Exodus 20:25-26 ESV

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 20:25

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 20:25

Thou shalt not build it of hewn stone - Because they were now in a wandering state, and had as yet no fixed residence; and therefore no time should be wasted to rear costly altars, which could not be transported with them, and which they must soon leave. Besides, they must not lavish skill or expense on the construction of an altar; the altar of itself, whether costly or mean, was nothing in the worship; it was only the place on which the victim should be laid, and their mind must be... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 20:26

Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar - The word altar comes from altus , high or elevated, though the Hebrew word מזבח mizbach , from זבח zabach , to slay, kill, etc., signifies merely a place for sacrifice; see Genesis 8:20 . But the heathens, who imitated the rites of the true God in their idolatrous worship, made their altars very high; whence they derived their name altaria , altars, i.e., very high or elevated places; which they built thus, partly through... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 20:26

Verse 26 26.Neither shalt thou go up. When God had prescribed modesty to the priests in their whole life, and in their private actions, no wonder that He should require especial care of decency and propriety in the performance of their sacred duties. He had indeed already desired that the priests should wear drawers or breeches when they went into the sanctuary; yet not content with this symbol of purity, He forbids them to ascend the altar by steps, lest haply the drawers themselves should be... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:22-26

1 . Against idols; 2 . Concerning altars ( Exodus 20:23-26 ). Then follow the laws respecting what our legal writers call "the rights of persons"—which occupy thirty-two verses of Exodus 21:1-36 . and fall under some twenty different heads, beginning with the rights of slaves, and terminating with the compensation to be made for injuries to the person caused by cattle. The third section is upon "the rights of property," and extends from Exodus 21:33 , to Exodus 22:15 ,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:22-26

I will go unto the altar of God. The directions given shadow forth the essentials of genuine worship. Amongst the heathen the idol is the central figure, the human symbol of the unseen God. The true God will admit no such symbol; it is a barrier against, not a step towards, the worship he desires. In true worship there must be utter self-suppression. "Obedience is better than sacrifice;" it is only through obedience that the sacrifice becomes acceptable. In this light consider— I. THE... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:25

And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone — i.e; if, notwithstanding my preference expressed for an altar of earth, thou wilt insist on making me one of stone, as more permanent, and so more honourable, then I require that the stones shall be rough stones shaped by nature, not stones chiselled into shape by the art of man. For if thou lift up thy tool upon it thou hast polluted it. It is conjectured with reason that we have here an old traditional idea, which God thought fit under... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:26

Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar . Here the reason of decency, added in the text, is obvious; and the law would necessarily continue until sacerdotal vestments of a very different character from the clothes commonly worn by Orientals were introduced ( Exodus 38:3 -43). After their introduction, the reason for the law, and with it the law itself, would drop The supposed "slope of earth" by which the priests are thought to have ascended to the "ledge" on the altar of burnt... read more

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

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

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 20:25

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 20:26

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 20:26

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:22-26

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:22-26

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:25

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 20:26

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