Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

20:1 When God spoke all these words, he did so in such a way that all the people could hear. Cf. the repeated description of the sights and sounds of the Lord's presence on Mount Sinai (19:16-20; 20:18); and "I have talked with you from heaven" (v. 22).

20:2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of . . . Egypt. As a preface to the Ten Commandments and the rest of the law, this description signifies that Israel's call to covenant faithfulness is preceded by and based upon the Lord's acts on their behalf in covenant relationship. Israel's obedience to the commandments is the means by which they are to appropriate and enjoy what the Lord has already done by delivering them from Egypt and taking them to be his possession. The Lord will use the deliverance from Egypt to identify himself throughout Israel's history, often to call them to remember what he has done for them and to live accordingly (e.g., Judg. 6:8; 1 Sam. 10:18; Ps. 81:10; Jer. 34:13).

20:3 You shall have no other gods. Yahweh demands exclusive covenant loyalty. As the one true God of heaven and earth, Yahweh cannot and will not tolerate the worship of any "other gods" (cf. 22:20; 23:13, 24, 32); in other words, monotheism, the worship of the one true God, is the only acceptable belief and practice. before me. This Hebrew expression has been taken to mean "in preference to me," or "in my presence," or "in competition with me." Most likely, "in my presence" (i.e., worshiping other gods in addition to the Lord) is the intended sense here, in view of (1) the creation account (Gen. 1:1-2:3), which makes any "other gods" irrelevant (since only the Lord is active); (2) the events in Egypt, in which the Lord displayed his superiority to "other gods" (cf. Ex. 12:12; 15:11; Ezek. 20:7-8); and (3) the persistent call to worship Yahweh alone (Ex. 22:20; 23:13, 24, 32-33; cf. Deut. 6:13-15). Even though this commandment does not comment on whether these "other gods" might have some real existence, Moses' statement to a later generation makes clear that only "the Lord is God; there is no other besides him" (Deut. 4:35, 39; see also Ps. 86:10; Isa. 44:6, 8; 45:5, 6, 18; and 1 Cor. 8:4-6). See also note on Deut. 5:7.

20:4-6 You shall not make for yourself a carved image. The gods of both Egypt and Canaan were often associated with some aspect of creation and worshiped as, or through, an object that represented them. The Lord has made it clear, through the plagues and the exodus, that he has power over every aspect of creation because the whole earth is his (9:29; 19:5), and thus he commands Israel to refrain from crafting an image of anything in heaven or earth for worship (20:4-5a). The prohibition is grounded in the fact that the Lord is a jealous God (see 34:14; Deut. 6:15), and that the Lord has no physical form, and should not be thought to be localized in one (Deut. 4:15-20). Israel saw what happened to Egypt when Pharaoh refused to acknowledge what was being revealed about the Lord; here Israel is warned against doing the same, while also being reassured that their God is merciful and gracious (see Ex. 34:6-7).

20:5-6 a jealous God. God the Creator is worthy of all honor from his creation. Indeed, his creatures (mankind esp.) are functioning properly only when they give God the honor and worship that he deserves. God's jealousy is therefore also his zeal for his creatures' well-being. visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children. Human experience confirms that immoral behavior on the part of parents often results in suffering for their children and grandchildren. This is one of the grievous aspects of sin, that it harms others besides the sinner himself. But this general principle is qualified in two ways: First, it applies only to those who hate me, i.e., to those who persist in unbelief as enemies of God. The cycle of sin and suffering can be broken through repentance. Second, the suffering comes to the third and the fourth generation, while God shows steadfast love (v. 6) to another group of people, namely, to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments (i.e., to the thousandth generation; see ESV footnote, and cf. Deut. 7:9).

20:7 Taking the Lord's name in vain (see note on Deut. 5:11) refers primarily to someone taking a deceptive oath in God's name or invoking God's name to sanction an act in which the person is being dishonest (Lev. 19:12). It also bans using God's name in magic, or irreverently, or disrespectfully (Lev. 24:10-16). The Lord revealed his name to Moses (Ex. 3:14-15), and he has continued to identify himself in connection with his acts on Israel's behalf (see 6:2, 6-8). Yahweh is warning Israel against using his name as if it were disconnected from his person, presence, and power.

20:8-11 Israel is to remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy (v. 8; see notes on Deut. 5:12-15). The Lord had already begun to form the people's life in the rhythm of working for six days (Ex. 20:9) and resting on the seventh day as a Sabbath (v. 10) through the instructions for collecting manna (see 16:22-26). Here the command is grounded further in the way that it imitates the Lord's pattern in creation (20:11; see Gen. 2:1-3). Every aspect of Israel's life is to reflect that the people belong to the Lord and are sustained by his hand. The weekly pattern of work and rest is to be a regular and essential part of this (see Ex. 31:12-18). In Deut. 5:15, Moses gives another reason for observing the day: it recalls their redemption from slavery in Egypt.

