19:24 the priests. With the law still to be given, no priesthood had been established in Israel. These priests must have been the firstborn in each family who served as family priests because they had been dedicated to the Lord (cf. 13:2; 24:5). Their place would be taken over later by the Levites (Num. 3:45).
Exodus 20
20:1 all these words. This general description of the commands to follow also received from Moses the title “Ten Commandments” (34:28; Deut. 4:13). By this emphasis on God Himself speaking these words (cf. Deut. 5:12, 15, 16, 22, 32, 33), all theories on Israel’s borrowing legal patterns or concepts from the nations around them are unacceptable.
20:3–17 The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue, which follow upon the opening historical prologue (v. 2), are formed as a precept or direct command given in the second person. This form was something rather uncommon in that day. Ancient Near Eastern law codes for the most part were casuistic, or case-law, in form, i.e., an “if…then” construction written in the third person wherein a supposed offense was followed by a statement of the action to be taken or penalty to be exacted. The Ten Commandments may also be grouped into two broad categories: the vertical, namely man’s relationship to God (vv. 2–11), and the horizontal, namely man’s relationship to the community (vv. 12–17). Concisely listed prohibitions mark the second category, with only one exception—an imperative plus its explanation (v. 12). Explanation or reason appended to a prohibition marks the first category. By these Ten Commandments, true theology and true worship, the name of God and the Sabbath, family honor, life, marriage, and property, truth and virtue are well protected. See note on 24:7.
Ex. 20:3
The Ten Commandments
Commandment: 1st Polytheism
O.T. Statement: Ex. 20:3
O.T. Death Penalty: Ex. 22:20; Deut. 6:13-15
N.T. Restatement: Acts 14:15
Commandment: 2nd Graven Images
O.T. Statement: Ex. 20:4
O.T. Death Penalty: Deut. 27:15
N.T. Restatement: 1 John 5:21
Commandment: 3rd Swearing
O.T. Statement: Ex. 20:7
O.T. Death Penalty: Lev. 24:15, 16
N.T. Restatement: James 5:12
Commandment: 4th Sabbath
O.T. Statement: Ex. 20:8
O.T. Death Penalty: Num. 15:32-36
N.T. Restatement: Col 2:16 nullifies
Commandment: 5th Obedience to parents
O.T. Statement: Ex. 20:12
O.T. Death Penalty: Ex. 21:15-17
N.T. Restatement: Eph. 6:1
Commandment: 6th Murder
O.T. Statement: Ex. 20:13
O.T. Death Penalty: Ex. 21:12
N.T. Restatement: 1 John 3:15
Commandment: 7th Adultery
O.T. Statement: Ex. 20:14
O.T. Death Penalty: Lev. 20:10
N.T. Restatement: 1 Cor 6:9, 10
Commandment: 8th Theft
O.T. Statement: Ex. 20:15
O.T. Death Penalty: Ex. 21:16
N.T. Restatement: Eph. 4:28
Commandment: 9th False Witness
O.T. Statement: Ex. 20:16
O.T. Death Penalty: Deut. 18:16-21
N.T. Restatement: Col. 3:9, 10
Commandment: 10th Coveting
O.T. Statement: Ex. 20:17
O.T. Death Penalty: ———
N.T. Restatement: Eph. 5:3
20:3 before Me. Meaning “over against Me,” this is a most appropriate expression in the light of the next few verses. All false gods stand in opposition to the true God, and the worship of them is incompatible with the worship of Yahweh. When Israel departed from the worship of the only one and true God, she plunged into religious confusion (Judg. 17, 18).
20:4–6 The mode or fashion of worship appropriate to only one Lord forbids any attempt to represent or caricature Him by use of anything He has made. Total censure of artistic expression was not the issue; the absolute censure of idolatry and false worship was the issue. Violation would seriously affect succeeding generations because the Lord demanded full and exclusive devotion, i.e., He is a jealous God (cf. 34:14; Deut. 4:24; 5:9). The worship of man-made representations was nothing less than hatred of the true God.
