Exodus 20 commentary

God speaks many ways to the children of men; by conscience, by providences, by his voice, to all which we ought carefully to attend; but he never spake at any time so as he spake the TEN COMMANDMENTS. This law God had given to man before; it was written in his heart; but sin so defaced it, that it was necessary to revive the knowledge of it. The law is spiritual, and takes knowledge of the secret thoughts, desires, and dispositions of the heart. Its grand demand is love, without which outward obedience is mere hypocrisy. It requires perfect, unfailing, constant obedience; no law in the world admits disobedience to itself. Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all, Jas 2:10. Whether in the heart or the conduct, in thought, word, or deed, to omit or to vary any thing, is sin, and the wages of sin is death.

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 this commandment. Whatsoever ye do, do all the glory of God. The second commandment refers to the worship we are to render to the Lord our God. It is forbidden to make any image or picture of the Deity, in any form, or for any purpose; or to worship any creature, image, or picture. But the spiritual import of this command extends much further. All kinds of superstition are here forbidden, and the using of mere human inventions in the worship of God. The third commandment concerns the manner of worship, that it be with all possible reverence and seriousness. All false oaths are forbidden. All light appealing to God, all profane cursing, is a horrid breach of this command. It matters not whether the word of God, or sacred things, all such-like things break this commandment, and there is no profit, honour, or pleasure in them. The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. The form of the fourth commandment, “Remember,” shows that it was not now first given, but was known by the people before. One day in seven is to be kept holy. Six days are allotted to worldly business, but not so as to neglect the service of God, and the care of our souls. On those days we must do all our work, and leave none to be done on the sabbath day. Christ allowed works of necessity, charity, and piety; for the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath, Mr 2:27; but all works of luxury, vanity, or self-indulgence in any form, are forbidden. Trading, paying wages, settling accounts, writing letters of business, worldly studies, trifling visits, journeys, or light conversation, are not keeping this day holy to the Lord. Sloth and indolence may be a carnal, but not a holy rest. The sabbath of the Lord should be a day of rest from worldly labour, and a rest in the service of God. The advantages from the due keeping of this holy day, were it only to the health and happiness of mankind, with the time it affords for taking care of the soul, show the excellency of this commandment. The day is blessed; men are blessed by it, and in it. The blessing and direction to keep holy are not limited to the seventh day, but are spoken of the sabbath day.

The laws of the SECOND table, that is, the last six of the ten commandments, state our duty to ourselves and to one another, and explain the great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, Lu 10:27. Godliness and honesty must go together. The fifth commandment concerns the duties we owe to our relations. Honour thy father and thy mother, includes esteem of them, shown in our conduct; obedience to their lawful commands; come when they call you, go where they send you, do what they bid you, refrain from what they forbid you; and this, as children, cheerfully, and from a principle of love. Also submission to their counsels and corrections. Endeavouring, in every thing, to comfort parents, and to make their old age easy; maintaining them if they need support, which our Saviour makes to be particularly intended in this commandment, Mt 15:4–6. Careful observers have noted a peculiar blessing in temporal things on obedient, and the reverse on disobedient children. The sixth commandment requires that we regard the life and the safety of others as we do our own. Magistrates and their officers, and witnesses testifying the truth, do not break this command. Self-defence is lawful; but much which is not deemed murder by the laws of man, is such before God. Furious passions, stirred up by anger or by drunkenness, are no excuse: more guilty is murder in duels, which is a horrible effect of a haughty, revengeful spirit. All fighting, whether for wages, for renown, or out of anger and malice, breaks this command, and the bloodshed therein is murder. To tempt men to vice and crimes which shorten life, may be included. Misconduct, such as may break the heart, or shorten the lives of parents, wives, or other relatives, is a breach of this command. This command forbids all envy, malice, hatred, or anger, all provoking or insulting language. The destruction of our own lives is here forbidden. This commandment requires a spirit of kindness, longsuffering, and forgiveness. The seventh commandment concerns chastity. We should be as much afraid of that which defiles the body, as of that which destroys it. Whatever tends to pollute the imagination, or to raise the passions, falls under this law, as impure pictures, books, conversation, or any other like matters. The eighth commandment is the law of love as it respects the property of others. The portion of worldly things allotted us, as far as it is obtained in an honest way, is the bread which God hath given us; for that we ought to be thankful, to be contented with it, and, in the use of lawful means, to trust Providence for the future. Imposing upon the ignorance, easiness, or necessity of others, and many other things, break God's law, though scarcely blamed in society. Plunderers of kingdoms though above human justice, will be included in this sentence. Defrauding the public, contracting debts without prospect of paying them, or evading payment of just debts, extravagance, all living upon charity when not needful, all squeezing the poor in their wages; these, and such things, break this command; which requires industry, frugality, and content, and to do to others, about worldly property, as we would they should do to us. The ninth commandment concerns our own and our neighbour's good name. This forbids speaking falsely on any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising or designing to deceive our neighbour. Speaking unjustly against our neighbour, to hurt his reputation. Bearing false witness against him, or in common conversation slandering, backbiting, and tale-bearing; making what is done amiss, worse than it is, and in any way endeavouring to raise our reputation upon the ruin of our neighbour's. How much this command is every day broken among persons of all ranks! The tenth commandment strikes at the root; Thou shalt not covet. The others forbid all desire of doing what will be an injury to our neighbour; this forbids all wrong desire of having what will gratify ourselves.

This law, which is so extensive that we cannot measure it, so spiritual that we cannot evade it, and so reasonable that we cannot find fault with it, will be the rule of the future judgment of God, as it is for the present conduct of man. If tried by this rule, we shall find our lives have been passed in transgressions. And with this holy law and an awful judgment before us, who can despise the gospel of Christ? And the knowledge of the law shows our need of repentance. In every believer's heart sin is dethroned and crucified, the law of God is written, and the image of God renewed. The Holy Spirit enables him to hate sin and flee from it, to love and keep this law in sincerity and truth; nor will he cease to repent.

Moses having entered into the thick darkness, God there spake in his hearing all that follows from hence to the end of chap. 23, which is mostly an exposition of the ten commandments. The laws in these verses relate to God's worship. The Israelites are assured of God's gracious acceptance of their devotions. Under the gospel, men are encouraged to pray every where, and wherever God's people meet in his name to worship him, he will be in the midst of them; there he will come unto them, and will bless them.

1. And God spoke. I am aware that many agree in reading this verse and the next in connection with each other, and thus making them together the first of the ten commandments. Others taking them separately, consider the affirmation to stand in the place of one entire commandment; but since God neither forbids nor commands anything here, but only comes forth before them in His dignity, to devote the people to Himself, and to claim the authority He deserves, which also He would have extended to the whole Law, I make no doubt but that it is a general preface, whereby He prepares their minds for obedience. And surely it was necessary that, first of all, the right of the legislator should be established, lest what He chose to command should be despised, or contemptuously received. In these words, then, God seeks to procure reverence to Himself, before He prescribes the rule of a holy and righteous life. Moreover, He not merely declares Himself to be Jehovah, the only God to whom men are bound by the right of creation, who has given them their existence, and who preserves their life, nay, who is Himself the life of all; but He adds, that He is the peculiar God of the Israelites; for it was expedient, not only that the people should be alarmed by the majesty of God, but also that they should be gently attracted, so that the law might be more precious than gold and silver, and at the same time “sweeter than honey,” (Psalm 119:72, 103;) for it would not be enough for men to be compelled by servile fear to bear its yoke, unless they were also attracted by its sweetness, and willingly endured it. He afterwards recounts that special blessing, wherewith He had honored the people, and by which He had testified that they were not elected by Him in vain; for their redemption was the sure pledge of their adoption. But, in order to bind them the better to Himself, He reminds them also of their former condition; for Egypt was like a house of bondage, from whence the Israelites were delivered. Wherefore, they were no more their own masters, since God had purchased them unto Himself. This does not indeed literally apply to us; but He has bound us to Himself with a holier tie, by the hand of His only-be-gotten Son; whom Paul teaches to have died, and risen again, “that He might be Lord both of the dead and the living.” (Romans 14:9.) So that He is not now the God of one people only, but of all nations, whom He has called into His Church by general adoption.

Deuteronomy 5

THE REPETITION

Deuteronomy 5:1-6, 4:20

1. And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep and do them.

1. Vocavitque Moses universum Israelem, et dixit eis, Audi Israel statuta et judicia, quae ego hodie loquor in auribus vestris, ut discatis ea et custodiatis ad praestandum.

2. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.

2. Jehova Deus noster percussit nobiscum foedus in Horeb.

3. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.

3. Non cum patribus nostris percussit Deus foedus hoc, sed nobiscum, qui ipsi hodie omnes vivimus.

4. The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount, out of the midst of the fire,

4. Facie ad faciem loquutus est Jehova nobiscum in monte:

5. (I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to show you the word of the Lord; for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount,) saying,

5. (Ego stabam inter Jehovam et inter vos tempore illo ad annuntiandum vobis sermonem Jehovae: quia timuistis a facie ignis, et non ascendistis in montem:) dicendo,

6. I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

6. Ego Jehova Deus tuus qui eduxi te e terra Aegypti, e domo servorum.

20. But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as. ye are this day.

20. Vos autem tulit Jehova, et eduxit vos e fornace ferrea ex AEgypto, ut sitis ei in populum haereditatis, sicut die hac.

Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. In this commandment God enjoins that He alone should be worshipped, and requires a worship free from all superstition. For although it seems to be a simple prohibition, yet must we deduce an affirmation from the negative, as will be more apparent from the following words. Therefore does He set Himself before them, in order that the Israelites may look to Him alone; and claims His own just right, in order that it may not be transferred elsewhere. All do not agree in the exposition of the words, for some construe the word פנים, פנים, signifying properly the face or countenance, is sometimes used by metonymy for those passions which shew themselves in the countenance. — W. panim, “anger,” as if it were said, “Thou shalt not make to thyself other gods to provoke my anger;” and I admit that the Hebrew word is often used in this sense. The other interpretation, however, seems to me the more correct, “Make not to thyself gods before my face.” Yet still there remains a difference of opinion, for people are not agreed as to the particle על, gnel. Some explain it, “Make not to thyself gods above me, or whom thou mayest prefer to me;” and they quote the passage in Deuteronomy 21:15-17, wherein God forbids a man, if he have two wives, and children by both, to transfer the rights of primogeniture to the second before the face of the first-born. But though we admit that a comparison is there made between the elder and the younger, still it would be too frigid an interpretation here to say that God demands nothing more than that other gods should not obtain the higher place; whereas He neither suffers them to be likened to Him, nor even to be joined with Him as companions; Addition in Fr., “encore qu’on les estime inferieurs;” even though they be counted his inferiors. for religion is defiled and corrupted as soon as God’s glory is diminished in the very least degree. And we know that when the Israelites worshipped their Baalim, they did not so substitute them in the place of God as to put Him altogether aside, and assign to them the supreme power; nevertheless, this was an intolerable profanation of God’s worship, and moreover an impious transgression of this precept, to choose for themselves patrons in whom some part of the Deity should be lodged; because if God have not alone the pre-eminence, His majesty is so far obscured. I consider,therefore, the genuine sense to be, that the Israelites should not make to themselves any gods, whom they might oppose to the true and only God. For in Hebrew the expression, before the face, generally means over against; therefore God would not have companions obtruded upon Him, and placed as it were in His sight. Meanwhile, it seems probable to me that He alludes to that manifestation of Himself which ought to have retained His people in sincere piety; for true and pure religion was so revealed in the Law, that God’s face in a manner shone forth therein. The case was different with the Gentiles, who, although they might rashly make to themselves false gods, still would not do so before the face of God, which was unknown to them. Let us then understand, after all, that those alone are accounted the legitimate worshippers of God who bid adieu to all figments, and cleave to Him alone. Nor can it be doubted that these words comprehend the inward worship of God, since this commandment differs from the next, whereby external idolatry will be seen to be condemned. It is sufficiently notorious, that men may make to themselves gods in other ways besides in statues, and pictures, and in visible forms. If any should adore the angels instead of God, or should foolishly imagine any other secret divinity, none will deny that he would offend against this Law. God, therefore, calls for the affections of the heart, that He alone may be spiritually worshipped; and the expression “before my face,” may be not inaptly referred to this; because, although their impiety, who secretly turn aside to false worship, and cherish their errors within their own bosoms, may be able to evade the eyes of men, yet their hypocrisy and treachery will not escape the notice of God. Hence, again, it follows, that the one God is not rightly worshipped, unless He be separated from all figments. Wherefore it is not enough to make use of His name, unless all corruptions opposed to His word be laid aside; and thence we arrive at the distinction between true religion and false superstitions; for since God has prescribed to us how He would be worshipped by us, whenever we turn away in the very smallest degree from this rule, we make to ourselves other gods, and degrade Him from His right place.

PASSAGES WHICH HAVE REFERENCE TO THE EXPOSITION OF THIS COMMANDMENT

Deuteronomy 6:4, 13, 16

4. Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.

4. Audi, Israel, Jehova Deus noster Deus unus est.

13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him.

13. Jehovam Deum tuum timebis, et ipsum solum coles.

16. Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

16. Non tentabitis Jehovam Deum vestrum, sicut tentastis in Masa.

Deuteronomy 10:20

20. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave.

20. Jehovam Deum tuum timebis, eum coles, eique adhaerebis.

4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. In the First Commandment, after He had taught who was the true God, He commanded that He alone should e worshipped; and now He defines what is His Legitimate Worship. Now, since these are two distinct things, we conclude that the commandments are also distinct, in which different things are treated of. The former indeed precedes in order, viz., that believers are to be contented with one God; but it would not be sufficient for us to be instructed to worship him alone, unless we also knew the manner in which He would be worshipped. The sum is, that the worship of God must be spiritual, in order that it may correspond with His nature. For although Moses only speaks of idolatry, yet there is no doubt but that by synecdoche, as in all the rest of the Law, he condemns all fictitious services which men in their ingenuity have invented. For hence have arisen the carnal mixtures whereby God’s worship has been profaned, that they estimate Him according to their own reason, and thus in a manner metamorphose Him. It is necessary, then, to remember what God is, lest we should form any gross or earthly ideas respecting Him. The words simply express that it is wrong “C’est une folie et perversite.” — Fr. for men to seek the presence of God in any visible image, because He cannot be represented to our eyes. The command that they should not make any likeness, either of any thing which is in heaven, or in the earth, or in the waters under the earth, is derived from the evil custom which had everywhere prevailed; for, since superstition is never uniform, but is drawn aside in various directions, some thought that God was represented under the form of fishes, others under that of birds, others in that of brutes; and history especially recounts by what shameless delusions Egypt was led astray. And hence too the vanity of men is declared, since, whithersoever they turn their eyes, they everywhere lay hold of the materials of error, notwithstanding that God’s glory shines on every side, and whatever is seen above or below, invites us to the true God.

Since, therefore, men are thus deluded, so as to frame for themselves the materials of error from all things they behold, Moses now elevates them above the whole fabric and elements of the world; for by the things that are “in heaven above,” he designates not only the birds, but the sun, and the moon, and all the stars also; as will soon be seen. He declares, then, that a true image of God is not to be found in all the world; and hence that His glory is defiled, and His truth corrupted by the lie, whenever He is set before our eyes in a visible form. Now we must remark, that there are two parts in the Commandment — the first forbids the erection of a graven image, or any likeness; the second prohibits the transferring of the worship which God claims for Himself alone, to any of these phantoms or delusive shows. Therefore, to devise any image of God, is in itself impious; because by this corruption His Majesty is adulterated, and He is figured to be other than He is. There is no need of refuting the foolish fancy of some, that all sculptures and pictures are here condemned by Moses, for he had no other object than to rescue God’s glory from all the imaginations which tend to corrupt it. And assuredly it is a most gross indecency to make God like a stock or a stone. Some expound the words, “Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven image, which thou mayest adore;” “All such images, or likenesses, are forbidden by this commandment, as are made to be adored and served; according to that which immediately follows, thou shalt not adore them nor serve them. That is, all such as are designed for idols or image-gods, or are worshipped with divine honor. But otherwise, images, pictures or representations, even in the house of God, and in the very sanctuary, so far from being forbidden, are expressly authorized by the Word of God. See Exodus 25:15, etc.; 38:7; Numbers 21:8-9; 1 Chronicles 28:18-19; 2 Chronicles 3:10.” — Note to Douay Version. Dublin, 1825; by authority. as if it were allowable to make a visible image of God, provided it be not adored; but the expositions which will follow will easily refute their error. Meanwhile, I do not deny that these things are to be taken connectedly, since superstitious worship is hardly ever separated from the preceding error; for as soon as any one has permitted himself to devise an image of God, he immediately falls into false worship. And surely whosoever reverently and soberly feels and thinks about God Himself, is far from this absurdity; nor does any desire or presumption to metamorphose God ever creep in, except when coarse and carnal imaginations occupy our minds. Hence it comes to pass, that those, who frame for themselves gods of corruptible materials, superstitiously adore the work of their own hands. I will then readily allow these two things, which are inseparable, to be joined together; only let us recollect that God is insulted, not only when His worship is transferred to idols, but when we try to represent Him by any outward similitude.

THE REPETITION FROM DEUTERONOMY 5

Deuteronomy 5

Deuteronomy 5:8-10

8. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

8. Non facies tibi sculptile, vel ullam imaginem eorum quae sunt in coelo sursum, nec eorum quae sunt in terra deorsum, nec eorum quae sunt in aquis sub terra.

9. Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

9. Non adorabis ea, neque coles: ego enim Jehova Deus tuus, Deus zelotes, visitans iniquitatem patrum super filios, in tertiam et quartam generationem in his qui me oderunt.

10. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

10. Faciens autem misericordiam in millia diligentibus me, et custodientibus praecepta mea.

Exodus 20:7. Thou shalt not take the name. There is a manifest synecdoche in this Commandment; for in order that God may procure for His name its due reverence, He forbids its being taken in vain, especially in oaths. Whence we infer on the other hand an affirmative commandment, that every oath should be a testimony of true piety, whereby the majesty of God Himself should obtain its proper glory. Moreover, it is clear that not only when we swear by God, His name is to be reverently honored, but whenever mention of it is made. Thus in these words He maintains His holiness not only in His word, but also in His works, against all profane contempt of it. We shall soon see that to swear by God’s name is a species or part of religious worship, and this is manifest too from the words of Isaiah 45:23; for when he predicts that all nations shall devote themselves to pure religion, he thus speaks, “As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall swear by me.” The quotation more nearly accords with the Apostle’s citation in Romans 14:11, than with the original passage in Isaiah. See Owen’s note in C.’s Romans, (C. Society’s Edition, p. 503.) Now, if the bowing of the knees be a token of adoration, this swearing which is connected with it is equivalent to an acknowledgment that He is God. Since, then, reason dictates that the species is put for the genus, we must see what is to be understood by God’s name, and by the adverb לשוא, leshav. It is silly and childish to restrict this to the name Jehovah, “Au mot Hebrieu, qui nous translatons l’Eternel;” to the Hebrew word, which we translate the Eternal. — Fr. as if God’s majesty were confined to letters or syllables; but, whereas His essence is invisible, His name is set before us as an image, in so far as God manifests Himself to us, and is distinctly made known to us by His own marks, just as men are each by his own name. On this ground Christ teaches that God’s name is comprehended in the heavens, the earth, the temple, the altar, (Matthew 5:34,) because His glory is conspicuous in them. Consequently, God’s name is profaned whenever any detraction is made from His supreme wisdom, infinite power, justice, truth, clemency, and rectitude. If a shorter definition be preferred, let us say that His name is what Paul calls τὸ γνωστόν, “that which may be known” of Him. (Romans 1:19.)

God’s name, then, is taken in vain, not only when any one abuses it by perjury, but when it is lightly and disrespectfully adduced in proof of frivolous and trifling matters: I speak with respect to oaths. In this, however, man’s ingratitude is very gross, that when God grants them His name, as if at their entreaty, to put an end to their strifes and to be a pledge of their truth, still it flies promiscuously from their mouths not without manifest disrespect. God will again condemn perjury in the Fifth Commandment of the Second Table, viz., in so far as it offends against and violates charity by injuring our neighbors. The aim and object of this Commandment is different, i.e., that the honor due to God may be unsullied; that we should only speak of Him religiously; that becoming veneration of Him should be maintained among us. The word לשוא, leshau, might indeed be translated “for falsehood,” and in this sense we shall see it used elsewhere; but since it often is equivalent to חנם, chinam, which means gratuitously, or in vain, this exposition seems to be most appropriate. In this, too, fuller and richer instruction is contained, viz., that men should not drag in His name in light matters, as in sport or derision of Him, which cannot be done without insulting and profaning it. And thus the holiness of God’s name, which preserves us in His fear and in true piety, is contrasted with the particle לשוא, leshau. But since nothing is more difficult than to restrain men’s licentiousness in this respect, and to excuse or at least diminish the sin, the slipperiness of the tongue is pleaded, its punishment is here denounced: that if God’s name is rashly exposed to reproach or contempt, He will avenge it. The more hardened, therefore, in their licentiousness they may be, the less will be their impunity; so far is depraved habit from diminishing the guilt.

The Exposition of the Third Commandment

Leviticus 19

Leviticus 19:12

12. And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

12. Non jurabitis per nomen meum mendaciter, nec profanabis nomen Dei tui: ego Jehova.

Deuteronomy 6

Deuteronomy 6:13

13. ... shalt swear by his name.

13. Per nomen ejus jurabis.

Deuteronomy 10

Deuteronomy 10:20

20. ... swear by his name.

20. In nomine ejus jurabis.

Exodus 20:8. Remember the Sabbath-day. The object of this Commandment is that believers should exercise themselves in the worship of God; for we know how prone men are to fall into indifference, unless they have some props to lean on or some stimulants to arouse them in maintaining their care and zeal for religion. Under the Second Commandment we have already indeed made some remarks on the outward profession of piety, and under the First also brief mention has been made of some festivals, inasmuch as in the passover and the offering of the first-fruits the people devoted themselves to God, as if by a solemn repetition of the covenant. Many also of the ceremonies which we have explained had an affinity to the Sabbath. Yet it is not without good cause that God has appointed a special place to the Sabbath as well as to the other festivals; and although there is a connection between the observance of the Sabbath and the tabernacle with its sacrifices, and the priesthood itself, still it was advisedly done that the festivals should be separately appointed, that by their aid the people might be the more encouraged to maintain the unity of the faith and to preserve the harmony of the Church. Meanwhile, the mutual connection between the sanctuary and the Sabbath is evident from what has been already said. God indeed would have it to be a notable symbol of distinction between the Jews and heathen nations. Whence, too, the devil, in order to asperse pure and holy religion with infamy, has often traduced the Jewish Sabbath through froward tongues. But the better to shew what there is peculiar in this Commandment, and what is its difference from the First, we must remember the spiritual substance of the type; for not only did God prescribe certain days for the holding of assemblies, in which the people might give attention to sacrifices, prayers, and the celebration of His praise; but He placed before their eyes as the perfection of sanctity that they should all cease from their works. Surely God has no delight in idleness and sloth, and therefore there was no importance in the simple cessation of the labors of their hands and feet; nay, it would have been a childish superstition to rest with no other view than to occupy their repose in the service of God. “Sans autre regard que servir a Dieu en se reposant.” — Fr. Wherefore, lest we should make any mistake in the meaning of this Commandment, it is well to remember its analogy and conformity with the thing it signifies; i.e., that the Jews might know that their lives could not be approved by God unless, by ceasing from their own works, they should divest themselves of their reason, counsels, and all the feelings and affections of the flesh. For they were not forbidden without exception from the performance of every work, since they were required both to circumcise their children, and to bring the victims into the court, and to offer them in sacrifice on that day; but they were only called away from their own works, that, as if dead to themselves and to the world, they might wholly devote themselves to God. Wherefore, since God declares elsewhere by Moses, and again by Ezekiel, that the Sabbath is a sign between Him and the Jews that He sanctifies them, (Ezekiel 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12,) we must see what is the sum of this sanctification, viz., the death of the flesh, when men deny themselves and renounce their earthly nature, so that they may be ruled and guided by the Spirit of God.

Although this is sufficiently plain, still it will be worth while to confirm it by further statements. And first of all, that this was a ceremonial precept, Paul clearly teaches, calling it a shadow of these things, the body of which is only Christ. (Colossians 2:17.) But if the outward rest was nothing but a ceremony, the substance of which must be sought in Christ, it now remains to be considered how Christ actually exhibited what was then prefigured; and this the same Apostle declares, when he states that “our old man is crucified with Christ,” and that we are buried with Him, that His resurrection may be to us newness of life. (Romans 6:4.) It is to be gathered without doubt from many passages, that the keeping of the Sabbath was a serious matter, since God inculcates no other commandment more frequently, nor more strictly requires obedience to any; and again, when He complains that He is despised, and that the Jews have fallen into extreme ungodliness, He simply says that His “Sabbaths are polluted,” as if religion principally consisted in their observance. (Jeremiah 17:24; Ezekiel 20:21; 22:8; 23:38.) Moreover, if there had not been some peculiar excellency in the Sabbath, “S’il n’y eust eu quelque mystere excellent, et singulier;” if there had not been some excellent and peculiar mystery, etc. — Fr. it might have appeared to be an act of atrocious injustice to command a man to be put to death for cutting wood upon it. (Numbers 15:32.) Wherefore it must be concluded that the substance of the Sabbath, which Paul declares to be in Christ, must have been no ordinary good thing. Nor does its excellency require much eulogium, since spiritual rest is nothing else than the truly desirable and blessed death of man, which contains in it the life of God, even as Paul glories that he is as it were dead, because Christ liveth in him. (Galatians 2:20.) The Apostle in the epistle to the Hebrews argues more subtilely, that true rest is brought to us by the Gospel, and that it is rejected by unbelievers, (Hebrews 4:3;) for although he mixes up some allegorical matter with it, he still retains the genuine reason of the Commandment, viz., that we should rest from our works “even as God from His.” (Hebrews 4:10.) On this ground Isaiah, when he reproves the hypocrites for insisting only on the external ceremony of rest, accuses them of “finding their own pleasure” on the Sabbath, (Isaiah 58:13;) as much as to say, that the legitimate use of the Sabbath must be supposed to be self-renunciation, since he is in fact accounted to cease from his works who is not led by his own will nor indulges his own wishes, but who suffers himself to be directed by the Spirit of God. And this emptying out of self must proceed so far that the Sabbath is violated even by good works, so long as we regard them as our own; for rightly does Augustin remark in the last chapter of the 22d book, De Civitate Dei, The heading of this 30th chapter is, — “Of the Eternal Felicity of the City of God, and the Perpetual Sabbath." — “For even our good works themselves, since they are understood to be rather His than ours, are thus imputed to us for the attaining of that Sabbath, when we are still and see that He is God; Psalm 46:10, “Vacate, et videte quoniam ego sum Deus.” — V. “Be still, and know that I am God.” — A. V. for, if we attribute them to ourselves, they will be servile, whereas we are told as to the Sabbath, Thou shalt not do any servile work in it."

Next it is asked, why God rather assigned every seventh day to the Sabbath rather than the sixth or tenth. Because the number seven often represents perfection in Scripture, some have thought that believers were thus reminded that they must strive after perfect holiness with all their might, and not devote themselves to God by halves only. Others elicit a different meaning from it, although not a contrary one, that believers were taught that although they might be sanctified and laboring in all sincerity to cease from their own life, still some remainders of the flesh would continue in them, and therefore that through the whole course of their life they must aspire to that holiness which no mortal attains. I do not, however, doubt but that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, that He might give a manifestation of the perfect excellency of His works, and thus, proposing Himself as the model for our imitation, He signifies that He calls His own people to the true goal of felicity. Although a promise is included in this Commandment, yet will we observe upon it separately, and as if by the way. He promises indeed that as He blessed the seventh day and set it apart, so He will bless believers to sanctify them. But the main point is the command, and the recital of the blessing is equivalent to an exhortation to obedience, since otherwise it would be inappropriately placed here amongst the Commandments of the Law. When I said that the ordinance of rest was a type of a spiritual and far higher mystery, and hence that this Commandment must be accounted ceremonial, I must not be supposed to mean that it had no other different objects also. And certainly God took the seventh day for His own and hallowed it, when the creation of the world was finished, that He might keep His servants altogether free from every care, for the consideration of the beauty, excellence, and fitness of His works. There is indeed no moment which should be allowed to pass in which we are not attentive to the consideration of the wisdom, power, goodness, and justice of God in His admirable creation and government of the world; but, since our minds are fickle, and apt therefore to be forgetful or distracted, God, in His indulgence providing against our infirmities, separates one day from the rest, and commands that it should be free from all earthly business and cares, so that nothing may stand in the way of that holy occupation. On this ground He did not merely wish that people should rest at home, but that they should meet in the sanctuary, there to engage themselves in prayer and sacrifices, and to make progress in religious knowledge through the interpretation of the Law. In this respect we have an equal necessity for the Sabbath with the ancient people, so that on one day we may be free, and thus the better prepared to learn and to testify our faith. A third object of the Sabbath is also stated by Moses, but an accidental one as it were, viz., that it may be a day of relaxation for servants. Since this pertains to the rule of charity, it has not properly any place in the First Table, and is therefore added by Moses as an extrinsic advantage, as will be seen a little further on.

8. Remember the Sabbath-day. The word keep is used in Deuteronomy with the same meaning. Hence we infer that it is no trifling matter here in question, since God enforces the sanctity of the Sabbath by these two words, and exhorts the Jews to its scrupulous observance, thus condemning carelessness about it as a transgression. Moreover, when He says, “Six days shalt thou labor,” He indirectly reproves their ingratitude, if it should be irksome and disagreeable to them, to devote one day out of the seven to God, when He in His generosity gives up six to themselves. For he does not, as some have foolishly thought, make a demand here for six days’ labor; but by His very kindness entices them to obedience, since He only claims a seventh part (of their time) for Himself — as if He had said, Since you cannot be instant in seeking me with all your affection and attention, at any rate give up to me some little undistracted time. Therefore, He says, “all thy work,” whereby He signifies that they have plenty of time, exclusive of the Sabbath, for all their business.

10. Thou shalt not do any work. That is, whatever could have been finished yesterday, or postponed till to-morrow. (For instance, Added from Fr. ) it was not lawful for judges to give a hearing to two litigants; but if any one had violently assaulted his neighbor, it was allowable to prevent the injury, and to give relief to the unoffending person; because the necessity of the case admitted of no delay. It was not lawful to cook food for your guests; but if an ox or an ass had fallen into a pit it was to be taken out, because aid would have been too late on the morrow. For this reason Christ. declares that “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath,” (Mark 2:27,) since God does not require more than was useful or necessary for keeping the people in the exercise of piety. Thus it would have been wicked to send out an ox to pasture; but if an ox that tossed had got out, it was right to bring it back to its stall, lest it should kill or injure those whom it met.

Thy man-servant and thy maid-servant. Although it is added in Deuteronomy that God had respect to equity, when He commands a relaxation from labor to be given to the men and maid-servants, and the Israelites are called upon to remember that they were once servants, that they may be more disposed to act humanely, still we must bear in mind what I have stated, that the direct object here was the honoring of the One God. We know that the whole race of Abraham were consecrated to God, and that their servants were a kind of adjunct to them, so that they were circumcised in common with themselves. And assuredly it is very absurd that a man should encourage a profane contempt of God in the family over which he presides, and in which he would be recognised as master. The case of “strangers” was different, who were obliged to rest on the Sabbath, although they remained uncircumcised; for he does not only refer to the foreigners, who had subscribed to the Law, but also to the uncircumcised. If any should object that they were improperly made partakers of the sacred sign whereby God had bound His elect people to Himself, the reply is easy, that this was not done for their sakes, but lest anything opposed to the Sabbath should happen beneath the eyes of the Israelites; as we may understand more clearly from the case of the oxen and asses. Surely God would never have required spiritual service of brute animals; yet He ordained their repose as a lesson, so that wherever the Israelites turned their eyes, they might be incited to the observation of the Sabbath. Nor can we wonder at this, when in the general mournings which were appointed for the deprecation of God’s wrath, a fast was imposed upon the brutes, that wretched men being admonished by the sight, might feel the burden of their guilt the more, and by their voluntary serf-accusation might prevent the judgment of God, and might be seriously dissatisfied with themselves on account of those sins, whose punishment they saw to be imposed to a certain degree upon innocent animals. Besides, if the very least liberty had been conceded to them, they would have done many things to evade the Law in their days of rest, by employing strangers and the cattle in their work.

11. For in six days the Lord made. From this passage it may be probably conjectured that the hallowing of the Sabbath was prior to the Law; and undoubtedly what Moses has before narrated, that they were forbidden to gather the manna on the seventh day, seems to have had its origin from a well-known and received custom; whilst it is not credible that the Observance of the Sabbath was omitted, when God revealed the rite of sacrifice to the holy (Fathers. Added from Fr. ) But what in the depravity of human nature was altogether extinct among heathen nations, and almost obsolete with the race of Abraham, God renewed in His Law: that the Sabbath should be honored by holy and inviolable observance; and this the impure dogs “Les payens, comme chiens mastins;” the heathen, like dogs. — Fr. accounted to be amongst the disgraces of the Jewish nation.

Passages having reference to the Exposition of the Fourth Commandment

Leviticus 19

Leviticus 19:30

30. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

30. Sabbatha mea observabitis, et sanctuarium meum metuetis. Ego Jehova.

Leviticus 26

Leviticus 26:2

2. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

2. Sabbatha mea custodite, et sanctuarium meum timete. Ego Jehova.

Leviticus 23

Leviticus 23:3

3. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

3. Sex diebus facietis opus, septimo die cessatio est quietis, celebritas sancta: nullum opus facietis in eo: Sabbathum eat Jehovae in cunctis habitationibus vestris.

