Exodus — Chapter 20

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1And God spake all these words, saying,

2I

3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness

5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God

6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

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

8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10But the seventh day

11For

12Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

13Thou shalt not kill.

14Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15Thou shalt not steal.

16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

17Thou shalt not covet thy 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

18And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw

19And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

20And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

21And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God

22And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

23Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.

24An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

25And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

1And God spake all these words, saying,

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

3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4Thou 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.

5Thou 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,

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

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

8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

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

10but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

12Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.

13Thou shalt not kill.

14Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15Thou shalt not steal.

16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

17Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor`s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor`s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor`s.

18And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off.

19And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

20And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not.

21And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

22And Jehovah said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

23Ye shall not make [other gods] with me; gods of silver, or gods of gold, ye shall not make unto you.

24An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings, and thy peace-offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in every place where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee.

25And if thou make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not uncovered thereon.

1God spoke all these words:

2“I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

3“You shall have no other gods before me.

4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water below.

5You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me,

6and showing covenant faithfulness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold guiltless anyone who takes his name in vain.

8“Remember the Sabbath day to set it apart as holy.

9For six days you may labor and do all your work,

10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates.

11For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

12“Honor your father and your mother, that you may live a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving to you.

13“You shall not murder.

14“You shall not commit adultery.

15“You shall not steal.

16“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

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 belongs to your neighbor.”

18All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking—and when the people saw it they trembled with fear and kept their distance.

19They said to Moses, “You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die.”

20Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you so that you do not sin.”

21The people kept their distance, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

22The Lord said to Moses, “Thus you will tell the Israelites: ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken with you from heaven.

23You must not make gods of silver alongside me, nor make gods of gold for yourselves.

24“‘You must make for me an altar made of earth, and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause my name to be honored I will come to you and I will bless you.

25If you make me an altar of stone, you must not build it of stones shaped with tools, for if you use your tool on it you have defiled it.

26And you must not go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness is not exposed.’

1God spoke all these words, saying,

2“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3“You shall have no other gods before me.

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:

5you 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,

6and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

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.

8“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9You shall labor six days, and do all your work,

10but 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;

11for 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.

12“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

13“You shall not murder.

14“You shall not commit adultery.

15“You shall not steal.

16“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

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.”

18All 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.

19They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die.”

20Moses 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.”

21The people stayed at a distance, and Moses came near to the thick darkness where God was.

22Yahweh said to Moses, “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

23You shall most certainly not make gods of silver or gods of gold for yourselves to be alongside me.

24You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you.

25If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it.

26You shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed to it.’

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

God speaks the Ten Commandments directly to Israel from Mount Sinai, establishing the moral foundation of the covenant.

Authorship & Background

Author: Moses (see Chapter 1 notes for full authorship details).
Historical Context: Chapter 20 contains the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue) — the moral foundation of God's covenant with Israel and the bedrock of Western civilization's legal tradition. God speaks these words directly to the people — "God spake all these words" (v.1) — the only time in Scripture God addresses an entire nation audibly. The commandments are prefaced by grace: "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt" (v.2) — God redeems FIRST, then commands. The Law is given to a redeemed people, not to earn redemption. The first four commandments govern the relationship with God (vertical); the last six govern relationships with others (horizontal). Jesus summarized them: love God, love neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40).
The Preamble (vv.1-2): "God spake all these words" (v.1) — divine origin, not human invention. "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (v.2) — grace precedes law. God identifies Himself by His redemptive act, not merely His power.
The Ten Commandments:
1st: No other gods (v.3) — "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Exclusive loyalty. God alone is God.
2nd: No graven images (vv.4-6) — No representation of God in created form. God is jealous — visiting iniquity to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him, but showing mercy to thousands who love Him.
3rd: God's name not in vain (v.7) — Do not misuse, empty, or trivialize God's name. He will not hold the guilty guiltless.
4th: Remember the Sabbath (vv.8-11) — Six days work; seventh day rest. Based on creation pattern. Rest for all — family, servants, animals, foreigners.
5th: Honor parents (v.12) — The bridge commandment (vertical to horizontal). Promise attached: long life in the land.
6th: Do not kill (v.13) — The sanctity of human life.
7th: Do not commit adultery (v.14) — The sanctity of marriage.
8th: Do not steal (v.15) — The sanctity of property.
9th: Do not bear false witness (v.16) — The sanctity of truth.
10th: Do not covet (v.17) — The sanctity of the heart. The only commandment addressing internal desire, not external action.
The People's Response (vv.18-21): The people see the thunder, lightning, smoke, and trumpet — they tremble and stand far off (v.18). They ask Moses to mediate: "Speak thou with us... but let not God speak with us, lest we die" (v.19). Moses: "God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not" (v.20). Moses approaches the thick darkness; the people stand afar (v.21).
Altar Instructions (vv.22-26): No gods of silver or gold (v.23). Altars of earth or unhewn stone — no human craftsmanship (vv.24-25). No steps — to prevent exposure (v.26). Worship must be simple, God-directed, and humble.

Map & Geography

  • Mount Sinai: God speaks the Ten Commandments from the mountain. Israel remains encamped at the base.
  • "Out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (v.2): The law is given in the context of deliverance — they have left Egypt and now stand at Sinai.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik provides detailed exposition of each commandment, their New Testament fulfillment in Christ, and the relationship between grace (v.2) and law (vv.3-17).
  • Charles Spurgeon: Sermon: "The First Commandment" on v.3 (MTP Vol. 37, No. 2195) "Thou shalt have no other gods BEFORE ME — not 'beside me' or 'after me' but 'before me' — in my presence, in my face. Every idol is an insult to God's face. And what are our idols? Not golden calves — but careers, relationships, comfort, reputation, money, self. Anything that occupies the throne that belongs to God alone. The first commandment is not merely 'believe God exists' — it is 'give God FIRST place.' Not a place — THE place. Not some loyalty — ALL loyalty."
  • Sermon: "Thou Shalt Not Covet" on v.17 (MTP Vol. 29, No. 1708) "The tenth commandment is the one that kills us all. The others can be outwardly kept — you can refrain from murder, theft, adultery. But 'thou shalt not covet' — this reaches the HEART. This is where Paul was slain: 'I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet' (Romans 7:7). The tenth commandment proves that the Law is spiritual — it demands not just right actions but right desires. And no human being can control desire by willpower alone. We need a new heart. We need grace."

Videos

The Bible Project — Exodus Overview

Reflection

  • 1. "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out" (v.2). God's commands come AFTER His grace. You don't obey to be saved — you obey BECAUSE you're saved. Is your obedience motivated by gratitude or by fear of rejection?
  • 2. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (v.3). What occupies God's throne in your life? Career? Relationship? Comfort? Money? Reputation? Be honest — and dethrone the idol.
  • 3. "Thou shalt not covet" (v.17). This is the commandment that exposes everyone. You can control your actions — but can you control your desires? The tenth commandment drives us to grace: we need a new heart, not just better behavior.
  • 4. "God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not" (v.20). The Law's purpose is not to crush you but to create holy reverence that restrains sin. Do you have a healthy fear of God — not terror, but reverent awe?
  • 5. The people asked for a mediator (v.19). They couldn't bear God's direct presence. You have a Mediator — Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). Through Him, you can approach the holy God without terror. Thank Him for that access.