CHAPTER 20
. THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
1. And God spake all these words—The
Divine Being Himself was the speaker (Deuteronomy 5:12;
Deuteronomy 5:32; Deuteronomy 5:33),
in tones so loud as to be heard—so distinct as to be intelligible
by the whole multitude standing in the valleys below, amid the most
appalling phenomena of agitated nature. Had He been simply addressing
rational and intelligent creatures, He would have spoken with the
still small voice of persuasion and love. But He was speaking to
those who were at the same time fallen and sinful creatures, and a
corresponding change was required in the manner of God's procedure,
in order to give a suitable impression of the character and sanctions
of the law revealed from heaven (Deuteronomy 5:33).
2. I am the Lord thy God—This
is a preface to the ten commandments—the latter clause being
specially applicable to the case of the Israelites, while the former
brings it home to all mankind; showing that the reasonableness of the
law is founded in their eternal relation as creatures to their
Creator, and their mutual relations to each other.
3. Thou shalt have no other gods
before me—in My presence, beside, or except Me.
4, 5. Thou shalt not make . . . any
graven image . . . thou shalt not bow down thyself to them—that
is, "make in order to bow." Under the auspices of Moses
himself, figures of cherubim, brazen serpents, oxen, and many other
things in the earth beneath, were made and never condemned. The mere
making was no sin—it was the making with the intent to give
idolatrous worship.
8. Remember the sabbath day—implying
it was already known, and recognized as a season of sacred rest. The
first four commandments [] comprise our duties to God—the other six [] our duties to our fellow men; and as interpreted by
Christ, they reach to the government of the heart as well as the lip
(Matthew 5:17). "If a man do
them he shall live in them" [Leviticus 18:5;
Nehemiah 9:29]. But, ah! what an if
for frail and fallen man. Whoever rests his hope upon the law stands
debtor to it all; and in this view every one would be without hope
were not "the LORD OUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS"
[Jeremiah 23:6; Jeremiah 33:16]
(John 1:17).
18-21. all the people saw the
thunderings and the lightnings—They were eye and ear witnesses
of the awful emblems of the Deity's descent. But they perceived not
the Deity Himself.
19. let not God speak with us, lest
we die, c.—The phenomena of thunder and lightning had been one
of the plagues so fatal to Egypt, and as they heard God speaking to
them now, they were apprehensive of instant death also. Even Moses
himself, the mediator of the old covenant, did "exceedingly
quake and fear" (Hebrews 12:21).
But doubtless God spake what gave him relief—restored him to
a frame of mind fit for the ministrations committed to him and hence
immediately after he was enabled to relieve and comfort them with the
relief and comfort which he himself had received from God (Hebrews 12:21).
18-21. all the people saw the
thunderings and the lightnings—They were eye and ear witnesses
of the awful emblems of the Deity's descent. But they perceived not
the Deity Himself.
22, 23. the Lord said unto Moses—It
appears from Deuteronomy 4:14-16,
that this injunction was a conclusion drawn from the scene on
Sinai—that as no similitude of God was displayed then, they should
not attempt to make any visible figure or form of Him.
24. An altar of earth thou shalt
make unto me—a regulation applicable to special or temporary
occasions.
25. thou shalt not build it of hewn
stone, &c.—that is, carved with figures and ornaments that
might lead to superstition.
26. by steps—a precaution
taken for the sake of decency, in consequence of the loose, wide,
flowing garments of the priests.
CHAPTER 20
. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
1. And God spake all these words—The Divine Being Himself was the speaker (Deuteronomy 5:12; Deuteronomy 5:32; Deuteronomy 5:33), in tones so loud as to be heard—so distinct as to be intelligible by the whole multitude standing in the valleys below, amid the most appalling phenomena of agitated nature. Had He been simply addressing rational and intelligent creatures, He would have spoken with the still small voice of persuasion and love. But He was speaking to those who were at the same time fallen and sinful creatures, and a corresponding change was required in the manner of God's procedure, in order to give a suitable impression of the character and sanctions of the law revealed from heaven (Deuteronomy 5:33).
2. I am the Lord thy God—This is a preface to the ten commandments—the latter clause being specially applicable to the case of the Israelites, while the former brings it home to all mankind; showing that the reasonableness of the law is founded in their eternal relation as creatures to their Creator, and their mutual relations to each other.
3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me—in My presence, beside, or except Me.
4, 5. Thou shalt not make . . . any graven image . . . thou shalt not bow down thyself to them—that is, "make in order to bow." Under the auspices of Moses himself, figures of cherubim, brazen serpents, oxen, and many other things in the earth beneath, were made and never condemned. The mere making was no sin—it was the making with the intent to give idolatrous worship.
8. Remember the sabbath day—implying it was already known, and recognized as a season of sacred rest. The first four commandments [] comprise our duties to God—the other six [] our duties to our fellow men; and as interpreted by Christ, they reach to the government of the heart as well as the lip (Matthew 5:17). "If a man do them he shall live in them" [Leviticus 18:5; Nehemiah 9:29]. But, ah! what an if for frail and fallen man. Whoever rests his hope upon the law stands debtor to it all; and in this view every one would be without hope were not "the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" [Jeremiah 23:6; Jeremiah 33:16] (John 1:17).
18-21. all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings—They were eye and ear witnesses of the awful emblems of the Deity's descent. But they perceived not the Deity Himself.
19. let not God speak with us, lest we die, c.—The phenomena of thunder and lightning had been one of the plagues so fatal to Egypt, and as they heard God speaking to them now, they were apprehensive of instant death also. Even Moses himself, the mediator of the old covenant, did "exceedingly quake and fear" (Hebrews 12:21). But doubtless God spake what gave him relief—restored him to a frame of mind fit for the ministrations committed to him and hence immediately after he was enabled to relieve and comfort them with the relief and comfort which he himself had received from God (Hebrews 12:21).
18-21. all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings—They were eye and ear witnesses of the awful emblems of the Deity's descent. But they perceived not the Deity Himself.
22, 23. the Lord said unto Moses—It appears from Deuteronomy 4:14-16, that this injunction was a conclusion drawn from the scene on Sinai—that as no similitude of God was displayed then, they should not attempt to make any visible figure or form of Him.
24. An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me—a regulation applicable to special or temporary occasions.
25. thou shalt not build it of hewn stone, &c.—that is, carved with figures and ornaments that might lead to superstition.
26. by steps—a precaution taken for the sake of decency, in consequence of the loose, wide, flowing garments of the priests.