Exodus 34

Exodus 34:21

21. Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in eating time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

21. Sex diebus operaberis, septimo die quiesces in aratione et messe.

Exodus 35

Exodus 35:1-3

1. And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.

1. Congregavit Moses universum coetum filiorum Israel, et dixit illis, Haec sunt verba quae princepit Jehova ut faciatis.

2. Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

2. Sex diebus facies opus, die septimo erit vobis sanctitas, Sabbathum cessationis Jehovae: quisquis fecerit opus in eo, morietur.

3. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

3. Ne accendatis ignem in omnibus habitaculis vestris die Sabbathi.

Leviticus 19

Leviticus 19:3

3. ... keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

3. Sabbatha mea servate: ego Jehova Deus vester.

I am not ignorant that the Tables of the Law are usually divided in a different manner; See Becon’s Catechism, part 3, (Parker Society’s edition,) p. 60, et seq. See also Bullinger’s Decades, (Parker Society,) vol. 1, p. 212; and Hooper’s Early Writings, (Parker Society,) pages 349-351; and Calvin’s Institutes, lib. 2. cap. 8, Section 12. It appears that this error may be traced to Augustine, (Quaest. in Exodus 71, and Ep. ad. Jan. 119,) who, without omitting the Second Commandment, divided the precepts of the First Table into three, on the supposition that their number was allusive to the Trinity. He, however, contradicts himself elsewhere, (Quaest. Vet. et Novi Test., lib. 1:7;) but Peter Lomb. adopts his erroneous division, and separates the Tenth Commandment into two parts. (Lib. 3, Distinct. 37 and 40.) for those, who make only one of the first two Commandments, are obliged finally to mangle the last. Thus the prohibition of God to covet either our neighbor’s wife or his house, is foolishly separated into two parts, whereas it is quite clear that only one thing is treated of, as we gather from the words of Paul, who quotes them as a single Commandment. (Romans 7:7.) There is, however, no need of a lengthened discussion here, since the fact itself explains how one error has grown out of another; for, when they had improperly hidden the Second Commandment under the First, and consequently did not find the right number, they were forced to divide into two parts what was one and indivisible. A frivolous reason is assigned by Augustine why they comprised the First Table in three commandments, viz., that believers might learn to worship God in the Trinity, and thus to adore one God in three persons. By inconsiderately trifling with such subtleties, they have exposed God’s law to the mockeries of the ungodly. Josephus See Jewish Antiq., book 3. chap. 5. Section 5. In sect. 8 it is added: “When he had said this he showed them two tables, with the ten commandments engraven upon them, five upon each table; and the writing was by the hand of God.” indeed rightly enumerates the Commandments themselves in their proper order, but improperly attributes five Commandments to each Table; as if God had had regard to arithmetic rather than to instruct His people separately in the duties of charity, after having laid down for them the rules of piety. For up to this point the rule of rightly serving God has been delivered, i.e., the First Table embraces a summary of piety; and now the Law will begin to show how men ought to live with each other, otherwise one Table would have been enough, nor would God have divided his Law without a purpose. But whereas piety “La piete que nous devons a Dieu, et l’equite que nous devons a nos prochains;” the piety which we owe to God, and the equity which we owe to our neighbors. — Fr. and justice comprise the perfect rule for the direction of our lives, it was necessary to distinguish these two parts, that the people might understand the object of the Law, of which we shall again speak hereafter.

Exodus 20:12. Honor thy father Although charity (as being “the bond of perfectness,” Colossians 3:14) contains the sum of the Second Table, still, mutual obligation does not prevent either parents or others, who are in authority, from retaining their proper position. Nay, human society cannot be maintained in its integrity, unless children modestly submit themselves to their parents, and unless those, who are set over others by God’s ordinance, are even reverently honored. But inasmuch as the reverence which children pay to their parents is accounted a sort of piety, some have therefore foolishly placed this precept in the First Table. Nor are they supported in this by Paul, though he does not enumerate this Commandment, where he collects the sum of the Second Table, (Romans 13:9;) for he does this designedly, because he is there expressly teaching that obedience is to be paid to the authority of kings and magistrates. Christ, however, puts an end to the whole controversy, where, among the precepts of the Second Table, He enumerates this, that children should honor their parents. (Matthew 19:19.)

The name of the mothers is expressly introduced, lest their sex should render them contemptible to their male children.

It will be now well to ascertain what is the force of the word “honor,” not as to its grammatical meaning, (for כבד, cabad, is nothing else but to pay due honor to God, and to men who are in authority,) but as to its essential signification. Surely, since God would not have His servants comply with external ceremonies only, it cannot be doubted but that all the duties of piety towards parents are here comprised, to which children are laid under obligation by natural reason itself; and these may be reduced to three heads, i e., that they should regard them with reverence; that they should obediently comply with their commands, and allow themselves to be governed by them; and that they should endeavor to repay what they owe to them, and thus heartily devote to them themselves and their services. Since, therefore, the name of Father is a sacred one, and is transferred to men by the peculiar goodness of God, the dishonoring of parents redounds to the dishonor of God Himself, nor can any one despise his father without being guilty of an offense against God, (sacrilegium.) If any should object that there are many ungodly and wicked fathers whom their children cannot regard with honor without destroying the distinction between good and evil, the reply is easy, that the perpetual law of nature is not subverted by the sins of men; and therefore, however unworthy of honor a father may be, that he still retains, inasmuch as he is a father, his right over his children, provided it does not in anywise derogate from the judgment of God; for it is too absurd to think of absolving under any pretext the sins which are condemned by His Law; nay, it would be a base profanation to misuse the name of father for the covering of sins. In condemning, therefore, the vices of a father, a truly pious son will subscribe to God’s Law; and still, whatsoever he may be, will acknowledge that he is to be honored, as being the father given him by God.

Obedience comes next, which is also circumscribed by certain limits. Paul is a faithful interpreter of this Commandment, where he bids “children obey their parents.” (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20.) Honor, therefore, comprises subjection; so that he who shakes off the yoke of his father, and does not allow himself to be governed by his authority, is justly said to despise his father; and it will more clearly appear from other passages, that those who are not obedient to their parents are deemed to despise them. Still, the power of a father is so limited as that God, on whom all relationships depend, should have the rule over fathers as well as children; for parents govern their children only under the supreme authority of God. Paul, therefore, does not simply exhort children to obey their parents, but adds the restriction, “in the Lord;” whereby he indicates that, if a father enjoins anything unrighteous, obedience is freely to be denied him. Immoderate strictness, moroseness, and even cruelty must be born, so long as a mortal man, by wickedly demanding what is not lawful, does not endeavor to rob God of His right. In a word, the Law so subjects children to their parents, as that God’s right may remain uninfringed. An objection here arises in the shape of this question: It may sometimes happen that a son may hold the office of a magistrate, but that the father may be a private person, and that thus the son cannot discharge his private duty without violating public order. The point is easily solved: that all things may be so tempered by their mutual moderation as that, whilst the father submits himself to the government of his son, There is a delightful illustration of this point, which will occur to many, related in More’s Life of Sir Thomas More, ch. 6. Section 5, — “Now it was a comfortable thing for ante man to behold how two great rooms of Westminster-hall were taken up, one with the son, the other with the father, which hath as yet never been heard of before or since, the son to be Lord Chancellor, and the father, Sir John More, to be one of the ancientest Judges of the King’s Bench, if not the eldest of all; for now he was near 90 year old. Yea, what a grateful spectacle was it, to see the son ask the father’s blessing every day upon his knees, before he sat in his own seat, a thing expressing rare humility, exemplar obedience, and submissive piety.” yet he may not be at all defrauded of his honor, and that the son, although his superior in power, may still modestly reverence his father.

The third head of honor is, that children should take care of their parents, and be ready and diligent in all their duties towards them. This kind of piety the Greeks call ἀντιπελαργία, “Let us consider what is meant by the Gentiles’ ἀντιπελαργεῖν, which is to requite one good turn with another; and especially to nourish and cherish them, by whom thou thyself in thy youth was brought up and tendered. There is among the Gentiles a law extant, worthy to be called the mistress of piety, whereby it is enacted that the children should either nourish their parents or else lie fast lettered in prison. This law many men do carelessly neglect, which the stork alone, among all living creatures, doth keep most precisely. For other creatures do hard, and scarcely know or look upon their parents, if peradventure they need their aid to nourish them; whereas the stork doth mutually nourish them, being stricken in age, and bear them on her shoulders, when for feebleness they cannot fly.” — Bullinger’s Second Decade, Serm. 5, Parker Society’s edit., vol. 1, p. 272. See also Hooper’s Early Writings, Parker Society’s edit., p. 359. “Follow the nature of the cicone, that in her youth nourisheth the old days of her parents.” — Plin., lib. 10 cap. 23, Nat. Hist.

The Fr. concludes the sentence thus: “et ainsi nous sont comme maistresses pour nous apprendre a recognoistre le bien que nous avons receu de ceux qui nous ont mis au monde et elevez;” and so are, as it were, our mistresses to teach us to repay the benefits of those who have brought us into the world and reared us. because storks supply food to their parents when they are feeble and worn out with old age, and are thus our instructors in gratitude. Hence the barbarity of those is all the more base and detestable, who either grudge or neglect to relieve the poverty of their parents, and to aid their necessities.

Now, although the parental name ought, by its own sweetness, sufficiently to attract children to ready submission, still a promise is added as a stimulus, in order that they may more cheerfully bestir themselves to pay the honor which is enjoined upon them. Paul, therefore, that children may be more willing to obey their parents, reminds us that this “is the first commandment with promise,” (Ephesians 6:2;) for although a promise is annexed to the Second Commandment, yet it is not a special one, as we perceive this to be. The reward, that the days of children who have behaved themselves piously to their parents shall be prolonged, aptly corresponds with the observance of the commandment, since in this manner God gives us a proof of His favor in this life, when we have been grateful to those to whom we are indebted for it; whilst it is by no means just that they should greatly prolong their life who despise those progenitors by whom they have been brought into it. Here the question arises, since this earthly life is exposed to so many cares, and pains, and troubles, how can God account its prolongation to be a blessing? But whereas all cares spring from the curse of God, it is manifest that they are accidental; and thus, if life be regarded in itself, it does not cease to be a proof of God’s favor. Besides, all this multitude of miseries does not destroy the chief blessing of life, viz., that men are created and preserved unto the hope of a happy immortality; for God now manifests Himself to them as a Father, that hereafter they may enjoy His eternal inheritance. The knowledge of this, like a lighted lamp, causes God’s grace to shine forth in the midst of darkness. Whence it follows, that those had not tasted the main thing in life, This famous sentiment of antiquity is found in the Elegies of Theognis, some 500 years B.C., —

Pa>ntwn me<n mh< fu~nai ejpicqoni>oisin a]riston, Mhd j ejsidei~n aujgav ojxe>ov hjeli>v. Fu>nta d j o[pwv w]kiva pu>lav aji`>daw perh~sai Kai< kei+sqai pollh<n gh~n ejpamhsa>menon. — 425-428.

It is also reported by Plutarch, in his Παραμυθητικὸς προς Απολλώνιον, by whom, as well as by Cicero, it is called the reply of Silenus to Midas, — “Affertur etiam de Sileno fabella quaedam: qui cum a Mida captus esset, hoc ei muneris pro sua missione dedisse scribitur: docuisse regem, non nasci homini longe optimum esse; proximum autem, quamprimum mori.” — Tusc Quaest. 1:48. “Ex quo intelligi licet, non nasci longe optimum esse, nec in hos scopulos incidere vitae; proximum autem, si natus sis, quamprimum mori, et tanquam ex incendio effugere fortunae. Sileni quae fertur fabula, etc.” — Consolatio. Lactantius refers to the latter passage, De falsa sapientia, Section 19. “Hinc nata est inepta illa sententia, etc.” who have said that the best thing was not to be born, and the next best thing to be cut off as soon as possible; whereas God rather so exercises men by various afflictions, as that it should be good for them nevertheless to be created in His image, and to be accounted His children. A clearer explanation also is added in Deuteronomy, not only that they should live, but that it may go well with them; so that not only is length of life promised them, but other accessories also. And in fact, many who have been ungrateful and unkind to their parents only prolong their life as a punishment, whilst the reward of their inhuman conduct is repaid them by their children and descendants. But inasmuch as long life is not vouchsafed to all who have discharged the duties of piety towards their parents, it must be remembered that, with respect to temporal rewards, an infallible law is by no means laid down; and still, where God works variously and unequally, His promises are not made void, because a better compensation is secured in heaven for believers, who have been deprived on earth of transitory blessings. Truly experience in all ages has shown that God has not in vain promised long life to all who have faithfully discharged the duties of true piety towards their parents. Still, from the principle already stated, it is to be understood that this Commandment extends further than the words imply; and this we infer from the following sound argument, viz., that otherwise God’s Law would be imperfect, and would not instruct us in the perfect rule of a just and holy life.

The natural sense itself dictates to us that we should obey rulers. If servants obey not their masters, the society of the human race is subverted altogether. It is not, therefore, the least essential part of righteousness “Pars justiciae non postrema.” — Lat. “Une partie de la justice, qui nous devons tous garder;” a part of righteousness which we ought all to observe. — Fr. that the people should willingly submit themselves to the command of magistrates, and that servants should obey their masters; and, consequently, it would be very absurd if it were omitted in the Law of God. In this commandment, then, as in the others, God by synecdoche embraces, under a specific rule, a general principle, viz., that lawful commands should obtain due reverence from us. But that all things should not be distinctly expressed, first of all brevity itself readily accounts for; and, besides, another reason is to be noticed, i.e. that God designedly used a homely style in addressing a rude people, because He saw its expediency. If He had said generally, that all superiors were to be obeyed, since, pride is natural to all, it would not have been easy to incline the greater part of men to pay submission to a few. Nay, since subjection is naturally disagreeable, many would have kicked against it. God, therefore, propounds a specific kind of subjection, which it would have been gross barbarism to refuse, that thus, their ferocity being gradually subdued, He might accustom men to bear the yoke. Hence the exhortations are derived, that people should “honor the king;” that “every soul should be subject unto the higher powers;” that “servants should obey their masters, even the froward and morose.” (Proverbs 24:21; 1 Peter 2:13; Romans 13:1; Ephesians 6:5; 1 Peter 2:14, 18.)

The Exposition of the Commandment

Leviticus 19

Leviticus 19:3

3. Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father.

3. Unusquisque patrem suum et matrem suam timeat.

The sum of this Commandment is, that we should not unjustly do violence to any one. In order, however, that God may the better restrain us from all injury of others, He propounds one particular form of it, from which men’s natural sense is abhorrent; for we all detest murder, so as to recoil from those whose hands are polluted with blood, as if they carried contagion with them. Undoubtedly God would have the remains of His image, which still shine forth in men, to continue in some estimation, so that all might feel that every homicide is an offense against Him, (sacrilegium.) He does not, indeed, here express the reason, whereby He elsewhere deters men from murder, i e., by asserting that thus His image is violated, (Genesis 9:6;) yet, however precisely and authoritatively He may speak as a Legislator, He would still have us consider, what might naturally occur to everybody’s mind, such as the statement of Isaiah 58:7, that man is our “own flesh.” In order, then, that believers may more diligently beware of inflicting injuries, He condemns a crime, which all spontaneously confess to be insufferable. It will, however, more clearly appear hereafter, that under the word kill is included by synecdoche all violence, smiting, and aggression. Besides, another principle is also to be remembered, that in negative precepts, as they are called, the opposite affirmation is also to be understood; else it would not be by any means consistent, that a person would satisfy God’s Law by merely abstaining from doing injury to others. Suppose, for example, that one of a cowardly disposition, and not daring to assail even a child, should not move a finger to injure his neighbors, would he therefore have discharged the duties of humanity as regards the Sixth Commandment? Nay, natural common sense demands more than that we should abstain from wrongdoing. And, not to say more on this point, it will plainly appear from the summary of the Second Table, that God not only forbids us to be murderers, but also prescribes that every one should study faithfully to defend the life of his neighbor, and practically to declare that it is dear to him; for in that summary no mere negative phrase is used, but the words expressly set forth that our neighbors are to be loved. It is unquestionable, then, that of those whom God there commands to be loved, He here commends the lives to our care. There are, consequently, two parts in the Commandment, — first, that we should not vex, or oppress, or be at enmity with any; and, secondly, that we should not only live at peace with men, without exciting quarrels, but also should aid, as far as we can, the miserable who are unjustly oppressed, and should endeavor to resist the wicked, lest they should injure men as they list. Christ, therefore, in expounding the genuine sense of the Law, not only pronounces those transgressors who have committed murder, but also that

“he shall be in danger of the judgment who is angry with his brother without a cause; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire.” (Matthew 5:22.)

For He does not there, as some have ignorantly supposed, frame t~ new law, as if to east blame upon His Father; but shows the folly and perversity of those interpreters of the Law who only insist on the external appearance, and husk of things, as is vulgarly said; since the doctrine of God must rather be estimated from a due consideration of. His nature. Before earthly judges, if a man have carried a weapon for the purpose of killing a man, he is found guilty of violence; and God, who is a spiritual Lawgiver, goes even further. With Him, therefore, anger is accounted murder; yea, inasmuch as He pierces even to the most secret feelings, He holds even concealed hatred to be murder; for so we must understand John’s words, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer,” (1 John 3:15;) i.e., hatred conceived in the heart is sufficient for his condemnation, although it may not openly appear.

The Exposition of the Commandment

Leviticus 19

Leviticus 19:17

17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart.

17. Ne oderis fratrem tuum in corde tuo.

Although one kind of impurity is alone referred to, it is sufficiently plain, from the principle laid down, that believers are generally exhorted to chastity; for, if the Law be a perfect rule of holy living, it would be more than absurd to give a license for fornication, adultery alone being excepted. Furthermore, it is incontrovertible that God will by no means approve or excuse before this tribunal, what the common sense of mankind declares to be obscene; for, although lewdness has everywhere been rampant in every age, still the opinion could never be utterly extinguished, that fornication is a scandal and a sin. Unquestionably what Paul teaches has been prevalently received from the beginning, that a good life consists of three parts, soberness, righteousness, and godliness, (Titus 2:12;) and the soberness which he commands differs not from chastity. Besides, when Christ or the Apostles are treating of a perfect life, they always refer believers to the Law; for, as it had been said of old by Moses, “This is the way, walk ye in it;” The quotation is not from the writings of Moses, but an accommodation from Isaiah 30:21. Christ confirms this,

“If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments,” (Matthew 19:17;)

and Paul corroborates it, “He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law,” (Romans 13:8,) whilst they constantly pronounce a curse against all fornicators. It is not worth while to quote the particular passages in which they do so. Now, if Christ and the Apostles, who are the best interpreters of the Law, declare that God’s Law is violated no less by fornication than by theft, we assuredly infer, that in this Commandment the whole genus is comprehended under a single species. Wherefore, those have done nothing but betray their disgraceful ignorance, who have sought to be praised for their acuteness on the score of their ridiculous subtlety, when they admitted that fornication is indeed condemned with sufficient clearness and frequency in the New Testament, but not in the Law. For, if they had reasoned justly, inasmuch as God is declared to have blessed marriage, it must at once be concluded, on the contrary, that the connection of male and female, except in marriage, is accursed. This is the argument of the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, where he contrasts two opposite things;

“Marriage (he says) is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” (Hebrews 13:4.)

So also, when God forbids the priest to marry a harlot, (Leviticus 21:14,) the manifest impropriety of fornication is declared; and, if it was unlawful for the daughters of Israel to be harlots, (Deuteronomy 23:17,) the same reasoning applies necessarily to males. Nor has Hosea taken that reproof from anywhere else but the Law? “Whoredom and wine take away the heart.” (Hosea 4:11.) Thus, when the Prophets metaphorically condemn the corruptions of their nation, they do not always use the same; word as Moses here does, נפ, naaph, but compare them to fornications, whereas, if fornication were lawful in itself, this metaphor would be altogether inappropriate. Hosea was commanded to take a harlot for a wife, (Hosea 1:2;) no mention is made of adultery, and still the shame and baseness of the people is thus condemned. Who, then, would say that fornication is free from sin, since God brands it with no ordinary mark of ignominy? But if any should pertinaciously contest this, let him accuse Paul of error, who bears witness that an example is set before us in the Law, that we should. not “commit fornication as some of them committed, and fell in one day three-and-twenty thousand.” (Numbers 25:9; 1 Corinthians 10:8.) Surely, if they had not transgressed the Law, so horrible a vengeance would not have overwhelmed them. If any should object that the crime of idolatry was mixed up with it., still the declaration of Paul remains untouched, that God was the avenger of fornication in this infliction of punishment, which would not accord, unless it were a transgression of the Law. And in truth, where, as recorded by Luke, (Acts 15:20,) the Apostles in their decree prohibit fornication amongst the Gentiles, the reason is at the same time added, that “Moses is read in the synagogues.” Now, if it were not a vice opposed to the Law, no offense would have hence arisen.

We have already explained why, under this word adultery, every impure lust was condemned. We know how unbridled was the licentiousness of the Gentiles; for, although God never suffered all shame to be extinguished together with their purity, still respect for what was right was in a manner stifled, so that they evaded the grossness of the sin by ribaldry and scurrilous jests. At any rate, the doctrine of Paul was by no means understood, that those who indulge in whoredom “sin against their own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18.)

Since, then, the minds of all men were stupified by indulgence, it was needful to arouse them by declaring the atrocity of the sin, that they might learn to beware of all pollution. Nor are unbridled lusts only here condemned, but God instructs His people to cherish modesty and chastity. The sum is, that those who desire to approve themselves to God, should be pure “from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,” (2 Corinthians 7:1;) nor can we doubt but that Paul in these words would interpret the law, as he elsewhere exhorts,

“that everyone should possess his vessel in sanctification and honor; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God.” (1 Thessalonians 4:4, 5.)

Leviticus 18

Leviticus 18:20

20. Moreover, thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor’s wife, to defile thyself with her.

20. Uxori proximi tui non dabis concubitum tuum in semine, ut polluaris cum ea.

Since charity is the end of the Law, we must seek the definition of theft from thence. This, then, is the rule of charity, that every one’s rights should be safely preserved, and that none should do to another what he would not have done to himself. It follows, therefore, that not only are those thieves who secretly steal the property of others, but those also who seek for gain from the loss of others, accumulate wealth by unlawful practices, and are more devoted to their private advantage than to equity. Thus, rapine is comprehended under the head of theft, since there is no difference between a man’s robbing his neighbor by fraud or force. But, in order that God may the better withhold His people from all fraudulent injustice, He uses the word theft, which all naturally abhor as disgraceful. For we know under how many coverings men bury their misdeeds; and not only so, but also how they convert them into praise by false pretexts. Craft and low cunning is called prudence; and he is spoken of as provident and circumspect who cleverly overreaches others, who takes in the simple, and insidiously oppresses the poor. Since, therefore, the world boasts of vices as if they were virtues, and thus all freely excuse themselves in sin, God wipes away all this gloss, when tie pronounces all unjust means of gain to be so many thefts. Nor let us be surprised that this decision should be given by the divine tribunal, when the philosophers deliver nearly the same doctrine.

We must bear in mind also, that an affirmative precept, as it is called, is connected with the prohibition; because, even if we abstain from all wrong-doing, we do not therefore satisfy God, who has laid mankind under mutual obligation to each other, that they may seek to benefit, care for, and succor their neighbors. Wherefore He undoubtedly inculcates liberality and kindness, and the other duties, whereby human society is maintained; and hence, in order that we may not be condemned as thieves by God, we must endeavor, as far as possible, that every one should safely keep what he possesses, and that our neighbor’s advantage should be promoted no less than our own.

The Exposition of the Commandment

Leviticus 19

Leviticus 19:11, 13

11. Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

11. Non furabimini et non negabiris, neque mentiemini quisque proximo suo.

13. Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him: the of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

13. Non opprimes proximum tuum, neque rapies: nec morabitur opus mercenarii apud to usque mane.

God here makes a provision for every man’s character and good name, lest any should be undeservedly weighed down by calumnies and false accusations. The same synecdoche exists here, which I have pointed out in the previous Commandments, for God comprises many things under a single head. With reference to the words, inasmuch as עד, gned, properly means a witness, it may be literally translated, “Thou shalt not answer a false witness against thy neighbor,” but then the particle as must be supplied. The Hebrews poorly translate it in the vocative case, Thou shalt not speak, O false witness, etc.

Addition in Fr., “Or revenons a la substance.” Although God seems only to prescribe that no one, for the purpose of injuring the innocent, should go into court, and publicly testify against him, yet it is plain that the faithful are prohibited from all false accusations, and not only such as are circulated in the streets, but those which are stirred in private houses and secret corners. For it would be absurd, when God has already shewn that men’s fortunes are cared for by Him, that He should neglect their reputation, which is much more precious. In whatever way, therefore, we injure our neighbors by unjustly defaming them, we are accounted false witnesses before God. We must now pass on from the prohibitive to the affirmative precept: for it will not be enough for us to restrain our tongues from speaking evil, unless we are also kind and equitable towards our neighbors, and candid interpreters of their acts and words, and do not suffer them, as far as in us lies, to be burdened with false reproaches. Besides, God does not only forbid us to invent accusations against the innocent, but also to give currency to reproaches and sinister reports in malevolence or hatred. Such a person may perhaps deserve his ill-name, and we may truly lay such or such an accusation to his charge; but if the reproach be the ebullition of our anger, or the accusation proceed from ill-will, it will be vain for us to allege in excuse that we have advanced nothing but, what is true. For when Solomon says that “love covereth many sins;” whereas “hatred brings reproaches to light,” “Hatred stirreth up strifes; but love covereth all sins.” — A.V. The latter clause, in C.’s quotation, is probably rather intended to be the necessary converse of the latter part of the proverb than a paraphrastic rendering of the first, which it does not appear that the words will bear. (Proverbs 10:12;) he signifies, as a faithful expositor of this precept, that we are only free from falsehood when the reputation of our neighbors suffers no damage from us; for, if the indulgence of evil-speaking violates charity, it is opposed to the Law of God. In short, we must conclude that by these words a restraint is laid on all virulence of language which tends to bring disgrace on our brethren; and on all petulance also, whereby their good name suffers injury; and on all detractions, which flow from malice, or envy, and rivalry, or any other improper feeling. We must also go further, and not be suspicious or too curious in observing the defects of others; for such eager inquisitiveness betrays malevolence, or at any rate an evil disposition. For, if love is not suspicious, he who condemns his neighbor either falsely, or upon trifling surmises, or who holds him in light esteem, is undoubtedly a transgressor of this Commandment. Consequently, we must close our ears against false and evil speaking; since he is just as injurious to his brother who eagerly listens to sinister reports respecting him, as he who exercises his tongue in maligning him. The necessity of this instruction let each man estimate by his own disposition; for scarcely one in a hundred will be found who will be as kind in sparing the character of others, as he himself desires to be pardoned for manifest vices; nay, slander is often praised under the pretext of zeal and conscientiousness. Hence it happens that this vice insinuates itself even among the saints, creeping in under the name of virtue. Moreover, the volubility of the tongue causes us to think it a light transgression to inflict a deadly and disgraceful wound on our brother, to whom, nevertheless, his good name is of more importance than his life. The sum is, that we should manifest our charity no less by candor, and by abstaining from slander, than by the performance of other duties.

The Exposition of the Commandment

Exodus 23

Exodus 23:1, 2, 7

1. Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

1. Non suscipies vocem mendacii, neque adjicias manum tuam impio ut sis testis mendax.

2. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment

2. Non eris post multos ad mala, neque respondebis in causa, ut declines post multos ad pervertendum.

7. Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

7. A sermone mendacii longe aberis: nec occides innocentem et justum: quia non justificabo impium.

Exodus 20:17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife. There is no question but that this Commandment extends also to those that have preceded it. God had already sufficiently forbidden us to set our hearts on the property of others, to attempt the seduction of their wives, or to seek for gain at another’s loss and inconvenience. Now whilst He enumerates oxen and asses, and all other things as well as their wives and servants, it is very clear that His precept is directed to the same things, but in a different way, viz., in order to restrain all ungodly desires either of fornication or theft. The question, however, occurs, — since it has been said before that, agreeably to the nature of the Lawgiver, the inward purity of the heart is everywhere required, and therefore, that under the head of adultery, not only are all filthy acts prohibited, but secret unchastity also; and under the head of theft, all unlawful appetite for gain, — why does God now forbid in His people the lust for theft and fornication? For it seems to be a superfluous repetition which would be very absurd in ten short precepts, wherein God has embraced the whole rule of life, so that their very brevity might render it, easy, and the better attract their readers to learn them. Still, on the other hand, it must be remembered that, although it was God’s design, by the whole Law, to arouse men’s feelings to sincere obedience of it, yet such is their hypocrisy and indifference, that it was necessary to stimulate them more sharply, and to press them more closely, lest they should seek for subterfuges under pretense of the obscurity of the doctrine. For if they had only heard, Thou shalt not kill, nor commit fornication, nor steal, they might have supposed that their duty would have been fully performed by mere outward observance. It was not then in vain that God, after having treated of piety and justice, should give a separate admonition, that they were not only to abstain from evil doing, but also, that what He had previously commanded should be performed with the sincere affection of the heart. Hence Paul gathers from this Commandment, that the whole “Law is spiritual,” (Romans 7:7 and 14,) because God, by His condemnation of lust, sufficiently shewed that He not only imposed obedience on our hands and feet, but also put restraint upon our minds, lest they should desire to do what is unlawful. Paul confesses, too, that whereas he before slept in easy self-deceit, he was awakened by this single word; for since he was blameless in the eyes of men, he was persuaded that he was righteous before God: He says that he was once alive, as if the Law were absent or dead, because, being puffed up with confidence in his righteousness, he expected salvation by his works; but, when he perceived what the Commandment, Thou shalt not covet, meant, the dead Law was raised as it were to life, and he died, i e., he was convinced he was a transgressor, and saw the sure curse overhanging him. Nor did he perceive himself to be guilty of one or two sins, but then, at length, he was shaken out of his torpor, when he recognized that all the evil desires, of which he was conscious, must be accounted for before God, whereas he had before been satisfied with the mere outward appearance of virtue. We now perceive, therefore, that there is nothing inappropriate in the general condemnation of concupiscence by a distinct commandment; for after God has broadly and popularly laid down rules for moral integrity, at length He ascends to the fountain itself, and at the same time points out with His finger, as it were, the root from which all evil and corrupt fruits spring forth. It must here be added that something more is expressed by the words coveting and wishing for, or desiring, than a desiderium formatum, as it is commonly called; for the flesh often tempts us to wish for this or that, so that the evil concupiscence betrays itself, although consent may not yet be added. Since, therefore, the sin “Mala voluntas.” — Lat. “Toutes mauvaises affections.” — Fr. of the will had been already condemned, God now proceeds further, and puts a restraint upon evil desires before they prevail. “Derant qu’ils ayent gagne pour venir en propos delibere;” before they have gone so far as to arrive at a deliberate purpose. — Fr. James points out these progressive steps, where he says that lust conceives before it begets sin; and then “sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death,” (James 1:15,) for the begetting of which he speaks, is not only in the external act but in the will itself, before it has assented to the temptation. I admit, indeed, that the corrupt thoughts which arise spontaneously, and so also vanish before they affect the mind, do not come into account before God; yet, although we do not actually acquiesce in the evil desire, still, if it affects us pleasantly, it is sufficient to render us guilty. In order that this may be understood better, all temptations are, as it were, so many fans; if they hurry us on into consent, the fire is lighted; but, if they only awaken the heart to corrupt desires, concupiscence betrays itself in these sparks, although it neither acquires its full warmth nor breaks forth into a flame. Concupiscence, therefore, is never without desire (affectu,) although the will may not altogether yield. Hence it appears what entire perfection of righteousness we must bring in order to satisfy the Law, since not only are we commanded not to will anything, except what is right and pleasing to God, but also that no impure desire should affect our hearts. Nor would Paul have laid such great stress upon this precept if the Law condemned no concupiscence except that which takes such hold on the mind of man as to exercise dominion over it; for the sin of the will must ever be condemned even by heathen philosophers, nay, and by earthly legislators also; but he says that the Law, by resisting concupiscence, makes sin to “become exceeding sinful.” (Romans 7:13.) Now, it is not credible that, at the time in which he confesses that he knew not what concupiscence was, he was so senseless and stupid as to think no harm of wishing to kill a man, or of being inclined through lust to commit adultery with his brother’s wife; but, if he was not unaware that the will to sin was vicious, it follows that the concupiscence in which he saw no harm was some more hidden disease. Hence, too, it is manifest under what delusion Satan must have held all the Popish schools See the first decree of the Fifth Session of the Council of Trent, together with C.’s remarks amongst his Tracts. — Calvin Society edition, vol. 3, pp. 78-88. through which echoes this axiom, that concupiscence is no sin in the baptized, because it is a stimulus to the exercise of virtue; as if Paul did not openly condemn concupiscence, which entraps us in its snares, although we do not altogether assent to it.

The Sum of the Law

Deuteronomy 10

Deuteronomy 10:12, 13

12. And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,

12. Nunc ergo Israel, quid Jehova Deus tuus petit a te, nisi ut timeas Jehovam Deum tuum, ut ambules in omnibus viis ejus, ut diligas eum, colasque Jehovam Deum tuum in toto corde tuo, et tota anima tua?

