Exodus 20:20 NIV

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

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

Adam Clarke

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

And Moses said - Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces - The maxim contained in this verse is, Fear not, that he may fear - do not fear with such a fear as brings consternation into the soul, and produces nothing but terror and confusion; but fear with that fear which reverence and filial affection inspire, that ye sin not - that, through the love and reverence ye feel to your Maker and Sovereign, ye may abstain from every appearance of evil, lest... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:16-21

The ten words. "And God stake all these words." "And the people stood afar off: and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was." ( Exodus 20:1 , Exodus 20:21 ). Our subject is the law of the ten commandments, and— I. The NAMES of the code, for names are oft the keys to things. There are five chief names; four in the Old Testament and one in the New. 1 . " The ten words ." ["The ten commandments" is an unscriptural phrase.] ( Exodus 34:28 ; Deuteronomy 4:13 ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:18-21

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:18-21

The Divine presence at once attractive and repellent. When Christ was upon the earth, so winning was his graciousness that crowds flocked to him, and one man at least exclaimed, "Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest." But at the same time so terrible was the manifestation of his power, that there were those who "besought him that he would depart out of their coasts." God is love, and God is power, and wherever he is, be exhibits both qualities; but there are some who sea... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:18-22

The terrors of Sinai their design and their effects. I. THEIR DESIGN . 1 . Not to slay the people. The people dreaded that if God spoke to them again, they would die ( Exodus 20:19 ). But Moses said—No; this was not the design of the manifestation. "Fear not" ( Exodus 20:20 ). The voice of the law in Scripture, though it is felt in the conscience to be a voice of death ( Romans 7:9-11 ), is not intended to be really so. It is meant to lead to Christ. 2 . To prove... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:20

And Moses said unto the people. Not immediately—Moses first held colloquy with God. God declared that the people had "spoken well" ( Deuteronomy 5:28 ); and authorised Moses to allow of their withdrawal ( Deuteronomy 5:30 ). Fear not . Here Exodus is more full in its details than Deuteronomy. Moses, finding the people in a state of extreme alarm, pacified them—assured them that there was no cause for immediate fear—God had not now come in vengeance—the object of the terrors of Sinai... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:20-22

The law of the altar. I. THE OBJECT Or WORSHIP . The true God, not gods of silver, or gods of gold ( Exodus 20:23 ). The God who had talked with them from heaven had appeared in no visible form. "Ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice" ( Deuteronomy 4:12 ). Let the sole object of our worship be the invisible, spiritual, infinite, yet revealed God. God's revelations of himself lay the basis of right worship. God has spoken. How reverently... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Exodus 20:18-21

Compare Deuteronomy 5:22-31. Aaron Exodus 19:24 on this occasion accompanied Moses in drawing near to the thick darkness.Exodus 20:22 to Exodus 23:33 is a series of laws which we may identify with what was written by Moses in the book called the book of the covenant, and read by him in the audience of the people Exodus 24:7.The document cannot be regarded as a strictly systematic whole. Portions of it were probably traditional rules handed down from the patriarchs, and retained by the... read more

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

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

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

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:16-21

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:18-21

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:18-21

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:18-22

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:20

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:20-22

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Exodus 20:18-21

Group of Brands