Exodus 20 - Study the King James Bible

And God spake all these words, saying,

God spake . Hebrew. Elohim : hence of universal application. Compare Hebrews 1 .Deuteronomy 4:12 .Hebrews 12:26 ; Not Jehovah, for this title would have limited the law to Israel. See App-4 , and note on Exodus 6:2 .
all these words . It has been asserted that there are three strata of laws in the Pentateuch (1) The Prophetic code. Exodus. 20-23 and Exodus 34:17-20 .
(2) The Priest code. Rest of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.
(3) The Deuteronomy code.
But the Structures of these books, displayed above, show that these were all in perfect order, spoken "at sundry times and in divers manners. "
The Ten Commandments divided by Christ into two [tables], Duty to God and Neighbour (Matthew 22:37-40 ). Divided by man into four and six. By Roman Catholics (in their Catechism) the second is joined to the first, and the tenth is divided into two. But this is impossible: see the Structure of Commandment X on Exodus 20:17 .
The Structure of the whole divides them into 5 + 5, the number of Grace. See App-10 , and p. John 1:17 , "the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ", which, by the Figure of speech, Hendiadys ( App-6 ) = "true grace". For there was grace in the law, seeing no other nation was favoured with it. Moreover, the first five are linked together by the words "the LORD thy God", the second five by the word "Thou".
saying . The Ten Commandments begin, therefore, with Exodus 20:2 . See App-39 .

I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

I am , &c. = "I, Jehovah [am] thy God (Hebrew. Elohim) . " App-4 .
the LORD (Hebrew. Jehovah. thy God. This must go with Com. I, or we should not have the five repetitions of it in the first five.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

before Me = before My face.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or 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:

make. The making is equally forbidden as the worshipping.
graven image . Hebrew. pesel, a sculpture. First occurance.

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

jealous = zealous. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6 . Compare Deuteronomy 4:24 .Hebrews 12:29 .
GOD = El. See App-4 .
visiting = charging. This burden of God's revela tion of Himself reappears in Exodus 34:6 , Exodus 34:7 . Numbers 14:18 . Deuteronomy 5:9 , Deuteronomy 5:10 . The punishment being not lengthened in vengeance, but distributed in mercy over the third and fourth, so that the whole weight falls not on the first or second. iniquity. Hebrew. 'avon. App-44 .
children = sons.

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

Thou 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.

take the name . . . in vain . Much more important than the mere mispronunciation of the Name.
not hold him guiltless . Figure of speech Tapeinosis. App-6 .

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Remember . Because already hallowed, and com mand given. See App-15 , and notes on Genesis 8:5 , Genesis 8:10 , Genesis 8:12 , Genesis 8:14 . The Babylonians had a seventh-day rest, doubtless from Genesis 2:2-3 not this from Babylonians. Note the Structure of this longest Commandment:

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

labour . The Hebrew accent (zarka) marks this word for emphasis: implying that the fourth Commandment is twofold, and no seventh-day rest can be really enjoyed without, or apart from, the six days of labour.

10.

But 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 cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

any . Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Genus). App-6 . not any forbidden work. Compare Leviticus 23:7 , Leviticus 23:8 . Numbers 28:18 . nor. Note the Figure of speech Paradiastole ( App-6 ), for emphasis. thy manservant. Some codices, with three early printed editions and The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, read "nor thy manservant". gates. Put by Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for cities.

11.

For in six 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 hallowed it.

made = took to make.
heaven and earth . See note on Deuteronomy 4:26 . the sea. Samaritan Pentateuch, Targum of Onkelos, The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, Septuagint, and Syriac read "and the sea".

12.

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

Honour . This completes the first five, and ends with "promise "(Ephesians 6:2 ). These five, that relate to piety, are thus separated from the five that relate to probity. The first and fifth begin and end the five with honour to God, and to our parents whom He honours. They have nothing to do with our "neighbours".

13.

Thou shalt not kill.

14.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15.

Thou shalt not steal.

16.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

17.

Thou 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 is thy neighbour's.

18.

And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

saw . Figure of speech Zeugma. App-6 (here, Protozeugma), the one verb "saw" used for two things, but appropriate only for one. Emphasis on "saw". and. Note Figure of speech Polysyndeton ( App-6 ).

19.

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

Speak thou , &c. From Deuteronomy 5:28 with Deuteronomy 18:7 we learn that on that very day God promised to send "Him that speaketh from heaven" (Exodus 18:15-18 ).

20.

And 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.

to prove : i.e. for the purpose of proving.
that = in order that.
sin . Hebrew. chat'a. See App-44 .

21.

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

afar off. Note the difference between law and grace. (Ephesians 2:13 ).
drew near . Moses' fourth ascent. See note on Exodus 19:3 .

22.

And 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.

the LORD. [Hebrew. Jehovah] said. See note on Exodus 3:7 , and compare note on Exodus 6:10 .

23.

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

24.

An 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.

of earth . . . in all places . Shiloh was the first place, Jeremiah 7:12 ; Bethel, 1 Samuel 10:3 ; then Zion, Psalms 78:68 . "Where'er we seek Thee Thou art found". sacrifice. Hebrew. zabach. App-43 .

25.

And 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.

not . . . hewn stone . No human handiwork tc be used in approaching God in worship. tool. Man's work, in this sphere, pollutes.

26.

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

by steps. Only exposes nakedness. "I will come unto thee " (Exodus 20:24 ) is the essence of worship. Our approach is quite secondary. Whether by "tool" or "steps", it either pollutes the Divine or exposes the human.