13. To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

13. Custodiendo praecepta Jehovae, et statuta ejus, quae ego praecipio tibi hodie, ut bene sit tibi.

Deuteronomy 6

Deuteronomy 6:5

5. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

5. Diliges Jehovam Deum tuum toto corde tuo, tota anima tua, et tota fortitudine tua.

24. An altar of earth thou shalt make. This precept differs from the other, which I have just explained; because although it refers to the choice of a place, “D’autant qu’il ne traitte pas expressement du lieu mais de la matiere, et forme de l’autel;” because it does not treat expressly of the place, but of the matter and form of the altar. — Fr. yet the mention of a place is omitted, and it only touches upon the material and form of the altar. God, therefore, commands that an altar should be built to Him, either of earth or of a heap of stones, which had not been artificially polished. But I understand this of the altars, which either in the desert or elsewhere should be built, before the choice of the perpetual place had been manifested to them. God would have them built of earth, that they might fall down of themselves, and that no trace of them might remain after the departure of the people; but if stones were used, He forbade their being fitted together in a permanent structure, but would have them thrown rough and unpolished into a heap, lest their appearance should entice posterity to superstition. I am surprised that commentators In the Gloss. Ord, there is an exposition from Gregory, that “to make an altar of earth is to found our hopes upon the Incarnation of Christ; for our offering is then accepted by God, when our humility bases our works upon faith in the incarnation of our Lord;” and from Isidore, that “hewn stones are those who break the unity of the Church, and sever themselves from the society of their brethren. These Christ does not receive into His body, which the construction of the altar represents," etc. should here put themselves to the pains of inventing allegories; since God had no other object than to remove stumbling-blocks, whereby the Israelites might be turned away from the sanctuary; for we know how antiquity, and the example of our forefathers, is apt to attract the minds of the vulgar. If anything in the shape of an altar had remained, immediately religious notions would have been associated with it, that, God could nowhere be more solemnly or better worshipped, than in the place already dedicated of old by their fathers. Thus degenerate modes of worship would have sprung up, and the dignity of the sanctuary would have been brought into contempt. Wherefore this evil is anticipated when He forbids altars to be built which might exist for any length of time; and only allows them to be adapted for present use, being made of earth, or of an unfashioned heap of stones. As to “the sacrifices of prosperities,". I have elsewhere stated why I so translate the word שלומים, shelumim, שלמיך A.V., peace-offerings. C. says rightly that the word שלומים comprehends every kind of prosperity and happy result; but the word in the text is the pl. of שלם. — W. See Note on Numbers 10:10, ante, p. 105. which signifies all prosperous and happy results; for the rendering of others, viz., peaceful things, (pacifica), is very unsuitable. The latter part of the verse, “in all places, where I record my name, I will come unto thee,” has been ignorantly perverted by commentators, and hence has afforded a ground of error; for they have read it in connection with the former part, as if God had forbidden such an altar to be made in Mount Sion also; whereas He rather anticipates a doubt, which might have otherwise perplexed the minds of the people; Will not God be favorable to us where He heard the prayers of our fathers? He replies, I say, to this by the promise, that they will pray to Him well and duly, if they only obey His command, and seek no other place except that which He shall choose. On this score it is said, that wheresoever it shall please God that sacrifices should be offered, there He will descend to you, to be favorable unto you.

Deuteronomy 27

Deuteronomy 27:5-7

5. And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.

5. AEdificabis in monte Ebal altare ex lapidibus Jehovae Deo tuo: non levabis super eos ferrum.

6. Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones; and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God:

6. E lapidibus integris aedificabis altare Jehovae Dei tui: et offeres super illud holocausta Jehovae Deo tuo:

7. And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the LORD thy God.

7. Et offeres sacrificia prosperiratum, comedesque illic, ac laetaberis coram Jehova Deo tuo.

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 seen; since the dignity and sanctity of sacred things would thus be impaired. By all means, therefore, He would induce the Israelites to conduct themselves most purely and most chastely in the exercises of religion.

Numbers 6

Numbers 6:22-27

22. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

22. Et loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:

23. Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

23. Alloquere Aharon et filios ejus, dicendo, Sic benedicetis filiis Israel, dicendo eis:

24. The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

24. Benedicat tibi Jehova, et custodiat te:

25. The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

25. Lucere faciat Jehova faciem suam super re, et misereatur tui:

26. The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

26. Attollat Jehova faciem suam ad te, et constituat tibi pacem.

27. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.

27. Et ponent nomen meum super filiosIsrael, et ego benedicam eis.

CHAPTER 20

Ex 20:1-26. The Ten Commandments.

1. And God spake all these words--The Divine Being Himself was the speaker (De 5:12, 32, 33), in tones so loud as to be heard--so distinct as to be intelligible by the whole multitude standing in the valleys below, amid the most appalling phenomena of agitated nature. Had He been simply addressing rational and intelligent creatures, He would have spoken with the still small voice of persuasion and love. But He was speaking to those who were at the same time fallen and sinful creatures, and a corresponding change was required in the manner of God's procedure, in order to give a suitable impression of the character and sanctions of the law revealed from heaven (Ro 11:5-9).

2. I am the Lord thy God--This is a preface to the ten commandments--the latter clause being specially applicable to the case of the Israelites, while the former brings it home to all mankind; showing that the reasonableness of the law is founded in their eternal relation as creatures to their Creator, and their mutual relations to each other.

3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me--in My presence, beside, or except Me.

4-5. Thou shalt not make ... any graven image ... thou shalt not bow down thyself to them--that is, "make in order to bow." Under the auspices of Moses himself, figures of cherubim, brazen serpents, oxen, and many other things in the earth beneath, were made and never condemned. The mere making was no sin--it was the making with the intent to give idolatrous worship.

8. Remember the sabbath day--implying it was already known, and recognized as a season of sacred rest. The first four commandments [Ex 20:3-11] comprise our duties to God--the other six [Ex 20:12-17] our duties to our fellow men; and as interpreted by Christ, they reach to the government of the heart as well as the lip (Mt 5:17). "If a man do them he shall live in them" [Le 18:5; Ne 9:29]. But, ah! what an if for frail and fallen man. Whoever rests his hope upon the law stands debtor to it all; and in this view every one would be without hope were not "the Lord our Righteousness" [Jr 23:6; 33:16] (Joh 1:17).

18-21. all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings--They were eye and ear witnesses of the awful emblems of the Deity's descent. But they perceived not the Deity Himself.

22-23. the Lord said unto Moses--It appears from De 4:14-16, that this injunction was a conclusion drawn from the scene on Sinai--that as no similitude of God was displayed then, they should not attempt to make any visible figure or form of Him.

24. An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me--a regulation applicable to special or temporary occasions.

25. thou shalt not build it of hewn stone, &c.--that is, carved with figures and ornaments that might lead to superstition.

26. by steps--a precaution taken for the sake of decency, in consequence of the loose, wide, flowing garments of the priests.

All these words - Houbigant supposes, and with great plausibility of reason, that the clause את כל הדברים האלה eth col haddebarim haelleh, "all these words," belong to the latter part of the concluding verse of Exodus 19, which he thinks should be read thus: And Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them All These Words; i.e., delivered the solemn charge relative to their not attempting to come up to that part of the mountain on which God manifested himself in his glorious majesty, lest he should break forth upon them and consume them. For how could Divine justice and purity suffer a people so defiled to stand in his immediate presence? When Moses, therefore, had gone down and spoken all these words, and he and Aaron had re-ascended the mount, then the Divine Being, as supreme legislator, is majestically introduced thus: And God spake, saying. This gives a dignity to the commencement of this chapter of which the clause above mentioned, if not referred to the speech of Moses, deprives it. The Anglo-Saxon favors this emendation: God spoke Thus, which is the whole of the first verse as it stands in that version.

Some learned men are of opinion that the Ten Commandments were delivered on May 30, being then the day of pentecost.

The laws delivered on Mount Sinai have been variously named. In Deu 4:13, they are called עשרת הדברים asereth haddebarim, The Ten Words. In the preceding chapter, Exo 19:5, God calls them את בריתי eth berithi, my Covenant, i.e., the agreement he entered into with the people of Israel to take them for his peculiar people, if they took him for their God and portion. If ye will obey my voice indeed, and Keep my Covenant, Then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me. And the word covenant here evidently refers to the laws given in this chapter, as is evident from Deu 4:13 : And he declared unto you his Covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even Ten Commandments. They have been also termed the moral law, because they contain and lay down rules for the regulation of the manners or conduct of men. Sometimes they have been termed the Law, התורה hattorah, by way of eminence, as containing the grand system of spiritual instruction, direction, guidance, etc. See on the word Law, Exo 12:49 (note). And frequently the Decalogue, Δεκαλογος, which is a literal translation into Greek of the עשרת הדברים asereth haddebarim, or Ten Words, of Moses.

Among divines they are generally divided into what they term the first and second tables. The First table containing the first, second, third, and fourth commandments, and comprehending the whole system of theology, the true notions we should form of the Divine nature, the reverence we owe and the religious service we should render to him. The Second, containing the six last commandments, and comprehending a complete system of ethics, or moral duties, which man owes to his fellows, and on the due performance of which the order, peace and happiness of society depend. By this division, the First table contains our duty to God; the Second our duty to our Neighbor. This division, which is natural enough, refers us to the grand principle, love to God and love to man, through which both tables are observed.

1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength.

2. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

On these two hang all the law and the prophets. See Clarke's note on Mat 22:37. See Clarke's note on Mat 22:38. See Clarke's note on Mat 22:39. See Clarke's note on Mat 22:40.

I am the Lord thy God - יהוה אלהיך Yehovah eloheycha. On the word Jehovah, which we here translate Lord, see Clarke's note on Gen 2:4, and see Clarke's note on Exo 6:3. And on the word Elohim, here translated God, see Clarke's note on Gen 1:1. It is worthy of remark that each individual is addressed here, and not the people collectively, though they are all necessarily included; that each might feel that he was bound for himself to hear and do all these words. Moses labored to impress this personal interest on the people's minds, when he said, Deu 5:3, Deu 5:4 : "The Lord made this covenant with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day." Brought thee out of the land of Egypt, etc. - And by this very thing have proved myself to be superior to all gods, unlimited in power, and most gracious as well as fearful in operation. This is the preface or introduction, but should not be separated from the commandment. Therefore, -

Thou shalt have no other gods before me - אלהים אחרים elohim acherim, no strange gods - none that thou art not acquainted with, none who has not given thee such proofs of his power and godhead as I have done in delivering thee from the Egyptians, dividing the Red Sea, bringing water out of the rock, quails into the desert, manna from heaven to feed thee, and the pillar of cloud to direct, enlighten, and shield thee. By these miracles God had rendered himself familiar to them, they were intimately acquainted with the operation of his hands; and therefore with great propriety he says, Thou shalt have no strange gods before me; על פני al panai, before or in the place of those manifestations which I have made of myself.

This commandment prohibits every species of mental idolatry, and all inordinate attachment to earthly and sensible things. As God is the fountain of happiness, and no intelligent creature can be happy but through him, whoever seeks happiness in the creature is necessarily an idolater; as he puts the creature in the place of the Creator, expecting that from the gratification of his passions, in the use or abuse of earthly things, which is to be found in God alone. The very first commandment of the whole series is divinely calculated to prevent man's misery and promote his happiness, by taking him off from all false dependence, and leading him to God himself, the fountain of all good.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image - As the word פסל pasal signifies to hew, carve, grave, etc., פסל pesel may here signify any kind of image, either of wood, stone, or metal, on which the axe, the chisel, or the graving tool has been employed. This commandment includes in its prohibitions every species of idolatry known to have been practiced among the Egyptians. The reader will see this the more plainly by consulting the notes on the ten plagues, particularly those on Exodus 12.

Or any likeness, etc. - To know the full spirit and extent of this commandment, this place must be collated with Deu 4:15, etc.: Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves - lest ye corrupt yourselves - and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of Male or Female. All who have even the slightest acquaintance with the ancient history of Egypt, know that Osiris and his wife Isis were supreme divinities among that people.

The likeness of any Beast - בהמה behemah, such as the ox and the heifer. Among the Egyptians the ox was not only sacred but adored, because they supposed that in one of these animals Osiris took up his residence: hence they always had a living ox, which they supposed to be the habitation of this deity; and they imagined that on the death of one he entered into the body of another, and so on successively. This famous ox-god they called Apis and Mnevis.

The likeness of any winged Fowl - The ibis, or stork, or crane, and hawk, may be here intended, for all these were objects of Egyptian idolatry.

The likeness of any thing that Creepeth - The crocodile, serpents, the scarabeus or beetle, were all objects of their adoration; and Mr. Bryant has rendered it very probable that even the frog itself was a sacred animal, as from its inflation it was emblematic of the prophetic influence, for they supposed that the god inflated or distended the body of the person by whom he gave oracular answers.

The likeness of any Fish - All fish were esteemed sacred animals among the Egyptians. One called Oxurunchus had, according to Strabo, lib. xvii., a temple, and divine honors paid to it. Another fish, called Phagrus, was worshipped at Syene, according to Clemens Alexandrinus in his Cohortatio. And the Lepidotus and eel were objects of their adoration, as we find from Herodotus, lib. ii., cap. 72. In short, oxen, heifers, sheep, goats, lions, dogs, monkeys, and cats; the ibis, the crane, and the hawk; the crocodile, serpents, frogs, flies, and the scarabeus or beetle; the Nile and its fish; the sun, moon, planets, and stars; fire, light, air, darkness, and night, were all objects of Egyptian idolatry, and all included in this very circumstantial prohibition as detailed in Deuteronomy, and very forcibly in the general terms of the text: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in the Heavens above, or that is in the Earth beneath, or that is in the Water under the earth. And the reason of this becomes self-evident, when the various objects of Egyptian idolatry are considered.

To countenance its image worship, the Roman Catholic Church has left the whole of this second commandment out of the decalogue, and thus lost one whole commandment out of the ten; but to keep up the number they have divided the tenth into two. This is totally contrary to the faith of God's elect and to the acknowledgment of that truth which is according to godliness. The verse is found in every MS. of the Hebrew Pentateuch that has ever yet been discovered. It is in all the ancient versions, Samaritan, Chaldee, Syriac, Septuagint, Vulgate, Coptic, and Arabic; also in the Persian, and in all modern versions. There is not one word of the whole verse wanting in the many hundreds of MSS. collected by Kennicott and De Rossi. This corruption of the word of God by the Roman Catholic Church stamps it, as a false and heretical Church, with the deepest brand of ever-during infamy! This commandment also prohibits every species of external idolatry, as the first does all idolatry that may be called internal or mental. All false worship may be considered of this kind, together with all image worship, and all other superstitious rites and ceremonies. See Clarke's note on Exo 20:23.

Jealous God - This shows in a most expressive manner the love of God to this people. He felt for them as the most affectionate husband could do for his spouse; and was jealous for their fidelity, because he willed their invariable happiness.

Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children - This necessarily implies - if the children walk in the steps of their fathers; for no man can be condemned by Divine justice for a crime of which he was never guilty; see Ezekiel 18. Idolatry is however particularly intended, and visiting sins of this kind refers principally to national judgments. By withdrawing the Divine protection the idolatrous Israelites were delivered up into the hands of their enemies, from whom the gods in whom they had trusted could not deliver them. This God did to the third and fourth generations, i.e., successively; as may be seen in every part of the Jewish history, and particularly in the book of Judges. And this, at last, became the grand and the only effectual and lasting means in his hand of their final deliverance from idolatry; for it is well known that after the Babylonish captivity the Israelites were so completely saved from idolatry, as never more to have disgraced themselves by it as they had formerly done. These national judgments, thus continued from generation to generation, appear to be what are designed by the words in the text, Visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children, etc.

And showing mercy unto thousands - Mark; even those who love God and keep his commandments merit nothing from him, and therefore the salvation and blessedness which these enjoy come from the mercy of God: Showing mercy, etc. What a disproportion between the works of justice and mercy! Justice works to the third or fourth, mercy to thousands of generations! The heathen had maxims like these. Theocritus also teaches that the children of the good shall be blessed because of their parents' piety, and that evil shall come upon the offspring of the wicked: - Ευσεβεων παιδεσσι τα λωΐα, δυσσεβεων δ' ου.

Idyll. 26, v. 32.

Upon the children of the righteous fall

The choicest blessings; on the wicked, wo.

That love me, and keep my commandments - It was this that caused Christ to comprise the fulfillment of the whole law in love to God and man; see Clarke's note on Exo 20:1. And as love is the grand principle of obedience, and the only incentive to it, so there can be no obedience without it. It would be more easy even in Egyptian bondage to make brick without straw, than to do the will of God unless his love be shed abroad in the heart of the Holy Spirit. Love, says the apostle, is the fulfilling of the law; Rom 13:10.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain - This precept not only forbids all false oaths, but all common swearing where the name of God is used, or where he is appealed to as a witness of the truth. It also necessarily forbids all light and irreverent mention of God, or any of his attributes; and this the original word לשוא lashshav particularly imports: and we may safely add to all these, that every prayer, ejaculation, etc., that is not accompanied with deep reverence and the genuine spirit of piety, is here condemned also. In how many thousands of instances is this commandment broken in the prayers, whether read or extempore, of inconsiderate, bold, and presumptuous worshippers! And how few are there who do not break it, both in their public and private devotions! How low is piety when we are obliged in order to escape damnation, to pray to God to "pardon the sins of our holy things!" Even heathens thought that the names of their gods should be treated with reverence. Παντως μεν δη καλον επι ηδευμα, θεων ονοματα μη χραινειν ῥᾳδιως, εχοντα ὡς εχουσιν ἡμων ἑκαστοτε τα πολλα οἱ πλειστοι καθαροτητος τε και ἁγνειας τα περι τους θεους. "It is most undoubtedly right not easily to pollute the names of the gods, using them as we do common names; but to watch with purity and holiness all things belonging to the gods."

The Lord will not hold him guiltless, etc. - Whatever the person himself may think or hope, however he may plead in his own behalf, and say he intends no evil, etc.; if he in any of the above ways, or in any other way, takes the name of God in vain, God will not hold him guiltless - he will account him guilty and punish him for it. Is it necessary to say to any truly spiritual mind, that all such interjections as O God! my God! good God! good Heavens! etc., etc., are formal positive breaches of this law? How many who pass for Christians are highly criminal here!

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy - See what has been already said on this precept, Gen 2:2, and elsewhere. See Clarke's note on Gen 2:2. As this was the most ancient institution, God calls them to remember it; as if he had said, Do not forget that when I had finished my creation I instituted the Sabbath, and remember why I did so, and for what purposes. The word שבת shabbath signifies rest or cessation from labor; and the sanctification of the seventh day is commanded, as having something representative in it; and so indeed it has, for it typifies the rest which remains for the people of God, and in this light it evidently appears to have been understood by the apostle, Hebrews 4. Because this commandment has not been particularly mentioned in the New Testament as a moral precept binding on all, therefore some have presumptuously inferred that there is no Sabbath under the Christian dispensation. The truth is, the Sabbath is considered as a type: all types are of full force till the thing signified by them takes place; but the thing signified by the Sabbath is that rest in glory which remains for the people of God, therefore the moral obligation of the Sabbath must continue till time be swallowed up in eternity.

Six days shalt thou labor - Therefore he who idles away time on any of the six days, is as guilty before God as he who works on the Sabbath. No work should be done on the Sabbath that can be done on the preceding days, or can be deferred to the succeeding ones. Works of absolute necessity and mercy are alone excepted. He who works by his servants or cattle is equally guilty as if he worked himself. Hiring out horses, etc., for pleasure or business, going on journeys, paying worldly visits, or taking jaunts on the Lord's day, are breaches of this law. The whole of it should be devoted to the rest of the body and the improvement of the mind. God says he has hallowed it - he has made it sacred and set it apart for the above purposes. It is therefore the most proper day for public religious worship.

Honor thy father and thy mother - There is a degree of affectionate respect which is owing to parents, that no person else can properly claim. For a considerable time parents stand as it were in the place of God to their children, and therefore rebellion against their lawful commands has been considered as rebellion against God. This precept therefore prohibits, not only all injurious acts, irreverent and unkind speeches to parents, but enjoins all necessary acts of kindness, filial respect, and obedience. We can scarcely suppose that a man honors his parents who, when they fall weak, blind, or sick, does not exert himself to the uttermost in their support. In such cases God as truly requires the children to provide for their parents, as he required the parents to feed, nourish, support, instruct, and defend the children when they were in the lowest state of helpless in fancy. See Clarke's note on Gen 48:12. The rabbins say, Honor the Lord with thy substance, Pro 3:9; and, Honor thy father and mother. The Lord is to be honored thus if thou have it; thy father and mother, whether thou have it or not; for if thou have nothing, thou art bound to beg for them. See Ainsworth.

That thy days may be long - This, as the apostle observes, Eph 6:2, is the first commandment to which God has annexed a promise; and therefore we may learn in some measure how important the duty is in the sight of God. In Deu 5:16 it is said, And that it may go well with thee; we may therefore conclude that it will go ill with the disobedient; and there is no doubt that the untimely deaths of many young persons are the judicial consequence of their disobedience to their parents. Most who come to an untimely end are obliged to confess that this, with the breach of the Sabbath, was the principal cause of their ruin. Reader, art thou guilty? Humble thyself therefore before God, and repent. 1. As children are bound to succor their parents, so parents are bound to educate and instruct their children in all useful and necessary knowledge, and not to bring them up either in ignorance or idleness. 2. They should teach their children the fear and knowledge of God, for how can they expect affection or dutiful respect from those who have not the fear of God before their eyes? Those who are best educated are generally the most dutiful. Heathens also inculcated respect to parents. Ουδεν προς θεων τιμιωτερον αγαλμα αν κτησαιμεθα πατρος και προπατορος παρειμενων γηρᾳ, και μητερων την αυτην δυναμιν εχουσων· οὑς ὁυταν αγαλλῃ τις, τιμαις γεγηθεν ὁ θεος. - Πας δη νουν εχων φοβειται και τιμᾳ, γονενων ευχας ειδως πολλοις και πολλακις επιτελεις γενομενας.

Plato de Leg., lib. xi., vol. ix, p. 160. Ed. Bipont. "We can obtain no more honorable possession from the gods than fathers and forefathers worn down with age, and mothers who have undergone the same change, whom when we delight, God is pleased with the honor; and every one that is governed by right understanding fears and reverences them, well knowing that the prayers of parents oftentimes, and in many particulars, have received full accomplishment."

Thou shalt not kill - This commandment, which is general, prohibits murder of every kind.

1. All actions by which the lives of our fellow creatures may be abridged.

2. All wars for extending empire, commerce, etc.

3. All sanguinary laws, by the operation of which the lives of men may be taken away for offenses of comparatively trifling demerit.

4. All bad dispositions which lead men to wish evil to, or meditate mischief against, one another; for, says the Scripture, He that hateth his brother in his heart is a murderer.

5. All want of charity to the helpless and distressed; for he who has it in his power to save the life of another by a timely application of succor, food, raiment, etc., and does not do it, and the life of the person either falls or is abridged on this account, is in the sight of God a murderer. He who neglects to save life is, according to an incontrovertible maxim in law, the same as he who takes it away.

6. All riot and excess, all drunkenness and gluttony, all inactivity and slothfulness, and all superstitious mortifications and self-denials, by which life may be destroyed or shortened; all these are point-blank sins against the sixth commandment.

Thou shalt not commit adultery - Adultery, as defined by our laws, is of two kinds; double, when between two married persons; single, when one of the parties is married, the other single. One principal part of the criminality of adultery consists in its injustice.

1. It robs a man of his right by taking from him the affection of his wife.

2. It does him a wrong by fathering on him and obliging him to maintain as his own a spurious offspring - a child which is not his. The act itself, and every thing leading to the act, is prohibited by this commandment; for our Lord says, Even he who looks on a woman to lust after her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And not only adultery (the unlawful commerce between two married persons) is forbidden here, but also fornication and all kinds of mental and sensual uncleanness. All impure books, songs, paintings, etc., which tend to inflame and debauch the mind, are against this law, as well as another species of impurity, for the account of which the reader is referred to; See Clarke's note on Gen 38:30.

That fornication was included under this command we may gather from St. Matthew, Mat 15:19, where our Savior expresses the sense of the different commandments by a word for each, and mentions them in the order in which they stand; but when he comes to the seventh he uses two words, μοιχειαι πορνειαι, to express its meaning, and then goes on to the eighth, etc.; thus evidently showing that fornication was understood to be comprehended under the command, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." As to the word adultery, adulterium, it has probably been derived from the words ad alterius torum, to another's bed; for it is going to the bed of another man that constitutes the act and the crime. Adultery often means idolatry in the worship of God.

Thou shalt not steal - All rapine and theft are forbidden by this precept; as well national and commercial wrongs as petty larceny, highway robberies, and private stealing: even the taking advantage of a seller's or buyer's ignorance, to give the one less and make the other pay more for a commodity than its worth, is a breach of this sacred law. All withholding of rights and doing of wrongs are against the spirit of it. But the word is principally applicable to clandestine stealing, though it may undoubtedly include all political injustice and private wrongs. And consequently all kidnapping, crimping, and slave-dealing are prohibited here, whether practiced by individuals or by the state. Crimes are not lessened in their demerit by the number, or political importance of those who commit them. A state that enacts bad laws is as criminal before God as the individual who breaks good ones.

It has been supposed that under the eighth commandment, injuries done to character, the depriving a man of his reputation or good name, are included, hence those words of one of our poets: -

Good name in man or woman

Is the immediate jewel of their souls.

Who steals my purse steals trash, -

But he that filches from me my good name,

Robs me of that which not enriches him,

And makes me poor indeed.

Thou shalt not bear false witness, etc. - Not only false oaths, to deprive a man of his life or of his right, are here prohibited, but all whispering, tale-bearing, slander, and calumny; in a word, whatever is deposed as a truth, which is false in fact, and tends to injure another in his goods, person, or character, is against the spirit and letter of this law. Suppressing the truth when known, by which a person may be defrauded of his property or his good name, or lie under injuries or disabilities which a discovery of the truth would have prevented, is also a crime against this law. He who bears a false testimony against or belies even the devil himself, comes under the curse of this law, because his testimony is false. By the term neighbor any human being is intended, whether he rank among our enemies or friends.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house - wife, etc. - Covet signifies to desire or long after, in order to enjoy as a property the person or thing coveted. He breaks this command who by any means endeavors to deprive a man of his house or farm by taking them over his head, as it is expressed in some countries; who lusts after his neighbor's wife, and endeavors to ingratiate himself into her affections, and to lessen her husband in her esteem; and who endeavors to possess himself of the servants, cattle, etc., of another in any clandestine or unjustifiable manner. "This is a most excellent moral precept, the observance of which will prevent all public crimes; for he who feels the force of the law that prohibits the inordinate desire of any thing that is the property of another, can never make a breach in the peace of society by an act of wrong to any of even its feeblest members."

And all the people saw the thunderings, etc. - They had witnessed all these awful things before, (see Exo 19:16), but here they seem to have been repeated; probably at the end of each command, there was a peal of thunder, a blast of the trumpet, and a gleam of lightning, to impress their hearts the more deeply with a due sense of the Divine Majesty, of the holiness of the law which was now delivered, and of the fearful consequences of disobedience. This had the desired effect; the people were impressed with a deep religious fear and a terror of God's judgments; acknowledged themselves perfectly satisfied with the discoveries God had made of himself; and requested that Moses might be constituted the mediator between God and them, as they were not able to bear these tremendous discoveries of the Divine Majesty. "Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die;" Exo 20:19. This teaches us the absolute necessity of that great Mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus, as no man can come unto the Father but by him.

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 you should forfeit that love which is to you better than life. He who fears in the first sense can neither love nor obey; he who fears not in the latter sense is sure to fall under the first temptation that may occur. Blessed is the man who thus feareth always.

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 represent a voice, in a long continued series of instruction, as proceeding from heaven itself, or the higher regions of the atmosphere. This, with the earthquake and repeated thunders, (see on Exo 20:18 (note)), would put the reality of this whole procedure beyond all doubt; and this enabled Moses, Deu 5:26, to make such an appeal to the people on a fact incontrovertible and of infinite importance, that God had indeed talked with them face to face.

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, אל פני al panai, Exo 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 those sacrifices by which they should commemorate their own guilt and the necessity of an atonement to reconcile themselves to God. See Clarke's note on Exo 20:4.

Thy burnt-offerings, and thy peace-offerings - The law concerning which was shortly to be given, though sacrifices of this kind were in use from the days of Abel.

In all places where I record my name - Wherever I am worshipped, whether in the open wilderness, at the tabernacle, in the temple, the synagogues, or elsewhere, I will come unto thee and bless thee. These words are precisely the same in signification with those of our Lord, Mat 18:20 : For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And as it was Jesus who was the angel that spoke to them in the wilderness, Act 7:38, from the same mouth this promise in the law and that in the Gospel proceeded.

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 attentively fixed on that God to whom the sacrifice was offered, and on the sacrifice itself, as that appointed by the Lord to make an atonement for their sins.

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 Gen 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 pride and vain glory, and partly that their gods might the better hear them. Hence also the high places or idolatrous altars so often and so severely condemned in the Holy Scriptures. The heathens made some of their altars excessively high; and some imagine that the pyramids were altars of this kind, and that the inspired writer refers to those in these prohibitions. God therefore ordered his altars to be made,

1. either of simple turf, that there might be no unnecessary expense, which, in their present circumstances, the people could not well afford; and that they might be no incentives to idolatry from their costly or curious structure; or

2. of unhewn stone, that no images of animals or of the celestial bodies might be sculptured on them, as was the case among the idolaters, and especially among the Egyptians, as several of their ancient altars which remain to the present day amply testify; which altars themselves, and the images carved on them, became in process of time incentives to idolatry, and even objects of worship.

In short, God formed every part of his worship so that every thing belonging to it might be as dissimilar as possible from that of the surrounding heathenish nations, and especially the Egyptians, from whose land they had just now departed. This seems to have been the whole design of those statutes on which many commentators have written so largely and learnedly, imagining difficulties where probably there are none. The altars of the tabernacle were of a different kind.

In this and the preceding chapter we have met with some of the most awful displays of the Divine Majesty; manifestations of justice and holiness which have no parallel, and can have none till that day arrive in which he shall appear in his glory, to judge the quick and the dead. The glory was truly terrible, and to the children of Israel insufferable; and yet how highly privileged to have God himself speaking to them from the midst of the fire, giving them statutes and judgments so righteous, so pure, so holy, and so truly excellent in their operation and their end, that they have been the admiration of all the wise and upright in all countries and ages of the world, where their voice has been heard! Mohammed defied all the poets and literati of Arabia to match the language of the Koran; and for purity, elegance, and dignity it bore away the palm, and remained unrivaled. This indeed was the only advantage which the work derived from its author; for its other excellences it was indebted to Moses and the prophets, to Christ and the apostles; as there is scarcely a pure, consistent, theological notion in it, that has not been borrowed from our sacred books. Moses calls the attention of the people, not to the language in which these Divine laws were given, though that is all that it should be, and every way worthy of its author; compressed yet perspicuous; simple yet dignified; in short, such as God should speak if he wished his creatures to comprehend; but he calls their attention to the purity, righteousness, and usefulness of the grand revelation which they had just received. For what nation, says he, is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as Jehovah our God is, in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day? And that which was the sum of all excellence in the present case was this, that the God who gave these laws dwelt among his people; to him they had continual access, and from him received that power without which obedience so extensive and so holy would have been impossible; and yet not one of these laws exacted more than eternal reason, the nature and fitness of things, the prosperity of the community, and the peace and happiness of the individual, required. The Law is holy, and the Commandment is Holy, Just, and Good.

To show still more clearly the excellence and great utility of the ten commandments, and to correct some mistaken notions concerning them, it may be necessary to make a few additional observations. And

1. It is worthy of remark that there is none of these commandments, nor any part of one, which can fairly be considered as merely ceremonial. All are moral, and consequently of everlasting obligation.

2. When considered merely as to the letter, there is certainly no difficulty in the moral obedience required to them. Let every reader take them up one by one, and ask his conscience before God, which of them he is under a fatal and uncontrollable necessity to break?

3. Though by the incarnation and death of Christ all the ceremonial law which referred to him and his sacrifice is necessarily abrogated, yet, as none of these ten commandments refer to any thing properly ceremonial, therefore they are not abrogated.

4. Though Christ came into the world to redeem them who believe from the curse of the law, he did not redeem them from the necessity of walking in that newness of life which these commandments so strongly inculcate.

5. Though Christ is said to have fulfilled the law for us, yet it is nowhere intimated in the Scripture that he has so fulfilled these Ten Laws, as to exempt us from the necessity and privilege of being no idolaters, swearers, Sabbath-breakers, disobedient and cruel children, murderers, adulterers, thieves, and corrupt witnesses. All these commandments, it is true, he punctually fulfilled himself; and all these he writes on the heart of every soul redeemed by his blood.

6. Do not those who scruple not to insinuate that the proper observation of these laws is impossible in this life, and that every man since the fall does daily break them in thought, word, and deed, bear false witness against God and his truth? and do they not greatly err, not knowing the Scripture, which teaches the necessity of such obedience, nor the power of God, by which the evil principle of the heart is destroyed, and the law of purity written on the soul? If even the regenerate man, as some have unwarily asserted, does daily break these commands, these ten words, in thought, word, and deed, he may be as bad as Satan for aught we know; for Satan himself cannot transgress in more forms than these, for sin can be committed in no other way, either by bodied or disembodied spirits, than by thought, or word, or deed. Such sayings as these tend to destroy the distinction between good and evil, and leave the infidel and the believer on a par as to their moral state. The people of God should be careful how they use them.