20:12 Honor your father and your mother. The word "honor" means to treat someone with the proper respect due to the person and their role. With regard to parents, this means (1) treating them with deference (cf. 21:15, 17); (2) providing for them and looking after them in their old age (for this sense of honor, see Prov. 3:9). Both Jesus and Paul underline the importance of this command (Mark 7:1-13; Eph. 6:1-3; 1 Tim. 5:4). This is the only one of the Ten Commandments with a specific promise attached to it: that your days may be long--meaning not just a long life, but one that is filled with God's presence and favor. See note on Deut. 5:16.

20:13-15 The sixth through eighth commandments present general prohibitions not to murder (v. 13; see note on Deut. 5:17), commit adultery (v. 14), or steal (v. 15). In doing so, they set minimum standards for Israel to be a just society and indicate the context in which the people will be called further to be holy and to love the Lord with their all their heart, soul, and might (Deut. 6:4-9), and their neighbors with goodwill and generosity (Lev. 19:18). Thus, while the prohibition against stealing is a basic principle of justice in Israel's national life, the people are called to do more than refrain from taking another person's possessions. They are to embody the Lord's love for them by loving the stranger and sojourner as themselves (Lev. 19:33-34). When Jesus refers to the law in the Sermon on the Mount ("you have heard that it was said," Matt. 5:21ff.), he is correcting not the intended purpose of the OT law but the mistaken presumption that these laws (or their interpretation) were meant to be exhaustive of what it meant to live as a child of the kingdom of heaven. (E.g., as Jesus made clear, simply refraining from murder does not fulfill the law when a person disdains his brother as a fool; or simply refraining from adultery does not fulfill the law when a man lusts after a woman; see Matt. 5:21-24, 27-28; and note on Matt. 5:21-48.)

20:16 Acting as a false witness (see 23:1-3) suggests a legal trial in which false testimony could lead to punishment for one's neighbor. Bearing "false witness" is condemned in Scripture for its disastrous effects among people and its utter disregard for God's character (see Prov. 6:16-19; 12:22; 19:5, 9). The Lord's righteousness and justice were to be reflected in Israel's life as a nation, which was thus to exclude speaking falsely, especially for the sake of gaining something at the expense of another person and perverting justice.

20:17 While the previous four commandments focus on actions committed or words spoken (vv. 13-16), the tenth commandment warns against allowing the heart to covet . . . anything that is your neighbor's. When a person covets, he allows the desire for that which is coveted to govern his relationship with other people; this may become the motivation for murder, stealing, or lying either to attain the desired thing or to keep it from someone else. Because of the way that coveting values a particular thing over trust in and obedience to the Lord as the provider, it is also a breach of the first commandment, which the apostle Paul makes clear when he refers to coveting as idolatry (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5).

20:18-20 The last time Israel had experienced a sign of thunder and lightning, it was in the context of the plague of hail sent on Egypt (see 9:23-26). Moses tells the people not to fear that God would kill them (20:20), explaining that God is testing them so that their life in the land might be governed by the fear of the Lord (see Deut. 6:2).

21:1 The word translated rules could also be rendered "rulings" or "judgments," i.e., decisions by a judge that could be used to mediate particular disputes between people in Israel.

21:2-11 All of these rules pertain to slaves in Israel and seek to govern the movement of people in and out of a household in a way that is just--both for them and for the household of which they have been a part. Israelites are to remember what life was like in Egypt and to avoid oppressing one another in the same manner (see Lev. 25:35-46). Although the restitution for slaves is governed by their social situation, their identity as full human beings, rather than mere possessions, is assumed, since they are not included in the laws governing the loss of property (see Ex. 21:33-22:15). (Cf. notes on 1 Cor. 7:21; Eph. 6:5; Col. 3:22-25; Philem. 18-19.)

21:2 Just as the rhythm of Israel's life is to be six days of work and then a Sabbath of rest to the Lord (20:8-11), so there will be patterns of giving rest to a slave after six years of service, to the land after six years of cultivation (see 23:10-11; Lev. 25:1-6), and to both people and land in the Year of Jubilee--after seven sets of seven years (see Lev. 25:8-22). Israel's life is to image the pattern set by the Lord in creation (Gen. 2:1-3), so that they will continually trust him for their provision.

21:5-6 Debt was the most common reason that people became slaves. To employ a destitute person as a slave could be seen as a benevolent act, as it guaranteed him food and shelter and some income (Gen. 47:23-25). The security provided by a good employer could lead some slaves to choose to remain in that status permanently.

21:7-11 If a poor family could not afford the costs of a normal wedding, the father might "sell" his daughter to a rich man as his "slave," i.e., as a secondary wife like Zilpah and Bilhah (Gen. 29:24, 29). As wives from poor families, they could face exploitation--which these laws aim to prevent.

