1A commemoration of the covenant in Horeb. 6The ten commandments. The first table. 16The second table. 22At the people's request Moses receiveth the law from God.
1AND Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.
2The LORD our God 1made a covenanta with us in 2Horeb.
1 See Gen. 15 on verse 18. Also Deut. 4:23.
a Exod. 19:5.
2 See Deut. 1 on verse 2.
3The LORD made not 3this covenant with 4our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
3 As it was revealed to the Israelites with all its circumstances and particular laws, in manner and form (as we say) on mount Sinai or Horeb. For, the faithful patriarchs had the substance both of the moral and ceremonial law, and had by the grace of God ordered their religion and worship of the LORD in accordance to it.
4 Namely, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and other godly patriarchs, who were all of them dead when God revealed this entire law unto Israel in the wilderness upon mount Sinai or Horeb. Some understand this of the fathers, who, perished in the wilderness, had broken the Covenant of God, and had made themselves altogether unworthy of it.
45The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
5 That is, very familiar, as when one friend talks with another mouth to mouth very freely. It is spoken in respect of God after the manner of men. See Exod. 33:11; Num. 12:8; Deut. 34:10. Compare also Num. 14:14.
5(I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraidb by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,
b Exod. 19:16; 20:18.
6 ¶ 6Icam the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of 7bondage.
6 Compare this repetition of the law with its first announcement, Exod. 20:2, etc., and see below on verse 12.
c Exod. 20:2, etc.; Psalm 81:10.
7 Hebr. out of the house of servants or bondmen, and so usually.
7Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
8Thoud shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
d Lev. 26:1.
9Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a 8jealouse God, visiting the 9iniquity of the fathers upon the children 10unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
8 See Deut. 4 on verse 24.
e Exod. 20:5; 34:7, 14; Jer. 32:18.
9 Or, offense.
10 Hebr. upon the third, and upon the fourth.
10And 11shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
11 Or, do, show charity, mercy, kindness.
11Thou shalt not 12take the namef of the LORD thy God in 13vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
12 Or, use, namely, into your mouth, as Psalm 50:16. Or, take up.
f Lev. 19:12; Mat. 5:33.
13 Other, falsely.
12Keep the sabbathg day to sanctify it, 14as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
g Gen. 2:2; Exod. 23:12; 35:2; Lev. 23:3; Ezek. 20:12; Heb. 4:4.
14 These words, as also some others, in verses 14, 15, 16, Moses has added here, by way of exposition, over and above the words which are recorded in Exodus 20, as likewise some are here omitted, which are recorded in Exodus.
13Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:
14But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
15And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
16¶Honourh thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be 15prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
h Lev. 19:3; Mat. 15:4; Luke 18:20; Eph. 6:2, 3.
15 Other, that they may prolong thy days, they, namely father and mother, by prayer or blessing.
17Thoui shalt not kill.
i Mat. 5:21; Luke 18:20; Rom. 13:9.
18Neitherj shalt thou commit adultery.
j Luke 18:20.
19Neither shalt thou steal.
20Neither shalt thou 16bear false witness against thy neighbour.
16 Other, answer, witness.
21Neither shalt thou desirek thy neighbour’s 17wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.
k Rom. 7:7.
17 In Exod. 20:17 the neighbor’s house is put before his wife, to show clearly that this is but one commandment.
22¶These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he 18added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
18 That is, He spoke no more unto all the people, but He delivered particularly the other laws and statutes unto Moses.
23And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
24And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and 19he liveth.
19 Namely, man.
25Now therefore 20why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.
20 Intimating that it was a great miracle that they remained alive, but would not willingly undergo that danger again. Compare Gen. 16 on verse 13; Judges 6 on verse 22.
26For who is there of all 21flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, andl lived?
21 That is, what man is there. See Gen. 6 on verse 12.
l Deut. 4:33; Judges 13:22.
27Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speakm thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.
m Exod. 20:19; Heb. 12:19.
28And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: 22they have well said all that they have spoken.
22 Hebr. they have done well, or, made good all that they have spoken.
2923O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
23 Hebr. Who shall give that they may have this heart of theirs, etc. It is a human kind of wish, as elsewhere often, used of God to show that such an heart is acceptable unto Him; as men are wont to long and wish for things which are pleasing and acceptable unto them. Other, God is almighty, doing whatsoever He wills, and not subject to any such passion or affection. Compare Judges 9:29; 2 Sam. 18:33; Job 6:8; 11:5, etc.
30Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.
31But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the 24commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.
24 Concerning these three words immediately following each other (according to the opinion of most interpreters), the first of them signifies the moral law; the second, the ceremonial laws, and the third, the judicial or civil laws.
32Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside 25to the right hand or to the left.
25 That is, in no wise, by no means; as in Deut. 28:14.
33Ye shall walk in all the 26ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
26 See Gen. 18 on verse 19.