724 neither will he rest content, H14 though thou givest many H7235 gifts. H7810
Wherefore, G1223 G5124 behold, G2400 I G1473 send G649 unto G4314 you G5209 prophets, G4396 and G2532 wise men, G4680 and G2532 scribes: G1122 and G2532 some of G1537 them G846 ye shall kill G615 and G2532 crucify; G4717 and G2532 some of G1537 them G846 shall ye scourge G3146 in G1722 your G5216 synagogues, G4864 and G2532 persecute G1377 them from G575 city G4172 to G1519 city: G4172 That G3704 upon G1909 you G5209 may come G2064 all G3956 the righteous G1342 blood G129 shed G1632 upon G1909 the earth, G1093 from G575 the blood G129 of righteous G1342 Abel G6 unto G2193 the blood G129 of Zacharias G2197 son G5207 of Barachias, G914 whom G3739 ye slew G5407 between G3342 the temple G3485 and G2532 the altar. G2379 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 All G3956 these things G5023 shall come G2240 upon G1909 this G5026 generation. G1074
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.