Chapter 20:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Genesis Leviticus
Exodus 20
Concise Complete
The preface to the ten commandments. (1,2) The
commandments of the first table. (3-11) Of the second table. (12-17) The fear of
the people. (18-21) Idolatry again forbidden. (22-26)
Verses 1-2 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,
james
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.
Verses 3-11 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.
Verses 12-17 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,
luke 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,
matthew 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.
Verses 18-21
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.
Verses 22-26
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.
Chapter 20:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Genesis Leviticus
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