20:5, 6 to the third and fourth generations … thousands. Moses had made it clear that children were not punished for the sins of their parents (Deut. 24:16; see Ezek. 18:19–32), but children would feel the impact of breaches of God’s law by their parents’ generation as a natural consequence of its disobedience, its hatred of God. Children reared in such an environment would imbibe and then practice similar idolatry, thus themselves expressing hateful disobedience. The difference in consequence served as both a warning and a motivation. The effect of a disobedient generation was to plant wickedness so deeply that it took several generations to reverse.
20:7 take the name…in vain. To use God’s name in such a way as to bring disrepute upon His character or deeds was to irreverently misuse His name. To fail to perform an oath in which His name had been legitimately uttered (cf. 22:10, 11; Lev. 19:12; Deut. 6:13) was to call into question His existence, since the guilty party evidently had no further thought of the God whose name he had used to improve his integrity. For the believer in the church age, however, the use of the name of God is not a needed verification of his intention and trustworthiness since his life is to exhibit truth on all occasions, with his “yes” meaning “yes” and his “no” meaning “no” (Matt. 5:37; James 5:12).
20:8 Sabbath. Cf. 31:12–17. Each seventh day belonged to the Lord and would not be a work day but one set apart (i.e., holy) for rest and for time devoted to the worship of Yahweh. The term “Sabbath” is derived from “to rest or cease from work.” The historical precedent for such a special observance was the creation week; a span of time equal to what man copied in practice. Each Sabbath day should have reminded the worshiper that the God whom he praised had indeed made everything in both realms of existence in 6 twenty-four hour days. The Sabbath would also stand, therefore, as a counter to evolutionary ideas prevalent in false religion. Moses, in the review of the Decalogue, also linked the observance of the Sabbath with Israel’s exodus from Egypt and specified that this was why Israel was to keep it (Deut. 5:12–15). Significantly, the command for the Sabbath is not repeated in the NT, whereas the other 9 are. In fact, it is nullified (cf. Col. 2:16, 17). Belonging especially to Israel under the Mosaic economy, the Sabbath could not apply to the believer of the church age, for he is living in a new economy.
20:12–16 Cf. Matt. 19:18–19; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20.
20:12 Honor your father and your mother. The key to societal stability is reverence and respect for parents and their authority. The appended promise primarily related the command to life in the Promised Land and reminded the Israelite of the program God had set up for him and his people. Within the borders of their territory, God expected them not to tolerate juvenile delinquency, which at heart is overt disrespect for parents and authority. Severe consequences, namely capital punishment, could apply (cf. Deut. 21:18–21). One of the reasons for the Babylonian exile was a failure to honor parents (Ezek. 22:7, 15). The Apostle Paul individualized this national promise when he applied the truth to believers in his day (cf. Matt. 15:4; Mark 7:10; Eph. 6:1–3).
20:13–15 Cf. Rom. 13:9.
20:13 murder. The irreversible nature of the divinely imposed sentence of death on every manslayer who killed another intentionally (cf. 21:12; Num. 35:17–21) stands without parallel in ancient Near Eastern literature and legal codes (cf. Gen. 9:5, 6). Further, the sacredness of human life stands out in the passages dealing with unintentional manslaughter. The accident of death still carried with it a penalty of banishment to the city of refuge until the death of the High-Priest for the one who killed but not with intent. Careful appraisal of the word Moses used (one of 7 different Heb. words for killing, and one used only 47 times in the OT) suggests a broad translation of “to kill, slay” but de
noting the taking of life under a legal system where he would have to answer to the stipulations of a legal code, no matter whether he killed unintentionally or intentionally. By this command, men would be reminded and exhorted to strive after carefulness in the affairs of life so that on the person-to-person level no one would die by their hand. See note on 21:12–14 (cf. Matt. 5:21; James 2:11).
20:14 adultery. Applicable to both men and women, this command protected the sacredness of the marriage relationship. God had instituted marriage at the creation of man and woman (Gen. 2:24) and had blessed it as the means of filling the earth (Gen. 1:28). The penalty for infidelity in the marital relationship was death (Lev. 20:10). Adultery was also referred to as “a great sin” (Gen. 20:9) and a “great wickedness and sin against God” (cf. Gen. 39:9; Matt. 5:27; James 2:11).
20:15 steal. Any dishonest acquiring of another’s goods or assets greatly disturbs the right to ownership of private property, which is an important principle for societal stability.