7. It must be granted, and indeed has sufficiently appeared from the preceding exposition of these commandments, that they are not only to be understood in the letter but also in the spirit, and that therefore they may be broken in the heart while outwardly kept inviolate; yet this does not prove that a soul influenced by the grace and spirit of Christ cannot most conscientiously observe them; for the grace of the Gospel not on)y saves a man from outward but also from inward sin; for, says the heavenly messenger, his name shall be called Jesus, (i.e., Savior), because he shall save, (i.e., Deliver) his people From their sins. Therefore the weakness or corruption of human nature forms no argument here, because the blood of Christ cleanses from all unrighteousness; and he saves to the uttermost all who come unto the Father through him. It is therefore readily granted that no man unassisted and uninfluenced by the grace of Christ can keep these commandments, either in the letter or in the spirit; but he who is truly converted to God, and has Christ dwelling in his heart by faith, can, in the letter and in the spirit, do all these things, Because Christ Strengthens him - Reader, the following is a good prayer, and oftentimes thou hast said it; now learn to pray it: "Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep these laws! Lord, have mercy upon us, and write all these thy laws in our hearts, we beseech thee!" - Com. Service.

God spake all these words - The law of the ten commandments is a law of God's making; a law of his own speaking. God has many ways of speaking to the children of men by his spirit, conscience, providences; his voice in all which we ought carefully to attend to: but he never spake at any time upon any occasion so as he spake the ten commandments, which therefore we ought to hear with the more earnest heed. This law God had given to man before, it was written in his heart by nature; but sin had so defaced that writing, that it was necessary to revive the knowledge of it.

I am the Lord thy God - Herein, God asserts his own authority to enact this law; and proposeth himself as the sole object of that religious worship which is enjoined in the four first commandments. They are here bound to obedience. Because God is the Lord, Jehovah, self - existent, independent, eternal, and the fountain of all being and power; therefore he has an incontestable right to command us. He was their God; a God in covenant with them; their God by their own consent. He had brought them out of the land of Egypt - Therefore they were bound in gratitude to obey him, because he had brought them out of a grievous slavery into a glorious liberty. By redeeming them, he acquired a farther right to rule them; they owed their service to him, to whom they owed their freedom. And thus, Christ, having rescued us out of the bondage of sin, is entitled to the best service we can do him. The four first commandments, concern our duty to God (commonly called the first - table.) It was fit those should be put first, because man had a Maker to love before he had a neighbour to love, and justice and charity are then only acceptable to God when they flow from the principles of piety.

The first commandment is concerning the object of our worship, Jehovah, and him only, Thou shalt have no other gods before me - The Egyptians, and other neighbouring nations, had many gods, creatures of their own fancy. This law was pre - fixed because of that transgression; and Jehovah being the God of Israel, they must entirely cleave to him, and no other, either of their own invention, or borrowed from their neighbours. The sin against this commandment, which we are most in danger of, is giving that glory to any creature which is due to God only. Pride makes a God of ourselves, covetousness makes a God of money, sensuality makes a God of the belly. Whatever is loved, feared, delighted in, or depended on, more than God, that we make a god of. This prohibition includes a precept which is the foundation of the whole law, that we take the Lord for our God, accept him for ours, adore him with humble reverence, and set our affections entirely upon him. There is a reason intimated in the last words before me. It intimates, That we cannot have any other god but he will know it. That it is a sin that dares him to his face, which he cannot, will not, overlook. The second commandment is concerning the ordinances of worship, or the way in which God will be worshipped, which it is fit himself should appoint. Here is, [1.] The prohibition; we are forbidden to worship even the true God by images, Ex 20:4,5. First, The Jews (at least after the captivity) thought themselves forbidden by this to make any image or picture whatsoever. It is certain it forbids making any image of God, for to whom can we liken him? Isa 40:18,25. It also forbids us to make images of God in our fancies, as if he were a man as we are. Our religious worship must be governed by the power of faith, not by the power of imagination. Secondly, They must not bow down to them - Shew any sign of honour to them, much less serve them by sacrifice, or any other act of religious worship. When they paid their devotion to the true God, they must not have any image before them for the directing, exciting, or assisting their devotion. Though the worship was designed to terminate in God, it would not please him if it came to him through an image. The best and most ancient lawgivers among the Heathen forbad the setting up of images in their temples. It was forbidden in Rome by Numa a Pagan prince, yet commanded in Rome by the Pope, a Christian bishop. The use of images in the church of Rome, at this day, is so plainly contrary to the letter of this command, that in all their catechisms, which they put into the hand of the people, they leave out this commandment, joining the reason of it to the first, and so the third commandment they call the second, the fourth the third, &c. only to make up the number ten, they divide the tenth into two. For I the Lord Jehovah, thy God, am a jealous God, especially in things of this nature. It intimates the care he has of his own institutions, his displeasure against idolaters, and that he resents every thing in his worship that looks like, or leads to, idolatry: visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation - Severely punishing. Nor is it an unrighteous thing with God if the parents died in their iniquity, and the children tread in their steps, when God comes, by his judgments, to reckon with them, to bring into the account the idolatries their fathers were guilty of. Keeping mercy for thousands of persons, thousands of generations, of them that love me and keep my commandments - This intimates, that the second commandment, though in the letter of it is only a prohibition of false worship, yet includes a precept of worshipping God in all those ordinances which he hath instituted. As the first commandment requires the inward worship of love, desire, joy, hope, so this the outward worship of prayer and praise, and solemn attendance on his word. This mercy shall extend to thousands, much further than the wrath threatened to those that hate him, for that reaches but to the third or fourth generation.

The third commandment is concerning the manner of our worship; Where we have, [1.] A strict prohibition. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain - Supposing that, having taken Jehovah for their God, they would make mention of his name, this command gives a caution not to mention it in vain, and it is still as needful as ever. We take God's name in vain, First, By hypocrisy, making profession of God's name, but not living up to that profession. Secondly, By covenant breaking. If we make promises to God, and perform not to the Lord our vows, we take his name in vain. Thirdly, By rash swearing, mentioning the name of God, or any of his attributes, in the form of an oath, without any just occasion for it, but to no purpose, or to no good purpose. Fourthly, By false - swearing, which some think is chiefly intended in the letter of the commandment. Fifthly, By using the name of God lightly and carelessly. The profanation of the form of devotion is forbidden, as well as the profanation of the forms of swearing; as also, the profanation of any of those things whereby God makes himself known. For the Lord will not hold him guiltless - Magistrates that punish other offences, may not think themselves concerned to take notice of this; but God, who is jealous for his honour, will not connive at it. The sinner may perhaps hold himself guiltless, and think there is no harm in it; to obviate which suggestion, the threatening is thus expressed, God will not hold him guiltless - But more is implied, that God will himself be the avenger of those that take his name in vain; and they will find it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The fourth commandment concerns the time of worship; God is to be served and honoured daily; but one day in seven is to be particularly dedicated to his honour, and spent in his service. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy; in it thou shalt do no manner of work - It is taken for granted that the sabbath was instituted before. We read of God's blessing and sanctifying a seventh day from the beginning, Gen 2:3, so that this was not the enacting of a new law, but the reviving of an old law. 1st. They are told what is the day, they must observe, a seventh after six days labour, whether this was the seventh by computation from the first seventh, or from the day of their coming out of Egypt, or both, is not certain. A late pious Writer seems to prove, That the sabbath was changed, when Israel came out of Egypt; which change continued till our Lord rose again: But that then the Original Sabbath was restored. And he makes it highly probable, at least, That the sabbath we observe, is the seventh day from the creation. 2dly, How it must be observed; As a day of rest; they were to do no manner of work on this day, in their worldly business. As a holy day, set apart to the honour of the holy God, and to be spent in holy exercises. God, by his blessing it, had made it holy; they, by solemn blessing him, must keep it holy, and not alienate it to any other purpose than that for which the difference between it and other days was instituted. 3dly, Who must observe it? Thou and thy son and thy daughter - The wife is not mentioned, because she is supposed to be one with the husband, and present with him, and if he sanctify the sabbath, it is taken for granted she will join with him; but the rest of the family is instanced in it, children and servants must keep it according to their age and capacity. In this, as in other instances of religion, it is expected that masters of families should take care, not only to serve the Lord themselves, but that their houses also should serve him. Even the proselyted strangers must observe a difference between this day and other days, which, if it laid some restraint upon them then, yet proved a happy indication of God's gracious design, to bring the Gentiles into the church. By the sanctification of the sabbath, the Jews declared that they worshipped the God that made the world, and so distinguished themselves from all other nations, who worshipped gods which they themselves made. God has given us an example of rest after six days work; he rested the seventh day - Took a complacency in himself, and rejoiced in the work of his hand, to teach us on that day, to take a complacency in him, and to give him the glory of his works. The sabbath begun in the finishing of the work of creation; so will the everlasting sabbath in the finishing of the work of providence and redemption; and we observe the weekly sabbath in expectation of that, as well as in remembrance of the former, in both conforming ourselves to him we worship. He hath himself blessed the sabbath day and sanctified it. He hath put an honour upon it; it is holy to the Lord, and honourable; and he hath put blessings into it which he hath encouraged us to expect from him in the religious observation of that day. Let us not profane, dishonour, and level that with common time, which God's blessing hath thus dignified and distinguished.

We have here the laws of the second table, as they are commonly called; the six last commandments which concern our duty to ourselves, and one another, and are a comment upon the second great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. As religion towards God is, an essential branch of universal righteousness, so righteousness towards men is an essential branch of true religion: godliness and honesty must go together. The fifth commandment is concerning the duties we owe to our relations; that of children to their parents is only instanced in, honour thy father and thy mother, which includes, an inward esteem of them, outwardly expressed upon all occasions in our carriage towards them; fear them, Lev 19:3, give them reverence, Heb 12:9. The contrary to this is mocking at them or despising them, Obedience to their lawful commands; so it is expounded, Eph 6:1 - 3. Children obey your parents; come when they call you, go where they send you, do what they bid you, do not what they forbid you; and this chearfully, and from a principle of love. Though you have said you will not, yet afterwards repent and obey. Submission to their rebukes, instructions and corrections, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. Disposing of themselves with the advice, direction and consent of parents, not alienating their property, but with their approbation. Endeavouring in every thing to be the comfort of their parents, and to make their old age easy to them; maintaining them if they stand in need of support. That thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee - This promise, (which is often literally fulfilled) is expounded in a more general sense Eph 6:3. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayst live long on the earth - Those that in conscience towards God keep this and other of God's commandments, may be sure it shall be well with them, and they shall live as long on the earth as infinite wisdom sees good for, them, and what they may seem to be cut short of on earth, shall be abundantly made up in eternal life, the heavenly Canaan which God will give them.

Thou shalt not kill - Thou shalt not do any thing hurtful to the health, or life of thy own body, or any other's. This doth not forbid our own necessary defence, or the magistrates putting offenders to death; but it forbids all malice and hatred to any, for he that hateth his brother is a murderer, and all revenge arising therefrom; likewise anger and hurt said or done, or aimed to be done in a passion; of this our Saviour expounds this commandment, Mt 5:22.

Thou shalt not commit adultery - This commandment forbids all acts of uncleanness, with all those desires, which produce those acts and war against the soul.

Thou shalt not steal - This command forbids us to rob ourselves of what we have, by sinful spending, or of the use and comfort of it by sinful sparing; and to rob others by invading our neighbour's rights, taking his goods, or house, or field, forcibly or clandestinely, over - reaching in bargains, not restoring what is borrowed or found, with - holding just debts, rents or wages; and, which is worst of all, to rob the public in the coin or revenue, or that which is dedicated to the service of religion.

Thou shalt not bear false witness - This forbids, Speaking falsely in any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive our neighbour. Speaking unjustly against our neighbour, to the prejudice of his reputation; And (which is the highest offence of both these kinds put together) Bearing false witness against him, laying to his charge things that he knows not, either upon oath, by which the third commandment, the sixth or eighth, as well as this, are broken, or in common converse, slandering, backbiting, tale - bearing, aggravating what is done amiss, and any way endeavouring to raise our own reputation upon the ruin of our neighbor's.

Thou shalt not covet - The foregoing commands implicitly forbid all desire of doing that which will be an injury to our neighbour, this forbids all inordinate desire of having that which will be a gratification to ourselves. O that such a man's house were mine! such a man's wife mine! such a man's estate mine! This is certainly the language of discontent at our own lot, and envy at our neighbour's, and these are the sins principally forbidden here. God give us all to see our face in the glass of this law, and to lay our hearts under the government of it!

They removed and stood afar off - Before God began to speak, they were thrusting forward to gaze, but now they were effectually cured of their presumption, and taught to keep their distance.

Speak thou with us - Hereby they obliged themselves to acquiesce in the mediation of Moses, they themselves nominating him as a fit person to deal between them and God, and promising to hearken to him as to God's messenger.

Fear not - That is, Think not that this thunder and fire is, designed to consume you. No; it was intended, To prove them, to try how they could like dealing with God immediately, without a mediator, and so to convince them how admirably well God had chosen for them in putting Moses into that office. Ever since Adam fled upon hearing God's voice in the garden, sinful man could not bear either to speak to God, or hear from him immediately. To keep them to their duty, and prevent their sinning against God. We must not fear with amazement; but we must always have in our minds a reverence of God's majesty, a dread of his displeasure, and an obedient regard to his sovereign authority.

While the people continued to stand afar off - Afraid of God's wrath, Moses drew near unto the thick darkness; he was made to draw near, so the word is: Moses of himself durst not have ventured into the thick darkness if God had not called him, and encouraged him, and, as some of the Rabbins suppose, sent an angel to take him by the hand, and lead him up.

Moses being gone into the thick darkness where God was, God there spoke in his hearing only, all that follows from hence to the end of chap. 23, which is mostly an exposition of the ten commandments; and he was to transmit it to the people. The laws in these verses relate to God's worship. Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven - Such was his wonderful condescension; ye shall not make gods of silver - This repetition of the second commandment comes in here, because they were more addicted to idolatry than to any other sin.

An altar of earth - It is meant of occasional altars, such as they reared in the wilderness before the tabernacle was erected, and afterwards upon special emergencies, for present use. They are appointed to make these very plain, either of earth or of unhewn stones. That they might not be tempted to think of a graven image, they must not so much as hew the stones into shape, that they made their altars of, but pile them up as they were in the rough. In all places where I record my name - Or where my name is recorded, that is, where I am worshipped in sincerity, I will come unto thee, and will bless thee.

Neither shall thou go at by steps unto mine altar - Indeed afterwards God appointed an altar ten cubits high. But it is probable, they went not up to that by steps, but by a sloping ascent.

1 AND God spake all these words saying,

Or, T[illegible: 1+ letters]en▪ to wit, when Moses was returned into the mount.

Immediately, and not by an Angel. For though an Ambassadour or Messenger may act in the name of his master, yet it is against the use of all ages and places for such to call themselves by his name. As well might an Ambassadour of France say, I am the King of France, which all men would account absurd, arrogant, and ridiculous, as an Angel might say, I am the Lord.

(i. e.) Commands, for so word is used Deut. 17. 19. Esth. 1. 12.

2. I am the LORD thy God , which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt , out of the house of bondage:

The onely true God, and thy God by special title, having entred into covenant with thee, and chosen the for my peculiar people to protect, and rule, and bless thee above all others. Gods authority and right over them is fitly put in the front as the foundation of all Gods commands and their duties.

And so by right of redemption thou art mine.

(i. e.) The place: for so the word house, is sometimes used as Iudg. 16. 21.

Marginal references: Deut. 5. 6. Psal. 81. 10. Hos. 13. 4.; chap. 13. 3.; Heb. servants.

3 Thou shalt have no other Gods before me .

Heb. There shall not be to thee another God or other Gods, to wit, Idols, which others have, esteem and worship as Gods, and therefore Scripture so calls them by way of supposition, Deut. 32. 21. 1 Sam. 12. 21. 1 Cor. 8. 4, 5. but thou shalt not have them in any sueh reputation or veneration, but shalt forsake and abhor them and cleave unto me alone.

(i. e.) In my presence, in my House or Church, which you are, where I am especially present, and therefore for you to worship any other God is most impudent Idolatry, even as when a Woman commits Adultery before her husbands face. He may also intimate, that all the Idolatry which any of them shall hereafter commit, though never so cunningly and secretly managed, is manifest to his eyes, Psal. 44. 20, 21. Others Translate it with me, or besides me, as it is rendred Matth. 12. 30. He forbids the worship of all others not onely in opposition to him, but also in conjunction with him, or subordination to him. See 2 King. 17. 33. Exod. 32. Act. 7. 41. Revel. 19. 10. and 22. 8, 9.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image , or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth .

Either in thy mind, or with thy hand, Act. 17. 29. or by thy command.

(i. e.) For thy use, or for thee to worship: for otherwise they were not absolutely forbidden to make any images, but onely to make them for worship, as may appear by comparing this place with Levit. 19▪ 4. Deut. 4. 15. and Amos 5. 26. with Acts 7. 43. and from Levit. 26. 1. where the setting up of a pillar or stone is as absolutely forbidden as the making of an Image. And therefore as the former is not forbidden to be done simply and universally, as appears from Ios. 24. 20. 1 Sam. 7. 12. but onely to be done in order to worship, so also is the latte[illegible: 1+ letters]. Moreover there were Cherubims and other images in the Temple, and afterwards the brasen Serpent, which, because they were not made to be worshipped, neither were indeed, nor were ever esteemed to be, any contradictions to this Law.

Or, molten, or any other, image, as is most evident from the nature and reason of the precept. Nor is any thing more common then such synecdochical expressions, wherein under one kind named all other things of the like nature are contained. But for more abundant cautio[illegible: 1+ letters] and to put all out of doubt, he adds a more general word, nor any likeness.

As of God, Deut. 4. 15. Esa. 44. 9, 20. Angels, Sun, Moon or Starrs, which the Heathens worshipped, Deut. 4. 19. and 17. 3.

As of Men and Beasts and creeping things, which the Egyptians and other Gentiles worshipped as Gods. See Deut. 4. 16, 17. Isa. 44. 13. Ezek. 23. 14.

As of Fishes, such as Dagon was, or Serpents, Crocodiles, and such other▪ Egyptian Deities.

This is emphatically added, to note the singular care of Divine Providence in bringing the waters under the earth which naturally are lighter and higher than it, and therefore might easily overwhelm it. Compare Psal. 104. 6.

Marginal references: Lev. 26. 1. Psal. 97. 7.

5 Thou shalt not bowe down thy self to them , nor serve them : for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children , unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me :

Not onely inward reverence is forbidden, but also all outward gestures that naturally or customarily express reverence, whether bowing down the body, as here, or bending the knee, as 1 King. 19. 18. or kissing the Idol, or ones hand towards it, as Iob 31. 27. Hos. 13. 2. one gesture being by a Synecdoche named for all.

Nor before them: for to bow to them and to bow before them are expressions in Scripture of the same extent and use, as appears by comparing this place with Levit. 26. 1. 2 Chron. 25. 14. and 2 Sam. 7. 22. with 1 Chron. 17. 25. and Matth. 4. 9. with Luke 4. 7.

Or, Worship him either inwardly in thy mind, or outwardly by any sensible, mean or sign of worship given to them, as incense or sacrifice, vowing to them or swearing by them, or the like.

(i. e.) Impatient of any partner in thy love and worship, and full of wrath against them that give my glory to images, Isa. 42. 8. as jealousie is the rage of a man, Prov. 6. 34. against the defiler of his marriage bed. God is pleased to call and account himself the husband of his Church and people, Ier. 2. 2. Hos. 2. 19. and therefore Idolatry is called Adultery, Deut. 31. 16. Ier. 3. 3, 10. and Gods anger against Idolaters Iealousie.

The word, el, properly signifies the strong God, and shews Gods ability to avenge himself, as the word, jealous, notes his readiness and resolution to do it.

(i. e.) remembring; enquiring into, or punishing, as that word is commonly used, as hath been noted before.

Quest. How can this be just? Answ. 1. All are born sinners and are children of wrath, and therefore justly punishable for their own sins. Answ. 2. He speaks not here of eternal damnation, but of temporal punishments, in which there is no shadow of injustice, as appears, 1. because the sins of parents are oft punished in their children even in humane Courts, as is manifest in Traitors, which practise being acknowledged to be just, it cannot with any sense be accounted unjust in God. 2. Because such external punishments have more good than evil in them, and are in many, and may be so in others, if th[illegible: 1+ letters] selves do not hinder it, instruments of the greatest good, exercises of their vertues and graces, and means of their eternal happiness. 3. Because children are a part and the possession of their Parents and therefore it is not unjust if they suffer with them and for them. Answ. 3. This is to be understood with an exception of Repentance and penitent children, as appears from Ezek. 18. And if any such be temporally punished for their fathers sins, God will abundantly recompence it to them some other way. But if children tread in their fathers sinful steps, it is but just that they should partake of their plagues.

And further too, as appears in the Ten Tribes, and afterwards in the two Tribes, upon whom the iniquity of their Fathers hath been visited now for many generations. But he mentions them in particular, partly because a parent may live so long and see the dreadful effects of his sin in his childrens children, partly because so far the memory of a father may extend and be matter of imitation to his children, and partly to shew the difference between his exercise of justice and mercy, as appears by comparing the next verse.

This word is opposed to the conceit that Idolaters, at lest many of them, have of themselves, that they love God, more then others do, because they love and honour, and worship the Creatures for his sake, and for those excellencies that he hath wrought in them. But this will no more excuse their Idolatry, than it will excuse him that commits Adultery with his friends wife, that he did it for his friends sake, and from the love he had to his friend and for his Relations.

Marginal references: chap. 34. 14. Deut. 6. 15. Josh. 24. 19. Nah. 1. 2.; chap. 34. 7. Num. 14. 18. 1 King. 21. 29. Job 5. 4. and 21. 19. Isa. 14 20, 21. and 65. 6, 7. Jer. 2. 9. and 32. 18.

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandements .

To wit, of their generations, i. e. for ever: whereas his punishment extended onely to three or four of them. So far is Gods mercy exalted above his justice, Compare Psal. 103. 17.

This conjunction is very observable both against those that falsly and foolishly pretend or insinuate, that the inward affection of love to God is not absolutely and always necessary to Salvation, and also against them who pretending inward love to God, live in the customary breach of Gods known commands.

Marginal references: Deut. 7. 9. Psal. 89. 34.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain : for the LORD will not hold him guiltless , that taketh his name in vain.

Or, not carry, or not take or lift up, to wit, in or into thy mouth, as the phrase is more fully expressed, Iob 4. 2. Psal. 16. 4. and 50. 16. So men are said to take up a proverb or a lamentation, Isa. 14. 4. Ezek. 26. 17.

Not onely the proper name of the Lord, but any of his Attributes, Ordinances, and Works, by which God hath made himself known.

Or, unto vanity, or, vainly. Either 1. Falsly, or in a false Oath: thou shalt not swear falsly by the name of the Lord, or, not lift up the name of God into thy mouth in an Oath to the confirmation of a lie. Or. 2. In vain, as we render it, and as the word Schave, is frequently used, as Iob 7. 3. and 15. 31. Psal. 60. 11. and 89. 47. Isa. 1. 13. and You shall not use the name of God either in Oaths or in common discourse, lightly, rashly, irreverently, or unnecessarily, or without weighty or sufficient cause. Which being a duty enjoyned not onely in many places of Sacred Scripture, but also in the Apocryphal Ecclesiasticus, 23. 15, 16, 17. and even by Heathen authours, as Plato in his book of Laws, and it being evident by the light of nature to mans reason, it were strange if it were not here understood, especially considering, that it is most reasonable to take these short Laws in the most comprehensive sense, such as this, not the former, is, for the prohibition of using it vainly and rashly doth certainly include that of swearing by it falsely, but this latter doth not include the former. Besides the former exposition restrains the words to swearing, whereas the w[illegible: 1+ letters]s are now general and speak of any taking Gods name into their mouths either by Oaths or any other way. And it becomes not us to set limits to Gods words where God hath set none. It is also here to be observed, as well as in the other commands, that when this sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded, to wit, to use the name of God both in swearing and otherwise holily, cautiously and reverently.

Or, Innocent, (i. e.) free from guilt and the punishment of it: the meaning is, the Lord will look upon him as a guilty person and will severely punish him. And so this or the like phrase is used, 1 King. 2. 9. And it is a common figure, called M[illegible: 1+ letters]iosis, where more is understood than is expressed, as 1 Sam. 12. 21. Psal. 25. 3. Prov. 10. 2. And this reason is here added, because sinners of this sort are usually held innocent by men, either because they cannot discover their fault, when they forswear themselves, or because they take no care to punish the abusers of Gods name by vain and customary Oaths, Curses, or Blasphemies, q. d. Though men spare them, I will assuredly punish them.

Marginal references: Lev. 19. 12. Deut. 5. 11. Math. [illegible: 1+ letters]. 33.

8 Re[illegible: 1+ letters]ber the Sabbath day, to keep it holy .

This word is here very emphatical, and 1. It re-minds us of a former delivery of the substance of this command, to wit, Gen. 2. 3. 2. It insinuates the great necessity of consideration and preparation of the Sabbath before it comes. 3. It shews the singular importance of this command, which is therefore placed in the heart and center of the rest, to shew that the religious observation of this is the best way to secure our obedience to all the rest, and that the neglect of this will bring in the violation of all the other, as common experience shews.

(i. e.) To use it holily, by a careful abstinence from servile works or wordly business, and by a diligent employing of the day holy in thoughts, words and exercises, in the worship of God in publick and private and the celebration of his works, and the furthering of our own and others sanctification and Salvation. See Isa. 58. 13.

9 Six dayes shalt thou labour , and do all thy work:

This may be either 1. A command to employ those days in our worldly occasions, yet so as God and Religion be not neglected on those dayes, as many Scriptures teach us. Or. 2. A permission to do so; which I prefer, 1. Because so it is a proper argument to enforce the observation of the Sabbath, q. d. Grudge not me one day, when I allow you six for it. 2. Because the command of diligence in our callings would seem improperly placed here, as being of a quite differing nature, and belonging to the second table, and being provided for in a distinct command, as we shall see.

Marginal references: chap. 23. 12. and 31. 14. Levit. 23. 3. Ezek. 20. 12. Luk. 13. 14.

10 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work , thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid servant , nor thy cattle , nor thy stranger that is within thy gates :

Or, To the Lord, (i. e.) Consecrated to his use, honour, and service. Hence God calls them my Sabhaths Levit. 26. 2. Isa. 56. 4. because they are commended by his example and enjoyned by his command.

(i. e.) Any servile, laborious, common or worldly work, tending to thy own profit or pleasure. See Exod. 34. 21. Levit. 23. 7. Numb. 28. 18. Isa. 58. 13.

This clause is added, not as if children or servants were not immediately obliged by this command, or were excused by God for the breach of this [illegible: 1+ letters]aw at their masters commands, which were to obey God rather than men, contrary to St. Peters command and practice, Act. 5. 29. and which were to limit the foregoing word thou and the law of the Sabbath onely to those that have children and servants, which is an idle senceless and absurd as well as profane opinion, but to restrain hard-hearted and covetous or ungodly persons, that they should neither command nor suffer their children or servants to profane the fabbath, so far as they can hinder it. Which how far it concerns thousands of governours of families at this day, they shall do well seriously and in time to consider.

Partly to teach us to exercise mer[illegible: 1+ letters]; towards the br[illegible: 1+ letters]te creatures: compare Deut. 5. 14. partly because the use of cattel must have drawn along with it the attendance or employment of men, and partly that by observing the rest of the cattel they might be more minded and quickened to the observation of this sacred rest.

(i. e.) The Gentile that sojourneth with thee: lest their example should provoke the Israelites to imitate them; and lest the Gentiles should have opportunity of gaining at that time when, and by that thing whereby, the Israelites were losers, even by the religious observation of the Sabbath.

(i. e.) that dwells within thy cities which have walls and gates, or within thy villages or territories. So the word, gates, is oft taken, as Gen. 22. 17. and 24. 60. and 2 Sam. 10. 8. compared with 1 Chron. 19. 9.

11 For in six dayes the LORD made heaven and earth, the Sea▪ and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day , and hallowed it .

And neither in more nor less time, as he could have done.

(i. e.) Ceased from his creating works: otherwise he worketh still, Ioh. 5. 17. by his providence and grace, and neither is idle, nor weary, Isa. 40. 28. but this rest is ascribed to him for our admonition and imitation.

(i. e.) Made it a day of blessing as well of receiving blessings and praises from men as of conferring his blessings and favours upon those that religiously observe it. The day is said to be blessed when men are blessed by it and in it, by a common Metonymy, as a mans field, Gen. 27. 27. and basket and store, Deut. 28. 5. and the work of his hands, Iob 1. 10. are said to be blessed, when a man is blessed in them.

It is remarkable the blessing and sanctification are not appropriated to the seventh day, but to the sabbath day, whether it should be the seventh day, as to the Iews it then was, or the first day, as to us Christians now it is, which change seems hereby to be insinuated.

(i. e.) Separated it from the rest of the days and from all common employments, and consecrated it to his own holy service and mans holy use.

Marginal references: Gen. 2. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]

12 Honour thy father and thy mother : that thy dayes may be long upon the land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Which word doth not onely note the reverence, love, and obedience we owe them, but also support and maintenance, as appears from Mat. 15. 4, 5, 6. and from the like signification of that word 1 Tim. 5. 3, 17. which is so natural and necessary a duty, that the Iews say, a man is bound even to beg, or to work with his hands that he may relieve his parents.

The father is put first here, and the mother, Lev. 19. 3. to shew that we owe this duty promiscuously and indifferently to both of them. Compare Exod. 21. 15, 17. Deut. 21. 18. and 27. 16. Prov. 20. 20. and 30. 17. And, because these laws are brief and yet comprehensive, under these are contained all our Superiours and Governours.

Heb. that they, i. e. thy Parents, may prolong thy days, or, the days of thy life, to wit, instrumentally, by their prayers made to God for thee, and by their blessing in my name conferred upon thee: though the active verb is commonly taken impersonally, as Iob 7. 3. Prov. 9. 11. Luk. 12. 10. and so it may be here, they prolong, for, be prolonged.

Marginal references: Levit. 19. 3. Deut. 5. 16. Eph. 6. 2.

13 Thou shalt not kill .

To wit, any man or woman, without authority and without just cause: which exception must necessarily be understood, because many other Scriptures command the Magistrate to kill great offenders. And this prohibition, being delivered by God who made and searcheth and commands mens hearts must be extended not onely to the external act of killing, but to all motions of the heart or tongue which tend that way, as anger, hatred, envy, malice, strife, blows, and the challenges of Duellists, which is clearly manifest by comparing this with other Scriptures, as Mat. 5. 21. 1 Ioh. 3. 15. &c. And here, as in the rest, is commanded the contrary duty of preserving the lives of our neighbours, as much as lies in our power.

Marginal references: Rom. 13. 9▪

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery .

Here is mentioned one kind of uncleanness, as being eminently sinful and unjust and pernicious to humane society. But under this are comprehended and forbidden all other kinds of filthiness, as beastiality, Sodomy, whoredom, fornication, &c. and all means, occasions and appearances of them, as it [illegible: 1+ letters]ears 1. from other Scriptures that forbid those things, which [illegible: 1+ letters]her belong to this command, or to none of the ten, which is very improbable. 2. from the large extent of the other commands, noted before 3. from our saviours explication Mat. 5. 27. And contrariwise, all chastity and sobriety in thoughts, affections, words, habits and gestures is here prescribed. See 1 Thes. 4. 3, 4. Heb. 13. 4.

15 Thou shalt not steal .

(i. e.) Either by deceit or violence, or without his knowledg and consent, take away another mans goods, Eph. 4. 28. but on the contrary shalt preserve and increase them, as need requires and occasion is offered.

16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour .

Heb. not answer, viz. when thou art asked in judgment, Lev. 5. 1. 19. 16. or, not speak a false testimony, or, as a false witness. Which doth not onely forbid perjury in judgment, but also all unjust censure, slander, backbiting, scorning, false accusation, and the like, and also requires a just and candid judgment of him and of his words and actions, speaking well of him, as far as truth and justice will permit, and defending his good name against the calumnies and detractions of others.

No nor for thy neighbour, but he saith against, both because such perjuries, slanders, &c. are most commonly designed against them, and because this is a great aggravation of the sin, when a man not only speaks evil and f[illegible: 1+ letters]lshood, but doth this from malice and ill will. But under this kind are contained other sins of a like, though less sinful, nature, as in the other commands.

d A mans neighbour here is not onely the Israelite, as some would have it, but any man, as plainly appears, 1. because that word is frequently used in that sence not only in the New, as all agree, but also in the Old Testament, as Gen. 11. 3. Lev. 20. 10. Esth. 1. 19. Prov. 18. 17. 2. because it is so explained Luk. 10. 29, 36. Rom. 13. 9. compared with Mat. 22. 39. 3. from the reason of the thing, which is common to all: unless a man will be so hardy to say, that he may bear false witness against a stranger, though not against an Israelite, and, in like manner, that when God forbids a man to commit adultery with his neighbours wife, Lev. 20. 10. he may do it with a strangers wife; and that though a man be commanded to speak the truth to his neighbour, Zech. 8. 16. he may tell lies to a stranger. 4. because the great law of love and charity, which is the life and soul of this and all the commands, and binds us to all, binds us, and bound the Israelites, to strangers, as appears from Exod. 23. 4. and Lev. 19. 33, 34.

Marginal references: Deut. 19. 16.

17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his oxe, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbours.

