Exodus 20: God's Direct Instructions to the People: The Ten Commandments for the Offering of Sacrifices
As God spoke directly to His people, the mountain shook with His presence. What followed were not mere laws—but the Ten Commandments, the foundation of covenant life.
When the Israelites come to Mount Sinai in Exodus 19, God prepares to make a covenant with them, making them a holy people, once a people who had been delivered, a chosen people. Remembering their emancipation from Egypt, God tells them they shall be His people and a holy nation if they will listen to Him. The people willingly assent, and God instructs them to prepare by consecration. His holiness and power are shown on the third day when His glory comes down on the mountain in the shape of fire, smoke, thunder, and lightning. Moses acts as a mediator between God and the people, a precursor to the necessity of a more powerful mediator in the future.
Exodus 20:1-21. God Addresses The People Directly
In Exodus 20:1-2 as the people stood in awe before the mountain, they heard the very voice of God introducing himself to them: I am the LORD, your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery (Exodus 2; Dt. 4:12-13; 5:4). There then follows a list of stipulations which were to form the basis of Israel's covenant relationship with God (3-17). These were later termed 'the ten words' (Exodus 34:28; Dt. 4:13; 10:4), from which we derive the designation Decalogue or Ten Commandments. Their importance was further emphasised when God inscribed them on two stone tablets (Exodus 24:12; Exodus 31:18; Exodus 34:1, 28; see below).
Exodus 20:1-2 CSB: [1] Then God spoke all these words: [2] I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.
Deuteronomy 4:12-13 CSB: [12] Then the Lord spoke to you from the fire. You kept hearing the sound of the words, but didn’t see a form; there was only a voice. [13] He declared his covenant to you. He commanded you to follow the Ten Commandments, which he wrote on two stone tablets.
Deuteronomy 5:4 CSB: The Lord spoke to you face to face from the fire on the mountain.
Exodus 34:28 CSB: Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat food or drink water. He wrote the Ten Commandments, the words of the covenant, on the tablets.
Deuteronomy 4:13 CSB: He declared his covenant to you. He commanded you to follow the Ten Commandments, which he wrote on two stone tablets.
Deuteronomy 10:4 CSB: Then on the day of the assembly, the Lord wrote on the tablets what had been written previously, the Ten Commandments that he had spoken to you on the mountain from the fire. The Lord gave them to me.
Exodus 24:12 CSB: The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay there so that I may give you the stone tablets with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”
Exodus 31:18 CSB: When he finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God.
Exodus 34:1, 28 CSB: [1] The Lord said to Moses, “Cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. [28] Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat food or drink water. He wrote the Ten Commandments, the words of the covenant, on the tablets.
The stipulations outlined by God were to govern Israel's relationship with him. These represent the principal requirements which God placed upon the people of Israel for the establishment and maintenance of the covenant relationship between them. The people were to be single-minded in their devotion to the one who had delivered them from Egypt. They were to worship him alone (3). Furthermore, their social behaviour was to follow a pattern which placed a high priority on the rights of the individual as regards life, marriage and possessions. They were to obey these commands out of love for God (6).
Strictly speaking, the Decalogue is not a collection of laws. Various factors set it apart from the other legal collections of the Pentateuch. First, it was spoken directly by God to the people; Moses did not act as an intermediary (1, 19; cf. Dt. 4:12-13; 5:4-5, 22-27). Secondly, it alone was inscribed on stone tablets by the 'finger of God' (Exodus 31:18; Exodus 24:12, Exodus 32:15-16; Exodus 34:1, 28). All other regulations and instructions were written down by Moses (Exodus 24:4; Exodus 34:27-28, see note on Exodus 34:28). Thirdly, the Ten Commandments are hardly detailed precepts, since no punishments are listed. Although the second and fifth commandments appear to contain penalties, these are really 'motivation clauses' designed to promote the observance of the divine instructions. Finally, what human law court could begin to enforce the prohibition against coveting described in the tenth commandment?
Deuteronomy 4:12-13 CSB: [12] Then the Lord spoke to you from the fire. You kept hearing the sound of the words, but didn’t see a form; there was only a voice. [13] He declared his covenant to you. He commanded you to follow the Ten Commandments, which he wrote on two stone tablets.
Deuteronomy 5:4-5 CSB: [4] The Lord spoke to you face to face from the fire on the mountain. [5] At that time I was standing between the Lord and you to report the word of the Lord to you, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain. And he said:
Exodus 31:18 CSB: [18] When he finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God.
