Exodus 20

At Mount Sinai God Himself speaks the Ten Commandments to the whole nation He has just rescued. The first commands concern loyalty to God alone, and the later ones concern life with neighbors. The people tremble at His voice, and God then gives simple instructions for worship at an altar.

Exodus 20:1

This is not Moses’ teaching but God’s own speech. The whole nation hears the words directly. What follows is the foundation of the covenant, spoken aloud before it is written on stone.

BSA: spoke (“to communicate, to declare”): God is making Himself known and heard, not merely handing down rules.

See also: Deuteronomy 5:22.

Exodus 20:2

Before any command, God states who He is and what He has done. Rescue comes first, then obedience. Israel is asked to follow the One who freed them, not to earn freedom by keeping rules.

BSA: LORD (“Yehovah, The covenant Name of God”): This is the personal name God gave Moses, tying Him to His promises to His people. slavery (“bondage, servitude, a state of being a servant or slave”): Egypt was a house of bondage, so God’s commands come from the One who ended their servitude.

See also: Exodus 3:14-15.

Exodus 20:3

God claims first place, with no rivals. Israel’s neighbors served many gods, each for a different need. The Lord who saved them will not share their worship, because no other god has done what He has done.

BSA: before (“in the presence of, facing”): No other god may stand in His presence, as if beside Him or competing with Him.

See also: Deuteronomy 6:4-5.

Exodus 20:4

God forbids making an image to represent Him or to be worshiped. He cannot be shrunk into something made by human hands. The ban covers images of anything in the sky, on land, or in the sea, the realms where people placed their idols.

BSA: idol (“graven image, man-made object of worship”): It is a carved thing shaped by human hands and then treated as divine.

See also: Isaiah 44:9-20.

Exodus 20:5-6

God is jealous the way a faithful husband is, wanting the love He is owed. The consequences of sin reach down in families, but His steadfast love reaches far further: a thousand generations against three or four. Mercy outweighs judgment.

BSA: jealous (“zealous, passionately exclusive”): God’s jealousy is the fierce, protective love of a covenant partner, not petty envy. loving devotion (“steadfast, trustworthy”): It is a loyal love that holds firm and can be counted on.

Hebrew: חֶסֶד (chesed, H2617) — “loyal, covenant love.” This word describes love that stays faithful to a promise. The English ’loving devotion’ tries to carry both the love and the loyalty.

See also: Exodus 34:6-7.

Exodus 20:7

God’s name stands for who He is. To misuse it is to treat Him lightly: in false oaths, empty speech, or religious words that cover wrongdoing. He takes His own reputation seriously, and so should those who bear His name.

BSA: name (“identity, reputation”): God’s name carries His character, so abusing it insults who He is. in vain (“for a useless or deceitful purpose”): The name is wasted or used falsely, whether in lies or empty talk.

Hebrew: לַשָּׁוְא (lashav, H7723) — “for emptiness, for falsehood.” The word means empty or worthless. God’s name is never to be used for something hollow or false.

See also: Matthew 5:33-37.

Exodus 20:8-9

God gives a rhythm: six days of work and one day set apart for Him. Honest labor is good, and rest is a command. The Sabbath is to be remembered, which suggests it is a gift Israel must not forget.

BSA: holy (“set apart, sacred, devoted to God”): The day is cut out from ordinary time and given to God.

Hebrew: שַׁבָּת (shabbat, H7676) — “Sabbath, a ceasing.” The word is tied to the verb ’to stop’ or ’to cease.’ The day is a deliberate stopping from work.

See also: Genesis 2:2-3; Mark 2:27.

Exodus 20:10

Rest is for everyone: family, servants, animals, and even the foreigner. No one is to be worked without a break. The day reminds Israel that they were once slaves who had no rest, and now they must give rest to others.

BSA: foreigner (“sojourner, temporary resident”): Even the outsider living among Israel shares in the day of rest.

See also: Deuteronomy 5:14-15.

Exodus 20:11

The reason given here is creation. God worked six days and then rested, so Israel’s week follows the pattern of His. God did not rest from weariness. He blessed the day and made it holy, a gift of refreshment to those He made.

BSA: rested (“ceased from work, refreshed Himself”): God stopped His creating work and took delight in what He had made. blessed (“praised, honored, and sanctified”): God set a special favor on the day itself.

See also: Genesis 2:1-3; Hebrews 4:9-10.

Exodus 20:12

The commands turn from God to family. Honoring parents means treating them with weight and respect, and it is the base of a healthy society. The promise is attached to life in the land God was giving.

BSA: Honor (“show respect, esteem highly”): It means giving parents their due weight, beyond mere obedience.

Hebrew: כַּבֵּד (kabbed, H3513) — “honor, give weight to.” The root means ‘heavy.’ To honor parents is to treat them as weighty, not as lightweights to be brushed aside.

See also: Ephesians 6:1-3.