The coveting here forbidden is, either, 1. the inward and deliberate purpose and desire of a deceitful or violent taking away of another mans goods. But this is forbidden in the eighth commandment. And it is hard to conceive, that St. Paul should think, that this command did not forbid such a practise, Rom. 7. 7. which even the better sort of heathens esteemed a sin, whose words are, that they who are with-held from incest or whoredom or theft, onely from a principle of fear are guilty of those crimes, especially seeing the Old Testament Scriptures, which doubtless he diligently studied, do so plainly condemn evil purposes of the heart, as Lev. 19. 17. Deut. 9. 4, 5. and 15. 7, 9. &c. or 2. the greedy desire of that which is another mans, though it be without injury to him. Thus Ahab sinned in desiring Naboths vineyard, though he offered him mony for it, 1 King. 21. 2. or rather 3. those inward motions of the heart, which from the fountain of original corruption do spring up in the heart and tickle it with some secret delight, though they do not obtain the deliberate consent of the will. For seeing this law of God is spiritual and holy, Rom. 7. 12, 14. and reacheth the thoughts, intents and all the actual motions of the heart, as is apparent from the nature of God and of his law, and seeing such motions are both the fruits of a sinful nature and the common causes of sinful actions, and are not agreeable either to mans first and uncorrupted nature, or to Gods law, they must needs be a swerving from it, and therefore sin. And this is the reason why this command is added as distinct from all the rest.

Marginal references: Acts 20. 33. Rom. 7. 7.; Job 31. 9.

18 And all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoaking: and when the people saw it, they removed , and stood afar off.

(i. e.) Heard them. One sence is oft put for another, as se[illegible: 1+ letters]ing Gen. 42. 1. for hearing, Act. 7. 12.

From the bottom of the mountain, where it seems they stood.

Marginal references: Heb. 12. 18.

19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die .

This they speak from a sence of their own guilt, and of the greatness and holiness of the Divine Majesty, to whom they durst not approach but by a Mediatour. See Deut. 5. 28. and 18. 16. Gal. 3. 19.

Marginal references: Deut. 5. 24. & 18. 16. Heb. 12. 19.

20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you , and that his fear may be before your faces , that ye Sin not.

Or try or search you, whether you are innocent, and such as delight in my presence, or conscious of your guilt, and therefore afraid of my appearance; whether you have such a righteousness as can abide the trial of a severe Judge, or whether you are such as have cause to fear my wrath and to flee to my grace and mercy; which of you are sincere and upright, and which are hypocrites and ungodly persons, or, to try, whether this terrible appearance will produce in you, that reverence, fear and obedience which I call for: or, to give you a law, by which you will be proved whether you do indeed love and fear me, as you pretend you do, or whether you do not.

Gods fear is properly in mens hearts, but here the sence seems to be this, That his fear, i. e. this dreadful manifestation of his Majesty and justice (the act being here put for the object) may be now and ever before your eyes and in your memories, as an effectual preservative from sin.

22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven .

(i. e.) Heard, as ver. 18. He may use the word, seen, here to intimate, that this was all they could see of God, to wit, his voice and speech, and that they saw no Image of him, as is expressed in a parallel place, and therefore should make no resemblances of him as it here follows

(i. e.) From the lower heaven, to wit, the air or the clouds, which were over the top of mount Sinai, Deut. 4. 36. Neh. 9. 13. and so the word heaven is oft understood, as Gen. 1. 20. Iob 35. 11. Psal. 79. 2. And so this place may be reconciled with Heb. 12. 25. where this is said to be spoken upon earth.

Marginal references: Deut. 4. 36.

23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver , neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.

(i. e.) To worship together with me. I will allow no companion: or, to me, as it follows, unto you; and ver. 24. unto me: and the particle, eth, is sometimes used for el, or lamed, as 1 Sam. 22. 14. 2 King. 22. 14. or, for me, either to represent my person, by comparing this with the parallel place, Deut. 4. 15, 16. or to worship me by, as it is apparent that the Israelites afterwards did intend to worship Jehovah in the golden Calf, and therefore Aaron calls the feast of the Calf a feast to Iehovah, Exod. 32. 5. and that with the approbation of the people, whom he then complyed with and durst not resist.

(i. e.) Idols or images, to whom you may give the name and worship of Gods.

And consequently not of any other materials, as wood or stone: It is a Synecdoche.

Marginal references: 1 Sam. 5. 4, [illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ 2 King. 17. 3[illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ Ezek. 20. 39. [illegible: 1 word] 43. 8. 2 Co[illegible: 1+ letters] 14, 15, 16.

24 An Altar of earth thou shalt make unto me , and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings, and thy peace-offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my Name , I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

For thy present use, or whilest thou art in the wilderness: This he commanded partly that they might easily and readily erect an altar upon all occasions, which it might be hard for them to do there of better materials; partly to mind them how much more God regarded the inward holiness, than the outward pomp of their devotions; partly because God would make a conspicuous difference between them and idolaters who used much cost and curiosity about their Altars; partly that the Altars might, after they left them, fall down and moulder away, and not remain as lasting monuments, which might be afterward abused to Idolatry by any persons that came thither; partly because they were uncertain of their stay any where, except at Sinai, and therefore must raise such Altars as they could suddenly do. But this command onely concerned their wilderness-state: for there were better and more durable Altars, in the Tabernacle and Temple.

Therefore there is no need of building any stately Altar in a certain place, as if my presence were fixed there, and not to be enjoyed elsewhere.

Or, cause my name to be remembred by you: i. e. Not in every place which you shall invent, but in all such places as I shall appoint, for the remembrance or celebration of my name or for the service of my Majesty, whether it be in the wilderness, and in divers parts thereof, or in the Tabernacle and Temple.

Marginal references: Lev. 1. 2.

25 And if thou wilt make me an Altar of stone , thou shalt not build it of hewen stone : for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it .

Which in those rocky parts might be as easie for them to make as one of earth.

Which would require both time and cost and art. The reasons of this precept are in part the same with the former, ver. 24.

By thy disobedience to my express command now given: and howsoever they think to gratifie me by this curiosity, I shall not look upon it as a sacred thing, by which the sacrifices offered on it shall be sanctified, but as a prophane thing which will defile them. So little doth God value or approve the inventions of men in his worship, how colourable soever they be.

Marginal references: Deut. 27. [illegible: 1+ letters] Josh. 8. 31.; Heb. build [illegible: 1+ letters]em with hew [illegible: 1+ letters]ng.

26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine Altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon .

He seems to mean the steps of Ladders or others of the same nature, which could suddenly be made and were proper for their present condition, where there was danger of the following inconvenience. For afterwards God appointed an Altar ten cubits high, 2. Chron. 4. 1. Though some conceive they we[illegible: 1+ letters]t not up to that by steps, but by an insensible ascent upon the ground raised by degrees for that purpose. But if the Priests did go up to it by steps, God provided against the indecency here mentioned by prescribing linnen breeches to them in that service.

For these linnen breeches were not yet appointed, and the manner then and there was for men to wear long coats or gowns like women. God would remove all appearance or occasion of immodesty, especially in sacred persons and things; and the rather, to shew his detestation of that impudence and filthiness which was very usual in some of the solemnities and worships of the heathen.

Exo 20:1

And God spake all these words, saying, The promulgation of the ten words of God, containing the fundamental law of the covenant, took place before Moses ascended the mountain again with Aaron (Exo 19:24). “All these words” are the words of God contained in vv. 2-17, which are repeated again in Deu 5:6-18, with slight variations that do not materially affect the sense,The discrepancies in the two texts are the following: - In Deu 5:8 the cop. ו (“or,” Eng. Ver.), which stands before תּמוּנה כּל (any likeness), is omitted, to give greater clearness to the meaning; and on the other hand it is added before שׁלּשׁים על in Deu 5:9 for rhetorical reasons. In the fourth commandment (Deu 5:12) שׁמור is chosen instead of זכור in Exo 20:8, and זכר is reserved fore the hortatory clause appended in Deu 5:15 : “and remember that thou wast a servant,” etc.; and with this is connected the still further fact, that instead of the fourth commandment being enforced on the ground of the creation of the world in six days and the resting of God on the seventh day, their deliverance from Egypt is adduced as the subjective reason for their observance of the command. In Deu 5:14, too, the clause “nor thy cattle” (Exo 20:10) is amplified rhetorically, and particularized in the words “thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle.” So again, in Deu 5:16, the promise appended to the fifth commandment, “that thy days may be long in the land,” etc., is amplified by the interpolation of the clause “and that it may go well with thee,” and strengthened by the words “as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee.” In Deu 5:17, instead of שׁקר עד (Exo 20:16), the more comprehensive expression שׁוא עד is chosen. Again, in the tenth commandment (Deu 5:18), the “neighbour’s wife” is placed first, and then, after the “house,” the field is added before the “man-servant and maid-servant,” whereas in Exodus the “neighbour’s house” is mentioned first, and then the “wife” along with the “man-servant and maid-servant;” and instead of the repetition of תּחמד, the synonym תּתאוּה is employed. Lastly, in Deuteronomy all the commandments from תּרצח לא onwards are connected together by the repetition of the cop. ו before every one, whereas in Exodus it is not introduced at all. - Now if, after what has been said, the rhetorical and hortatory intention is patent in all the variations of the text of Deuteronomy, even down to the transposition of wife and house in the last commandment, this transposition must also be attributed to the freedom with which the decalogue was reproduced, and the text of Exodus be accepted as the original, which is not to be altered in the interests of any arbitrary exposition of the commandments. and are called the “words of the covenant, the ten words,” in Exo 34:28, and Deu 4:13; Deu 10:4. God spake these words directly to the people, and not “through the medium of His finite spirits,” as v. Hoffmann, Kurtz, and others suppose. There is not a word in the Old Testament about any such mediation. Not only was it Elohim, according to the chapter before us, who spake these words to the people, and called Himself Jehovah, who had brought Israel out of Egypt (Exo 20:2), but according to Deu 5:4, Jehovah spake these words to Israel “face to face, in the mount, out of the midst of the fire.”

Hence, according to Buxtorf (Dissert. de Decalogo in genere, 1642), the Jewish commentators almost unanimously affirm that God Himself spake the words of the decalogue, and that words were formed in the air by the power of God, and not by the intervention and ministry of angels.This also applies to the Targums. Onkelos and Jonathan have יי וּמלל in Exo 20:1, and the Jerusalem Targum דיי מימרא מליל. But in the popular Jewish Midrash, the statement in Deu 33:2 (cf. Psa 68:17), that Jehovah came down upon Sinai “out of myriads of His holiness,” i.e., attended by myriads of holy angels, seems to have given rise to the notion that God spake through angels. Thus Josephus represents King Herod as saying to the people, “For ourselves, we have learned from God the most excellent of our doctrines, and the most holy part of our law through angels” (Ant. 15, 5, 3, Whiston’s translation).

And even from the New Testament this cannot be proved to be a doctrine of the Scriptures. For when Stephen says to the Jews, in Act 7:53, “Ye have received the law” εἰς διαταγὰς ἀγγέλων (Eng. Ver. “by the disposition of angels”), and Paul speaks of the law in Gal 3:19 as διαταγεὶς δι  ̓ἀγγελων (“ordained by angels”), these expressions leave it quite uncertain in what the διατάσσειν of the angels consisted, or what part they took in connection with the giving of the law.That Stephen cannot have meant to say that God spoke through a number of finite angels, is evident from the fact, that in Act 7:38 he had spoken just before of the Angel (in the singular) who spoke to Moses upon Mount Sinai, and had described him in Act 7:35 and Act 7:30 as the Angel who appeared to Moses in the bush, i.e., as no other than the Angel of Jehovah who was identical with Jehovah. “The Angel of the Lord occupies the same place in Act 7:38 as Jehovah in Ex 19. The angels in Act 7:53 and Gal 3:19 are taken from Deut 33. And there the angels do not come in the place of the Lord, but the Lord comes attended by them” (Hengstenberg).

So again, in Heb 2:2, where the law, “the word spoken by angels” (δι  ̓ἀγγελων), is placed in contrast with the “salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord” (διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου), the antithesis is of so indefinite a nature that it is impossible to draw the conclusion with any certainty, that the writer of this epistle supposed the speaking of God at the promulgation of the decalogue to have been effected through the medium of a number of finite spirits, especially when we consider that in the Epistle to the Hebrews speaking is the term applied to the divine revelation generally (see Exo 1:1). As his object was not to describe with precision the manner in which God spake to the Israelites from Sinai, but only to show the superiority of the Gospel, as the revelation of salvation, to the revelation of the law; he was at liberty to select the indefinite expression δι  ̓ἀγγελων, and leaven it to the readers of his epistle to interpret it more fully for themselves from the Old Testament. According to the Old Testament, however, the law was given through the medium of angels, only so far as God appeared to Moses, as He had done to the patriarchs, in the form of the “Angel of the Lord,” and Jehovah came down upon Sinai, according to Deu 33:2, surrounded by myriads of holy angels as His escort.Lud. de Dieu, in his commentary on Act 7:53, after citing the parallel passages Gal 3:19 and Heb 2:2, correctly observes, that “horum dictorum haec videtur esse ratio et veritas. S. Stephanus supra 5:39 dixit, Angelum locutum esse cum Mose in monte Sina, eundem nempe qui in rubo ipsa apparuerat, v. 35 qui quamvis in se Deus hic tamen κατ  ̓οἰκονομίαν tanquam Angelus Deit caeterorumque angelorum praefectus consideratus e medio angelorum, qui eum undique stipabant, legem i monte Mosi dedit.... Atque inde colligi potest causa, cur apostolus Heb 2:2-3, Legi Evnagelium tantopere anteferat. Etsi enim utriusque auctor et promulgator fuerit idem Dei filius, quia tamen legem tulit in forma angeli e senatu angelico et velatus gloria angelorum, tandem vero caro factus et in carne manifestatus, gloriam prae se ferens non angelorum sed unigeniti filii Dei, evangelium ipsemet, humana voce, habitans inter homines praedicavit, merito lex angelorum sermo, evangelium autem solius filii Dei dicitur.”

The notion that God spake through the medium of “His finite spirits” can only be sustained in one of two ways: either by reducing the angels to personifications of natural phenomena, such as thunder, lightning, and the sound of a trumpet, a process against which the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews enters his protest in Exo 12:19, where he expressly distinguishes the “voice of words” from these phenomena of nature; or else by affirming, with v. Hoffmann, that God, the supernatural, cannot be conceived of without a plurality of spirits collected under Him, or apart from His active operation in the world of bodies, in distinction from which these spirits are comprehended with Him and under Him, so that even the ordinary and regular phenomena of nature would have to be regarded as the workings of angels; in which case the existence of angels as created spirits would be called in question, and they would be reduced to mere personifications of divine powers.

The words of the covenant, or ten words, were written by God upon two tables of stone (Exo 31:18), and are called the law and the commandment (והמּצוה התּורה) in Exo 24:12, as being the kernel and essence of the law. But the Bible contains neither distinct statements, nor definite hints, with reference to the numbering and division of the commandments upon the two tables, - a clear proof that these points do not possess the importance which has frequently been attributed to them. The different views have arisen in the course of time. Some divide the ten commandments into two pentads, one upon each table. Upon the first they place the commandments concerning (1) other gods, (2) images, (3) the name of God, (4) the Sabbath, and (5) parents; on the second, those concerning (1) murder, (2) adultery, (3) stealing, (4) false witness, and (5) coveting. Others, again, reckon only three to the first table, and seven to the second. In the first they include the commandments respecting (1) other gods, (2) the name of God, (3) the Sabbath, or those which concern the duties towards God; and in the second, those respecting (1) parents, (2) murder, (3) adultery, (4) stealing, (5) false witness, (6) coveting a neighbour’s house, (7) coveting a neighbour’s wife, servants, cattle, and other possession, or those which concern the duties towards one’s neighbour. The first view, with the division into two fives, we find in Josephus (Ant. iii. 5, 5) and Philo (quis rer. divin. haer. §35, de Decal. §12, etc.); it is unanimously supported by the fathers of the first four centuries,They either speak of two tables with five commandments upon each (Iren. adv. haer. ii. 42), or mention only one commandment against coveting (Constit. apost. i. 1, vii. 3; Theoph. ad Autol. ii. 50; Tertull, adv. Marc. ii. 17; Ephr. Syr. ad Ex. 20; Epiphan. haer. ii. 2, etc.), or else they expressly distinguish the commandment against images from that against other gods (Origen, homil. 8 in Ex.; Hieron. ad Ephes. vi. 2; Greg. Naz. carm. i. 1; Sulpicius Sev. hist. sacr. i. 17, etc.). and has been retained to the present day by the Eastern and Reformed Churches. The later Jews agree so far with this view, that they only adopt one commandment against coveting; but they differ from it in combining the commandment against images with that against false gods, and taking the introductory words “I am the Lord thy God” to be the first commandment. This mode of numbering, of which we find the first traces in Julian Apostata (in Cyrilli Alex. c. Julian l. V. init.), and in an allusion made by Jerome (on Hos 10:10), is at any rate of more recent origin, and probably arose simply from opposition to the Christians. It still prevails, however, among the modern Jews.It is adopted by Gemar. Macc. f. 24 a; Targ. Jon. on Ex. and Deut.; Mechilta on Exo 20:15; Pesikta on Deu 5:6; and the rabbinical commentators of the middle ages.

The second view was brought forward by Augustine, and no one is known to have supported it previous to him. In his Quaest. 71 on Ex., when treating of the question how the commandments are to be divided (“utrum quatuor sint usque ad praeceptum de Sabbatho, quae ad ipsum Deum pertinent, sex autem reliqua, quorum primum: Honora patrem et matrem, quae ad hominem pertinent: an potius illa tria sint et ipsa septem”), he explains the two different views, and adds, “Mihi tamen videntur congruentius accipi illa tria et ista septem, quoniam Trinitatem videntur illa, quae ad Deum pertinent, insinuare diligentius intuentibus.” He then proceeds still further to show that the commandment against images is only a fuller explanation of that against other gods, but that the commandment not to covet is divided into two commandments by the repetition of the words, “Thou shalt not covet,” although “concupiscentia uxoris alienae et concupiscentia domus alienae tantum in peccando differant.” In this division Augustine generally reckons the commandment against coveting the neighbour’s wife as the ninth, according to the text of Deuteronomy; although in several instances he places it after the coveting of the house, according to the text of Exodus. Through the great respect that was felt for Augustine, this division became the usual one in the Western Church; and it was adopted even by Luther and the Lutheran Church, with this difference, however, that both the Catholic and Lutheran Churches regard the commandment not to covet a neighbour’s house as the ninth, whilst only a few here and there give the preference, as Augustine does, to the order adopted in Deuteronomy.

Now if we inquire, which of these divisions of the ten commandments is the correct one, there is nothing to warrant either the assumption of the Talmud and the Rabbins, that the words, “I am Jehovah thy God,” etc., form the first commandment, or the preference given by Augustine to the text of Deuteronomy. The words, “I am the Lord,” etc., contain no independent member of the decalogue, but are merely the preface to the commandments which follow. “Hic sermo nondum sermo mandati est, sed quis sit, qui mandat, ostendit” (Origen, homil. 8 in Ex.). But, as we have already shown, the text of Deuteronomy, in all its deviations from the text of Exodus, can lay no claim to originality. As to the other two views which have obtained a footing in the Church, the historical credentials of priority and majority are not sufficient of themselves to settle the question in favour of the first, which is generally called the Philonian view, from its earliest supporter. It must be decided from the text of the Bible alone. Now in both substance and form this speaks against the Augustinian, Catholic, and Lutheran view, and in favour of the Philonian, or Oriental and Reformed. In substance; for whereas no essential difference can be pointed out in the two clauses which prohibit coveting, so that even Luther has made but one commandment of them in his smaller catechism, there was a very essential difference between the commandment against other gods and that against making an image of God, so far as the Israelites were concerned, as we may see not only from the account of the golden calf at Sinai, but also from the image worship of Gideon (Jdg 8:27), Micah (Jdg 17:1-13), and Jeroboam (1Ki 12:28.). In form; for the last five commandments differ from the first five, not only in the fact that no reasons are assigned for the former, whereas all the latter are enforced by reasons, in which the expression “Jehovah thy God” occurs every time; but still more in the fact, that in the text of Deuteronomy all the commandments after “Thou shalt do no murder” are connected together by the copula ו, which is repeated before every sentence, and from which we may see that Moses connected the commandments which treat of duties to one’s neighbour more closely together, and by thus linking them together showed that they formed the second half of the decalogue.

The weight of this testimony is not counterbalanced by the division into parashoth and the double accentuation of the Masoretic text, viz., by accents both above and below, even if we assume that this was intended in any way to indicate a logical division of the commandments. In the Hebrew MSS and editions of the Bible, the decalogue is divided into ten parashoth, with spaces between them marked either by ס (Setuma) or פ (Phetucha); and whilst the commandments against other gods and images, together with the threat and promise appended to them (Exo 20:3-6), form one parashah, the commandment against coveting (Exo 20:14) is divided by a setuma into two. But according to Kennicott (ad Exo 10:17; Deu 5:18, and diss. gener. p. 59) this setuma was wanting in 234 of the 694 MSS consulted by him, and in many exact editions of the Bible as well; so that the testimony is not unanimous here.It is no argument against this division into parashoth, that it does not agree either with the Philonian or the rabbinical division of the ten commandments, or with the Masoretic arrangement of the verses and the lower accents which correspond to this. For there can be no doubt that it is older than the Masoretic treatment of the text, though it is by no means original on that account. Even when the Targum on the Song of Sol. (Sol 5:13) says that the tables of stone were written in ten שׁטּים or שׁיטים, i.e., rows or strophes, like the rows of a garden full of sweet odours, this Targum is much too recent to furnish any valid testimony to the original writing and plan of the decalogue. And the upper accentuation of the decalogue, which corresponds to the division into parashoth, has must as little claim to be received as a testimony in favour of “a division of the verses which was once evidently regarded as very significant” (Ewald); on the contrary, it was evidently added to the lower accentuation simply in order that the decalogue might be read in the synagogues on particular days after the parashoth.See Geiger (wissensch. Ztschr. iii. 1, 151). According to the testimony of a Rabbin who had embraced Christianity, the decalogue was read in one way, when it occurred as a Sabbath parashah, either in the middle of January or at the beginning of July, and in another way at the feast of Pentecost, as the feast of the giving of the law; the lower accentuation being followed in the former case, and the upper in the latter. We may compare with this the account given in En Israel, fol. 103, col. 3, that one form of accentuation was intended for ordinary or private reading, the other for public reading in the synagogue.

Hence the double accentuation was only so far of importance, as showing that the Masorites regarded the parashoth as sufficiently important, to be retained for reading in the synagogue by a system of accentuation which corresponded to them. But if this division into parashoth had been regarded by the Jews from time immemorial as original, or Mosaic, in its origin; it would be impossible to understand either the rise of other divisions of the decalogue, or the difference between this division and the Masoretic accentuation and arrangement of the verses. From all this so much at any rate is clear, that form a very early period there was a disposition to unite together the two commandments against other gods and images; but assuredly on no other ground than because of the threat and promise with which they are followed, and which must refer, as was correctly assumed, to both commandments. But if these two commandments were classified as one, there was no other way of bringing out the number ten, than to divide the commandment against coveting into two. But as the transposition of the wife and the house in the two texts could not well be reconciled with this, the setuma which separated them in Exo 20:14 did not meet with universal reception.

Lastly, on the division of the ten covenant words upon the two tables of stone, the text of the Bible contains no other information, than that “the tables were written on both their sides” (Exo 32:15), from which we may infer with tolerable certainty, what would otherwise have the greatest probability as being the most natural supposition, viz., that the entire contents of the “ten words” were engraved upon the tables, and not merely the ten commandments in the stricter sense, without the accompanying reasons.If the whole of the contents stood upon the table, the ten words cannot have been arranged either according to Philo’s two pentads, or according to Augustine’s division into three and seven; for in either case there would have been far more words upon the first table than upon the second, and, according to Augustine’s arrangement, there would have been 131 upon one table, and only 41 upon the other. We obtain a much more suitable result, if the words of Exo 20:2-7, i.e., the first three commandments according to Philo’s reckoning, were engraved upon the one table, and the other seven from the Sabbath commandment onwards upon the other; for in that case there would be 96 words upon the first table and 76 upon the second. If the reasons for the commandments were not written along with them upon the tables, the commandments respecting the name and nature of God, and the keeping of the Sabbath, together with the preamble, which could not possibly be left out, would amount to 73 words in all, the commandment to honour one’s parents would contain 5 words, and the rest of the commandments 26.

But if neither the numbering of the ten commandments nor their arrangement on the two tables was indicated in the law as drawn up for the guidance of the people of Israel, so that it was possible for even the Israelites to come to different conclusions on the subject; the Christian Church has all the more a perfect right to handle these matters with Christian liberty and prudence for the instruction of congregations in the law, from the fact that it is no longer bound to the ten commandments, as a part of the law of Moses, which has been abolished for them through the fulfilment of Christ, but has to receive them for the regulation of its own doctrine and life, simply as being the unchangeable norm of the holy will of God which was fulfilled through Christ.

Exo 20:2

The Ten Words commenced with a declaration of Jehovah concerning Himself, which served as a practical basis for the obligation on the part of the people to keep the commandments: “I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee,” etc. By bringing them out of Egypt, the house of bondage, Jehovah had proved to the Israelites that He was their God. This glorious act, to which Israel owed its existence as an independent nation, was peculiarly fitted, as a distinct and practical manifestation of unmerited divine love, to kindle in the hearts of the people the warmest love in return, and to incite them to keep the commandments. These words are not to be regarded, as Knobel supposes, as either a confession, or the foundation of the whole of the theocratical law, just as Saleucus, Plato, and other lawgivers placed a belief in the existence of the gods at the head of their laws. They were rather the preamble, as Calvin says, by which God prepared the minds of the people for obeying them, and in this sense they were frequently repeated to give emphasis to other laws, sometimes in full, as in Exo 29:46; Lev 19:36; Lev 23:43; Lev 25:38, Lev 25:55; Lev 26:13, etc., sometimes in the abridged form, “I am Jehovah your God,” as in Lev 11:44; Lev 18:2, Lev 18:4, Lev 18:30; Lev 19:4, Lev 19:10, Lev 19:25, Lev 19:31, Lev 19:34; Lev 20:7, etc., for which the simple expression, “I am Jehovah,” is now and then substituted, as in Lev 19:12-13, Lev 19:16, Lev 19:18, etc.

Exo 20:3

The First Word. - “Let there not be to thee (thou shalt have no) other gods פּני על פּן,” lit., beyond Me (על as in Gen 48:22; Psa 16:2), or in addition to Me (על as in Gen 31:50; Deu 19:9), equivalent to πλὴν ἐμοῦ (lxx), “by the side of Me” (Luther). “Before Me,” coram me (Vulg., etc.), is incorrect; also against Me, in opposition to Me. (On פּני see Exo 33:14.) The singular יהיה does not require that we should regard Elohim as an abstract noun in the sense of Deity; and the plural אחרים would not suit this rendering (see Gen 1:14). The sentence is quite a general one, and not only prohibits polytheism and idolatry, the worship of idols in thought, word, and deed (cf. Deu 8:11, Deu 8:17, Deu 8:19), but also commands the fear, love, and worship of God the Lord (cf. Deu 6:5, Deu 6:13, Deu 6:17; Deu 10:12, Deu 10:20). Nearly all the commandments are couched in the negative form of prohibition, because they presuppose the existence of sin and evil desires in the human heart.

Exo 20:4

The Second Word. - To the prohibition of idolatrous worship there is linked on, as a second word, the prohibition of the worship of images. “After declaring in the first commandment who was the true God, He commanded that He alone should be worshipped; and now He defines what is His lawful worship” (Calvin). “Thou shalt not make to thyself a likeness and any form of that which is in heaven above,” etc. עשׂה is construed with a double accusative, so that the literal rendering would be “make, as a likeness and any form, that which is in heaven,” etc. פּסל, from פּסל to carve wood or stone, is a figure made of wood or stone, and is used in Jdg 17:3. for a figure representing Jehovah, and in other places for figures of heathen deities - of Asherah, for example, in 2Ki 21:7. תּמוּנה does not signify an image made by man, but a form which is seen by him (Num 12:8; Deu 4:12, Deu 4:15.; Job 4:16; Psa 17:15). In Deu 5:8 (cf. Exo 4:16) we find כּל־תּמוּנה פּסל “likeness of any form:” so that in this passage also וכל־תּמוּנה is to be taken as in apposition to פּסל, and the ו as vav explic.: “and indeed any form,” viz., of Jehovah, not of heathen gods. That the words should be so understood, is demanded by Deu 4:15., where Moses lays stress upon the command, not to make to themselves an image (פסל) in the form of any sculpture (סמל), and gives this as the reason: “For ye saw no form in the day when Jehovah spake to you at Horeb.” This authoritative exposition of the divine prohibition on the part of Moses himself proves undeniably, that פסל and תמונה are to be understood as referring to symbolical representations of Jehovah. And the words which follow also receive their authoritative exposition from Deu 4:17 and Deu 4:18. By “that which is in heaven” we are to understand the birds, not the angels, or at the most, according to Deu 4:19, the stars as well; by “that which is in earth,” the cattle, reptiles, and the larger or smaller animals; and by “that which is in the water,” fishes and water animals. “Under the earth” is appended to the “water,” to express in a pictorial manner the idea of its being lower than the solid ground (cf. Deu 4:18). It is not only evident from the context that the allusion is not to the making of images generally, but to the construction of figures of God as objects of religious reverence or worship, but this is expressly stated in Exo 20:5; so that even Calvin observes, that “there is no necessity to refute what some have foolishly imagined, that sculpture and painting of every kind are condemned here.” With the same aptness he has just before observed, that “although Moses only speaks of idols, there is no doubt that by implication he condemns all the forms of false worship, which men have invented for themselves.”

Exo 20:5-6

“Thou shalt not pray to them and serve them.” (On the form תּעבדם with the o-sound under the guttural, see Ewald, §251d.). השׁתּחוה signifies bending before God in prayer, and invoking His name; עבד, worship by means of sacrifice and religious ceremonies. The suffixes להם and - ם (to them, and them) refer to the things in heaven, etc., which are made into pesel, symbols of Jehovah, as being the principal object of the previous clause, and not to כּל־תּמוּנה פּסל, although פּסל עבד is applied in Psa 97:7 and 2Ki 17:41 to a rude idolatrous worship, which identifies the image as the symbol of deity with the deity itself, Still less do they refer to אחרים אלהים in Exo 20:3.

The threat and promise, which follow in Exo 20:5 and Exo 20:6, relate to the first two commandments, and not to the second alone; because both of them, although forbidding two forms of idolatry, viz., idolo-latry and ikono-latry, are combined in a higher unity, by the fact, that whenever Jehovah, the God who cannot be copied because He reveals His spiritual nature in no visible form, is worshipped under some visible image, the glory of the invisible God is changed, or Jehovah changed into a different God from what He really is. Through either form of idolatry, therefore, Israel would break its covenant with Jehovah. For this reason God enforces the two commandments with the solemn declaration: “I, Jehovah thy God, am קנּא אל a jealous God;” i.e., not only ζηλωτής, a zealous avenger of sinners, but ζηλοτύπος, a jealous God, who will not transfer to another the honour that is due to Himself (Isa 42:8; Isa 48:11), nor tolerate the worship of any other god (Exo 34:14), but who directs the warmth of His anger against those who hate Him (Deu 6:15), with the same energy with which the warmth of His love (Sol 8:6) embraces those who love Him, except that love in the form of grace reaches much further than wrath. The sin of the fathers He visits (punishes) on the children to the third and fourth generation. שׁלּשׁים third (sc., children) are not grandchildren, but great-grandchildren, and רבּעים the fourth generation. On the other hand He shows mercy to the thousandths, i.e., to the thousandth generation (cf. Deu 7:9, where דּור לאלף stands for לאלפים). The cardinal number is used here for the ordinal, for which there was no special form in the case of אלף. The words לשׂנאי and לאהבי, in which the punishment and grace are traced to their ultimate foundation, are of great importance to a correct understanding of this utterance of God. The ל before שׂנאי does not take up the genitive with עון again, as Knobel supposes, for no such use of ל can be established from Gen 7:11; Gen 16:3; Gen 14:18; Gen 41:12, or in fact in any way whatever. In this instance ל signifies “at” or “in relation to;” and לשׂנאי, from its very position, cannot refer to the fathers alone, but to the fathers and children to the third and fourth generation. If it referred to the fathers alone, it would necessarily stand after אבת. וגו לאהבי is to be taken in the same way. God punishes the sin of the fathers in the children to the third and fourth generation in relation to those who hate Him, and shows mercy to the thousandth generation in relation to those who love Him. The human race is a living organism, in which not only sin and wickedness are transmitted, but evil as the curse of the sin and the punishment of the wickedness. As children receive their nature from their parents, or those who beget them, so they have also to bear and atone for their fathers’ guilt. This truth forced itself upon the minds even of thoughtful heathen from their own varied experience (cf. Aeschyl. Sept. 744; Eurip. according to Plutarch de sera num. vind. 12, 21; Cicero de nat. deorum 3, 38; and Baumgarten-Crusius, bibl. Theol. p. 208). Yet there is no fate in the divine government of the world, no irresistible necessity in the continuous results of good and evil; but there reigns in the world a righteous and gracious God, who not only restrains the course of His penal judgments, as soon as the sinner is brought to reflection by the punishment and hearkens to the voice of God, but who also forgives the sin and iniquity of those who love Him, keeping mercy to the thousandth generation (Exo 34:7). The words neither affirm that sinning fathers remain unpunished, nor that the sins of fathers are punished in the children and grandchildren without any fault of their own: they simply say nothing about whether and how the fathers themselves are punished; and, in order to show the dreadful severity of the penal righteousness of God, give prominence to the fact, that punishment is not omitted-that even when, in the long-suffering of God, it is deferred, it is not therefore neglected, but that the children have to bear the sins of their fathers, whenever, for example (as naturally follows from the connection of children with their fathers, and, as Onkelos has added in his paraphrase of the words), “the children fill up the sins of their fathers,” so that the descendants suffer punishment for both their own and their forefathers’ misdeeds (Lev 26:39; Isa 65:7; Amo 7:17; Jer 16:11.; Dan 9:16). But when, on the other hand, the hating ceases, when the children forsake their fathers’ evil ways, the warmth of the divine wrath is turned into the warmth of love, and God becomes חסד עשׂה (“showing mercy”) to them; and this mercy endures not only to the third and fourth generation, but to the thousandth generation, though only in relation to those who love God, and manifest this love by keeping His commandments. “If God continues for a long time His visitation of sin, He continues to all eternity His manifestation of mercy, and we cannot have a better proof of this than in the history of Israel itself” (Schultz).On the visitation of the sins of the fathers upon the children, see also Hengstenberg, Dissertations, vol. ii. p. 446ff.