20:16 false witness. Justice is not served by any untruthful testimony. Practically all societies have recognized this principle and adjure all witnesses in courts to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.
20:17 covet. The thoughts and desires of the heart do not escape attention. A strong longing to have what another has is wrong. This tenth command suggests that none of the previous 9 commandments are only external acts with no relation to internal thoughts (cf. Matt. 15:19; Rom. 7:7; 13:9).
20:18 trembled and stood afar off. The people fearfully withdrew from the cluster of phenomena accompanying this theophany, this appearance of God on the mountain. They instinctively placed Moses in the position of mediator between them and God, because such was the gap between them and their holy God that they feared they were not fit to live in His presence (v. 19).
20:19 let not God speak. Fearing for their lives, the nation asked Moses to be their mediator (cf. Heb. 12:18–21).
20:20 Instructed not to respond to the phenomena with fear, they were also told that proper fear, i.e., awe and reverence of God, deterred sin.
20:22–26 Sacrifices, offerings, and altars were not unknown to Israel and were already part of certain worship ceremonies. Neither the earthen nor stone altars would have even a hint of being shaped to represent something more specific, so the restrictions on the form and the method of building would ensure the appropriateness and propriety of their worship. Leviticus 1–7 outlines the Mosaic sacrifices.
Exodus 21
21:1 judgments. A combination of casuistic (case-law) and apodictic (direct command) precepts laid down, as a detailed enlargement of the Decalogue, the framework for judging and resolving civil disputes in Israel. Such a combination continued to confirm the uniqueness of Israel’s law among the different ancient Near Eastern law-codes. Later in a special ceremony, God entitled these precepts “The Book of the Covenant” (24:7).
21:2–11 The law of the slave guaranteed freedom after a specified period of 6 years unless the slave himself elected permanent servitude, but this would be service in a context not of abuse but of love (v. 5). Any permanent, involuntary servitude for a Hebrew slave to a Hebrew master was obviously undesirable for Israelite society and was unknown in Israel (cf. Lev. 25:39–55). Provision was also made to ensure the proper treatment of female slaves, who could not deliberately be left destitute by wrongful action on the part of their master.
21:12–14 The laws relating to personal injury (vv. 15–36) from man or animal were preceded by the most serious of injuries, homicide. The death penalty was prescribed for intentional homicide only (see 20:13), whereas for unintentional homicide the penalty was banishment to an appointed place, which later God revealed were the cities of refuge (cf. Num. 35:6–24; Deut. 19:1–13). No degree of sanctuary applied to one guilty of premeditated murder. Death by accident at the hand of another is something unplanned by man but which God let happen. The law did afford sanctuary but away from home and vengeful relatives, often for life, because there the one guilty of involuntary manslaughter remained until the death of the High-Priest (Num. 35:25, 28).
21:15, 17 Disrespect for parents seen in physical and verbal abuse of them by their children was so serious it was designated a capital offense. Commandment 5 was a serious matter! Other ancient law-codes, e.g., the Code of Hammurabi, also respected parental authority and prescribed severe consequences, although not the death penalty.
21:17 Cf. Matt. 15:4; Mark 7:10.
21:20, 21, 26, 27 Punishment of slaves was considered the right of the owner (Prov. 10:13; 13:24), but did not allow for violence. Judges were to decide the appropriate punishment if the slave died (v. 20). If the slave lived a few days it was evidence that the owner had no intent to kill, and the loss of the slave was punishment enough (v. 21). A beating without death immediately ensuing was construed as a disciplinary matter not a homicidal one. Any permanent personal injury brought freedom and loss of a master’s investment. The master’s power over the slave was thus limited, which made this law unprecedented in the ancient world.
21:22 Compensation was mandatory for accidentally causing a premature birth, even if no injury resulted to either mother or child. Judges were brought into the legal process so that damages awarded were fair and were not calculated out of vengeance.
21:23, 24 Cf. Lev. 24:19, 20; Deut. 19:21. The principle of retaliation, or lex taliones, applied if injury did occur to either mother or child. The punishment matched, but did not exceed, the damage done to the victim. The welfare of a pregnant woman was protected by this law so that unintentional maltreatment constituted culpable negligence. Significantly for the abortion debate, the fetus was considered a person; thus, someone was held accountable for its death or injury.