Exodus 24:12 CSB: [12] The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay there so that I may give you the stone tablets with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”
**Exodus 32:15-16 CSB: [**15] Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides inscribed front and back. [16] The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God’s writing, engraved on the tablets.
Exodus 34:1, 28 CSB: [1] The Lord said to Moses, “Cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. [28] Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat food or drink water. He wrote the Ten Commandments, the words of the covenant, on the tablets.
Exodus 24:4 CSB: [4] And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early the next morning and set up an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain.
Exodus 34:27-28 CSB: [27] The Lord also said to Moses, “Write down these words, for I have made a covenant with you and with Israel based on these words.” [28] Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat food or drink water. He wrote the Ten Commandments, the words of the covenant, on the tablets.
The covenant stipulations in Exodus chapter 20 are listed in order of descending priority and focus on the Israelites' relationship to God and other people. Jesus summarised this twofold division as love for God and love for one's neighbour (Mt 22:37-39; Mk. 12:29-31). Love for God must come first, but it can never to he divorced from love for one's neighbour; the former leads automatically to the latter.
First Commandment - Exodus 20:3
Sole allegiance to 'the LORD' lies at the very heart of the covenant relationship. It is the foundation upon which everything else rests. The people were in practice to he monotheistic, worshipping only God. As is made clear elsewhere in the Pentateuch, the worship of other deities was punishable by death (Nu. 25:1-18; Dt. 13:1-18).
Exodus 20:3 CSB: Do not have other gods besides me.
Numbers 25:1-18 CSB: [1] While Israel was staying in the Acacia Grove, the people began to prostitute themselves with the women of Moab. [2] The women invited them to the sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate and bowed in worship to their gods. [3] So Israel aligned itself with Baal of Peor, and the Lord’s anger burned against Israel. [4] The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord so that his burning anger may turn away from Israel.” [5] So Moses told Israel’s judges, “Kill each of the men who aligned themselves with Baal of Peor.” [6] An Israelite man came bringing a Midianite woman to his relatives in the sight of Moses and the whole Israelite community while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. [7] When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand, [8] followed the Israelite man into the tent, and drove it through both the Israelite man and the woman through her belly. Then the plague on the Israelites was stopped, [9] but those who died in the plague numbered twenty-four thousand. [10] The Lord spoke to Moses. [11] “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the Israelites because he was zealous among them with my zeal, so that I did not destroy the Israelites in my zeal. [12] Therefore declare: I grant him my covenant of peace. [13] It will be a covenant of perpetual priesthood for him and his future descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.” [14] The name of the slain Israelite man, who was struck dead with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family. [15] The name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal head of a family in Midian. [16] The Lord told Moses, [17] “Attack the Midianites and strike them dead. [18] For they attacked you with the treachery that they used against you in the Peor incident. They did the same in the case involving their sister Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite leader who was killed the day the plague came at Peor.”
Deuteronomy 13:1-18 CSB: [1] “If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, [2] and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let’s follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let’s worship them,’ [3] do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul. [4] You must follow the Lord your God and fear him. You must keep his commands and listen to him; you must worship him and remain faithful to him. [5] That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery, to turn you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you. [6] “If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let’s go and worship other gods’ #— #which neither you nor your ancestors have known, [7] any of the gods of the peoples around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other #— # [8] do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him. [9] Instead, you must kill him. Your hand is to be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people. [10] Stone him to death for trying to turn you away from the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. [11] All Israel will hear and be afraid, and they will no longer do anything evil like this among you. [12] “If you hear it said about one of your cities the Lord your God is giving you to live in, [13] that wicked men have sprung up among you, led the inhabitants of their city astray, and said, ‘Let’s go and worship other gods,’ which you have not known, [14] you are to inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable act has been done among you, [15] you must strike down the inhabitants of that city with the sword. Completely destroy everyone in it as well as its livestock with the sword. [16] You are to gather all its spoil in the middle of the city square and completely burn the city and all its spoil for the Lord your God. The city is to remain a mound of ruins forever; it is not to be rebuilt. [17] Nothing set apart for destruction is to remain in your hand, so that the Lord will turn from his burning anger and grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as he swore to your ancestors. [18] This will occur if you obey the Lord your God, keeping all his commands I am giving you today, doing what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.