Exo 20:7

The Third Word, “Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain,” is closely connected with the former two. Although there is no God beside Jehovah, the absolute One, and His divine essence cannot be seen or conceived of under any form, He had made known the glory of His nature in His name (Exo 3:14., Exo 6:2), and this was not to be abused by His people. שׁם נשׁא does not mean to utter the name (נשׁא never has this meaning), but in all the passages in which it has been so rendered it retains its proper meaning, “to take up, life up, raise;” e.g., to take up or raise (begin) a proverb (Num 23:7; Job 27:1), to lift up a song (Psa 81:3), or a prayer (Isa 37:4). And it is evident from the parallel in Psa 24:4, “to lift up his soul to vanity,” that it does not mean “to utter” here. שׁוא does not signify a lie (שׁקר), but according to its etymon שׁאה, to be waste, it denotes that which is waste and disorder, hence that which is empty, vain, and nugatory, for which there is no occasion. The word prohibits all employment of the name of God for vain and unworthy objects, and includes not only false swearing, which is condemned in Lev 19:12 as a profanation of the name of Jehovah, but trivial swearing in the ordinary intercourse of life, and every use of the name of God in the service of untruth and lying, for imprecation, witchcraft, or conjuring; whereas the true employment of the name of God is confined to “invocation, prayer, praise, and thanksgiving,” which proceeds from a pure, believing heart. The natural heart is very liable to transgress this command, and therefore it is solemnly enforced by the threat, “for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless” (leave him unpunished), etc.

Exo 20:8-11

The Fourth Word, “Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy,” presupposes an acquaintance with the Sabbath, as the expression “remember” is sufficient to show, but not that the Sabbath had been kept before this. From the history of the creation that had been handed down, Israel must have known, that after God had created the world in six days He rested the seventh day, and by His resting sanctified the day (Gen 2:3). But hitherto there had been no commandment given to man to sanctify the day. This was given for the first time to Israel at Sinai, after preparation had been made for it by the fact that the manna did not fall on the seventh day of the week (Exo 16:22). Here therefore the mode of sanctifying it was established for the first time. The seventh day was to be שׁבּי (a festival-keeper, see Exo 16:23), i.e., a day of rest belonging to the Lord, and to be consecrated to Him by the fact that no work was performed upon it. The command not to do any (כּל) work applied to both man and beast without exception. Those who were to rest are divided into two classes by the omission of the cop. ו before עבדּך (Exo 20:10): viz., first, free Israelites (“thou”) and their children (“thy son and thy daughter”); and secondly, their slaves (man-servant and maid-servant), and cattle (beasts of draught and burden), and their strangers, i.e., foreign labourers who had settled among the Israelites. “Within thy gates” is equivalent to in the cities, towns, and villages of thy land, not in thy houses (cf. Deu 5:14; Deu 14:21, etc.). שׁער (a gate) is only applied to the entrances to towns, or large enclosed courts and palaces, never to the entrances into ordinary houses, huts, and tents. מלאכה work (cf. Gen 2:2), as distinguished from עבדה labour, is not so much a term denoting a lighter kind of labour, as a general and comprehensive term applied to the performance of any task, whether easy or severe. עבדה is the execution of a definite task, whether in field labour (Psa 104:23) and mechanical employment (Exo 39:32) on the one hand, or priestly service and the duties connected with worship on the other (Exo 12:25-26; Num 4:47). On the Sabbath (and also on the day of atonement, Lev 23:28, Lev 23:31) every occupation was to rest; on the other feast-days only laborious occupations (עבדה מלאכת, Lev 23:7.), i.e., such occupations as came under the denomination of labour, business, or industrial employment. Consequently, not only were ploughing and reaping (Exo 34:21), pressing wine and carrying goods (Neh 13:15), bearing burdens (Jer 17:21), carrying on trade (Amo 8:5), and holding markets (Neh 13:15.) prohibited, but collecting manna (Exo 16:26.), gathering wood (Num 15:32.), and kindling fire for the purpose of boiling or baking (Exo 35:3). The intention of this resting from every occupation on the Sabbath is evident from the foundation upon which the commandment is based in Exo 20:11, viz., that at the creation of the heaven and the earth Jehovah rested on the seventh day, and therefore blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it. This does not imply, however, that “Israel was to follow the Lord by keeping the Sabbath, and, in imitation of His example, to be active where the Lord was active, and rest where the Lord rested; to copy the Lord in accordance with the lofty aim of man, who was created in His likeness, and make the pulsation of the divine life in a certain sense his own” (Schultz). For although a parallel is drawn, between the creation of the world by God in six days and His resting upon the seventh day on the one hand, and the labour of man for six days and his resting upon the seventh on the other; the reason for the keeping of the Sabbath is not to be found in this parallel, but in the fact that God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because He rested upon it. The significance of the Sabbath, therefore, is to be found in God’s blessing and sanctifying the seventh day of the week at the creation, i.e., in the fact, that after the work of creation was finished on the seventh day, God blessed and hallowed the created world, filling it with the powers of peace and good belonging to His own blessed rest, and raising it to a participation in the pure light of His holy nature (see Gen 2:3). For this reason His people Israel were to keep the Sabbath now, not for the purpose of imitating what God had done, and enjoying the blessing of God by thus following God Himself, but that on this day they also might rest from their work; and that all the more, because their work was no longer the work appointed to man at the first, when he was created in the likeness of God, work which did not interrupt his blessedness in God (Gen 2:15), but that hard labour in the sweat of his brow to which he had been condemned in consequence of the fall. In order therefore that His people might rest from toil so oppressive to both body and soul, and be refreshed, God prescribed the keeping of the Sabbath, that they might thus possess a day for the repose and elevation of their spirits, and a foretaste of the blessedness into which the people of God are at last to enter, the blessedness of the eternal κατάπαυσις ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ (Heb 4:10), the ἀνάπαυσις ἐκ τῶν κόπων (Rev 14:13). See my Archaeologie, §77).

But instead of this objective ground for the sabbatical festival, which furnished the true idea of the Sabbath, when Moses recapitulated the decalogue, he adduced only the subjective aspect of rest or refreshing (Deu 5:14-15), reminding the people, just as in Exo 23:12, of their bondage in Egypt and their deliverance from it by the strong arm of Jehovah, and then adding, “therefore (that thou mightest remember this deliverance from bondage) Jehovah commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day.” This is not at variance with the reason given in the present verse, but simply gives prominence to a subjective aspect, which was peculiarly adapted to warm the hearts of the people towards the observance of the Sabbath, and to render the Sabbath rest dear to the people, since it served to keep the Israelites constantly in mind of the rest which Jehovah had procured for them from the slave labour of Egypt. For resting from every work is the basis of the observance of the Sabbath; but this observance is an institution peculiar to the Old Testament, and not to be met with in any other nation, though there are many among whom the division of weeks occurs. The observance of the Sabbath, by being adopted into the decalogue, was made the foundation of all the festal times and observances of the Israelites, as they all culminated in the Sabbath rest. At the same time, as an ἐντολὴ τοῦ νόμον, an ingredient in the Sinaitic law, it belonged to the “shadow of (good) things to come” (Col 2:17, cf. Heb 10:1), which was to be done away when the “body” in Christ had come. Christ is Lord of the Sabbath (Mat 12:8), and after the completion of His work, He also rested on the Sabbath. But He rose again on the Sunday; and through His resurrection, which is the pledge to the world of the fruits of His redeeming work, He has made this day the κυριακὴ ἡμέρα (Lord’s day) for His Church, to be observed by it till the Captain of its salvation shall return, and having finished the judgment upon all His foes to the very last shall lead it to the rest of that eternal Sabbath, which God prepared for the whole creation through His own resting after the completion of the heaven and the earth.

Exo 20:12

The Fifth Word, “Honour thy father and thy mother,” does not refer to fellow-men, but to “those who are the representatives (vicarii) of God. Therefore, as God is to be served with honour and fear, His representatives are to be so too” (Luther decem. praec.). This is placed beyond all doubt by Lev 19:3, where reverence towards parents is placed on an equality with the observance of the Sabbath, and תּירא (fear) is substituted for כּבּד (honour). It also follows from כּבּד, which, as Calvin correctly observes, nihil aliud est quam Deo et hominibus, qui dignitate pollent, justum honorem deferre. Fellow-men or neighbours (רע) are to be loved (Lev 19:18): parents, on the other hand, are to be honoured and feared; reverence is to be shown to them with heart, mouth, and hand - in thought, word, and deed. But by father and mother we are not to understand merely the authors and preservers of our bodily life, but also the founders, protectors, and promoters of our spiritual life, such as prophets and teachers, to whom sometimes the name of father is given (2Ki 2:12; 2Ki 13:14), whilst at other times paternity is ascribed to them by their scholars being called sons and daughters (Psa 34:12; Psa 45:11; Pro 1:8, Pro 1:10, Pro 1:15, etc.); also the guardians of our bodily and spiritual life, the powers ordained of God, to whom the names of father and mother (Gen 45:8; Jdg 5:7) may justly be applied, since all government has grown out of the relation of father and child, and draws its moral weight and stability, upon which the prosperity and well-being of a nation depends, from the reverence of children towards their parents.“In this demand for reverence to parents, the fifth commandment lays the foundation for the sanctification of the whole social life, inasmuch as it thereby teaches us to acknowledge a divine authority in the same” (Oehler, Dekalog, p. 322).

And the promise, “that thy days may be long (thou mayest live long) in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee,” also points to this. There is a double promise here. So long as the nation rejoiced in the possession of obedient children, it was assured of a long life or existence in the land of Canaan; but there is also included the promise of a long life, i.e., a great age, to individuals (cf. Deu 6:2; Deu 22:7), just as we find in 1Ki 3:14 a good old age referred to as a special blessing from God. In Deu 5:16, the promise of long life is followed by the words, “and that it may be well with thee,” which do not later the sense, but merely explain it more fully.

As the majesty of God was thus to be honoured and feared in parents, so the image of God was to be kept sacred in all men. This thought forms the transition to the rest of the commandments.

Exo 20:13-17

The other Five Words or commandments, which determine the duties to one’s neighbour, are summed up in Lev 19:18 in the one word, “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” The order in which they follow one another is the following: they first of all secure life, marriage, and property against active invasion or attack, and then, proceeding from deed to word and thought, they forbid false witness and coveting.Luther has pointed out this mirum et aptum ordinem, and expounds it thus: Incipit prohibitio a majori usque ad minimum, nam maximum damnum est occisio hominis, deinde proximum violatio conjugis, tertium ablatio facultatis. Quod qui in iis nocere non possunt, saltem lingua nocent, ideo quartum est laesio famae. Quodsi in iis non praevalent omnibus, saltem corde laedunt proximum, cupiendo quae ejus sunt, in quo et invidia proprie consistit.

If, therefore, the first three commandments in this table refer primarily to deeds; the subsequent advance to the prohibition of desire is a proof that the deed is not to be separated from the disposition, and that “the fulfilment of the law is only complete when the heart itself is sanctified” (Oehler). Accordingly, in the command, “Thou shalt not kill,” not only is the accomplished fact of murder condemned, whether it proceed from open violence or stratagem (Exo 21:12, Exo 21:14, Exo 21:18), but every act that endangers human life, whether it arise from carelessness (Deu 22:8) or wantonness (Lev 19:14), or from hatred, anger, and revenge (Lev 19:17-18). Life is placed at the head of these commandments, not as being the highest earthly possession, but because it is the basis of human existence, and in the life the personality is attacked, and in that the image of God (Gen 9:6). The omission of the object still remains to be noticed, as showing that the prohibition includes not only the killing of a fellow-man, but the destruction of one’s own life, or suicide. - The two following commandments are couched in equally general terms. Adultery, נאף, which is used in Lev 20:10 of both man and woman, signifies (as distinguished from זנה to commit fornication) the sexual intercourse of a husband with the wife of another, or of a wife with the husband of another. This prohibition is not only directed against any assault upon the husband’s dearest possession, for the tenth commandment guards against that, but upholds the sacredness of marriage as the divine appointment for the propagation and multiplication of the human race; and although addressed primarily to the man, like all the commandments that were given to the whole nation, applies quite as much to the woman as to the man, just as we find in Lev 20:10 that adultery was to be punished with death in the case of both the man and the woman. - Property was to be equally inviolable. The command, “Thou shalt not steal,” prohibited not only the secret or open removal of another person’s property, but injury done to it, or fraudulent retention of it, through carelessness or indifference (Exo 21:33; Exo 22:13; Exo 23:4-5; Deu 22:1-4). - But lest these commandments should be understood as relating merely to the outward act as such, as they were by the Pharisees, in opposition to whom Christ set forth their true fulfilment (Mat 5:21.), God added the further prohibition, “Thou shalt not answer as a false witness against thy neighbour,” i.e., give false testimony against him. ענה and בּ: to answer or give evidence against a person (Gen 30:33). עד is not evidence, but a witness. Instead of שׁקר עד, a witness of a lie, who consciously gives utterance to falsehood, we find שׁוא עד in Deuteronomy, one who says what is vain, worthless, unfounded (שׁוא שׁמע, Exo 23:1; on שׁוא see Exo 23:7). From this it is evident, that not only is lying prohibited, but false and unfounded evidence in general; and not only evidence before a judge, but false evidence of every kind, by which (according to the context) the life, married relation, or property of a neighbour might be endangered (cf. Exo 23:1; Num 35:30; Deu 17:6; Deu 19:15; Deu 22:13.). - The last or tenth commandment is directed against desiring (coveting), as the root from which every sin against a neighbour springs, whether it be in word or deed. The חמד, ἐπιθυμεῖν (lxx), coveting, proceeds from the heart (Pro 6:25), and brings forth sin, which “is finished” in the act (Jam 1:14-15). The repetition of the words, “Thou shalt not covet,” does not prove that there are two different commandments, any more than the substitution of תּתאוּה in Deu 5:18 for the second תּחמד. חמד and התאוּה are synonyms, - the only difference between them being, that “the former denotes the desire as founded upon the perception of beauty, and therefore excited from without, the latter, desire originating at the very outset in the person himself, and arising from his own want or inclination” (Schultz). The repetition merely serves to strengthen and give the great emphasis to that which constitutes the very kernel of the command, and is just as much in harmony with the simple and appropriate language of the law, as the employment of a synonym in the place of the repetition of the same word is with the rhetorical character of Deuteronomy. Moreover, the objects of desire do not point to two different commandments. This is evident at once from the transposition of the house and wife in Deuteronomy. בּית (the house) is not merely the dwelling, but the entire household (as in Gen 15:2; Job 8:15), either including the wife, or exclusive of her. In the text before us she is included; in Deuteronomy she is not, but is placed first as the crown of the man, and a possession more costly than pearls (Pro 12:4; Pro 31:10). In this case, the idea of the “house” is restricted to the other property belonging to the domestic economy, which is classified in Deuteronomy as fields, servants, cattle, and whatever else a man may have; whereas in Exodus the “house” is divided into wife, servants, cattle, and the rest of the possessions.

Exo 20:18-19 (cf. Deu 5:19-33). The terrible phenomena, amidst which the Lord displayed His majesty, made the intended impression upon the people who were stationed by the mountain below, so that they desired that God would not speak to them any more, and entreated Moses through their elders to act as mediator between them, promising at the same time that they would hear him (cf. Exo 19:9, Exo 19:16-19). ראים, perceiving: ראה to see being frequently used for perceiving, as being the principle sense by which most of the impressions of the outer world are received (e.g., Gen 42:1; Isa 44:16; Jer 33:24). לפּידם, fire-torches, are the vivid flashes of lightning (Exo 19:16). “They trembled and stood afar off:” not daring to come nearer to the mountain, or to ascend it. “And they said,” viz., the heads of the tribes and elders: cf. Deu 5:20, where the words of the people are more fully given. “Lest we die:” cf. Deu 5:21-23. Though they had discovered that God speaks with man, and yet man lives; they felt so much that they were בּשׂר, flesh, i.e., powerless, frail, and alienated by sin from the holy God, that they were afraid lest they should be consumed by this great fire, if they listened any longer to the voice of God.

Exo 20:20

To direct the sinner’s holy awe in the presence of the holy God, which was expressed in these words of the people, into the proper course of healthy and enduring penitence, Moses first of all took away the false fear of death by the encouraging answer, “Fear not,” and then immediately added, “for God is come to prove you.” נסּוּת referred to the testing of the state of the heart in relation to God, as it is explained in the exegetical clause which follows: “that His fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.” By this terrible display of His glory, God desired to inspire them with the true fear of Himself, that they might not sin through distrust, disobedience, or resistance to His guidance and commands.

Exo 20:21

“So the people stood afar off” (as in Exo 20:18), not “went far away,” although, according to Deu 5:30, Moses was directed by God to tell the people to return to their tents. This is passed over here, and it is merely observed, for the purpose of closing the first act in the giving the law, and preparing the way for the second, that the people remained afar off, whereas Moses (and Aaron, cf. Exo 19:24) drew near to the darkness where God was, to receive the further commands of the Lord.

Exo 20:22-23

The General Form of Divine Worship in Israel. - As Jehovah had spoken to the Israelites from heaven, they were not to make gods of earthly materials, such as silver and gold, by the side of Him, but simply to construct an altar of earth or unhewn stones without steps, for the offering up of His sacrifices at the place where He would reveal Himself. “From heaven” Jehovah came down upon Sinai enveloped in the darkness of a cloud; and thereby He made known to the people that His nature was heavenly, and could not be imitated in any earthly material. “Ye shall not make with Me,” place by the side of, or on a par with Me,” “gods of silver and gold,” - that is to say, idols primarily intended to represent the nature of God, and therefore meant as symbols of Jehovah, but which became false gods from the very fact that they were intended as representations of the purely spiritual God.

Exo 20:24-26

For the worship of Jehovah, the God of heaven, Israel needed only an altar, on which to cause its sacrifices to ascend to God. The altar, as an elevation built up of earth or rough stones, was a symbol of the elevation of man to God, who is enthroned on high in the heaven; and because man was to raise himself to God in his sacrifices, Israel also was to make an altar, though only of earth, or if of stones, not of hewn stones. “For if thou swingest thy tool (חרב lit., sharpness, then any edge tool) over it (over the stone), thou defilest it” (Exo 20:25). “Of earth:” i.e., not “of comparatively simple materials, such as befitted a representation of the creature” (Schultz on Deut 12); ); for the altar was not to represent the creature, but to be the place to which God came to receive man into His fellowship there. For this reason the altar was to be made of the same material, which formed the earthly soil for the kingdom of God, either of earth or else of stones, just as they existed in their natural state; not, however, “because unpolished stones, which retain their true and native condition, appear to be endowed with a certain native purity, and therefore to be most in harmony with the sanctity of an altar” (Spencer de legg. Hebr. rit. lib. ii. c. 6), for the “native purity” of the earth does not agree with Gen 3:17; but because the altar was to set forth the nature of the simple earthly soil, unaltered by the hand of man. The earth, which has been involved in the curse of sin, is to be renewed and glorified into the kingdom of God, not by sinful men, but by the gracious hand of God alone. Moreover, Israel was not to erect the altar for its sacrifices in any place that it might choose, but only in every place in which Jehovah should bring His name to remembrance. וגו שׁם הזכּיר does not mean “to make the name of the Lord remembered,” i.e., to cause men to remember it; but to establish a memorial of His name, i.e., to make a glorious revelation of His divine nature, and thereby to consecrate the place into a holy soil (cf. Exo 3:5), upon which Jehovah would come to Israel and bless it. Lastly, the command not to go up to the altar by steps (Exo 20:26) is followed by the words, “that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.” It was in the feeling of shame that the consciousness of sin first manifested itself, and it was in the shame that the sin was chiefly apparent (Gen 3:7); hence the nakedness was a disclosure of sin, through which the altar of God would be desecrated, and for this reason it was forbidden to ascend to the altar by steps. These directions with reference to the altar to be built do not refer merely to the altar, which was built for the conclusion of the covenant, nor are they at variance with the later instructions respecting the one altar at the tabernacle, upon which all the sacrifices were to be presented (Lev 17:8-9; Deu 12:5.), nor are they merely “provisional” but they lay the foundation for the future laws with reference to the places of worship, though without restricting them to one particular locality on the one hand, or allowing an unlimited number of altars on the other. Hence “several places and altars are referred to here, because, whilst the people were wandering in the desert, there could be no fixed place for the tabernacle” (Riehm). But the erection of the altar is unquestionably limited to every place which Jehovah appointed for the purpose by a revelation. We are not to understand the words, however, as referring merely to those places in which the tabernacle and its altar were erected, and to the site of the future temple (Sinai, Shilloh, and Jerusalem), but to all those places also where altars were built and sacrifices offered on extraordinary occasions, on account of God, - appearing there such, for example, as Ebal (Jos 8:30 compared with Deu 27:5), the rock in Ophrah (Jdg 6:25-26), and many other places besides.

The Ten Commandments. (b. c. 1491.)

1 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Here is, I. The preface of the law-writer, Moses: God spoke all these words, v. 1. The law of the ten commandments is, 1. A law of God's making. They are enjoined by the infinite eternal Majesty of heaven and earth. And where the word of the King of kings is surely there is power. 2. It is a law of his own speaking. God has many ways of speaking to the children of men (Job xxxiii. 14); once, yea twice—by his Spirit, by conscience, by providences, by his voice, all which we ought carefully to attend to; but he never spoke, at any time, upon any occasion, as he spoke the ten commandments, which therefore we ought to hear with the more earnest heed. They were not only spoken audibly (so he owned the Redeemer by a voice from heaven, Matt. iii. 17), but with a great deal of dreadful pomp. This law God had given to man before (it was written in his heart by nature); but sin had so defaced that writing that it was necessary, in this manner, to revive the knowledge of it.

II. The preface of the Law-maker: I am the Lord thy God, v. 2. Herein, 1. God asserts his own authority to enact this law in general: "I am the Lord who command thee all that follows." 2. He proposes himself as the sole object of that religious worship which is enjoined in the first four of the commandments. They are here bound to obedience by a threefold cord, which, one would think, could not easily be broken. (1.) Because God is the Lord—Jehovah, self-existent, independent, eternal, and the fountain of all being and power; therefore he has an incontestable right to command us. He that gives being may give law; and therefore he is able to bear us out in our obedience, to reward it, and to punish our disobedience. (2.) He was their God, a God in covenant with them, their God by their own consent; and, if they would not keep his commandments, who would? He had laid himself under obligations to them by promise, and therefore might justly lay his obligations on them by precept. Though that covenant of peculiarity is now no more, yet there is another, by virtue of which all that are baptized are taken into relation to him as their God, and are therefore unjust, unfaithful, and very ungrateful, if they obey him not. (3.) He had brought them out of the land of Egypt; therefore they were bound in gratitude to obey him, because he had done them so great a kindness, had brought them out of a grievous slavery into a glorious liberty. They themselves had been eye-witnesses of the great things God had done in order to their deliverance, and could not but have observed that every circumstance of it heightened their obligation. They were now enjoying the blessed fruits of their deliverance, and in expectation of a speedy settlement in Canaan; and could they think any thing too much to do for him that had done so much for them? Nay, by redeeming them, he acquired a further right to rule them; they owed their service to him to whom they owed their freedom, and whose they were by purchase. And thus Christ, having rescued us out of the bondage of sin, is entitled to the best service we can do him, Luke i. 74. Having loosed our bonds, he has bound us to obey him, Ps. cxvi. 16.

III. The law itself. The first four of the ten commandments, which concern our duty to God (commonly called the first table), we have in these verses. It was fit that those should be put first, because man had a Maker to love before he had a neighbour to love; and justice and charity are acceptable acts of obedience to God only when they flow from the principles of piety. It cannot be expected that he should be true to his brother who is false to his God. Now our duty to God is, in one word, to worship him, that is, to give to him the glory due to his name, the inward worship of our affections, the outward worship of solemn address and attendance. This is spoken of as the sum and substance of the everlasting gospel. Rev. xiv. 7, Worship God.

1. The first commandment concerns the object of our worship, Jehovah, and him only (v. 3): Thou shalt have no other gods before me. The Egyptians, and other neighbouring nations, had many gods, the creatures of their own fancy, strange gods, new gods; this law was prefixed because of that transgression, and, Jehovah being the God of Israel, they must entirely cleave to him, and not be for any other, either of their own invention or borrowed from their neighbours. This was the sin they were most in danger of now that the world was so overspread with polytheism, which yet could not be rooted out effectually but by the gospel of Christ. The sin against this commandment which we are most in danger of is giving the glory and honour to any creature which are due to God only. Pride makes a god of self, covetousness makes a god of money, sensuality makes a god of the belly; whatever is esteemed or loved, feared or served, delighted in or depended on, more than God, that (whatever it is) we do in effect make a god of. This prohibition includes a precept which is the foundation of the whole law, that we take the Lord for our God, acknowledge that he is God, accept him for ours, adore him with admiration and humble reverence, and set our affections entirely upon him. In the last words, before me, it is intimated, (1.) That we cannot have any other God but he will certainly know it. There is none besides him but what is before him. Idolaters covet secresy; but shall not God search this out? (2.) That it is very provoking to him; it is a sin that dares him to his face, which he cannot, which he will not, overlook, nor connive at. See Ps. xliv. 20, 21.

2. The second commandment concerns the ordinances of worship, or the way in which God will be worshipped, which it is fit that he himself should have the appointing of. Here is,

(1.) The prohibition: we are here forbidden to worship even the true God by images, v. 4, 5. [1.] The Jews (at least after the captivity) thought themselves forbidden by this commandment to make any image or picture whatsoever. Hence the very images which the Roman armies had in their ensigns are called an abomination to them (Matt. xxiv. 15), especially when they were set up in the holy place. It is certain that it forbids making any image of God (for to whom can we liken him? Isa. xl. 18, 15), or the image of any creature for a religious use. It is called the changing of the truth of God into a lie (Rom. i. 25), for an image is a teacher of lies; it insinuates to us that God has a body, whereas he is an infinite spirit, Hab. ii. 18. It also forbids us to make images of God in our fancies, as if he were a man as we are. Our religious worship must be governed by the power of faith, not by the power of imagination. They must not make such images or pictures as the heathen worshipped, lest they also should be tempted to worship them. Those who would be kept from sin must keep themselves from the occasions of it. [2.] They must not bow down to them occasionally, that is, show any sign of respect or honour to them, much less serve them constantly, by sacrifice or incense, or any other act of religious worship. When they paid their devotion to the true God, they must not have any image before them, for the directing, exciting, or assisting of their devotion. Though the worship was designed to terminate in God, it would not please him if it came to him through an image. The best and most ancient lawgivers among the heathen forbade the setting up of images in their temples. This practice was forbidden in Rome by Numa, a pagan prince; yet commanded in Rome by the pope, a Christian bishop, but, in this, anti-christian. The use of images in the church of Rome, at this day, is so plainly contrary to the letter of this command, and so impossible to be reconciled to it, that in all their catechisms and books of devotion, which they put into the hands of the people, they leave out this commandment, joining the reason of it to the first; and so the third commandment they call the second, the fourth the third, &c.; only, to make up the number ten, they divide the tenth into two. Thus have they committed two great evils, in which they persist, and from which they hate to be reformed; they take away from God's word, and add to his worship.

(2.) The reasons to enforce this prohibition (v. 5, 6), which are, [1.] God's jealousy in the matters of his worship: "I am the Lord Jehovah, and thy God, am a jealous God, especially in things of this nature." This intimates the care he has of his own institutions, his hatred of idolatry and all false worship, his displeasure against idolaters, and that he resents every thing in his worship that looks like, or leads to, idolatry. Jealousy is quicksighted. Idolatry being spiritual adultery, as it is very often represented in scripture, the displeasure of God against it is fitly called jealousy. If God is jealous herein, we should be so, afraid of offering any worship to God otherwise than as he has appointed in his word. [2.] The punishment of idolaters. God looks upon them as haters of him, though they perhaps pretend love to him; he will visit their iniquity, that is, he will very severely punish it, not only as a breach of his law, but as an affront to his majesty, a violation of the covenant, and a blow at the root of all religion. He will visit it upon the children, that is, this being a sin for which churches shall be unchurched and a bill of divorce given them, the children shall be cast out of covenant and communion together with the parents, as with the parents the children were at first taken in. Or he will bring such judgments upon a people as shall be the total ruin of families. If idolaters live to be old, so as to see their children of the third or fourth generation, it shall be the vexation of their eyes, and the breaking of their hearts, to see them fall by the sword, carried captive, and enslaved. Nor is it an unrighteous thing with God (if the parents died in their iniquity, and the children tread in their steps, and keep up false worships, because they received them by tradition from their fathers), when the measure is full, and God comes by his judgments to reckon with them, to bring into the account the idolatries their fathers were guilty of. Though he bear long with an idolatrous people, he will not bear always, but by the fourth generation, at furthest, he will begin to visit. Children are dear to their parents; therefore, to deter men from idolatry, and to show how much God is displeased with it, not only a brand of infamy is by it entailed upon families, but the judgments of God may for it be executed upon the poor children when the parents are dead and gone. [3.] The favour God would show to his faithful worshippers: Keeping mercy for thousands of persons, thousands of generations of those that love me, and keep my commandments. This intimates that the second commandment, though, in the letter of it, it is only a prohibition of false worships, yet includes a precept of worshipping God in all those ordinances which he has instituted. As the first commandment requires the inward worship of love, desire, joy, hope, and admiration, so the second requires the outward worship of prayer and praise, and solemn attendance on God's word. Note, First, Those that truly love God will make it their constant care and endeavour to keep his commandments, particularly those that relate to his worship. Those that love God, and keep those commandments, shall receive grace to keep his other commandments. Gospel worship will have a good influence upon all manner of gospel obedience. Secondly, God has mercy in store for such. Even they need mercy, and cannot plead merit; and mercy they shall find with God, merciful protection in their obedience and a merciful recompence of it. Thirdly, This mercy shall extend to thousands, much further than the wrath threatened to those that hate him, for that reaches but to the third or fourth generation. The streams of mercy run now as full, as free, and as fresh, as ever.

3. The third commandment concerns the manner of our worship, that it be done with all possible reverence and seriousness, v. 7. We have here,

(1.) A strict prohibition: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. It is supposed that, having taken Jehovah for their God, they would make mention of his name (for thus all people will walk every one in the name of his god); this command gives a needful caution not to mention it in vain, and it is still as needful as ever. We take God's name in vain, [1.] By hypocrisy, making a profession of God's name, but not living up to that profession. Those that name the name of Christ, but do not depart from iniquity, as that name binds them to do, name it in vain; their worship is vain (Matt. xv. 7-9), their oblations are vain (Isa. i. 11, 13), their religion is vain, Jam. i. 26. [2.] By covenant-breaking; if we make promises to God, binding our souls with those bonds to that which is good, and yet perform not to the Lord our vows, we take his name in vain (Matt. v. 33), it is folly, and God has no pleasure in fools (Eccl. v. 4), nor will he be mocked, Gal. vi. 7. [3.] By rash swearing, mentioning the name of God, or any of his attributes, in the form of an oath, without any just occasion for it, or due application of mind to it, but as a by-word, to no purpose at all, or to no good purpose. [4.] By false swearing, which, some think, is chiefly intended in the letter of the commandment; so it was expounded by those of old time. Thou shalt not forswear thyself, Matt. v. 33. One part of the religious regard the Jews were taught to pay to their God was to swear by his name, Deut. x. 20. But they affronted him, instead of doing him honour, if they called him to be witness to a lie. [5.] By using the name of God lightly and carelessly, and without any regard to its awful significancy. The profanation of the forms of devotion is forbidden, as well as the profanation of the forms of swearing; as also the profanation of any of those things whereby God makes himself known, his word, or any of his institutions; when they are either turned into charms and spells, or into jest and sport, the name of God is taken in vain.