Exodus 20:13

Human life is sacred because people are made in God’s image. This command forbids the unjust taking of life. Jesus later showed that it reaches down to the anger and hatred in the heart.

BSA: murder (“kill, take a life, implying a strong negation”): The word points to unlawful killing, the wrongful taking of a life.

See also: Genesis 9:6; Matthew 5:21-22.

Exodus 20:14

Marriage is a covenant, and God guards it. Adultery breaks a promise made before Him and wounds families. The command protects faithfulness and trust in the home.

BSA: adultery (“unfaithfulness, breaking marriage vows”): It is a breach of a sacred promise, not just a private failing.

See also: Matthew 5:27-28; Hebrews 13:4.

Exodus 20:15

What belongs to another person is to be respected. Stealing takes more than goods. It takes the work and security of the one robbed. God protects ownership and also teaches honest living.

See also: Ephesians 4:28.

Exodus 20:16

Honest speech matters most when it affects someone’s life, in court or in the community. A lie can destroy a neighbor as surely as a blow. God calls His people to truth that protects others.

BSA: false (“deceptive or untrue”): The testimony is empty and misleading, built to harm. witness (“testimony or evidence”): It points to formal testimony on which others rely.

See also: Proverbs 19:5.

Exodus 20:17

The last command reaches inside, to wanting what is not yours. Sin begins as desire in the heart before it becomes theft or adultery. God cares about the heart and not only about outward deeds.

BSA: covet (“desire to have, take great pleasure in”): It is a settled longing for what belongs to someone else.

Hebrew: תַחְמֹד (tachmod, H2530) — “you shall desire, long for.” The word describes a desire that fastens on something and wants to grab it. It is the inner root of the other wrongs.

See also: Romans 7:7; Luke 12:15.

Exodus 20:18

God’s presence on the mountain is overwhelming: thunder, lightning, trumpet blast, and smoke. The people are shaken, and they keep their distance. The scene shows the holiness of the God they have just met.

BSA: trembled (“shook, were afraid”): Their whole bodies shook before God’s holiness.

See also: Hebrews 12:18-21.

Exodus 20:19

The people ask Moses to stand between them and God. They want God’s word but cannot bear His voice. Their request shows how much sinful people need a mediator, one who can approach God for them.

BSA: listen (“hear and obey”): They promise to hear in a way that leads to doing.

See also: Deuteronomy 18:15-17; 1 Timothy 2:5.

Exodus 20:20

Moses says do not fear, and yet fear God. The two fit together: they need not be crushed by terror, because God has come to teach them reverence. That holy respect is meant to keep them from sin.

BSA: test (“prove, examine”): God’s coming shows what is in them and shapes their loyalty. fear (“reverence, awe”): The fear meant here is reverent awe that leads to obedience.

See also: Proverbs 1:7.

Exodus 20:21

The people stay back while Moses goes forward into the thick darkness. God is truly present but cannot be seen or handled. Moses draws near on their behalf, as the one who stands between.

BSA: thick darkness (“a cloud, gloom”): God’s presence is hidden in deep cloud, a sign of His mystery and holiness.

See also: Exodus 19:9; 1 Kings 8:12.

Exodus 20:22

God reminds Israel that they heard Him with their own ears. Their God is not a statue but a living God who speaks from heaven. This sets up the warning against idols that follows.

BSA: heaven (“the visible universe, the abode of God”): God speaks from above His creation, which is why no earthly image can capture Him.

See also: Deuteronomy 4:36.

Exodus 20:23

God repeats the warning against idols, now even in precious metal. Silver and gold may look glorious, but a god made by human hands is worthless. Israel is to worship the God who spoke to them.

BSA: gods (“idols or false”): The gods named here are false, made objects with no real power.

See also: Psalm 115:4-8.

Exodus 20:24

Worship was to be simple: an altar of earth, with offerings given to God. The burnt offering was wholly given up to Him, and the peace offering shared a meal in fellowship. God promises to meet His people where He is honored.

BSA: burnt offerings (“completely consumed by fire”): The whole animal was given to God, a picture of total devotion. bless (“bestow favor, pronounce good”): God promises to give favor to those who come to Him on His terms.

See also: Leviticus 1:3-4.

Exodus 20:25

If the altar is made of stone, it must be left uncut. Human craftsmanship must not be seen as improving on God’s worship. The uncut stone shows that God is approached on His terms, not by human skill or pride.

BSA: defile (“or pollute, profane”): Shaping the stones with tools would spoil the altar’s holiness.

See also: Deuteronomy 27:5-6.

Exodus 20:26

Steps could expose the body of the priest as he climbed. God asks for modesty and reverence in His presence. Nothing about worship should draw attention to human shame or turn the focus from Him.

BSA: nakedness (“exposed state, shame”): Worship should keep shame covered and bring no embarrassment before God.

See also: Exodus 28:42-43.