Second Commandment - Exodus 20:4-6
Unlike contemporary people, the Israelites were not to make or worship visual representations of their God. In both Egypt and Canaan, human and animal forms played an important function in depicting the attributes of a deity. Any attempt on the part of the Israelites to represent God using such images would produce a distorted picture of his true nature. The incident of the golden calf (Exodus chapter 32) reveals both the necessity of this prohibition in the light of the people's desire to have some visual image of 'the LORD', and the serious consequences of disregarding this commandment.
Exodus 20:4-6 CSB: [4] Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. [5] Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, [6] but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands.
Third Commandment - Exodus 20:7
Whereas the second commandment prohibits visual representations of God, the third focuses on verbal representations. As a sign of their respect for God, the people were to exercise the greatest caution when talking about him or invoking his name. They were to say nothing which might detract from a true appreciation of his nature and character.
Exodus 20:7 CSB: Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name.
Fourth Commandment - Exodus 20:8-11
The people were to refrain from work on the seventh day, the Sabbath. According to Exodus 31:12-18, the Sabbath was the sign of the covenant relationship inaugurated at Sinai; as such, it functioned like the earlier covenant sign of circumcision (Gn. 17:9-14). Anyone failing to observe the Sabbath showed their disdain for the special relationship established between God and Israel. As a result of the new covenant inaugurated by Christ, the Sabbath (Saturday) was replaced by the Lord's day (Sunday). The strict observance of the Sabbath, like circumcision, is no longer binding upon Christians.
Exodus 20:8-11 CSB: [8] Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: [9] You are to labor six days and do all your work, [10] but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. [11] For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.
Genesis 17:9-14 CSB: [9] God also said to Abraham, “As for you, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations are to keep my covenant. [10] This is my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you, which you are to keep: Every one of your males must be circumcised. [11] You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and you. , [12] Throughout your generations, every male among you is to be circumcised at eight days old every male born in your household or purchased from any foreigner and not your offspring. [13] Whether born in your household or purchased, he must be circumcised. My covenant will be marked in your flesh as a permanent covenant. [14] If any male is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that man will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
Exodus 31:12-18 CSB: [12] The Lord said to Moses, [13] “Tell the Israelites: You must observe my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, so that you will know that I am the Lord who consecrates you. [14] Observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever profanes it must be put to death. If anyone does work on it, that person must be cut off from his people. [15] Work may be done for six days, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord. Anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. [16] The Israelites must observe the Sabbath, celebrating it throughout their generations as a permanent covenant. [17] It is a sign forever between me and the Israelites, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.” [18] When he finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God.
Fifth Commandment - Exodus 20:12
The concept of honouring is usually associated with God or his representatives, prophets and kings. In all likelihood, parents were envisaged as representing God to their children; the family unit being a miniature of the nation. The seriousness of this commandment is reflected in the fact that the death penalty was required for children who wilfully disrespected their parents (Exodus 21:15, 17). If parents, as authority figures within the home, are respected by children, then respect for authority figures within society at large will also follow.
Exodus 20:12 CSB: Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Exodus 21:15, 17 CSB: [15] “Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death. [17] “Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death.
Sixth Commandment - Exodus 20:13
This commandment, by prohibiting murder or manslaughter, demonstrates the high priority which God places upon human life. No human being has the right to take another's life because each person is made in God's image (Gn. 1:27; 9:6). In the Pentateuch, the punishment for taking another's life is death itself. The commandment, however, does not include judicial executions for capital offences or legitimate deaths resulting from war, and it should also be noted that the Old Testament laws draw a careful distinction between premeditated and accidental deaths (Exodus 21:1-22, the section entitled 'The sanctity of life').
Exodus 20:13 CSB: Do not murder.
Genesis 1:27 CSB: So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.
Genesis 9:6 CSB: Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed, for God made humans in his image.
