_AND GOD SPAKE ALL THESE WORDS, SAYING,_
And God spake all these words, х_ KAAL_ (H3605) _ HADªBAARIYM_
(H1697)] - words, precepts, or commandments, all bear the same
meaning, and are used synonymously by the sacred writers [Exodus
34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 5:4; Deuteronomy 18:19: cf. Ma... [ Continue Reading ]
_I AM THE LORD THY GOD, WHICH HAVE BROUGHT THEE OUT OF THE LAND OF
EGYPT, OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE._
I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of
Egypt. God's right to give laws to the Hebrew nation is not founded
upon His being the one only God, but upon His having by mirac... [ Continue Reading ]
_THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME._
Thou shalt have no other gods before me - Heb., Let there not be, or,
There shall not be to thee other gods х_ `AL_ (H5921) _ PAANAAYA_
(H6440)] over and above me [Septuagint, pleen emou, except, besides
me]. Michaelis, who considers this commandment as in... [ Continue Reading ]
_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:_
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, х_ PECEL_ (H6459), a
carved image, either of wood or stone; Septuagint, e... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, х_
LASHAAW'_ (H7723)] - Thou shalt not utter the name of Yahweh to a
falsehood; i:e., Thou shalt not swear fal... [ Continue Reading ]
_REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY, TO KEEP IT HOLY._
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. To keep holy or sanctify
the Sabbath is to appropriate it to sacred purposes; and the purport
of this commandment is, that as the Sabbath properly signifies rest
and leisure from servile work, and at the same ti... [ Continue Reading ]
_HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER: THAT THY DAYS MAY BE LONG UPON THE
LAND WHICH THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE._
Honour thy father and thy mother - by expressions of respect and
reverence for them, as instrumentally the representatives of God, and
by every token of attention and considerate regard f... [ Continue Reading ]
_THOU SHALT NOT KILL._
Thou shalt not kill. 'Killing' is not what is prohibited, otherwise
the judicial infliction of capital punishment, as well as the
slaughter of an enemy in defensive war, would be unlawful-in which
light these were certainly not regarded by the Israelites in the time
of Moses... [ Continue Reading ]
_THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY._
Thou shalt not commit adultery, х_ LO'_ (H3808) _ TIN'AAP_ (H5003)] -
a word used with reference both to man and woman (cf. Leviticus
20:10); and although the verb is in the second person singular
masculine, like the rest of these commandments, this precept must be... [ Continue Reading ]
_THOU SHALT NOT STEAL._
Thou shalt not steal. This refers to the act of theft-the secret
purloining or abstraction of any property belonging to another. This
commandment was as necessary as the two preceding; because stealing is
the natural propensity of the old man, and it is indulged in many ways... [ Continue Reading ]
_THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR._
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour, х_ `EED_
(H5707) _ SHAAQER_ (H8267)] - false, lying evidence, not only in a
court of justice, but in the common intercourse of life, by which
another's life or character map be endang... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._
Thou shalt not covet, х_ LO'_ (H3808) _ TACHMOD_ (H2530)] - Thou
shalt not desire; Septuagint, ouk epithu... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._
And all the people saw the thunderings ... Some have maintained that
only Moses and the elders were present at the givi... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY SAID UNTO MOSES, SPEAK THOU WITH US, AND WE WILL HEAR: BUT
LET NOT GOD SPEAK WITH US, LEST WE DIE._
And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us ... but let not God
speak with us. It was the heads of the people and the elders who came
(see their application to Moses fully detailed, Deuter... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not. The leader himself, with all
his experience and privileges, was equally panic-striken with the rest
of the people. It is s... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE PEOPLE STOOD AFAR OFF, AND MOSES DREW NEAR UNTO THE THICK
DARKNESS WHERE GOD WAS._
No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._
The Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of
Israel. The supplementary legislation which is recorded in the
following section, extending from... [ Continue Reading ]
_YE SHALL NOT MAKE WITH ME GODS OF SILVER, NEITHER SHALL YE MAKE UNTO
YOU GODS OF GOLD._
Ye shall not make with me gods of silver. It appears from Deuteronomy
4:14 that this injunction was a conclusion drawn from the scene on
Sinai; that as no similitude of God was displayed then, they should
not a... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._
An altar of earth. This regulation was applicable to special or
tempor... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ IF THOU WILT MAKE ME AN ALTAR OF STONE ... NOT ... OF
HEWN STONE. The reason was, that in the polish of a human chisel the
emblematic idea suggested by th... [ Continue Reading ]
_NEITHER SHALT THOU GO UP BY STEPS UNTO MINE ALTAR, THAT THY NAKEDNESS
BE NOT DISCOVERED THEREON._
Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar. This precaution was
taken for the preservation of decorum, in consequence of the loose,
wide, and flowing garments of the priests while discharging t... [ Continue Reading ]