V a 20:1-17. The Covenant stated. "The ten words." b 20:18-21. People "afar off". Moses draws near. c 20:22-23:33. General Laws. b 24:1,2. People "afar off". Moses to draw near. a 24:3-8. The Covenant made.
a A 2,3. Commands I and II = Thought. B 4-6. Command III = Word. C 7-12. Commands IV and V = Deed. C Command VI, VII, and VIII = Deed. B Command IX = Word. A Command X = Thought.(Here, the three subjects, Thought, Word, and Deed, are repeated in the second table in reverse order. The law given in Arabia. The same country witnessed the giving of Mahomet's Law. The moral law given in public at Horeb. Cp. Mal.4:4. The ceremonial law given to Moses in the Tabernacle. The Judicial law given at sundry times times; neither so public and solemn as the former, nor so private as the latter.)
20)
June 7-8th 1491 B.C.
1: And God (Elohim) spoke (Eng=God. Hence of universal application. Cp. Heb.1:1. Deut.4:12. Heb.12:26; &c., &c. Not Yehovah [English=Jehovah, LORD], for this title would have limited the law to Israel. See 6:2) all these words (it has been asserted that there are 3 strata of laws in the Pentateuch: I. The Prophetic code. Ex.20-23 and Num.34:17-26; II. The Priest's code. Rest of Ex., Lev., and Num.; III. The Deuteronoy code. But the structures of these books show that these were all in perfect order, spoken "at various times and in dfferent manners." The Ten Commandments divided by Christ into two tables, Duty to God and neighbor- Matt.22:37-40. Divided by man into four and six. By Roman Catholcs-in their Catechism-the second is joined to the first, and the tenth divided into two. But this is impossible. The Structure of the whole divides them into 5 + 5, the number of grace. Cp. John 1:17 "the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ", which, by Fig. Hendiadys = "true grace". For there was grace in the law, seeing no other nation was favored by it. Moreover, the first 5 are linked together by the words "Yehovah your Elohim", the second 5 by the word "You"), saying, (The Ten Commandments begin, therefore with v.2)
(I.) 2: I, the Lord (Yahaveh) am your God (Elohim) (this must go with Com. I, or we should not have the five repititions of it in the first 5), Which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (all inclusive. 400 years)
3: You shall have no other gods before Me (="before My face").
(II.) 4: You shall not make (the making is equally forbidden as the worshipping) unto you any graven image (Heb. pesel, a sculpture. First occ.), or any likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5: You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord (Yahaveh) your God (Elohim) am a zealous GOD (El) (shows emotion. cp. Deut.4:24. Heb. 12:29), visiting (=charging. This burden of God's revelation of Himself reappears in Ex.34:6,7. Num.14:18. Deut.5:9,10. 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 and second) the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; (Pay attention to the qualifier. Not generational curse. Each generation that hates Him will pay [see Jer.31:29]. If you love Him no penalty extracted.)
6: And showing mercy to thousands of them that love Me,
and keep My commandments.
(III.) 7: You shall not take the name of the Lord (Yahaveh) your God (Elohim) in vain (Much more important than the mere mispronunciation of the Name); for the Lord (Yahaveh) will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.
(IV.) 8: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (Because already hallowed, and command given. See Gen.8:5,10,12,14. The Babylonians had a seventh-day rest, doubtless from Gen.2:2,3: not this from Babylonians. Note this is the longest Commandment).
9: Six days shall you labour (the Heb. accent, zarka, marks this word for emphasis: implying that the fourth Commandment is twofold, and no seventh day rest can really be enjoyed without, or apart from, the six days of labor), and do all your work:
10: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord (Yahaveh) your God (Elohim): in it you shall not do any work (=any forbidden work. Cp. Lev.23:7,8. Num.28:18), you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates:
11: For in six days the Lord (Yahaveh) took to made heaven and earth (see Deut.4:26), the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord (Yahaveh) blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
(V.) 12: Honour your father and your mother (This completes the first 5, and ends with "promise" - Eph.6:2. These 5, that relate to piety, are thus seperated from the 5 that relate to probity-integrity. The 1st and 5th begin and end with honor to God, and to our parents whom He honors. They have nothing to do with our "neighbors"): that your days may be long upon the land which Yehovah your Elohim gives you.
(VI.) 13: You shall not kill. (=murder, criminal homoside. It means nothing else besides this, i.e. murder)
(VII.) 14: You shall not commit adultery.
(VIII.) 15: You shall not steal.
(IX.) 16: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
(X.) 17: You shall not covet your neighbour's house, you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is your 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.
19: And they said to Moses, "Speak you with us, and we
will hear: but let not God (Elohim) speak with us, lest we die." (From Deut.5:28 and 18:17 we learn that on that very day God promised to send "Him that speaks from heaven"-18:15-18)
20: And Moses said to the People, "Fear not: for God (Elohim) is come to prove you (i.e. for the purpose of proving), and that His fear may be before your faces, that you all sin not."
