Exodus 20:18-26

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 20:18-21

I. The extraordinary terror with which the law was given. Never was any thing delivered with such awful pomp; every word was accented, and every sentence paused, with thunder and lightning, much louder and brighter, no doubt, than ordinary. And why was the law given in this dreadful manner, and with all this tremendous ceremony? 1. It was designed (once for all) to give a sensible discovery of the glorious majesty of God, for the assistance of our faith concerning it, that, knowing the terror... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 20:22-26

Moses having gone into the thick darkness, where God was, God there spoke in his hearing only, privately and without terror, all that follows hence to the end of Exod. 23:1-32, which is mostly an exposition of the ten commandments; and he was to transmit it by word of mouth first, and afterwards in writing, to the people. The laws in these verses related to God's worship. I. They are here forbidden to make images for worship (Exod. 20:22, 23): You have seen that I have talked with you from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 20:18

And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings ,.... That is, they heard the one, and saw the other; they heard the dreadful volleys of thunder, and saw the amazing flashes of lightning, which were like lamps and torches, as the word used signifies; by a communication of senses, one sense is put for another, and the sense of sight being the principal, as Ben Melech observes, it is put for the rest, and so in the following. It is an observation of Austin's F15 Confess. l. 10.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 20:19

And they said unto Moses ,.... Who was now come down from the mountain, and to whom the heads of the tribes and elders of the people came from the camp, and out of their tents, by whom the people said to him, as follows, see Deuteronomy 5:23 , speak thou with us , and we will hear; their request is, that whatsoever it was the will and pleasure of God to declare to them, that he would communicate it to Moses, and he deliver it to them, promising that they would hearken to it, and obey... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 20:20

And Moses said unto the people ,.... By representatives and messengers, the heads of the tribes and elders: fear not ; be not afraid of God with a slavish fear; be not afraid of the thunders and lightnings, as if they were like one of the plagues of Egypt, which terrified Pharaoh and his people; be not afraid of being consumed by them, they will do you no hurt; be not afraid of dying by the hand of God, at his presence, and through the voice of his words spoken to you; be of good... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 20:21

And the people stood afar off ,.... Still kept their distance in their camp and tents; or the heads and elders of the people having had this conversation with Moses, returned to their tents as they were bid, Deuteronomy 5:30 and to the people in the camp, and there they continued while Moses went up to God with their request: and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was ; the thick cloud, Exodus 19:9 as Jarchi interprets it, and who observes from their doctors that there... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 20:22

And the Lord said unto Moses ,.... When Moses was come near the thick darkness where God was: thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel ; at his return unto them, and which he was to deliver in the name of God, and as his words: ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven ; descending from heaven on Mount Sinai in a cloud and fire, he talked with them out of the cloud and fire, and delivered to them with an audible voice the above ten commands; the cloud and fire they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 20:23

Ye shall not make with me ,.... This is a proposition of itself, as appears by the accent Athnach placed at the end of it, which divides it from the following, and therefore "gods of silver" belong to the next clause or proposition; something seems to be wanting to complete the sense, which the Talmudists F19 T. Bab. Roshhashanah, fol. 24. 1. 2. Avoda Zara, fol, 43. 1. 2. and Jarchi after them supply thus,"ye shall not make with me as the likeness of my ministers which minister before... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 20:24

An altar of earth thou shall make unto me ,.... This was a temporary precept, and only in force until the tabernacle was built, and respects occasional altars, erected while on their travels, and were to be made of turfs of earth, and so easily and quickly thrown up, as their case and circumstances required, and as easily thrown down, as it was proper they should, after they had no more use for them, lest they should be abused to superstitious uses; for afterwards the altar for burnt... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 20:25

And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone ,.... If they chose instead of an earthen one to make one of stone, as they might in rocky places, where they came, and in such an one where they now were, Mount Sinai, under which hill an altar was built, Exodus 24:4 , thou shall not build it of hewn stone ; which would require time and occasion expense, to hew and polish them in an artificial way; but it was to be built of rude and unpolished stones, just as they were taken out of the... read more

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