21:12-32 These laws relate to situations in which someone has been injured by another person (vv. 12-27) or by an animal (vv. 28-32).

21:13 The reference to a place to which he may flee looks forward to the cities of refuge that the Lord will prescribe (see Num. 35:9-15) in order to protect someone who killed unintentionally--until their case can be judged.

21:16 This instruction, repeated in Deut. 24:7, indicates that the people of Israel were called to justice not only in the way they treated slaves but also in the manner by which a person could become a slave.

21:17 This rule is placed among other commandments that deal with either death or physical harm. Its placement here, along with the prescription of the death penalty, highlights the gravity of the command to honor one's parents (20:12; cf. Mark 7:9-10). As earlier instructions have already indicated, Israel's faithfulness to the Lord is to be formed not simply through its worship but also in the life of the household (Ex. 12:26; 13:8; cf. also Deut. 4:9; 6:7).

21:20-21 These verses provide a general rule related to disciplining a slave (i.e., strikes his slave . . . with a rod). The rationale for not avenging a slave because the slave is his money relates only to the financial circumstances of the one he serves; it is neither a description of how a slave as a person is to be understood, nor a prescription for how a slave is to be treated. The expectation for how Israelites were to treat one another (and particularly those who were typically oppressed or overlooked) is indicated in the repeated statements at the end of this section of laws: "You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him" (22:21-24; 23:6-9).

21:22-25 These verses contain phrases that are difficult to interpret. The ESV offers a traditional understanding in the text and a more recent view in the footnote. The situation in view is a brawl between men. A pregnant woman nearby is accidentally hit. This results in either a premature live birth or a miscarriage where the child dies (her children come out; the plural "children" is probably a plural of indefiniteness, allowing for either a single or a multiple birth). This much is clear, but interpreters disagree about the exact meaning of the Hebrew traditionally rendered there is no harm . . . there is harm, and the judges determine (see ESV footnote for the alternative reading). According to the traditional view, "harm" is suffered by either the woman or her baby. Depending on the extent of loss (death of the baby, injury to the baby, injury to the mother), the man who caused the injury shall pay "as the judges determine," presumably according to the "eye-for-eye" principle. As the preceding and following laws show (vv. 26-32), "eye for eye" was not taken literally. It was simply a formula for proportionate punishment or compensation. One implication, however, is that the death of the baby seems to be judged according to the same principles that apply to the taking of other human life (e.g., the death of the mother). The alternative view understands the obscure terms quite differently (see ESV footnote). This view presupposes that the baby has died, and the issue is who is to pay the penalty for the death of the baby and the injury to the mother. In a fight, it may not be obvious who is responsible for the damaging blow. If the offender is identifiable, he alone must pay for the loss of life--as much as the husband demands (cf. v. 30). If the offender cannot be identified, the community (you) shall pay. This principle also applies to compensation for injuries the woman may have suffered (according to the "eye-for-eye" principle as noted above). By either interpretation, the OT attributes human personhood to the developing baby in the womb (cf. Ps. 51:5 and note; 71:5-6 and note; 139:13-16); but the law also distinguishes between death due to willful murder and death due to negligence (see Ex. 21:12-14, 28-32). However understood, this law demonstrates the Bible's concern to protect life, including life in the womb.

21:23-25 The general principle in Israel is that restitution for a life taken or harmed shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth . . . stripe for stripe (see also Lev. 24:17-22; Deut. 19:21). In relation to taking human life, the rule is grounded in humanity being made in God's image (see Gen. 9:6) and in the way that bloodshed defiles the land in which a holy God dwells with his people (see Num. 35:30-34). A number of scholars now hold that, as the surrounding context makes clear, the principle is not applied literally in every case, but the application of the principle takes into account differing circumstances (see Ex. 21:12-14, 19, 21, 26-28, 30). In Matt. 5:38-42 Jesus shows that this principle, which was meant to guide judges in assessing damages, was never intended as the rule for ordinary interpersonal relationships (in which the faithful should seek to imitate God's own generosity).

21:28-29 In situations where an animal gores and kills a person, the instruction that it shall be stoned is another illustration for Israel that human life is to be understood as holy to the Lord (see also 19:12-13).

21:33-22:15 These laws relate to loss of animals and property.

21:33-36 Irresponsible action (like not covering a pit, v. 33) and previous knowledge (like an ox's tendency to gore, v. 36) are to be taken into consideration when stipulating the sort of restitution that is required.

22:2-3 if the sun has risen on him. This condition distinguishes between what is permissible retaliation when a thief is caught breaking in during the night (v. 2) vs. during the day (v. 3). The stipulation protects both the one who is surprised by a thief at night (v. 2) and the thief himself, who could be identified during the day and should be brought to the judges for punishment (vv. 3b, 4).

