Exodus 20:6 NIV

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Exodus 20:1-17

CHAPTER XX.THE LAW.Exodus 20:1-17.We have now reached that great event, one of the most momentous in all history, the giving of the Ten Commandments. And it is necessary to consider what was the meaning of this event, what part were they designed to play in the religious development of mankind.1. St. Paul tells us plainly what they did not effect. By the works of the law could no flesh be justified: to the father of the Hebrew race faith was reckoned instead of righteousness; the first of their... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Exodus 20:4-6

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT."Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, ... thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them."-- Exodus 20:4-6.How far does the second of these clauses modify the first? Men there are who maintain the severe independence of the former, so that it forbids the presence of any image or likeness in the house of God, even for innocent purposes of adornment. But the Decalogue is not a liturgical directory: what it forbids in church it forbids anywhere; and on... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Exodus 20:1-26

CHAPTER 20 The Covenant Revealed 1. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17 ) 2. Jehovah’s gracious provision (Exodus 20:18-26 ) This law covenant is now stated. It was given three times. First orally here, when God spake all these words. Then in Exodus 31:0 Moses received the tables of stone, “written with the finger of God,” the same finger which later wrote on earth in the sand (John 8:0 ). The first tables were broken and Moses was commanded to hew two tables of stone upon which Jehovah... read more

John Calvin

Geneva Study Bible - Exodus 20:6

20:6 And shewing mercy unto {e} thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.(e) So ready is he rather to show mercy than to punish. read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 20:1-26

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (vs.1-17) Before God gives the ten commandments, He makes is abundantly clear that Israel's obedience to law had nothing to do with God's previous grace toward them in delivering them from the bondage of Egypt, just as today obedience to law has no part in the salvation of souls out from the bondage of sin. Yet Israel must not regard these laws as merely abstract principles, but laws of "the Lord thy God," indicating another relationship to God on the basis of their... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Exodus 20:1-11

THE FIRST TABLE OF THE LAW We have reached the most remarkable event in the history of Israel until this time, and one of the most remarkable in the history of the world. While it primarily refers to Israel, still it affects the whole race for time and eternity, since the moral law is the expression of God’s will, the reflection of His nature, and the immutable standard of right for His accountable creatures everywhere, always. (These remarks apply to the ten commandments. The special... read more

Joseph Parker

The People's Bible by Joseph Parker - Exodus 20:1-26

The Commandments Exodus 19-20 We cannot get rid of Sinai in human education. If we persuade ourselves by some false reasoning that the things recorded in these chapters did not literally happen, we are playing the fool with ourselves. God could only come to us at the first by the letter. He touches us by infinite accommodations of his own nature and by a gracious study of our own. This is the plague of the imperfect reason, that it will quibble about the incident, the wrappage, and decoration... read more

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - Exodus 20:4-6

These verses contain the second commandment, in which the ordinances of divine worship are pointed out, the prohibition of all creature adoration, and the reasons on which the worship of God alone is enjoined. Isaiah 40:18 ; Deuteronomy 4:15 . read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 20:3-11

3-11 The first four of the ten commandments, commonly called the FIRST table, tell our duty to God. It was fit that those should be put first, because man had a Maker to love, before he had a neighbour to love. It cannot be expected that he should be true to his brother, who is false to his God. The first commandment concerns the object of worship, JEHOVAH, and him only. The worship of creatures is here forbidden. Whatever comes short of perfect love, gratitude, reverence, or worship, breaks... read more

Paul E. Kretzmann

The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann - Exodus 20:1-11

The Decalogue v. l. And God spake all these words, saying, v. 2. I am the Lord, thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. That was the Lord's solemn introduction to the legislation on Mount Sinai, a reminder of the wonderful deliverance which He had wrought when He led forth His people out of the land of Egypt, where they had virtually been slaves. Note that the Decalog, as here given, was intended for the children of Israel and applied its... read more