Exodus Chapter 20

From The Open Bible Project

20:1 [19] God [See Exodus Footnotes 19] spoke all these words, saying,

• (a) When Moses and Aaron were gone up, or had passed the bounds of the people, God spoke thus out of the mount Horeb, that all the people heard.

20:2 "I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me.

• (b) To whose eyes all things are open.

20:4 "You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

20:5 you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me,

• (c) By this outward gesture, all forms of service and worship to idols is forbidden.
• (d) And will have revenge on those who condemn my honour.

20:6 and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

• (e) So ready is he rather to show mercy than to punish.

20:7 "You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

• (f) Either by swearing falsely or rashly by his Name, or by condemning it.

20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

• (g) Which is by meditating the spiritual rest, by hearing God's word, and resting from worldly labours.

20:9 You shall labor six days, and do all your work,

20:10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates;

20:11 for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.

20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

• (h) By parents it is also meant all that have authority over us.

20:13 "You shall not murder.

• (i) But love and preserve your brother's life.

20:14 "You shall not commit adultery.

• (k) But be pure in heart, word and deed.

20:15 "You shall not steal.

• (l) But study to save his goods.

20:16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

• (m) But further his good name, and speak truth.

20:17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

• (n) You may not so much as wish his hinderance in anything.

20:18 All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance.

20:19 They said to Moses, "Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don't let God speak with us, lest we die."

20:20 Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won't sin."

• (o) Whether you will obey his precepts as you promised in Ex 19:8.

20:21 The people stayed at a distance, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

20:22 Yahweh said to Moses, "This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

20:23 You shall most certainly not make alongside of me gods of silver, or gods of gold for yourselves.

20:24 You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you.

20:25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it.

20:26 Neither shall you go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed to it.'

• (p) Which might be by his stooping or flying up of his clothes.