21: And the People stood afar off (note the difference between law and grace-Eph.2:13),
c D¹ 20:-21-26. God: Worship (Canaanites and Commands). E¹ 21:1-22:17. Man (Persons and Property). D² 22:18-20. God: Worship (Witchcraft). E² 22:21-28. Man (Oppression and Property). D³ 22:29-31. God: Worship (Offerings). E³ 23:1-9. Man (Falsehood and Oppression). D4 23:10-19-. God: Worship (Sabbaths and Feasts). E4 23:-19. Man (Treatment of Animals). D5 23:20-33. God: Worship (Canaanites and Commands).
and Moses drew near (Moses' fourth ascent) to the thick darkness where God (Elohim) was.
22: And the Lord (Yahaveh) said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'You all have seen that I have talked
with you from heaven.
23: You all shall not make with Me gods of silver, neither shall you all make unto you gods of gold.
24: An altar of earth you shall make to Me, and shall sacrifice thereon your burnt offerings, and your peace offerings, your sheep, and your oxen: in all places where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. (Shiloh was the first place, Jer.7:12; Bethel, 1 Sam.10:3; then Zion, Ps.78:68. "Wherever we seek You You are found.")
25: And if you will make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone (no human handiwork to be used in approaching God in worship): for if you lift up your tool upon it, you have polluted it. (Man's work, in this sphere pollutes)
26: Neither shall you go up by steps to My altar (Only expresses nakedness. "I will come to you." v.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.), that your nakedness be not discovered thereon."
E¹ e 21:1-32. Persons. f 21:33-22:15. Property. e 22:16,17. Persons.
e g 1-11. Servitude. h i 12-14. Violence. j 15. Parents (smitting). g 16. Servitude. h i 17. Parents (cursing). j 18-32. Violence.
12: He that smites a man (i.e. criminal homiside, murder), so that he die, shall be surely put to death. (Not "maybe".)
13: And if a man lie not in wait, but Elohim deliver him into his hand (Heb. idiom, by which God is said to do what He allows to be done); then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.
14: But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile, and then seek refuge at My altar; you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.
15: And he that smites his father (here and elsewhere in this chapter, except v.26, to smite to death, or seriously), or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
16: And he that steals a man (of the sons of Israel), and sells him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
17: And he that curses (or reviles, cp. Matt.15:4. Mark 7:10) his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
i m 21:18,19. Man. n 20,21. Servants. o 22. Men and women. m 23-25. Man. n 26,27. Servants. o 28-32. Men and women.18: And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keeps his bed:
20: And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely avenged.(i.e. this shed blood of the one murdered.)
21: Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be avenged: for he is his money. (money put for the servant who earns it.)
22: If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, (who intervenes) so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely fined (the laws of Khamurrabi distinquished between the classes. Here it is any woman. See the "code" see note at Gen.15:3), according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
23: And if any mischief (hurt) follow, then you shall give life for life, (live = soul)
24: Eye for eye (Lex talionis, 8 patriculars for completeness, seven in seperate category, vv.24,25. These laws made prisons unnecessary, and prevented crime), tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25: Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26: And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake. (By the "Code of Khamurrabi the master was compensated, §199. Cp. Deut.4:8.)
27: And if he smite (not the same word as elsewhere in this chapter. Here Heb. = naphal = to fall) out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.
28: If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquited.
29: But if the ox was used to push with his horn in time past, and it has been testified to his owner, and he has not kept him in, but that he has killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.
30: If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom (implying that death-penalties were in certain cases commutable. Cp.30:12 and Ps.49:8) of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
31: Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
32: If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver (about $80), and the ox shall be stoned.
f p 21:33-36. Carelessness (Pit. Oxen). q 22:1-5. Dishonesty (Theft). p 22:6. Carelessness (Fire). q 22:7-15. Dishonesty (Trusts).33 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein;
5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field, (he shall surely make restitution out of his own field according to the yield therefof; and if the whole field be eaten); of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
7 If a man shall deliver to his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double.
8 If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges (see v.9), to see whether he have put his hand to his neighbour's goods.
9 For all manner of trespass (=rebellion), whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for clothing, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challenges to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges (Heb. ha-’elohim = "gods". See 21:6. Or, before God, the judges representing Him, and acting in His stead, according to Rom.13:1-6. See this usage, with the article, 21:6; 22:8,28. See 15-19: and cp. Ps.82"1,6. John:34,35); and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double to his neighbour.
10 If a man deliver to his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it:
11 Then shall an oath of Yahaveh be between them both, that he has not put his hand to his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.
12 And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution to the owner thereof.
13 If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it (one of the pieces) for a witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn.
14 And if a man borrow anything of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good.
15 But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.
16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
17 If her father utterly refuse to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. (50 shekels, about $130. Deut.22:29)
18 You shall not suffer a witch to live. (Or spiritist. Medium, to or from, from root to mutter, as to some demon. Cp. Lev.19:26,31; 20:27. Deut.18:9-14.)
19 Whosoever lies with a beast shall surely be put to death.
20 He that offers a slain sacrifice to any god, save to Yahaveh only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
21 You shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for you all were strangers in the land of Egypt.
22 You all shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. (Put for all kinds of helpless ones.)
23 If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry;
24 And My wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
25 If you lend money to any of My People that is poor by you, you shall not be to him as an usurer, neither shall you lay upon him usury.