22:7-13 In addition to laws governing damage to or theft of property owned by a person, this section describes circumstances in which a person has been given either property or animals by another for safekeeping, and what was entrusted to him has been stolen (vv. 7-9) or injured (vv. 10-13).

22:9 In this case, lying about being the victim of a thief is the means by which a person acts like a thief and takes his neighbor's property (also in v. 12). Thus, the person must pay double to his neighbor, which is the restitution required of a thief (see v. 4). The person would say "this is it" to indicate, "this is the item in dispute."

22:16-17 This rule relates to the practice of a man paying a bride-price to his future father-in-law in order to marry his virgin daughter. Although the expression referring to the one who seduces the daughter most likely implies some mutual consent, the consequence focuses on the responsibility of the man to provide, both through marrying the woman (unless the father utterly refuses, v. 17) and by paying her father (see Deut. 22:28-29). Since the bride-price was equivalent to several years' wages, Ex. 22:17 amounts to the threat of huge damages in the case of premarital intercourse.

22:18-20 These rules each carry the penalty of death because they are contrary to Israel being a holy people who worship a holy God: the presence of a sorceress (v. 18; see Lev. 20:26-27), having sex with an animal (Ex. 22:1; see Lev. 18:23), and offering sacrifices to other gods (Ex. 22:20; see 20:3; 23:13) are all things that make Israel unclean and are reasons that the Lord is about to judge the nations in Canaan (see Lev. 20:22-26).

22:21-23:9 The instruction for Israel not to wrong or oppress a sojourner frames this section (22:21; 23:9), which seeks to help the people recognize that they are called beyond keeping the basic rules for a civil society, to embodying the very character of the Lord in caring for those who are easily oppressed and even those who may be predisposed against them (see 23:4-5).

22:22 Through his prophets, the Lord will repeatedly denounce the mistreatment of the widow and the fatherless child in Israel and Judah (e.g., Isa. 1:17, 23; Jer. 5:28; 7:5-7; 22:3; Zech. 7:10).

22:25-27 Amos 2:8 condemns Israel for openly ("beside every altar") flouting this law.

23:1-3, 6-8 These sections complement one another and warn Israel against acting to pervert justice (vv. 2, 6) by being a false witness (see 20:16). The structures of civil and religious life in Israel were meant to represent the evaluation of the Lord and to form the people according to his character, which is why the warnings are grounded in the judgment of the Lord: for I will not acquit the wicked (23:7; see 34:7).

23:4-5 Israel is called beyond merely keeping the civil laws, to act in ways that represent love for an enemy (v. 4) or one who hates them (v. 5; see Lev. 19:18).

23:6 The warning not to pervert the justice due includes the refusal to take advantage of the poor in a lawsuit (v. 6) as well as to show partiality to them by altering testimony (v. 3).

23:10-19 See note on 20:22-26.

23:10 The pattern of work and rest that is to frame Israel's week (see v. 12) is also to be applied to the pattern of years (see Lev. 25:2-7).

23:12 As is true for anything that the Lord commands, keeping the Sabbath as a day of rest (20:8-11) is good not only for the individual who is responsible to act faithfully but also for others, in this case for all those who are a part of the household (cf. Mark 2:27).

23:14-17 This section reaffirms the celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (v. 15; see 12:15-20; 13:3-10) and introduces the Feast of Harvest and the Feast of Ingathering (23:16), which are explained in further detail later (see Lev. 23:9-22).

23:19 The reason for this rule is not made explicit here or in the other places where it is repeated (see 34:26; Deut. 14:21). Boiling a young goat in its mother's milk may have been a pagan religious ceremony practiced by the nations in Canaan as a way to induce fertility. Alternatively it may be seen as a gross violation of the natural order: the young goat should drink its mother's milk and gain life from it, not be cooked in it.

23:20-22 The angel who will go before Israel is described in ways that closely identify him with God: the Lord tells Israel not to rebel against him (v. 21) because he will not pardon your transgression and because my name is in him (v. 21, implying God's nature and character), and that to obey his voice is to do all that I say (v. 22). When Joshua finally leads the people into the land, he meets a figure outside Jericho referred to as "the commander of the army of the Lord" who speaks nearly identical words as those spoken to Moses at the burning bush (see 3:2; Josh. 5:13-15); both his title and drawn sword seem to identify him with the angel who has protected Israel (see Ex. 14:19) and who is promised here to go before them into Canaan (see also 33:2).

23:24 you shall not bow down to their gods. See note on 20:3.

23:25-26 Among the gods worshiped in both Egypt and Canaan were those believed to have control over crops, health, or fertility. The Lord made it clear through the signs in Egypt that he has power over all of life and he calls Israel to serve him alone, promising the people blessings through the provisions of food and health (v. 25; see also 15:26) and offspring (23:26).