(2.) A severe penalty: The Lord will not hold him guiltless; magistrates, who punish other offences, may not think themselves concerned to take notice of this, because it does not immediately offer injury either to private property or the public peace; but God, who is jealous for his honour, will not thus connive at it. The sinner may perhaps hold himself guiltless, and think there is no harm in it, and that God will never call him to an account for it. To obviate this suggestion, the threatening is thus expressed, God will not hold him guiltless, as he hopes he will; but more is implied, namely, that God will himself be the avenger of those that take his name in vain, and they will find it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

4. The fourth commandment concerns the time of worship. God is to be served and honoured daily, but one day in seven is to be particularly dedicated to his honour and spent in his service. Here is,

(1.) The command itself (v. 8): Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy; and (v. 10), In it thou shalt do no manner of work. It is taken for granted that the sabbath was instituted before; we read of God's blessing and sanctifying a seventh day from the beginning (Gen. ii. 3), so that this was not the enacting of a new law, but the reviving of an old law. [1.] They are told what is the day they must religiously observe—a seventh, after six days' labour; whether this was the seventh by computation from the first seventh, or from the day of their coming out of Egypt, or both, is not certain: now the precise day was notified to them (ch. xvi. 23), and from this they were to observe the seventh. [2.] How it must be observed. First, As a day of rest; they were to do no manner of work on this day in their callings or worldly business. Secondly, As a holy day, set apart to the honour of the holy God, and to be spent in holy exercises. God, by blessing it, had made it holy; they, by solemnly blessing him, must keep it holy, and not alienate it to any other purpose than that for which the difference between it and other days was instituted. [3.] Who must observe it: Thou, and thy son, and thy daughter; the wife is not mentioned, because she is supposed to be one with the husband and present with him, and, if he sanctify the sabbath, it is taken for granted that she will join with him; but the rest of the family are specified. Children and servants must keep the sabbath, according to their age and capacity: in this, as in other instances of religion, it is expected that masters of families should take care, not only to serve the Lord themselves, but that their houses also should serve him, at least that it may not be through their neglect if they do not, Josh. xxiv. 15. Even the proselyted strangers must observe a difference between this day and other days, which, if it laid some restraint upon them then, yet proved a happy indication of God's gracious purpose, in process of time, to bring the Gentiles into the church, that they might share in the benefit of sabbaths. Compare Isa. lvi. 6, 7. God takes notice of what we do, particularly what we do on sabbath days, though we should be where we are strangers. [4.] A particular memorandum put upon this duty: Remember it. It is intimated that the sabbath was instituted and observed before; but in their bondage in Egypt they had lost their computation, or were restrained by their task-masters, or, through a great degeneracy and indifference in religion, they had let fall the observance of it, and therefore it was requisite they should be reminded of it. Note, Neglected duties remain duties still, notwithstanding our neglect. It also intimates that we are both apt to forget it and concerned to remember it. Some think it denotes the preparation we are to make for the sabbath; we must think of it before it comes, that, when it does come, we may keep it holy, and do the duty of it.

(2.) The reasons of this command. [1.] We have time enough for ourselves in those six days, on the seventh day let us serve God; and time enough to tire ourselves, on the seventh it will be a kindness to us to be obliged to rest. [2.] This is God's day: it is the sabbath of the Lord thy God, not only instituted by him, but consecrated to him. It is sacrilege to alienate it; the sanctification of it is a debt. [3.] It is designed for a memorial of the creation of the world, and therefore to be observed to the glory of the Creator, as an engagement upon ourselves to serve him and an encouragement to us to trust in him who made heaven and earth. By the sanctification of the sabbath, the Jews declared that they worshipped the God that made the world, and so distinguished themselves from all other nations, who worshipped gods which they themselves made. [4.] God has given us an example of rest, after six days' work: he rested the seventh day, took a complacency in himself, and rejoiced in the work of his hand, to teach us, on that day, to take a complacency in him, and to give him the glory of his works, Ps. xcii. 4. The sabbath began in the finishing of the work of creation, so will the everlasting sabbath in the finishing of the work of providence and redemption; and we observe the weekly sabbath in expectation of that, as well as in remembrance of the former, in both conforming ourselves to him we worship. [5.] He has himself blessed the sabbath day and sanctified it. He has put an honour upon it by setting it apart for himself; it is the holy of the Lord and honourable: and he has put blessings into it, which he has encouraged us to expect from him in the religious observance of that day. It is the day which the Lord hath made, let not us do what we can to unmake it. He has blessed, honoured, and sanctified it, let not us profane it, dishonour it, and level that with common time which God's blessing has thus dignified and distinguished.

12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 13 Thou shalt not kill. 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15 Thou shalt not steal. 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

We have here the laws of the second table, as they are commonly called, the last six of the ten commandments, comprehending our duty to ourselves and to one another, and constituting a comment upon the second great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. As religion towards God is an essential branch of universal righteousness, so righteousness towards men is an essential branch of true religion. Godliness and honesty must go together.

I. The fifth commandment concerns the duties we owe to our relations; those of children to their parents are alone specified: Honour thy father and thy mother, which includes, 1. A decent respect to their persons, an inward esteem of them outwardly expressed upon all occasions in our conduct towards them. Fear them (Lev. xix. 3), give them reverence, Heb. xii. 9. The contrary to this is mocking at them and despising them, Prov. xxx. 17. 2. Obedience to their lawful commands; so it is expounded (Eph. vi. 1-3): "Children, obey your parents, come when they call you, go where they send you, do what they bid you, refrain from what they forbid you; and this, as children, cheerfully, and from a principle of love." Though you have said, "We will not," yet afterwards repent and obey, Matt. xxi. 29. 3. Submission to their rebukes, instructions, and corrections; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward, out of conscience towards God. 4. Disposing of themselves with the advice, direction, and consent, of parents, not alienating their property, but with their approbation. 5. Endeavouring, in every thing, to be the comfort of their parents, and to make their old age easy to them, maintaining them if they stand in need of support, which our Saviour makes to be particularly intended in this commandment, Matt. xv. 4-6. The reason annexed to this commandment is a promise: That thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Having mentioned, in the preface to the commandments, has bringing them out of Egypt as a reason for their obedience, he here, in the beginning of the second table, mentions his bringing them into Canaan, as another reason; that good land they must have upon their thoughts and in their eye, now that they were in the wilderness. They must also remember, when they came to that land, that they were upon their good behaviour, and that, if they did not conduct themselves well, their days should be shortened in that land, both the days of particular persons who should be cut off from it, and the days of their nation which should be removed out of it. But here a long life in that good land is promised particularly to obedient children. Those that do their duty to their parents are most likely to have the comfort of that which their parents gather for them and leave to them; those that support their parents shall find that God, the common Father, will support them. This promise is expounded (Eph. vi. 3), That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Those who, in conscience towards God, keep this and the rest of God's commandments, may be sure that it shall be well with them, and that they shall live as long on earth as Infinite Wisdom sees good for them, and that what they may seem to be cut short of on earth shall be abundantly made up in eternal life, the heavenly Canaan which God will give them.

II. The sixth commandment concerns our own and our neighbour's life (v. 13): "Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not do any thing hurtful or injurious to the health, ease, and life, of thy own body, or any other person's unjustly." This is one of the laws of nature, and was strongly enforced by the precepts given to Noah and his sons, Gen. ix. 5, 6. It does not forbid killing in lawful war, or in our own necessary defence, nor the magistrate's putting offenders to death, for those things tend to the preserving of life; but it forbids all malice and hatred to the person of any (for he that hateth his brother is a murderer), and all personal revenge arising therefrom; also all rash anger upon sudden provocations, and hurt said or done, or aimed to be done, in passion: of this our Saviour expounds this commandment, Matt. v. 22. And, as that which is worst of all, it forbids persecution, laying wait for the blood of the innocent and excellent ones of the earth.

III. The seventh commandment concerns our own and our neighbour's chastity: Thou shalt not commit adultery, v. 14. This is put before the sixth by our Saviour (Mark. x. 19): Do not commit adultery, do not kill; for our chastity should be as dear to us as our lives, and we should be as much afraid of that which defiles the body as of that which destroys it. This commandment forbids all acts of uncleanness, with all those fleshly lusts which produce those acts and war against the soul, and all those practices which cherish and excite those fleshly lusts, as looking, in order to lust, which, Christ tells us, is forbidden in this commandment, Matt. v. 28.

IV. The eighth commandment concerns our own and our neighbour's wealth, estate, and goods: Thou shalt not steal, v. 15. Though God had lately allowed and appointed them to spoil the Egyptians in a way of just reprisal, yet he did not intend that it should be drawn into a precedent and that they should be allowed thus to spoil one another. This command forbids us to rob ourselves of what we have by sinful spending, or of the use and comfort of it by sinful sparing, and to rob others by removing the ancient landmarks, invading our neighbour's rights, taking his goods from his person, or house, or field, forcibly or clandestinely, over-reaching in bargains, nor restoring what is borrowed or found, withholding just debts, rents, or wages, and (which is worst of all) to rob the public in the coin or revenue, or that which is dedicated to the service of religion.

V. The ninth commandment concerns our own and our neighbour's good name: Thou shalt not bear false witness, v. 16. This forbids, 1. Speaking falsely in any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive our neighbour. 2. Speaking unjustly against our neighbour, to the prejudice of his reputation; and (which involves the guilty of both), 3. Bearing false witness against him, laying to his charge things that he knows not, either judicially, upon oath (by which the third commandment, and the sixth of eighth, as well as this, are broken), or extrajudicially, in common converse, slandering, backbiting, tale-bearing, aggravating what is done amiss and making it worse than it is, and any way endeavouring to raise our own reputation upon the ruin of our neighbour's.

VI. The tenth commandment strikes at the root: Thou shalt not covet, v. 17. The foregoing commands implicitly forbid all desire of doing that which will be an injury to our neighbour; this forbids all inordinate desire of having that which will be a gratification to ourselves. "O that such a man's house were mine! Such a man's wife mine! Such a man's estate mine!" This is certainly the language of discontent at our own lot, and envy at our neighbour's; and these are the sins principally forbidden here. St. Paul, when the grace of God caused the scales to fall from his eyes, perceived that this law, Thou shalt not covet, forbade all those irregular appetites and desires which are the first-born of the corrupt nature, the first risings of the sin that dwelleth in us, and the beginnings of all the sin that is committed by us: this is that lust which, he says, he had not known the evil of, if this commandment, when it came to his conscience in the power of it, had not shown it to him, Rom. vii. 7. God give us all to see our face in the glass of this law, and to lay our hearts under the government of it!

Terror with Which the Law Was Given. (b. c. 1491.)

18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

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 of the Lord, we may be persuaded to live in his fear. 2. It was a specimen of the terrors of the general judgment, in which sinners will be called to an account for the breach of this law: the archangel's trumpet will then sound an alarm, to give notice of the Judge's coming, and a fire shall devour before him. 3. It was an indication of the terror of those convictions which the law brings into conscience, to prepare the soul for the comforts of the gospel. Thus was the law given by Moses in such a way as might startle, affright, and humble men, that the grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ might be the more welcome. The apostle largely describes this instance of the terror of that dispensation, as a foil to set off our privileges, as Christians, in the light, liberty, and joy, of the New-Testament dispensation, Heb. xii. 18, &c.

II. The impression which this made, for the present, upon the people; they must have had stupid hearts indeed, if this had not affected them. 1. They removed, and stood afar off, v. 18. Before God began to speak, they were thrusting forward to gaze (ch. xix. 21); but now they were effectually cured of their presumption, and taught to keep their distance. 2. They entreated that the word should not be so spoken to them any more (Heb. xii. 19), but begged that God would speak to them by Moses, v. 19. Hereby they obliged themselves to acquiesce in the mediation of Moses, they themselves nominating him as a fit person to deal between them and God, and promising to hearken to him as to God's messenger; hereby also they teach us to acquiesce in that method which Infinite Wisdom takes, of speaking to us by men like ourselves, whose terror shall not make us afraid, nor their hand be heavy upon us. Once God tried the expedient of speaking to the children of men immediately, but it was found that they could not bear it; it rather drove men from God than brought them to him, and, as it proved in the issue, though it terrified them, it did not deter them from idolatry, for soon after this they worshipped the golden calf. Let us therefore rest satisfied with the instructions given us by the scriptures and the ministry; for, if we believe not them, neither should we be persuaded though God should speak to us in thunder and lightning, as he did from Mount Sinai: here that matter was determined.

III. The encouragement Moses gave them, by explaining the design of God in his terror (v. 20): Fear not, that is, "Think not that the thunder and fire are designed to consume you," which was the thing they feared (v. 19, lest we die); thunder and lightning constituted one of the plagues of Egypt, but Moses would not have them think they were sent to them on the same errand on which they were sent to the Egyptians: no, they were intended, 1. To prove them, to try how they would like dealing with God immediately, without a mediator, and so to convince them how admirably well God had chosen for them, in putting Moses into that office. Ever since Adam fled, upon hearing God's voice in the garden, sinful man could not bear either to speak to God or hear from him immediately. 2. To keep them to their duty, and prevent their sinning against God. He encourages them, saying, Fear not, and yet tells them that God thus spoke to them, that his fear might be before their face. We must not fear with amazement—with that fear which has torment, which only works upon the fancy for the present, sets us a trembling, genders to bondage, betrays us to Satan, and alienates us from God; but we must always have in our minds a reverence of God's majesty, a dread of his displeasure, and an obedient regard to his sovereign authority over us: this fear will quicken us to our duty and make us circumspect in our walking. Thus stand in awe, and sin not, Ps. iv. 4.

IV. The progress of their communion with God by the mediation of Moses, v. 21. While the people continued to stand afar off, conscious of guilt and afraid of God's wrath, Moses drew near unto the thick darkness; he was made to draw near, so the word is: Moses, of himself, durst not have ventured into the thick darkness, if God had not called him, and encouraged him, and, as some of the rabbies suppose, sent an angel to take him by the hand, and lead him up. Thus it is said of the great Mediator, I will cause him to draw near (Jer. xxx. 21), and by him it is that we also are introduced, Eph. iii. 12.

The Law Concerning Altars. (b. c. 1491.)

22 And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. 25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. 26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

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 ch. xxiii, 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 (v. 22, 23): You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven (such was his wonderful condescension, much more than for some mighty prince to talk familiarly with a company of poor beggars); now you shall not make gods of silver.

1. This repetition of the second commandment comes in here, either (1.) As pointing to that which God had chiefly in view in giving them this law in this manner, that is, their peculiar addictedness to idolatry, and the peculiar sinfulness of that crime. Ten commandments God had given them, but Moses is ordered to inculcate upon them especially the first two. They must not forget any of them, but they must be sure to remember those. Or, (2.) As pointing to that which might properly be inferred from God's speaking to them as he had done. He had given them sufficient demonstration of his presence among them; they needed not to make images of him, as if he were absent. Besides, they had only seen that he talked with them; they had seen no manner of similitude, so that they could not make any image of God; and his manifesting himself to them only by a voice plainly showed them that they must not make any such image, but keep up their communion with God by his word, and not otherwise.

2. Two arguments are here hinted against image-worship:—(1.) That thereby they would affront God, intimated in that, You shall not make with me gods. Though they pretended to worship them but as representations of God, yet really they made them rivals with God, which he would not endure. (2.) That thereby they would abuse themselves, intimated in that, "You shall not make unto you gods; while you think by them to assist your devotion, you will really corrupt it, and put a cheat upon yourselves." At first, it should seem, they made their images for worship of gold and silver, pretending, by the richness of those metals, to honour God, and, by the brightness of them, to affect themselves with his glory; but, even in these, they changed the truth of God into a lie, and so, by degrees, were justly given up to such strong delusions as to worship images of wood or stone.

II. They are here directed in making altars for worship: it is meant of occasional altars, such as they reared now in the wilderness, before the tabernacle was erected, and afterwards upon special emergencies, for present use, such as Gideon built (Judg. vi. 24), Manoah (Judg. xiii. 19), Samuel (1 Sam. vii. 17), and many others. We may suppose, now that the people of Israel were, with this glorious discovery which God had made of himself to them, that many of them would incline, in this pang of devotion, to offer sacrifice to God; and, it being necessary to a sacrifice that there be an alter, they are here appointed,

1. To make their altars very plain, either of earth or of unhewn stone, v. 24, 25. That they might not be tempted to think of a graven image, they must not so much as hew into shape the stones that they made their altars of, but pile them up as they were, in the rough. This rule being prescribed before the establishment of the ceremonial law, which appointed altars much more costly, intimates that, after the period of that law, plainness should be accepted as the best ornament of the external services of religion, and that gospel-worship should not be performed with external pomp and gaiety. The beauty of holiness needs no paint, nor do those do any service to the spouse of Christ that dress her in the attire of a harlot, as the church of Rome does: an altar of earth does best.

2. To make their altars very low (v. 26), so that they might not go up by steps to them. That the higher the altar was, and the nearer heaven, the more acceptable the sacrifice was, was a foolish fancy of the heathen, who therefore chose high places; in opposition to this, and to show that it is the elevation of the heart, not of the sacrifice, that God looks at, they were here ordered to make their altars low. We may suppose that the altars they reared in the wilderness, and other occasional altars, were designed only for the sacrifice of one beast at a time; but the altar in Solomon's temple, which was to be made much longer and broader, that it might contain many sacrifices at once, was made ten cubits high, that the height might bear a decent proportion to the length and breadth; and to that it was requisite they should go up by steps, which yet, no doubt, were so contrived as to prevent the inconvenience here spoken of, the discovering of their nakedness thereon.

III. They are here assured of God's gracious acceptance of their devotions, wherever they were paid according to his will (v. 24): In all places where I record my name, or where my name is recorded (that is, where I am worshipped in sincerity), I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. Afterwards, God chose one particular place wherein to record his name: but that being taken away now under the gospel, when men are encouraged to pray everywhere, this promise revives in its full extent, that, wherever God's people meet in his name to worship him, he will be in the midst of them, he will honour them with his presence, and reward them with the gifts of his grace; there he will come unto them, and will bless them, and more than this we need not desire for the beautifying of our solemn assemblies.

CHAP. XX.

AND God spake all these words, saying; I, Iehovah thy God which have brought thee out from the land of Egypt, from the house of servants. Thou shalt not have any other gods before my face. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven thing, or any likenesse of things which are in the heavens above, or which are in the earth beneath, or which are in the waters beneath the earth. Thou shalt not bow downe thy selfe to them neither serve them: for I Iehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquitie of the fathers upon the sonnes, upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me: And doing mercy unto thousands of them that love mee and of them that keepe my Commandements. Thou shalt not take up the name of Iehovah thy God in vaine, for Iehovah will not hold him guiltlesse, that shall take up his name in vaine. Remember thou the Sabbath day, to sanctifie it. Six daies shalt thou labour, and shalt doe all thy worke. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to Iehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not doe any worke; thou, or thy son, or thy daughter, thy man servant, or thy woman servant, or thy cattel, or thy stranger which is within thy gates. For in sixe daies Iehovah made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all which are in them; and rested in the seventh day: therefore Iehovah blessed the Sabbath day, and sanctified it. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy dayes may bee prolonged upon the land which Iehovah thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adulterie. Thou shalt not steale. Thou shalt not answer a false witnesse against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not cover thy neighbours house: thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, or his man servant, or his woman servant, or his oxe, or his asse, or any thing which is thy neighbors. And all the people saw the voices, and the lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountaine smoaking: and the people saw, and removed away; and they stood a farre off. And they said unto Moses, Speake thou with us and we will heare; and let not God speake with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people; Feare not, for God is come for to tempt you; and that his feare may be before your faces, that you may not sinne. And the people stood afarre off: and Moses drew neere unto the thicke darknesse where God was. And Iehovah said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the sons of Israel: you have seene that I have spoken with you out of the heavens. Yee shall not make with me gods of silver, or gods of gold yee shall not make unto you. An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offrings, and thy peace offrings, thy sheepe and thy oxen: In every place where I shall make the memoriall of my name, I wil come unto thee, & I wil blesse thee. And if thou wilt make unto me an altar of stones, thou shalt not build them of hewen stones: for if thou lift up thy toole upon it, thou hast polluted it. And thou shalt not goe up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakednesse be not discovered thereon.