26 If you at all take your neighbour's mantle (clothing by day, and sole covering at night. Cp. 12:34. Deut.24:12,13. Judg.4:18. Amos 2:8) to pledge, you shall deliver it to him by that the sun goes down:
27 For that is his covering only, it is his clothing for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he cries to Me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. (According to the Masorrah, this is the middle of the 1209 verses of Exodus.)
28 You shall not revile the judges, nor curse the ruler of your People. (Cp. Ecc.10:20. Acts 23:5. 2 Pet.2:10. Jude 8.)
29 You shall not delay to offer the first of your ripe fruits (= corn, wine, and oil): the firstborn of your sons shall you give to Me. (On the 8th day.)
30 Likewise shall you do with your oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.
31 And you all shall be holy men to Me: neither shall you all eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; you all shall cast it to the dogs.
E³ r t 1,2. Falsehood. u 3. Cause of poor man. s 4,5. Enemy. Assistance. r u 6. Cause of poor man. t 7,8. Falsehood. s 9. Stranger. Opposition.
3 Neither shall you countenance (=prefer or favor) a poor man in his cause.
4 If you meet your enemy's ox or his ass (put for any kind of beast of burden) going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.
5 If you see the ass of him that hates you lying under his burden, and would forbear to help him (Heb. Homonym, 'azab two words: 1. = to leave, or forsake. 2. = to help, or restore, hense strengthen, or fortify. #1 in Gen.2:24; 39:6. Neh.5:10. Ps.49:10. Mal.4:1. But here it should be #2, as in Neh.3:8. Deut.32:56. 1 Kings 14:10. 2 Kings 14:26. Jer.49:25), you shall surely help him (to unload).
6 You shall not turn away the judgment of your poor in his cause.
7 Keep you far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay you not: for I will not justify the wicked. (=a wicked one.)
8 And you shall take no gift: for the gift blinds the wise (=the most clear-sighted), and perverts the words of the righteous. (causes these acts or sins)
9 Also you shall not oppress a stranger: for you all know the heart of a stranger, seeing you all were strangers in the land of Egypt.
D4 v 10-12. Time. Six and seven of years and days. w 13. False Worship (Positive and Negative). v 14-17. Time. Three feasts in year. w 18-19-. True Worship (Negative and Positive).
10 And six years you shall sow your land, and shall gather in the fruits thereof:
11 But the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner you shalt deal with your vineyard, and with your oliveyard.
12 Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest: that your ox and your ass may rest, and the son of your handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. (Heb. verbal form of nephesh = soul = quickened, have new life put in, renewed, or revived.)
13 And in all things that I have said to you be circumspect (=take heed): and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth. (A command often disobeyed, especially in the house of Saul. Cp. "Baal", 1 Chron.8:33; 9:39; 12:5; 14:7; 27:28. Hence the importance of the prophecy as to the future in Hos.2:16,17.)
14 Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year. (#3 = Divine perfection.)
15 You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread: {you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, in the time appointed of the month April; for in it you came out from Egypt: and none shall appear before Me empty-handed:} (See 34:20.)
16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of your labours, which you have sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when you hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
17 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before (Heb.="before the face of") The Lord God (ha-'adon Yahaveh) (=Adonai Yahaveh).
18 You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice (Heb.="slay and pour out the blood of My festal sacrifice") with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of My festal sacrifice remain until the morning.
19 The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord (Yahaveh) your God (Elohim).
You shall not seethe a kid in his mother's milk. (i.e in the milk of its dam. Repeated, 34:36 and Deut.14:21. For similar consideration cp. Deut.22:6. Lev.22:28.)
D5 x¹ 20. Promise: I will. y¹ 21,22. Command: You shall. x² 23. Promise: I will. y² 24,25-. Command: You shall not. x³ -25-31. Promise: I will. y³ 32,33. Command: You shall.20 Behold, I send an angel before you (It is Elohim speaking, therefore, who can it be but Micha-el? Cp. Dan.10:13,21; 12:1. Jude 9; and see Mal.3:1; Isa.63:9), to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions (=rebellion): for My name is in him. (Cp. Jer.23:26. Col.2:9)
22 But if you shall indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.
23 For My angel (Michael) shall go before you, and bring you in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them (=the 6 nations) off.
24 You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but you shall utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. (=sacred statue or pillars. See 24:4; 26:1; 34:13.)
25 And you all shall serve the Lord (Yehovah) your God (Elohim), and He shall bless your bread, and your water (put for all kinds of food and drink);
and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
26 There shall nothing cast (=miscarry) their young, nor be barren, in your land: the number of your days I will fulfil.
27 I will send My fear (="a terror of Me") before you, and will destroy all the people to whom you shalt come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.
28 And I will send hornets before you (cp. Deut.7:20. Josh.24:12), which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you.
29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against you.
30 By little and little I will drive them out from before you, until you be increased, and inherit the land.
31 And I will set your bounds from the Red sea even to the sea of the Philistines (=the Mediterainean), and from the desert (of Shur) to the Euphrates river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and you shall drive them out before you.
32 You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me: for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you."