Exodus 20:1-21
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Summary
- God speaks the Ten Commandments to the people.
Details and/or Comments
- These commands are given because of who God is - the one who delivered them out of bondage in Egypt.
- The commands are given - spoken by God himself. There are also terrifying events in the background.
- The terrified people ask Moses to go between them and God, and communicate God's message to them.
- Moses tells them to not be afraid - God is testing them so that they will have the "fear of God" in them and won't sin.
Scripture
Exodus 20:1-26 – God talks to the people; they are terrified. God gives them the Law they are to obey.
- See also: Ten Commandments for general comments about them.
- See also:People Meeting with God and How God Interacts with Humans.
| Scripture Passage | Comments and Links |
| Exo 20:1 God spoke all these words, saying,
Exo 20:2 "I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. |
God does the speaking.
God introduces himself.
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| Exo 20:3 You shall have no other gods before me. | |
| Exo 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:
Exo 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, Exo 20:6 and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. |
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| Exo 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. | |
| Exo 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 You shall labor six days, and do all your work, Exo 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; Exo 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. |
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| Exo 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. | |
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Exo 20:13 "You shall not murder. |
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Exo 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery. |
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Exo 20:15 "You shall not steal. |
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Exo 20:16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. |
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Exo 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." |
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| Exo 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.
Exo 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." Exo 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." Exo 20:21 The people stayed at a distance, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. |
The people are terrified and want Moses to be a mediator between them and God.
Moses tells them to not fear the event. God is testing them, so that they will fear God and not sin. |
1:15-21 • 1:22 - 2:10 • 3:1-8 • 3:16-22 • 4:1-9 • 7:1-25 • 8:1-32 • 9:1-35 • 10:1-23 • 11:1-10 • 13:11-15; 21-22 • 14:13-31 • 15:1-21 • 15:22-27 • 16:1-36 • 17:1-7 • 19:3-25 • 20:1-21 • 20:22-26 • 21:12-36 • 22:1-15 • 22:21-27 • 23:1-9 • 23:10-12 • 23:20-33 • Ch. 24 (selected verses) • Ch. 25, 35 and 36 (selected verses) • 30:11-16 • 32:1-35 • Ch. 33 and 34 (selected verses) |
Scripture Passages
(Only books that have relevance to this study have active links. The others are in italics.)
Genesis • Exodus • Leviticus • Numbers • Deuteronomy • Joshua • Judges • Ruth • 1 Samuel • 2 Samuel • 1 Kings • 2 Kings • 1 Chronicles • 2 Chronicles • Ezra • Nehemiah • Esther • Job • Psalms • Proverbs • Ecclesiastes • Song of Solomon • Isaiah • Jeremiah • Lamentations • Ezekiel • Daniel • Hosea • Joel • Amos • Obadiah • Jonah • Micah • Nahum • Habakkuk • Zephaniah • Haggai • Zechariah • Malachi Matthew • Mark • Luke • John • Acts • Romans • 1 Corinthians • 2 Corinthians • Galatians • Ephesians • Philippians • Colossians • 1 Thessalonians • 2 Thessalonians • 1 Timothy • 2 Timothy • Titus • Philemon • Hebrews • James • 1 Peter • 2 Peter • 1 John • 2 John • 3 John • Jude • Revelation |
—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——
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The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.
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Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.
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