Exodus 21:1-22 CSB: [1] “These are the ordinances that you are to set before them: [2] “When you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for six years; then in the seventh he is to leave as a free man without paying anything. [3] If he arrives alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrives with a wife, his wife is to leave with him. [4] If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to her master, and the man must leave alone. [5] “But if the slave declares, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to leave as a free man,’ [6] his master is to bring him to the judges and then bring him to the door or doorpost. His master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life. [7] “When a man sells his daughter as a concubine, she is not to leave as the male slaves do. [8] If she is displeasing to her master, who chose her for himself, then he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners because he has acted treacherously toward her. [9] Or if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her according to the customary treatment of daughters. [10] If he takes an additional wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of the first wife. [11] And if he does not do these three things for her, she may leave free of charge, without any payment. [12] “Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death. [13] But if he did not intend any harm, and yet God allowed it to happen, I will appoint a place for you where he may flee. [14] If a person schemes and willfully acts against his neighbor to murder him, you must take him from my altar to be put to death. [15] “Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death. [16] “Whoever kidnaps a person must be put to death, whether he sells him or the person is found in his possession. [17] “Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death. [18] “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or his fist, and the injured man does not die but is confined to bed, [19] if he can later get up and walk around outside leaning on his staff, then the one who struck him will be exempt from punishment. Nevertheless, he must pay for his lost work time and provide for his complete recovery. [20] “When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies under his abuse, the owner must be punished. [21] However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished because he is his owner’s property. , [22] “When men get in a fight and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born prematurely but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman’s husband demands from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment.
Seventh Commandment - Exodus 20:14
In God's order of priority, the sanctity of human life is followed by the importance of the marriage relationship. Adultery here means sexual relations between a married woman and a man who is not her husband. Those caught in adultery could be executed (Lv. 20:10; Dt. 22:22). Relations between a married man and an unmarried woman do not qualify as adultery. Hence, polygamy is not automatically excluded by this commandment, although in practice it was rare in OT times. Similarly, divorce was permitted, but not encouraged. The NT teaching on marriage is, in certain respects, more demanding, reflecting more closely God's ideal for human marriage as expressed in Gn. 2:24; polygamy, a husband's adultery and possibly remarriage are all prohibited (Mt. 19:3-12; Mk. 10:2-12; Lk. 16:18). As a whole, the Bible reveals that God desires the establishment of harmonious marital relationships and that neither partner should do anything to undermine this.
Exodus 20:14 CSB: Do not commit adultery.
Leviticus 20:10 CSB: “If a man commits adultery with a married woman if he commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.
Deuteronomy 22:22 CSB: “If a man is discovered having sexual relations with another man’s wife, both the man who had sex with the woman and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.
Genesis 2:24 CSB: This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.
Matthew 19:3-12 CSB: [3] Some Pharisees approached him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife on any grounds? ” [4] “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that he who created them in the beginning made them male and female, , [5] and he also said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?, [6] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” [7] “Why then,” they asked him, “did Moses command us to give divorce papers and to send her away? ” [8] He told them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts, but it was not like that from the beginning. [9] I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery.” , [10] His disciples said to him, “If the relationship of a man with his wife is like this, it’s better not to marry.” [11] He responded, “Not everyone can accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given. [12] For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs who were made by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept it should accept it.”
Mark 10:2-12 CSB: [2] Some Pharisees came to test him, asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? ” [3] He replied to them, “What did Moses command you? ” [4] They said, “Moses permitted us to write divorce papers and send her away.” [5] But Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts. [6] But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. , [7] For this reason a man will leave his father and mother [8] and the two will become one flesh. , So they are no longer two, but one flesh. [9] Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” [10] When they were in the house again, the disciples questioned him about this matter. [11] He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. [12] Also, if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Luke 16:18 CSB: “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and everyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
Eighth Commandment - Exodus 20:15
The next principle to govern the Israelites' relationship with God is respect for the property of others. Any individual found guilty of dispossessing another was to be punished according to the value of what they had stolen, and the injured party was to be suitably compensated. While other Ancient Near Eastern cultures sometimes invoked the death penalty for theft, the Old Testament consistently rejects such a position, indicating clearly that God values human life and the marital relationship above property.
Exodus 20:15 CSB: Do not steal.
Ninth Commandment - Exodus 20:16
In the final two commandments, we proceed from prohibitions involving actions to prohibitions involving words and thoughts respectively: This concludes the downward progression of priorities, which we have observed. The ninth commandment emphasises the importance of truthfulness. While the prohibition against false testimony was primarily intended for a court of law, it may be extended to include any situation in which untrue words are used to harm another individual.
Exodus 20:16 CSB: Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Tenth Commandment - Exodus 20:17
The final commandment forbids an individual to covet what belongs to another. Unlike all the other commands, it addresses inner feelings and thoughts such as envy or greed. If the Israelites were to enjoy a harmonious covenant relationship with God, every aspect of their lives must conform to his will. Outward adherence is insufficient; their inner selves must be patterned according to the divine principles of morality found in the Ten Commandments. As Jesus reminds us, to interpret the commandments as requiring only outward obedience is to misunderstand their purpose (Mt. 5:17-48).
