Exodus 20:21-26

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 20:21

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 20:26

Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar ,.... That is, you priests, the sons of Aaron, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase the words; the altar of burnt offering built when the tabernacle was seemed not to require any, being but three cubits high, Exodus 27:1 but that in Solomon's temple did, being ten cubits high, 2 Chronicles 4:1 and therefore some method must be used to ascend it, and do the business that was to be done on it: now the Jews say F2 Middot,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 20:22

I have talked with you from heaven - Though God manifested himself by the fire, the lightning, the earthquake, the thick darkness, etc., yet the ten words, or commandments were probably uttered from the higher regions of the air, which would be an additional proof to the people that there was no imposture in this case; for though strange appearances and voices might be counterfeited on earth, as was often, no doubt, done by the magicians of Egypt; yet it would be utterly impossible to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 20:23

Ye shall not make with me gods of silver - The expressions here are very remarkable. Before it was said, Ye shall have no other gods Before me, פני אל al panai , Exodus 20:3 . Here they are commanded, ye shall not make gods of silver or gold אתי itti With me, as emblems or representatives of God, in order, as might be pretended, to keep these displays of his magnificence in memory; on the contrary, he would have only an altar of earth - of plain turf, on which they should offer... read more

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