Exoduschapter 20

26 verses · ASV

This chapter sends 454 cross-references outward and receives 486 — heaviest partner: Deuteronomy.

Chapter summary

The Ten Commandments. ‘I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’ No other gods; no graven image; the Name unused in vain; the Sabbath kept; father and mother honoured; life, marriage, property, truth, and desire guarded. The preamble is grace — deliverance precedes command. Ten words, spoken by the voice of God himself. The people stand afar off and say to Moses, ‘speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die’. The covenant centre-line for all that follows. Calvin called this chapter the summary of the whole moral law.

Drafted from Matthew Henry, Calvin, Gill, Clarke, JFB, and Barnes.

Context

Law · Moses — see the Exodus overview for the book's full setting.

1 And God spake all these words, saying,

2 I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5 thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me,

6 and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work;