1The ten commandments. 3The first table. 12The second table. 18The people are afraid; Moses comforteth them. 22Idolatry is forbidden. 24Directions concerning building an altar of earth, and altars of stone.
1AND God 1spake all 2these words, saying,
1 Namely, after Moses and Aaron were gone up the mount. See above Exod. 19:24.
2 That is, these following ten commandments.
2I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, 3outa of the house of bondage.
3 Hebr. out of the house of the servants, or, bondmen, slaves.
a Exod. 13:3; Deut. 5:6; Psalm 81:10.
3Thou shalt have 4no other gods before me.
4 Other, no other god.
45Thoub shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in 6heaven above, or that is 7in the earth beneath, or that is 8in the water under the earth:
5 This is not in contradiction, that Moses, on God’s command, has made the cherubims, Exod. 25:18, and afterwards the brazen serpent, Num. 21:8, etc., the same being not at all made to exhibit any divine worship unto them.
b Lev. 26:1; Psalm 97:7.
6 As sun, moon, stars, fowls, Deut. 4:19. Understand hereby also the angels, Col. 2:18.
7 As men, four footed beasts, and creeping things, Deut. 4:16, 17; Isa. 44:13; Ezek. 23:14.
8 As fishes, snakes, serpents, dragons, crocodiles, tortoises, etc. See Deut. 4:18; Isa. 41:29.
5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve 9them: for I the LORD thy God am 10a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon 11the children 12unto the third and fourth 13generation of them that hate me;
9 Namely, neither the idols themselves, nor Me by them; as Exod. 32:4, 6, nor the golden calf, and thereafter the two golden calves by the ten tribes, 1 Kings 12:28.
10 God is called the Husband of His people, Jer. 2:2; Hosea 2:19; idolatry is called whoredom, Deut. 31:16; Judges 2:17; Jer. 3:3, 9, 20; therefore the wrath and displeasure of God for that sin is called jealousy.
11 That is, their posterity, namely, such as walking in their father’s footstep, do commit the sin of idolatry likewise.
12 Hebr. to the third and to the fourth.
13 Or, member.
6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7Thouc shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God 14in vain; for the LORD will not hold him 15guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
c Lev. 19:12; Mat. 5:33.
14 Hebr. take up for vanity the Name, etc. See Psalm 15:3; 16:4; 50:16.
15 Or, clean, pure.
8Rememberd the sabbath day, 16to keep it holy.
d Ezek. 20:12.
16 That is, separate that day from your usual and common employments, or daily labor, such as belongs to your temporal life, and bestow the same in serving God with holy works, tending more eminently to the glory of God and your own spiritual life and everlasting welfare.
9Sixe days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
e Exod. 23:12; 34:21; Luke 13:14.
10But 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, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy 17cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
17 As, oxen, asses, horses, camels, elephants, etc.
11For in sixf days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and 18hallowed it.
f Gen. 2:2.
18 See Gen. 2:3.
12¶Honourg thy father and thy mother: 19that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
g Mat. 15:4; Eph. 6:2.
19 Other, that they may lengthen thy days, namely, thy father and thy mother, by their prayer, or blessing, which prevail much with God, as on the contrary their curse is seldom in vain.
13Thouh shalt not kill.
h Mat. 5:21.
14Thoui shalt not commit adultery.
i Mat. 5:27.
15Thou shalt not steal.
16Thou shalt not 20bear false witness against thy 21neighbour.
20 Other, answer.
21 By the word neighbour here is to be understood all people, all mankind, as Gen. 11:3; Esther 1:19; Prov. 18:17. See Luke 10:29, 36; not thy very enemy excepted.
17Thouj shalt not covet 22thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
j Rom. 7:7.
22 Compare Deut. 5:21.
18¶And all the people saw the thunderings, and the 23lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, 24they removed, and stood afar off.
23 Hebr. properly, lamps, torches, that is, lightning.
24 Namely, from the mount.
19Andk they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
k Deut. 5:25; Heb. 12:19.
20And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come 25to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
25 Namely, to know whether you will obey His commandments, as you promised to do, Exod. 19:8. See Gen. 22:1.
21Andl the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
l Exod. 19:16; Heb. 12:18.
22¶And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen 26that I have talked with you from heaven.
26 Namely, upon Mount Sinai. See Deut. 4:36 and Neh. 9:13.
23Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
24¶An altar of earth thou shalt makem unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy 27burnt offerings, and thy 28peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places 29where I record my name 30I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.
m Exod. 27:1; 38:1.
27 See Gen. 8:20.
28 See Lev. 3:1.
29 Hebr. where I shall cause My name to be remembered.
30 Namely, to manifest My love and favor to thee.
25Andn if thou wilt make me an altar 31of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
n Deut. 27:5; Joshua 8:30, 31.
31 Afterwards the altar was made of shittim wood, Exod. 27:1, and after that of copper, 1 Kings 8:64.
26Neither shalt thou go up 32by steps unto mine altar, 33that thy nakedness be not discovered 34thereon.
32 And yet this altar was to be three cubits high, Exod. 27:1, and Solomon’s altar was ten cubits high, 2 Chron. 4:1, there were no steps made to ascend, but the ground was raised so that the priests went up to the altar higher and higher, insensibly as it were, as upon a raised bank, or natural small hill, where they might be seen of everyone present.
33 Afterwards the priests were ordered by God to wear linen drawers, Exod. 28:42, 43.
34 Namely, before the altar.