The Ten Commandments
Study note
God spoke these words directly to the whole nation of Israel. The Ten Commandments are divided into two parts: the first four deal with the people's relationship with God (no other gods, no idols, do not misuse God's name, keep the Sabbath), and the last six deal with their relationships with each other (honor parents, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie, do not covet). These commands were not just rules but the terms of a covenant. They showed Israel how to live as God's holy people.
1 Then God spoke all of these words directly: And God spake all these words, saying,
2 "I am the Lord your God. I am the one who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves." I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 "You shall have no other gods before me." Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 "Do not make an idol or a statue of anything. Not of anything in the sky. Not of anything on the earth. Not of anything in the waters below." 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:
5 "Do not bow down to these things or worship them. I, the Lord your God, insist on your complete loyalty. When parents turn away from me, the painful results carry on to their children, their grandchildren, and even their great-grandchildren." 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;
6 "But I pour out my faithful love for thousands of generations on those who love me and obey my commands." And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." 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.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 "You have six days each week to get all your work done." Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 "But the seventh day belongs to the Lord your God as a Sabbath. Nobody works on that day — not you, not your children, not your servants, not your animals, and not any visitors staying in your town." 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:
11 "In six days, the Lord made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. Then he rested on the seventh day. That is exactly why the Lord blessed the Sabbath and made it holy." 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.
12 "Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you." Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
13 "You shall not kill." Thou shalt not kill.
14 "You shall not commit adultery." Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal." Thou shalt not steal.
16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's." 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.
The People Are Afraid
Study note
The people witnessed the thunder, lightning, trumpet blast, and smoking mountain. They were so terrified that they backed away and stood far off. They begged Moses to be their go-between, saying 'Do not let God speak directly to us, or we will die.' Moses assured them that God came to test them so that they would learn to respect Him and not sin.
18 The people watched the thunder and lightning, heard the piercing trumpet, and saw the mountain billowing with smoke. They shook with fear and backed far away. 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 They pleaded with Moses, "You be the one to talk to us — we will listen. But please, do not let God speak directly to us. We will die if he does!" And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
20 Moses calmed the people: "There is no reason to be afraid. God came here to test you so that you would develop a deep, healthy respect for him — the reverence that keeps you from doing wrong." 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.
21 The people kept their distance while Moses stepped forward into the dense darkness where God was. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
Rules About Altars
Study note
God gave instructions about how to worship Him. The people were not to make gods of silver or gold. If they built an altar, it had to be made of earth or uncut natural stones. Using tools on the stones would make them unclean. The altar was not to have steps, to preserve the dignity of the priests. These rules set Israel's worship apart from the idol worship of the surrounding nations.
22 The Lord told Moses, "Relay this to the Israelites: 'You heard me speak to you straight from heaven with your own ears.'" 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.
23 "'Do not create silver gods or gold gods and set them up alongside me.'" Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
24 "'Build a simple altar out of earth for me. Use it to offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings — your sheep and your cattle. Wherever I choose to have my name honored, I will come to that place and bless you.'" 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.
25 "'If you build me a stone altar, do not use stones that have been shaped with tools. Running a tool over the stones would make the altar unacceptable.'" 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.
26 "'And do not build steps leading up to my altar, so that you do not expose yourself while climbing up to it.'" Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.