Exodus 20:17 CSB: Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Matthew 5:17-48 CSB: [17] “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. [18] For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. [19] Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [20] For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. [21] “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, , and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. [22] But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool! ’ will be subject to hellfire. , [23] So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, [24] leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. [25] Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him to the court, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. [26] Truly I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny. [27] “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. , [28] But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. [29] If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. [30] And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. [31] “It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce. , [32] But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. [33] “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord. , [34] But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; [35] or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. [36] Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. [37] But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one. [38] “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. , [39] But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. [40] As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. [41] And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. [42] Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. [43] “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor , and hate your enemy. [44] But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary? , Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? [48] Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The People's Initial Reaction - Exodus 20:18-21
As a result of God's appearance, the people were filled with alarm. Even before God addressed them, they were terrified (Exodus 19:16), and as God spoke, their fear increased (18-19). Moses, however, observed that they were being tested so that the fear of God would be with you to keep you from sinning (20). Still afraid, the people requested Moses to act as mediator between them and God (21).
Exodus 20:18-20 CSB: [18] All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance. [19] “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.” [20] Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear him and will not sin.”
Exodus 19:16 CSB: On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud blast from a ram’s horn, so that all the people in the camp shuddered.
Instructions For The Offering Of Sacrifices - Exodus 20:22-26
This is the first section of a long speech by 'the LORD' which Moses heard alone, and subsequently recorded. As we shall see below, the contents of God's speech relate closely to the account of the ratification of the covenant in Exodus 24:3-11.
Although many commentators view this first section as part of the detailed legislation which comprises the Book of the Covenant, there are grounds for treating it as distinctive. Apart from the obvious difficulty of explaining why detailed laws would have been inserted before the heading in Exodus 21:1, the form of presentation does not conform to the patterns used throughout Exodus 21:1 and Exodus 22:20. These features can best be accounted for by the fact that Exodus 20:22-26 records instructions, not detailed legislation, for the building of an altar and the offering of sacrifices. These activities form an essential part of the covenant ratification ceremony described in Exodus 24:4-8. The mention of burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in both contexts reinforces the connection. Nevertheless, although they relate in the first instance to the events of Exodus chapter 24, the instructions on building an altar applied to other occasions.
Exodus 20:22-26 CSB: [22] Then the Lord told Moses, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. [23] Do not make gods of silver to rival me; do not make gods of gold for yourselves. [24] “Make an earthen altar for me, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your flocks and herds. I will come to you and bless you in every place where I cause my name to be remembered. [25] If you make a stone altar for me, do not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it. [26] Do not go up to my altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.
Exodus 24:3-11 CSB: [3] Moses came and told the people all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. Then all the people responded with a single voice, “We will do everything that the Lord has commanded.” [4] And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early the next morning and set up an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain. [5] Then he sent out young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. [6] Moses took half the blood and set it in basins; the other half of the blood he splattered on the altar. [7] He then took the covenant scroll and read it aloud to the people. They responded, “We will do and obey all that the Lord has commanded.” [8] Moses took the blood, splattered it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you concerning all these words.” [9] Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders, [10] and they saw the God of Israel. Beneath his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. [11] God did not harm the Israelite nobles; they saw him, and they ate and drank.
Exodus 21:1 CSB: “These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:
Exodus 22:20 CSB: [20] “Whoever sacrifices to any gods, except the Lord alone, is to be set apart for destruction.
Exodus 24:4-8 CSB: [4] And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early the next morning and set up an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain. [5] Then he sent out young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. [6] Moses took half the blood and set it in basins; the other half of the blood he splattered on the altar. [7] He then took the covenant scroll and read it aloud to the people. They responded, “We will do and obey all that the Lord has commanded.” [8] Moses took the blood, splattered it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you concerning all these words.”
Focus Note
Exodus 20:26
Later, God instructed Moses to make linen undergarments for Aaron and his sons so that they might not expose their nakedness in God's presence (to do so would have led to death; Exodus 28:42-43).
Exodus 20:26 CSB: Do not go up to my altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.
Exodus 28:42-43 CSB: [42] Make them linen undergarments to cover their naked bodies; they must extend from the waist to the thighs. [43] These must be worn by Aaron and his sons whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister in the sanctuary area, so that they do not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and for his future descendants.