21:24 Cf. Matt. 5:38.
21:30 Animal owners were held responsible for death or injuries caused by their animals. Since the owner was guilty of negligence and not of an intentional crime, he was able to make payment to escape the death penalty. Again, judges are brought into the process to ensure that no vengeful decisions are made.
21:32 shekels. A shekel weighs .4 oz.; 30 shekels would weigh 12 oz. Christ was betrayed for the price of a slave (Zech. 11:12, 13; Matt. 26:14, 15).
Exodus 22
22:3 If the sun has risen on him. The culpability of a householder’s actions against an intruder depended on whether the break-in (lit. “digging through” the mud walls) was at night or in the daytime. At night quick evaluation of an intruder’s intentions was not as clear as it might be in daytime, nor would someone be awake and on hand to help.
22:11 an oath of the LORD. Presumably an oath of innocence which would bind the two parties to a dispute over lost goods and preclude any further legal action being taken.
22:16 If a man entices…pay the bride-price. The male was held accountable for premarital intercourse and the victim was seen as having been exploited by him, for which he paid a price (cf. Deut. 22:22–29).
22:18 sorceress. A woman who practices occultism.
22:19 The degree of sexual perversion in Canaanite culture was such that bestiality was fairly commonplace (cf. Lev. 18:23, 24). Hittite laws, for example, even permitted cohabitation with certain animals.
22:20 utterly destroyed. Lit. meaning “put to the ban” or “devoted to sacred use,” which in this case meant death (cf. Josh. 7:2ff.).
22:22 widow or fatherless child. God reserved His special attention for widows and orphans who often had no one to care for them. He also reserved a special reaction, His wrath, for those abusing and exploiting them. This wrath would work out in military invasions as the sword reduced the abusers’ families to the same status of being without spouse or parents.
22:25 interest. One way in which the people showed their concern for the poor and needy was to take no business advantage of them. Charging interest was allowable (Lev. 25:35–37; Deut. 23:19, 20), but not when it was exorbitant or worsened the plight of the borrower. The psalmist identified a righteous man as one who lends money
without interest (Ps. 15:5).
22:28 See Acts 23:5, where Paul apparently violated this law, not knowing to whom he spoke.
22:31 holy men to Me. All these laws and regulations caused Israel to be set apart in conduct, not just in name. The special calling as Yahweh’s firstborn son (4:22) and as His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (19:5, 6) mandated ethical uprightness. eat meat torn. Flesh of an animal killed by another and lying in the field became unclean by coming into contact with unclean carnivores and insects and with putrefaction by not having had the blood drained properly from it. A set apart lifestyle impacted every area of life, including from where one collected his meat.
Exodus 23
23:1–9 A list of miscellaneous laws, which includes the protection of equitable and impartial justice for all. False testimony, undiscerningly following a majority, favoring one over another, and accepting bribes, all contribute to the perversion of true justice. The attitude of impartiality was to include the helping of another with his animals regardless of whether he be friend or foe. If no help was given, his livelihood could very well be adversely affected, which was a situation others in the community could not allow to happen.
23:10, 11 seventh year. A sabbatical year of rest after 6 years of farming benefited both the land and the poor. This pattern of letting a field lie fallow appears to have been unique with Israel.
23:13 Idolatry was to be avoided right down to the level of not causing the name of other deities to be remembered. This perhaps served also as a prohibition of intermarriage with other nations, for in the marriage contract recognition was given to the deities of the parties involved, which would have had the effect of putting God on a par with pagan gods.
23:14–19 Requiring all males to be present for 3 specified feasts at a central sanctuary would have had a socially and religiously uniting effect on the nation. The men must trust the Lord to protect their landholdings while on pilgrimage to the tabernacle (cf. 34:23, 24). All 3 feasts were joyful occasions, being a commemoration of the Exodus (the Feast of Unleavened Bread), an expression of gratitude to God for all the grain He had provided (the Feast of Harvest), and a thanksgiving for the final harvest (the Feast of Ingathering). Alternative names appear in the biblical record for the second and third feasts: the Feast of Weeks (34:22) or Firstfruits (34:22; Acts 2:1), and the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths (Lev. 23:33–36). For additional discussions, see, Lev. 23:1—24:9; Num. 28, 29; Deut. 16.
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