Exodus 20:2-6

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:3

Thou shalt have . The use of the second person singular is remarkable when a covenant was being made with the people ( Exodus 19:5 ). The form indicated that each individual of the nation was addressed severally, and was required himself to obey the law, a mere general national obedience being insufficient. No one can fail to see how much the commands gain in force, through all time, by being thus addressed to the individual conscience. No other gods before me . "Before me"... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:3-6

The first and seceded commandments: against polytheism and image-worship. These two commandments seem to be bound together naturally by the reason given in Exodus 20:5 . There Jehovah says, " I am a jealous God;" obviously such a feeling of jealousy applies with as much force to the worship of other gods as to the making of graven images. Consider— I. THE POSSIBLE TRANSGRESSION HERE INDICATED . The having of other gods than Jehovah, and the representation of them by... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:3-6

These two commandments are complementary: one God only to be worshipped, one way only in which to worship him. Consider:— I. THE FIRST COMMANDMENT . 1 . How Israel would understand it . "No foreign god in opposition to me." The natural idea would be that Jehovah was one amongst many deities; that possibly, away from Egypt, some other god might have higher authority (cf. 2 Kings 18:33-35 ). In any case it would be hard to realise that he was more than God of gods; others might... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:3-11

The soul for God only. I. GOD 'S DEMAND . "Thou shalt have no other," etc. All else is emptiness and falsehood. There must be nothing even of our holy things put between the soul and God. His presence must be the soul's life, the very air it breathes. II. How THE DEMAND MAY BE FULFILLED . 1 . By keeping ourselves from idols. Our daily avocations, our interests, affections, pleasures, may lead to our esteeming something our chief good and making it to be instead of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:4

As the first commandment asserts the unity of God, and is a protest against polytheism, so the second asserts his spirituality, and is a protest against idolatry and materialism. Exodus 20:4 and Exodus 20:5 are to be taken together, the prohibition being intended, not to forbid the arts of sculpture and painting, or even to condemn the religious use of them, but to disallow the worship of God under material forms. When the later Jews condemned all representations of natural objects (Philo,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:5

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them. Every outward sign of honour was shown to images in the ancient world. They were not regarded as emblems, but as actual embodiments of deity. There was a special rite in Greece (Theopoea) by means of which the gods were inducted into their statues, and made to take up their abodes in them. Seneca says of the Romans of his own day—"They pray to these images of the gods, implore them on bended knee , sit or stand long days before them, throw them... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:6

Shewing mercy unto thousands . Or, " to the thousandth generation ." (Compare Deuteronomy 7:9 .) In neither case are the numbers to be taken as exact and definite. The object of them is to contrast the long duration of the Divine love and favour towards the descendants of those who love him, with the comparatively short duration of his chastening wrath in the case of those who are his adversaries. And keep my commandments . Thus only is love shown. Compare John 14:15-21 ; 1 John 2:5... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Exodus 20:1-17

The Hebrew name which is rendered in our King James Version as the ten commandments occurs in Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 10:4. It literally means “the Ten Words.” The Ten Commandments are also called the law, even the commandment Exodus 24:12, the words of the covenant Exodus 34:28, the tables of the covenant Deuteronomy 9:9, the covenant Deuteronomy 4:13, the two tables Deuteronomy 9:10, Deuteronomy 9:17, and, most frequently, the testimony (e. g. Exodus 16:34; Exodus 25:16),... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Exodus 20:2

Exodus 20:2. I am the Lord thy God Herein God asserts his own authority to enact this law; and proposeth himself as the sole object of that religious worship which is enjoined in the four first commandments. They are here bound to obedience. 1st, Because God is the Lord, Jehovah, self-existent, independent, eternal, and the fountain of all being and power; therefore he has an incontestible right to command us. 2d, He was their God; a God in covenant with them; their God by their own... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Exodus 20:3-6

Exodus 20:3-6. The first commandment is concerning the object of our worship, Jehovah, and him only: Thou shalt have no other gods before me The Egyptians, and other neighbouring nations, had many gods, creatures of their own fancy. This law was prefixed because of that transgression; and Jehovah being the God of Israel, they must entirely cleave to him and no other, either of their own invention, or borrowed from their neighbours. The sin against this commandment which we are most... read more

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