Annotations. GOd spake] The Law was given by the ministerie of Angells, Hebr. 2. 2. Act. 7. 53. out of the midst of fire, cloud and darknesse, with a great voice, which shooke the earth, Deut. 4. 22. Heb. 12. 26. all these words] these tenne Commandements following; and he added no moe, Deut. 5. 22. wherefore they are called the ten Words, Ex. 34. 28. that is, the ten Commandements; as the Word of God, Marke 7. 13. is the commandement of God, Matth. 15. 6. See the notes on Exod. 34. 28. The Apostle calleth the Law, the voice of words, Heb. 12. 19. Vers. 2. I Iehovah] understand, I am Iehovah, as the Greeke explaineth it: or, I Iehovah am thy God. The words I Iehovah, note the unity of the God-head, as elsewhere he saith, Iehovah our God, Iehovah is one, Deut. 6. 4. what the name signifieth, is noted on Gen. 2. 4. Exod. 6. 3. thy God] though he is so by creating us, yet here he specially intendeth the covenant of grace, made with his people; whereby they are blessed that have Iehovah for their God, Psalm. 33. 12. From hence ariseth his authority to command; and this is a reason of our obedience, because he is Iehovah, and our God: therefore as it is here prefixed to the first commandement, so is it annexed to the rest, as to the second in Lev. 19. 4. 31. to the third, in Lev. 19. 12. to the fourth, in Lev. 19. 3. 30. to the fift, in Lev. 19. 3. 32. to the sixt, in Lev. 19. 16. to the seventh, in Lev. 18. 6. &c. to the eighth, in Lev. 19. 11. 12. to the ninth, in Lev. 19. 16. and generally to all the commandements, Lev. 18. 5. and 19. 37. of servants] the Greeke and Chaldee saith, of servitude, or bondage: see Exod. 13. 3. Egypt was a furnace of iron, Deut. 4. 20. a figure of our spirituall bondage and misery under Satan: and the deliverance from it figured our salvation by Christ, Coloss. 1. 13. Luke 1. 71 74. 79. Acts 26. 18. from these graces are forcible arguments to perswade us to faith and obedience: Ye are my witnesses, saith Iehovah, &c. that ye may know and beleeve me, and understand that I am [illegible: 1 letter]e. I, I am Iehovah: and beside me there is no Saviour. I have declared and have saved, Esay 43. 10. 11. 12. I am Iehovah thy God, the Holy one of Israel, thy Saviour, I gave Egypt for thy ransome, &c. Esay 43. 3. Vers. 3. Thou shalt not have] or, There shall not be to thee: but this Hebrew phrase the Holy Ghost changeth into another equivalent; as, There is not to us, Luke 9. 13. that is, We have not, Matth. 14. 17 This and most of the other precepts are prohibitions, forbidding the evill, expresly commanding the contrary good inclusively: for wee must both [illegible: 1 word] evill and doe good, Psalme 34. 15. But Gods forbode bindeth most strictly, and alwayes, and we are borne in evill and are prone unto it, rather then to good; and are therefore called by these commandements from all corruption, unto the integrity wherein God first created us. other gods] the Chaldee explaineth it singularly, other god: and so the Scripture also expresseth it, in Exod. 34. 14. Psal. 81. 10. For, Is there a god beside me? saith the Lord, Esay 44. 8. There is none other god but one; though there bee many that are called gods, 1 Cor. 8. 4. 5. unto whom the vaine heart of man falsly attributeth deity: for whatsoever the Gentiles sacrificed, was unto devils, and not to god, 1 Cor. 10. 20. Levit. 17. 7. Deut. 32. 17. And the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens, Ier. 10. 11. Hereby on the contrary wee are commanded to have Iehovah for our God: which is, to know him, and to serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind, 1 Chron. 28. 9. to love him with all the heart, and with all the soule, and with all our might, Deut. 6. 4. 5. to feare, beleeve, honour, obey, and cleave unto him, Deuter. 6. 13. 2 Chron. 20. 20. Psal. 22. 24. 1 Sam. 15. 22. Deut. 11 22. before my face] or against my face, that is, against, or before mee: the Greeke and Chaldee translate it, but me. After, in verse 23. Moses saith, with me. It implyeth also all time and place: as, before the Sunne, Psal. 72. 17. is, so long as the Sunne endureth; so here before me, is so long as I am, for ever and ever. And all place, as, Whither shall I flee from thy face (or presence?) Psal. 139. 7. Therefore also the face or presence of God is here mentioned, because he beholdeth the secrets of the heart, Psal. 44. 21. 22. and 139. 23. 24. and the Law (and so every precept) is spirituall, Rom. 7. 14. and bindeth the whole man, body, soule, and spirit; the underdanding, the will, and the effects of them both, for ever. Vers 4 Thou shalt not make] As the former precept forbade all feigned gods, so this forbids all feigned service, whether it be to the true God, or any other: and commandeth to worship God in spirit and truth, Iohn 4. 24. In the Chaldee paraphrase called Ionathans, this is expresly said to bee the second Commandement; and such is the generall opinion of the Iew Doctors; as Philo in exposit. Decalogi; Iosephus antiq l. 3. and others: yet some now would make this but a part of the first Commandement. So the Sabbath is by him and other ancient Rabbines called the fourth precept, (as is observed on Gen 49. 12.) which by the others account must be the third. Making, here meaneth not onely with the hand, but with the heart or imagination; for we ought not to thinke that the godhead is like unto gold, &c. Act. 17. 29. And to worship the Sunne or Moone, or any creature, is to make an Idoll of it, Deut. 4. 17. 19. unto thee] to (or for) thy selfe: to wit, without commandement from God; for by his commandement Moses made the Cherubims in the sanctuary, Exod. 25. 18. and the brazen Serpent in the wildernesse, Num. 21. 8. And this forbiddeth not all images of creatures for civil use, (which are allowable, Matth. 22. 20.) but for religious. So the Law explaineth it; as, ye shall not set up any image of stone in your land, to bow downe unto it, Levit. 26. 1. and the Prophets phrase of Images which ye made unto you, Amos 5. 26. is expounded thus, which ye made to worship them, Acts 7. 43. But to make any image of the invisible God, is altogether unlawfull, and unpossible, Deut. 4. 12. 15. Esay. 40. 18. Rom. 1 22. 23. And by this, for thy selfe, he forbiddeth [illegible: 1 span]king of any for others alwayes when Aaron made one for the people, Exodus [illegible: 1 letter]2. 1. [illegible: 1 word]. The Hebrew [illegible: 1 word] say, He that [illegible: 1 word] ([illegible: 1 word] and idols) for himselfe thought he make it not with his [illegible: 1 word] hand, nor serveth it, he is guilty. Likewise he [illegible: 1 word] maketh an idoll with his hand for others, though he maketh for an [illegible: 1 word], he is guilty. Therefore hee that maketh an idoll for himselfe with his owne hands, he is double guilty: Maim any intreat. of Idolatry, c. 3. S. 9. [illegible: 1 word] a graven thing] Hebrew, Pesel; which is any thing hewen; graved, out, or car[illegible: 1 letter]ed: the Greek translateth it, an Idoll, the Chaldee, an Image, and the Thargum called Ionathans, addeth Image or Figure. And the holy text elsewhere expresly condemneth Images; Ezek. 16. 17. and not onely graven, but molten, Hos. 13. 2. or painted, Ezek. 8. 10. So under this one particular, all portratures, and humane devices are forbidden, not only things made with hand, but with heart and thought, Act. 17. 25. 29. Every such Image is a teacher of lies, Hab. 2. 18. and who so formeth a god, or melteth a graven image, it is profitable for nothing, Esay 44. 10. likenesse] in Hebrew, Temunah: which Moses openeth by two other words, Semel, and Tabnith; that is, Similitude and Figure, Deut. 4. 16. and elsewhere he nameth also Maisebah, and Maskith, that is, Statue; (or pillar) and Picture, Levit. 26. 1. So that all shapes, portratures, precepts, and devices of men, are forbidden in Gods worship, Esay 29: 13. Matt. 15. 8. 9. Coloss. 2. 23. And on the contrary, Gods commandements and statutes for his worship and servico to be kept & practised, without adding any thing unto them, or taking any thing from them, Deut. 5. 32. and 6. 17. 18. and 12. 8. 28. 32. in the heavens] as the Sunne, Moone, Starres, Fowles, or the like; Deut. 4. 17. 19. The worshipping of Angels is also forbidden, Coloss. 2. 18. in the earth] as the likenesse of man or woman, or of beasts, or creeping things, Ezek. 23. 14. Deut. 4 16. 17. 18. Esay 44. 13. After this manner, the nations of the world corrupted true religion, Rom. 1. 23. in the waters] as any fish or the like, Deu. 4. 18. So all resemblances whatsoever, are here forbidden, which men can make. Behold, they are all vanity, their workes are nothing, their molten images are wind and confusion, Esay. 41. 29. Ver. 5. not bow downe] or, not worship: under this one, all other gestures of reverence are forbidden; as bowing the knee, 1 King. 19. 18. kissing, Hos. 13 2. lifting up of the eyes, Ezek. 18. 6. spreading out of the hand, Psal. 44. 21. and the like. Contrariwise they are to be broken down, burned, destroyed, and detested, Deut. 12. 3. and 7. 25. 26. Esay 30. 22. 8. to them] that is, to any creature, Rom. 1. 25. though an Angell, Rev. 22. 8. 9. or, to the Image of any creature; or of God himselfe, Esay 40. 18. 21. Rom. 1. 23. or to any [illegible: 1 letter]orke of our owne hands. Ier. 1. 16. Mic. 5. 13. And as we may not bow downe unto them, so neither before them, 2 Chron. 25. 14. yea [illegible: 1 span]ese two phrases doe one explaine another; as to pray before the Lord, 1 Chron. 17. 25. is to pray [illegible: 1 word], 2 Sam. 7. 27 and to bow downe (or worship) [illegible: 1 word] the Devill, Luke 4. 7. is to bow downe unto him, Mat. 4. 9. But to bow downe unto men, for civill honour is lawfull, Gen. 23. 7. Sam. 24. 8. serve them] The Hebrew gnabad, implyeth all manner of service, both that which in Greek is called L[illegible: 2 letters]r[illegible: 1 letter]id, as in this place; and Doule[illegible: 1 letter]a as by it the Greek version explaineth it, in Exod. 23. 33. and many other places. The Hebrew Doctors say, The root of the commandement against idolatry, [illegible: 1 word], that men should not serve any of all the creatures; neither Angell, nor spheare, nor starre, not any of the foure elements, nor any thing that is created of them. And although he that serveth knowes that the Lord is God, and serveth the creature after the manner that Enos and the men of his age served at first; (whereof see the notes on Gen. 4. 26.) yet loe, hee is an idolater. Maimony in Misneh, treat. or Idolatry; chap. 2. S. 1. Vnder this name Serve, is comprehended every religious worke, with hand, mouth, or heart: as prayer, or thanksgiving, Esay 44. 17. Ier. 2. 27. confidence in them, Psal. 115. 4. 8. offring of sacrifice, 2 King. 17. 35. burning of incense, Ier. 18. 15. preaching for them, Ier. 2. 8. asking counsell of them, Hosea 4. 12. building temples, altars, or other monuments unto them, Hos. 8. 14. and 12. 11. erecting of ministeries, Numb. 8. 24. or doing any ministeriall worke for their honour, Amos 5. 26. compared with Numb. 4. 24. 25. contributing to their maintenance, Numb. 7. 3. 5. Nehem. 10. 32. 39. all fellowship with them, Esay 44. 11. communion in the service of them, 1 Cor. 10. 18.—21. 2 Cor. 6. 16. 17. familiar conversing with teachers of Idolatry, 2 Iohn 10. 11. reading the bookes thereof, Acts 19. 19. or any other way to learne their abominations, Deut. 12. 30. The Hebrewes say, Idolaters have made many bookes of their service, and of the workes and rites of the same; the holy blessed (God) hath commanded us that wee should not at all reade in those bookes. Maimony treat. of Idolatry, c. 2. S. 2. Also they say, He that serveth an Idol, after the manner of the usuall service thereof, although hee doe it in contempt thereof, he is guiltie. Maimony ibidem, c. 3. S. 5. On the contrary, God hereby requireth, that wee serve him, in such places, and with such things and rites as himselfe hath commanded, Deut. 12. 5. 6. 14. 28. and serve him onely, 1 Sam. 7. 3. Matt. 4. 10. jealous] and a consuming fire, Deut. 4. 24. God as said to be an husband unto his people, Ierem. 2. 2. Hosea 2. 19. idolatry, is whoredome, Deut. 31. 16. Iudg. 2. 17. Ierem. 3. 9. 20. Therefore Gods indignation against this sinne, is called jealousie: and as that is the rage of a man, so that hee will not spare in the day of vengeance, Prov. 6. 34: so the Lord here threatneth to visit, that is, to search out and punish this iniquity: for so visiting often signifieth, Ier. 44. 13. and 5. 9. 29. and when hee visiteth them, they shall fall and perish, Ier. 6. 15. and 10. 15. the sonnes] or children, posterity; meaning such as are transgressors with their fathers, as after he saith of them that hate me. So here the Chaldee paraphraseth, upon the rebellious sonnes. Otherwise, if the sonne feare, and doe not such evill, God saith, hee shall not dye in the iniquity of his father, but, hee shall surely live, Ezek. 18. 4. 10. 13. 14. 17. generation] this word is supplyed both in the Greek and Chalde[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 word]. The Heb. phrase is, on the thirds, and on the [illegible: 1 word] such defects are common, see Exo. 12 3. Gen. 4. 20. & 24. 22. So alter in v. 6. unto thousands, that is, the thousand generation. of them that hate me] or, to my haters: whereunto the Chald. addeth, where the sons goe on to sin after their fathers. For hereby they turne to be Gods enemies, Mic. 2. 8. as they do love him, that keepe his commandements, v. 6. Verse 6. love me &c.] Love is first named as that from which the keeping of the commandements proceedeth, Iohn 14. 15: for the end of the Commandement, is Love out of a pure heart, &c. 1 Tim. 1. 5. and towards such as love him, and keepe his commandements, God keepeth covenant and mercy, Daniel 9. 4. The Hebrew Doctors write, Let not a man say, loe I doe the Law, and exercise my selfe in the wisedome thereof, to the and that I may receive all the blessings that are written therein; or that I may be worthy of life, in the world that is to come: and I will keepe mee from the transgressions which the Law warneth me of, that I may bee delivered from the curses written in the Law, or that I bee not cut off from the life of the world to come. It is not meet to serve God after this manner. For hee that serveth thus, serveth of feare, &c. but hee that serveth of love, exerciseth himselfe in the Law, and walketh in the waies of wisedome; not because of any thing in the world, nor for feare of evill, or that he may inherite good things: but doth the truth, because it is the truth, &c. And this is a very great dignitie which no wise man is worthy of: and it was the dignity of Abraham our father, whom the holy blessed (God) calleth his Lover (or Friend, Esay 41. 8.) because he served him not but of Love. And this is the dignitie which God commandeth us, by the hand of Moses, saying; And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, (Deut. 6. 5.) And at what time a man loveth the Lord, with love convenient, immediately hee will doe all the commandements, out of love, &c. Maimony treat. of Repentance, c. 10. S. 1. 2. Verse. 7. not take up] to wit, upon thy lippes, or mouth, (as this phrase is opened in Psalme 16. 4. and 50. 16.) that is, not speake, use, or mention. So to take up a proverbe, Esay 14. 4. to take up a lamentation, Ezek: 26. 17. is to speake or utter the same. The Chaldee restraineth it to one particular, thou shalt not swears by the name, &c. and the Thargum called Ionathans, thus, My people the house of Israel; Let not any of you sweare by the name of the Word of the LORD your God in vaine: But though swearing be a principall thing here intended, Esay 48. 1. yet the precept is more large, forbidding all unreverent & unholy use of Gods name, in heart, mouth, oraction: and commanding the fanctifying thereof, as it is Holy and Reverend, Matth. 6. 9. Psalme. 111. 9. and to sweare by the same, Deut. 6. 13. Name] that whereby God hath made himselfe knowne, as his titles and attributes, Exod. 54. 56. 7. his Word, Law, Gospell, Deut. 32. 3. Act. 9. 15. (as the Law of Christ, Esay 42. 4. inexpoundeth he his Name, Matt. 12. 21.) also prayer, Gen. 4. 26. and Gods whole worship, and all ordinances: pertaining thereto, Deut. c. 12. 5. Mal. 1. [illegible: 1 word]. 12. Mic. 4. 5. his sacraments, Matth. [illegible: 1 letter]8. [illegible: 1 letter]8. 19. censures, 1. Cor. 5. 4. 5. Matt. 18. 20. and whatsoever belongeth to Christian religion, is comprised in this Name of God. That as the second commandement teacheth us wherewith to serve the Lord: so this third directeth us unto the holy use of all religion, in heart, profession, & action. in vaine] or, to vanitie: which word implyeth also falsitie, (as after in v. 16.) and so it is used to denote false religion or idolatry, Ier. 18. 15. Ion. 2. 9. false doctrine, error, and heresie, Lam. 2. 14. Ezek. 13. 6. 7. but commonly vaine and fruitles speaking or doing, whereof no good commeth, Ps. 127. 1. 2. Esay 1. 13. Ier. 4. 30. and 6. 29. So two things chiefly are here forbidden; the mentioning or using of Gods name, in word or deed, when it should not be used; for that there is no just cause so to doe: secondly, the using of it amisse, whē duty bindeth us to use it with feare and holinesse. As swearing when there is no cause of an oath, Matt. 6. 34. and swearing falsly, Levit. 19. 12. swearing and not performing, 2 Chron. 36. 13. vowing and not paying; Deuternomie 23. 21. vaine praying, in respect of matter or manner, Iob 35. 13 Matt. 6. 7. corruption in teaching, or hearing the Word of God, Ezek. 21. 29. 2 Cor. 2. 7. Matt. 13. 19. Ezek. 33. 31. abusing the Word to unlawfull arts, superstition, jesting, profanenesse, Deut. 18. 11. Esay 66. 5. abuse of the sacraments and holy mysteries, Mal. 1. 11. 12. 1 Cor. 11. 27. 29. Ier. 7. 4. 10. abuse of ecclesiasticall censures, Esay 66. 5. abuse of Lots; Esth. 3. 7. Prov. 16. 33. hypocrisie in any religious worke, Mat. 15. 7. 8. 9. and all unbeliefe, Rom. 14. 23 Iam. 1. 6. a sinfull conversation, whereby the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles, Rom. 2. 24. with whatsoever else is contrary to the sanctifying of Gods name; which on the other part is here commanded, Lev. 22. 31. 32. The Hebr. Doctors say; Whosoever transgresseth wittingly, and without constraint, any one of all the commandements spoken of in the Law, with a contemptuous soule, to provoke (Gods) anger; loe this man polluteth the Name (of God:) and if he transgresse in the presence of the men of Israel, he polluteth the Name publikely. Also whosoever separateth himselfe from transgression, or doth that wch is commanded, not for any thing in the world, nor for feere or dread, nor for to seeke honor; but for our blessed Creators sake, as Ioseph the just refrained himselfe from his masters wife, (Gen. 39. 9.) loe this man sanctifieth the Name (of the Lord). Maimonian Iesudei hatorah, c. 5. S. 10. guiltlesse] or, cleare, innocent: that is, he will not leave him unpunished: (so the phrase signifieth, as is opened in 1 King. 2. 9.) but he shall be plagued in this world, or in that which is to come, as Tharg. Ionathan paraphraseth, the Lord will not hold him just (or innocent) in the great day of judgmēt. V. 8. Remember] Heb. To remember: of wch phrase, see Exo. 13. 3. God speaketh thus of this commandement, to note the importance of it; for hereckoneth the breach of this precept, as one of the greatest sins in Israel, Ezek. 20. 12. & 22. 8. & 23. 38, &c Likewise to signifie the antiquitie of it, as being from the creation of the world; Gen. 2. 2. 3. and for that it was to bee kept but one day in seven; that when the time come it be not forgotten or neglected. In repeating this law, Moses saith Observe (or keep) the sabbath. Deut. 5. 12. In Esa. 58. [illegible: 1 letter]3. the Lord add [illegible: 1 word] two words [illegible: 2 words] to call the Sabbath a Delight the holy day of the Lord honourable, all which doe show the waight of this precept. Sabbath day▪ that is the day of rest or of ceasing, namely, from our owne workes, as God did from his, Heb. 4. 10. See the nobles on Gen. [illegible: 1 letter]2. 3. A day is either large of twentie four houres, or strict of twelve houres, Iohn 1[illegible: 1 letter]. 9. This here is meant of the large day, which in Israel began at evening; as Levit. 23. 32. from evening to evening, you shall rest your Sabbath. sanctifie it] that is, separate it from common worke, such as pertaine to this naturall life; & consecrate it to God and holy works, such as concerne the spirituall life. As to have holy convocations or assemblies of the Church, Levit. 23. 3. in them to pray, Acts 16. 13. to reade and expound the Scriptures, Luk. 4. 16. 22. Acts 15. 21. to dispute of matters of religion, Acts 17. 2. 3. and 18. 4. to talke and meditate on Gods Word and worke, Psalme 92. to doe workes of mercie to them that are in miserie, both to man and beast, Matt. 12. 10. 11. 13. Luke 13. 10. 11. 17. and all other like actions tending to sanctification. And as all things are sanctified by the word of God and prayer, 1 Tim. 4. 5. so of the Sabbath, the Hebrewes say, It is commanded to sanctifie it with words, both at the comming in, and at the going out thereof. At the comming in to blesse God, which hath given his Sabbath for a remembrance of the creation of the world, a beginning of holy convocations, a remembrance of the comming out of Egypt, and which of his love hath chosen and sanctified his Church above all peoples, &c. at the going out of it also to blesse God, which hath separated betweene the holy and the prophane, betweene light and darknesse, between Israel and other peoples, betweene the seventh day, and the six working dayes. Maimony in treat. of the Sabbath, ch. 29. S. 1. 2. 3. Vers. 9. labour] or serve, which some doe understand thus; Six daies thou shalt serve the Lord, and doe thine owne worke also: for service is a dutie to the Lord, Exod. 3. 12. & 23. 25. But comparing this place with Exod. 34. 21. where it is opposed unto Rest, it seemeth rather to intend our owne worke or labour, which God of his bounty alloweth to be followed the six daies, that we may the mo[illegible: 1 span] willingly and cheerfully serve him in the seventh▪ thy worke] the Greeke translateth, thy [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 span]by is meant things necessary as well for bodie [illegible: 1 word] soule, and things good and lawfull permi[illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 1 word] of God, as it is written, Let him labor and worke [illegible: 1 word] his hands the thing that is good, Ephel. 4. 28. [illegible: 1 word] in Ps[illegible: 1 letter]. 91. 11. all thy waies, meane such as God had appointed to walke in: which words Satan therfore omitted when the alledged that Scripture [illegible: 1 word] Christ[illegible: 2 letters] unlawfull wares, Matt, 4. 6. V. 10. But] [illegible: 1 word] And the seventh. This is perpetuall [illegible: 1 word] one day of seven be a Sabbath: but that seventh day▪ which Moses commanded, is changed by Christ into [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] of the weeke, called the [illegible: 1 span] because our Lord Christ (who [illegible: 1 line] [illegible: 1 word] Esay 65. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]) finished his worke and rose from the dead that day, Mat. 28. 1. 2. 6. and his disciples assembled in that day and after unto praier and religious works, Ioh. 20. 19. 26. Act. 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 1. 2. And if the bringing of Israel out of Egypt, was such a work, as God for a memoriall thereof, made that day & moneth the head and beginning of the moneths of the yeere, otherwise than had been before, as is shewed on Exod. 12. 2. how should not out redemption from death and hell, (manifested in the day that Christ rose from the dead, 1 Cor. 15. 14. 17.) deserve much more to be remembred in the day thereof: and the creation of the new world be celebrated, as of the old. The Heb. Doctors have a saying, that the world was not created but for the Messias; Thalm. in Sanhedrin. c. Chelek. And the bringing out of Egypt is made a reason why the Iewes should keepe their Sabbath, Deut. 5. 15. our deliverance by the Messias is a more weighty reason. Therfore as the other Iewish Sabbaths were figurative, & had their end in Christ, Colos. 2. 16. 17. so the seventh day in this Sabbath was also figurative, and is ceased; but the Sabbath still remaineth, Matt. 24. 20. in it] these words are added also in the Gr. version. any worke] to wit, of thine owne, or for this naturall life; and under the name of worke, is comprehended buying and selling of wares, or of victualls, Neh. 13. 16. 17. carying of burdens, Ier. 17. 22. enbalming of the dead, Luk. 23. 54. 56. dressing of victuals, Exod. 16. 23. going of journeyes, Exod. 16. 29. Act. 1. 12. or any other thing that is of our owne waies, or pleasures, or speaking our owne words. Esa. 58. 13. even the work of the Lords Tabernacle might not be done on the Sabbath, Exod. 31. 13. 17. but it is expresly commanded to rest on that day, Exod. 23. 12. Whereupon the Hebr. Doctors say, though they be things which are not work yet we must rest (or cease) frō them; namely, things like unto work, as climbing of a tree, riding on a beast, or the like. Likewise, judging of civill causes, putting off of the shooe, and taking the brothers wife, (spoken of in Deut. 25. 5. 9.) separating of [illegible: 1 letter]ithes, first fruits, &c. valuing of things, (spoken of in Lev. 27.) And from the Law, in Esay 58. 12. they teach it is unlawfull for a man to speake with his partner (on the Sabbath day) what hee will sell on the morrow, or what hee will buy, or how hee will build his house, and the like. Also that it is unlawfull for a man to visit his gardens or fields on the Sabbath; for to see what they need, or how they grow, for this is to doe his owne pleasure, (Esay 58. 13.) neither might they punish (or execute) malefactors on the Sabbath, though the punishment of such is a thing commanded Maimony treat of the Subbath, c. 21. & 23. & 24. Neither was it lawful to many a wife on the Sabbath day: neither [illegible: 1 span] they on the evening of the Sabbath, [illegible: 1 word] on the first day of the weeke, left they should pollute the Sabbath by dressing of meat for the feast. Maimony treat of [illegible: 1 word], c. 10. S. 14. How beit things belonging to Gods service, (though laborious to the body,) as killing & dressing of the sacrifices, &c. were to be done on the Sabbath, 1 Chron. 23. 31. Matt. 12. 5. and so for works of mercy to men, Hos. 6. 6[illegible: 1 letter] So the [illegible: 1 word] held it a Sabbath dayes worke, to [illegible: 1 word] sit the sicke; and say, that perill of life putteth away the Sabbath; therefore to a sicke person that is in danger, they doe all things need full for him on the Sabbath day. Maimony treat. of the Sabbath, chap. 24. S. 5. and chap. 2. S. 1. man-servant, &c.] that they may rest, as well as thou, Deuteronomie 5. 14. Here the Hebrewes say, The man and woman servant, whom wee bid to keepe Sabbath, are servants that are circumcised and baptised, &c. and have received the commandements which servants are bound unto. But servants not circumcised nor baptised, but onely have received the seven Commandements given to the sonnes of Noe; they are as sojourning strangers, and may doe worke for themselves openly on the Sabbath, as an Israelite may on a working day. Maimony, treat. of the Sabbath, chap. 20. S. 14. But this permission seemeth unto mee, to bee against Gods Law: which from the creation was given to all the world, Genesis 2. 2. 3. yet the Iewes restraine it to themselves, from Exodus 31. 17. see the annotations there. cattell] or beast; which in Deuteronomie 5. 14. is amplified thus, thine oxe, or thine asse, or any beast of thine. thy stranger,] in Greeke, the proselyte. thy gates] the Chaldee expounds it, thy cities. So that which in 2 Samuel 10. 8. is called the entring in of the gate, is in 1 Chron. 19 9. the entring in of the citie. Vers. 11. therefore] Hereby it appeareth, that the Sabbath was instituted from the beginning of the world, and so was given to all nations, and not to Israel onely. Though upon their bringing out of Egypt, they were put in mind to keepe it: and in Deuteronomie 5. 15. that their deliverance is made a reason to them of this commandement. Vers. 12 Honour] This is called the first commandement with promise, Ephesians 6. 2. that is, the first of the second table, which directeth us in all duties toward man: and this precept is to maintaine the order which God hath set amongst men of superioritie and subjection. The Hebrew word for Honour or Glorie, hath the name of weightinesse; and so Paul speaketh of the weight of glorie, 2 Cor. 4. 17. and it implieth a dignity and excellency in parents and governours, which God would have to be maintained; whereupon magistrates are called Glories or Dignities, 2 Peter 2. 10. Honour is to be performed with the bodie in reverend gesture, 1 King. 2. 19. Leviticus 19. 32. in reverend speeches, 1 Peter 3. 6. Exodus 32. 22. Numbers 12. 11. in action, as obedience to their instructions and commandements in the Lord, Prov. 6. 20. Ephes. 6. 1. in recompencing their love and care, and releeving them with our substance in their age and need, Marke 7. 10. 11. 12. 13. 1 Tim. 5. 4. to cover their infirmities, Gen. 9. 21. 22. and in heart to reverence, feare, and love them, Leviticus 19. 3. Rom. 13. 5. 9. and by all other like meanes to shew respect and honor unto them. In an Hebrew Commentarie upon Moses, called Chazkuni, it is said, Wer[illegible: 2 letters]de, Honour the LORD with thy substance, (Prov. 3. 9.) and Honourly father and thy mother, (Exodus 20) The LORD is to be honoured, if thou have it: thy father and mother whether then hast it or no; for if thou hast nothing, thou art bound to beg for them. Againe, as God commandeth Honour; so he for biddeth all dishonour, contempt, and disobedience, in heart, word, gesture, or action, Leviticus 20. 9. Prov. 30. 17. Deut. 21. 18. 21. Eccles. 10. 20. And as he requireth children to honour their parents: so the parents are bound to educate and governe them with gravity and lenitie, in the instruction and information of the Lord, Ephes. 6. 4. father and thy mother] in Leviticus 19. 3. the mother is named before the father. Vnder these names, all superiors & governors are implyed: first, the father that begat, and mother that bare, Prov. 23. 22. and 31. 2. then parents by law and affinitie, Ruth 3. 1. 5. parents that adopt children, Esth. 2. 7. 20. Kings and all Magistrates; Esay 22. 21. 2 King 5. 13. Prophets and Church governours, as Elias and Eliseus, were fathers, 2 Kings 2. 12. and 6. 21. and 13. 14. Deborah, a mother in Israel, Iudg. 5. 7. and 17. 10. Ancients in yeares, patrons, instructors, protectors, and all such like, 1 Tim. 5. 1. 2. Iob 29. 16. Gen. 45. 8. and 4. 20. 21. may be prolonged] in Deut. 5. 16. Moses addeth, and that it may be well with thee. It may be Englished, that they (thy parents by their prayers) may prolong thy dayes: but such phrases are often used impersonally, as is noted on Gen. 2. 20. and 16. 14. and so the Apostle (according to the common Greeke version) saith, that it may bee well with thee, and that thou maiest be long lived (or live a long time) in the land, Ephes. 6. 2. 3. Also the Chaldee said to bee Ionathans, translateth, that your daies may be multiplyed. the land] of Canaan which was to bee given unto Israel, and was a figure of an heavenly countrey, as is noted on Gen. 12. 1. 5. Thus pietie hath the promise both of this life and of that which is to come. Maimony in Misneh treat. of Repentance, chap. 8. S. 1. saith; That which is written in the Law (Deut. 22. 7.) that it may be well with thoe and thou maiest prolong thy dayes, we have beene taught to understand thus: that it may be well with thee, in the world where all is well; and thou maist prolong thy daies in the world which is all long, and that is the world to come. Vers. 13. Thou shalt not kill] or, Thou shalt not murder: for the Hebrew Ratsach properly signifieth Murder, that is, killing of mankinde unjustly; and so differeth from another word Harag, which is to kill a person, which sometime is justly, Deut. 13. 9. We may also English it, Kill not: and so the rest, Commit not adultery: Steale not, &c. for both these waies doth the holy Ghost translate these precepts into Greeke, Matt. 19. 18. Mark. 10. 19. This sixt Commandement is for preserving mans life: the seventh is, for the just propagation of mankinde: the eight concerneth his goods: the ninth his good name: the tenth teacheth every man to be contented with his owne estate. The Chaldee translateth this, Thou shalt not kill a soule▪ that is, any person: and it for biddeth all murder of soule or of body, Ezek. 13. 19. and 3. 18. Gen. 9. 6. of ones selfe, or of another, Act. 16. 27. 28. Prov. [illegible: 1 word]. 11. 16. and this not onely in act, but in reproachfull words Matt. 5. 21. 22. malicious gesture, Matt. 27. 39. Gen. 46. inward unadvised anger, malice, [illegible: 1 span]hatred, M[illegible: 1 span]ew 5. 22. for, whosoever hateth his brother is [illegible: 1 span], 1 Iohn 3. 15. Co[illegible: 1 span]rari wise, it commandeth to preserve the life of all men, except such as God for their sinnes command[illegible: 1 letter]th to bee killed, Genesis 9. 6. [illegible: 1 word] Samuel 15. 2. 3. [illegible: 1 span] ▪ Verse 14. not commit [illegible: 1 word]] or, not adulterate: the originall is one word, and forbiddeth all manner of w[illegible: 1 letter]oredome, fornication, & uncleannesse, Ephesians 5. 3. and unnaturall filthinesse, Leviticus 18. 22. 23. not onely the outward act, but all lascivious words▪ gestures, and attire, Ephesians 4. 29. 1 Peter 2▪ 14. Proverbes 7. 10. 11. 12. 13. 22▪ and all inordinate lusts, for who so looketh on a woman to lust▪ after her, hath committed adulterie with her already in his heart, Matt. 5. 28. Likewise pl[illegible: 2 letters]alitie of wives, Malach. 2. 15. 1 Corinth. 6. 16. and 7. 2. unjust divorces, Malach. 2. 16. Matthew 19. 3. 4. 9. and incestuous mariages, Leyiti[illegible: 1 letter]us 18. 6. &c. Contrariwise, God here requireth chastitie in bodie and spirit, either in single life, 1 Corinth. 7. 34. or in lawfull maried estate, Hebrewes 13. 4. that every one should know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour, 1 Thes▪ 4. 3. 4. Verse 15. not steale] either persons, Exodus 21. 16. 1 Timoth. 1. 10. or any other things, by fraud, or by force, 1 Thes. 4. 16. It forbiddeth all unjust taking, or keeping backe of things pertaining to God, Leviticus 5. 15. Malach. 3. 8. Acts 5. 2. 4. or to men, Leviticus 19. 11. Romanes 13. 7. all unrighteousnesse in covenants, contracts, bargaines, &c. Genesis. 31. 39. 41. Leviticus 19. 35. oppression, Deuteronomie. 24. 14. ex[illegible: 1 letter]ortion, Luke 3. 13. taking of bribes, Deuteronomie 16. 19. usurie, Exodus 22. 25. or any filthy gaine, 1 Timothie 3. 8. detaining of other mens goods, either lent, Psalme 37. 21. or pawned, Exo [illegible: 1 letter]us 22. 26. or lost, Leviticus 6. 4. withholding of tribute, custome, &c. Matthew 22. 21. Romanes 13. 6. 7. removing of land-markes Deuteronomie 19. 14. All idle and inordinate walking, 2. Thes. 3. 6. 10. 11. 12. covetousnesse, Hebrewes 13. 5. and unmercifulnesse to the poore, Deut eronomie 15▪ 7. Contrariwise, it requireth justice and equitie, faithfulnesse, diligence, and mercie in all [illegible: 1 word] dealings, Deut. 16. 20. Matthew 20. 7. Titus 2▪ [illegible: 1 word]. Proverbes 22. 29. Psalme 112. 9. and to d[illegible: 1 letter]e unto all men whatsoever we would that men should doe unto us, Mat 7. 12. Verse 16. not answer] that is, not speake, or witnesse, as the Chaldee translateth; the Greeke saith, [illegible: 1 word] f[illegible: 1 letter]lsely [illegible: 1 word], and so this Commandement is alledged in Matthew 19. 18. false witnesse] or, false [illegible: 1 word], as the Greeke and Chaldee [illegible: 1 span], though the Hebrew Ed, signifieth also [illegible: 1 word] testi[illegible: 3 letters], as in Levitic[illegible: 2 letters] 5. 1. and so may here b[illegible: 1 letter] Englished, a witnesse (or testifie[illegible: 1 letter]) of falshood. In repeating this [illegible: 1 letter]aw, Moses useth another word, [illegible: 1 span]nesse of vanitie, D[illegible: 1 span], 5. 20. the same wo[illegible: 1 letter]d that was before, in [illegible: 1 word] ▪ for taking Gods naine in vaine. God here forbiddeth all lying and [illegible: 2 letters]true speaking, Eph[illegible: 1 span] 4. 25. especially in witnesse hearing: all [illegible: 1 word] o[illegible: 1 letter] depr[illegible: 1 letter]ving of the actions. words, or meaning of any, 2 Samuel 10. 2. 3. Matthew 2[illegible: 1 letter]. 59. 60. Psalme 52. 4. 5. 6. all rash and unrighteous judgement, without due triall and examination, Iohn 7. 24. 51. Mathew 7. 1. D[illegible: 1 span]onomie 19. 18. wresting of the Law, and of judgement, Deuteronomie 16. 19. Zeph. 3. 4. concealing the truth which one can witnesse, Leviticus 5. 1. false records, Ezra 4. 19. raising or received of false rumors or reports, Exodus 23. 1. Nehem. 6. 6. 7. 8. 1 Samuel 24. 9. walking about with tales; Leviticus 19. 16. whispering, backebiting, covenant-breaking, Rom. 1. 29. 30. 31. and all other wayes of hurting with the tongue, Psalm. 101. 5. And he commandeth faithfull testimony, Proverbes 14. 5. 25. righteous judgement, Deut. 1. 16. speaking truth, as it is in ones heart Psalme 15. 2. and all other things that may preserve the good name of a man, and of his neighbour, which is to bee chosen rather than great riches, Proverbs 22. 1. thy neighbour] that is, any man, acquaintance or stranger, friend or foe: for though the Hebrew Regneh, sometimes signifieth a speciall friend, (as Deuteronomie 13. 6. Iob 2. 11.) yet here it is to be taken in the largest sense, as Christs answer to him that asked who was his neighbour, sheweth, Luke 10. 29. 30. 37. By neighbour then, is meant any other man, joyned to us, and living with us in humane societie; as God hath of one blood made all nations of men, Act. 17. 26. So neighbour is used generally for another man or woman: Genesis 11. 3. Esth. 1. 19. and in Proverbs 18. 17. the Greeke translateth it an Adversarie, according to the true meaning there. The Holy Ghost in Greek calleth him Plesion, that is, our Neighbor or Next. Luk. 10. 27. 29. Ro. 13. 9▪ Vers. 17. not covet] in Deut. 5. 21. another word Desire, is also used: and there the coveting of the wife is first named; and then the coveting of the house: there also the field is added, whereof here is no mention: howbeit the Greeke hath the same order and addition in this place. This commandement forbiddeth covetousnesse and disconter: ment with our present estate, and all desire of anothing which God hath bestowed upon another: though wee would haue it without injurie to another; as by giving him the worth of it in money, or otherwise, 1 King. 21. 2. And thus it differeth frō the former Commandements, which forbid together with the outward act, the inward desire of another mans goods, to his hurt. For as desire after a mans wife, is adulterie, Matt. 5. 28. so the desire of any other mans house or beast wrōgfully, is stealth. But this commandement forbiddeth an inferiour degree of sin; and because mens desires are not satisfied with that they have, but Covetousnesse, coveteth all the day, Prov. 21. 26. therefore God here restraineth every inordinate lust, and teacheth us to be content with such things as we have; for he hath said, I will not leave thee nor forsake thee, Heb. 13. 5. & contentation saith, I have all things, Gen. 33. 11. These five last precepts, are in Deutronomie 5. joyned one to another, with this word And: for they mutually respect each other in the things forbidden; and binde us to the observing of every one severally, and of all of them joyntly; as it is written, Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law, and [illegible: 1 letter]ffend in one point, hee is guilty of all. For hee that said, Doe not commit adultery, said also, Doe not kill, Iam. 2. 10. 11. Hereunto wee may also referre the double accents, which most of these ten Commandements have, in the Hebrew Scripture; different from all the Bible besides: which though they serve for a twofold manner of reading, the one common as the other Scripture, the other leasurely, & with a long pronunciation, as the Iewes used in their assemblies; yet they may lead us also, to observe a distinction of matter in some, and a conjunction or continued matter in other some. Ver. 18. saw] this word is generally used for seeing, hearing, or perceiving: not onely by the eye, but by any sense or understāding: as Iakob saw that there was corne in Egypt, Gen. 42. 1. which the Holy Ghost expoundeth, Iakob heard, Act. 7. 12. So here, they saw the voices, that is, heard them, lightnings] in Hebrew and Greeke, lamps; so called for that they burned and shined like lamps or torches: see Gen. 15. 17. where such appeared to Abraham, at the covenant making with him. They here signified the brightnesse and terrours of the Law: as did the shining face of Moses afterward, Exod. 34. 30. 2 Cor. 3. 7. Ps. 119. 105. remooved away] being afraid as the Gr. translateth. Shewing the effect of the law in their consciences, to worke feare by the spirit of bondage, which all that are borne of the bondwoman Agar, (or mount Sina,) are possessed with, Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 24. 25. For they had before come neere, and stood under the mount, Deut. 4. 11. V. 19. they said] by the chiefe of their Tribes and their Elders, Deut. 5. 23. will heare] & do it. This speech of theirs God well approved of, Deut. 5. 27. 28. For as they desired Moses to bee a mediatour between God and them; so the Law is a Schoolemaster to bring us to Christ, the mediator of the new Testament, Gal. 3. 24. Heb. 12. 24. wherefore upon this speech of theirs, God promised Christ unto them, Deut. 18. 15. 16. 17. 18. lest we die] for this great fire will consume us; if we heare the voice of the Lord our God any more we shall dye, Deut. 5. 25. Hereby was manifested, that there was not a Law given which could give life; but that the just should live by faith, Gal. 3. 11. 12. 21. For the Law of God, and the will of man are adversaries, which cannot bee reconciled but by grace in Christ: onely through feare man faineth to love the Law; but by faith it is fulfilled, Rom. 5. 1. 2. and 8. 1. 4. Vers. 20. Feare not] but as the Gr. translateth, be of good comfort. He encourageth them against the exceeding feare which dismaied them: (for otherwise, it was the purpose of God, that by this they might learne to feare him, Deu. 4. 10.) So when the Angell said, Feare not, Matt. 28. 5. he meant, bee not affrighted (or dismayed) Mar. 16. 6. is come] as the Chaldee paraphraseth, his glorie is revealed. to tempt] or, to prove: see Exod. 15. 25. not sinne] thus the Law was added because of trangressions▪ Gal. 3. 19. to manifest sin, and to restraine men from it, Rom. 3. 20. Psal. 119. 11. Iam. 2. 9. for, without the Law sinne is dead, Rom. 7. 8. But sin, which dwelleth in us, that it might appeare sin, and might become exceeding sinfull, reviveth by the Law; taketh occasion by the Commandement, deceiveth us, and slayeth us; so that which was ordained unto life, we find to be unto death, Rom. 7. 13. 9. 10. 11. But what the Law could not doe, in that it was weake through the flesh, God (hath done) sending his owne sonne, in the likenesse of sinfull flesh, and for sin condemned sinne in the flesh, Rom. 8. 3. Ver. 21. thicke darknesse] or, tempestuous darknesse. The Hebrew gnaraphel, which signifieth thicke (or obscure) darknesse, is by the Holy Ghost translated in Greeke thuella▪ Heb. 12. 18. which signifieth a tempest; and so the Lxx. translate it in Deut. 4. 11. and 5. 22. Ver. 22. the heavens] This was when God came downe upon mount Sina, Neh. 9. 13. upon earth also, he shewed them his great fire, and they heard his voice out of the midst of the fire, (which, did ever people heare and live?) Deut. 4. 36 33. Ver. 22. with me] to wit, any gods with me, which the Chaldee translateth, before me as in verse 3. So with me, in Esth. 7. 8. is used for before me; and with the arke of God, 2 Sam, 6. 7. is expounded before God. 1 Chron. 13. 10. gods] that is, idols of gold or silver, representing God unto you. Thus Israel when they made the calfe in the wildernesse, (which was an idoll, Act. 7. 41. are said to have made them Gods of gold, Exod 32. 8. 31. and the idols (or images) of the Philistines, are called their gods, 2 Sam. 5. 21. 1 Chron. 14. 12. Vers. 24. of earth] this seemeth to differ from the brazen altar which was after made in the Sanctuarie, Exodus 27. 1. 2. though some thinke it was the same, and being hollow was filled with earth. But earthen altars were used before, as is noted on Genesis 8. 20. And an altar was made by Israel, Exodus 24. 4. before that altar of brasse, Exodus 38. Here an altar of earth, is opposed to the gods of silver and gold, before prohibited. For God is to be worshipped in spirit and truth, not with outward, carnall pompe, Iohn 4. 24. And as the altar figured Christ, Hebrewes 13. 10. so his earthly or humane nature, was hereby signified, for he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, Romanes 1. 3. peace-offrings] or thanke-offrings; of these▪ see Levit. 1. and 3. make the memoriall] or cause the remembrance of my name to be: or, make you to remember my name: that is, all places of publike worship and service of God; and monuments of him: such as were the many encamping places in the wildernesse, and sundry afterward in the land of Canaan: altars, arke, tabernacle, temple, &c. For as Absalom, erected a pillar, to keepe his name in remembrance, 2 Samuel 18. 18. so God chose out places to put his name there, Deuter. 12. 5. as in Ierusalem, 1 King. 14. 21. and in his temple there, 1 King. 8. 29. and before that, in his Tabernacle and Arke, where David set Levites to make mention (or memoriall) and to confesse and praise the Lord God of Israel, 1 Chron. 16. 4. So in the heavenly Ierusalem, builded by Christ, Esay 62. 6. The Chaldee paraphraseth, in every place where I shall make my Divinity (or my glory) to dwell: the Greek, where I shall name my name: which phrase Paul useth, 2 Tim. 2. 19. blesse thee] Hereupon are those speeches, he blesseth thy sonnes within thee (Ierusalem) Psal. 147. 13. and Iehovah blesse thee out of Sion, Psalm. 134. 3. and Obed-Edoms house was blessed, because of the Arke of the Lord, 2. Sam. 6. 12. and sundry the like. Vers. 25. of hewen stones] so the Greek and Chaldee expresse the Hebrew phrase of hewing: whereby is meant stones of hewing. (as is expressed in 1 King. 5. 17) that is, stones hewed: of such the altar might not be built, but of whole stones, over which no man had lift up any iron; as Iesus did on mount Ebal, Ios. 8. 30. 31. thy toole] or, thy axe, thy sword: any iron or edge toole; therefore in Deut. 27. 5. Moses useth the word iron. And the Hebrew Chereb (an axe, or sword) here used, hath the name of wasting or destroying, being instruments of warre for destruction of men, and of towers, as in Ezek. 26. 6. 9. and is here forbidden in making the altar: and in the building of Salomons Temple, no iron toole was heard, 1 King. 6. 7. polluted] Thus that which in mans judgement and art, should polish it, Gods Law maketh to be pollution. So humane wisdome of speech, in preaching the Gospell, maketh the crosse of Christ vaine and of none effect, 1 Cor. 1. 17. and 2. 4. 5. Vers. 26. by steps] or, by stayres, greeces: albeit the altar was higher then other places, and the sacrificers went up unto it, and downe from it, 2 Chron. 4. 1. Levit. 9. 22. nakednesse] that is, uncomely parts, or shame, as the Greeke translateth it: which as honesty would have covered from the eyes of man, Gen. 9. 22. 23. so religion teacheth us to cover in the presence of God. And this rule extendeth to the comely covering of all parts of our body, 1 Cor. 11. 4. 5. 13. especially to hide our spirituall shame and nakednesse, Revel. 16. 15. Wherefore God appointed linnen breeches to cover the nakednesse of the Priests, Exod. 28. 42. 43. & covereth of his grace the nakednesse of all his people, Ezek. 16. 8. Rev. 3. 18.