Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Exodus 20:13-17
The Second Five Words - Man's Responsibility Towards God For His Neighbour (Exodus 20:13).
These commands are absolute. They reveal the sanctity in God's eyes of a man's right to fair treatment by his neighbour in all spheres of his life. They are apodictic in form, that is in the form of a direct command that must be obeyed. Later on penalties for breach of these commands will be outlined, but here the concentration is on what God requires and expects of His people. There is no lessening of that demand. It is sinful man who says, ‘what will happen to me if I do this?' and God was requiring them not to be sinful.
Some commentators lay stress on the fact that these are negative commandments. But while that is true we must recognise what negative commandments are. What they are really saying is that Israel may live their lives freely and positively, although with the few exceptions then given. On the whole then the thought is positive. It is the exceptions that determine the wideness or otherwise of the rule, and these leave wide scope for positive living. The exceptions simply put certain limitations on excessive behaviour.
“You shall not murder.”
This commandment upholds the sanctity of human life. But as given it has nothing to do with killing in war (a different Hebrew word is always used for that) or the death penalty. Both were sanctioned in the detailed enactments of the Law (see for example Deuteronomy 20:1 on; Exodus 21:12). The principle of a life for a life held firm (Exodus 21:23), although in the end it was deliberate premeditated murder that demanded the full consequences so that there was no sanctuary for such a murderer (Exodus 21:14). The commandment meant no killing apart from judicial killing and the right to defend one's own life and the lives of one's family and people. But defence of one's person or family or land from those who would themselves kill or capture was considered good reason within the law for killing. So was protection of property where the killing occurred during the process of the theft, especially at night (Exodus 22:2).
It was therefore recognised that a family had a responsibility to avenge the death of a another member of the family. It was a life for a life. That is why ‘cities of refuge' were arranged where those who had killed, but not deliberately, could flee for protection. No one could be slain in a city of refuge, but the ‘avengers of blood' had the right to ask for their expulsion if they could prove that they were guilty of deliberate murder.
The forbidding of killing necessarily included the forbidding of the intent to kill, as the principle behind the tenth commandment brings out, and Jesus expanded this to include destructive anger and contempt against another (Matthew 5:21)
“You shall not commit adultery.”
This commandment upholds the sanctity of the marriage relationship. To make love to another man's wife or betrothed was absolutely forbidden. Later this would be expanded to allow the death penalty for the offence (Leviticus 20:10), but we need not doubt that it was already so. It was seen as expunging evil (Deuteronomy 22:22). The wife too was to be put to death, and a betrothed woman if she was a willing participant (Deuteronomy 22:22). This was on the basis that while a wife would not be away from the protection of her husband, a betrothed may be. There were lesser penalties where the woman was not married or betrothed because then the sealed marriage bond was not broken. Marriage and betrothal were seen as resulting in a sacred bond.
“You shall not steal.” This commandment upholds the sanctity of a man's property. To obtain a man's property by false means was forbidden. Penalties were, however, less than for murder and adultery (see Exodus 22:1) unless the theft was of a human person, a kidnap (Exodus 21:16). This, of course, applied to property within the community.
It must be remembered in all these cases that there were no reliable prisons. It was death or fine, and in the case of murder or adultery a fine was not seen as sufficient. These cases struck at the very heart of God.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.”
This commandment especially upholds the sanctity of the courts of justice. It refers to giving false testimony in a court of law, or in any situation where a man's life or reputation could be at stake. If proved the punishment was that which the innocent man would have suffered had he been found guilty, which could include death (Deuteronomy 19:16). But it also includes the attacking of another by lies (Proverbs 6:19). The thought is that dishonesty that harms another, whether by libel or slander or whispering, is abhorrent to God.
“You shall not covet your neighbour's house, you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbour's.”
This reaffirms the sanctity of a man's wife and possessions. It is in fact the corollary of all that has been said. All the previous commandments have dealt with men's actions. Here God probes to the heart, the spring from which the actions come. A man is not even to consider attempting to take such things away from his neighbour. Such an attitude of heart and mind is against the covenant. This remarkable law applies personally and inwardly. It could often not be judged by outsiders. But each person was to recognise that it would be judged by God. God would know. It reveals that every man is responsible for his thoughts as well as his actions. The positive side will later be ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself' (Leviticus 19:18). God is inculcating an open and honest attitude towards one's neighbour without deceit or guile or envy, because in the end all belongs to God and He gives as He will.
For it is not only the object of coveting who can be hurt by coveting. Coveting hurts the coveter. It is destructive of all that is good. It proceeds from and distorts the heart, causes unrest and trouble within, and produces sin, which comes to completion in the act (James 1:14). Achan was the perfect example of how coveting takes possession of a man by stages. ‘I saw -- I coveted -- I took', and it finally destroyed him (Joshua 7:21). Proverbs 21:26 contrasts the greedy coveter with the generous giver, the one totally inward looking and turned in on himself, the other outward going and generous and open. The coveter ignores God's requirements and God's word, ‘incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness' (Psalms 119:36). Hebrews summed it up in another way, ‘Be content with such things as you have' (Hebrews 13:5, compare Luke 3:14; Philippians 4:11; 1 Timothy 6:6). The one who is content is at peace, but the coveter finds no rest. Indeed covetousness is described as a form of idolatry (Ephesians 5:5), and keeps a man from God (1 Timothy 6:10).
“You shall not covet your neighbour's house, you shall not covet your neighbour's wife --.' A man's house and wife were of equal importance as against the rest, as is proved by the fact that they were the only two governed directly by a verb. His house was his possession in the land and included his land. It was the mainstay of his family life. It was his inheritance. His wife was a part of himself. But in the end all that truly belonged to him was sacrosanct.
Note that this is the only commandment where the verb is repeated. In a sense it parallels the verbs in ‘you shall not bow down to them nor serve them' (Exodus 20:3). It has double intensity. Such was God's warning against covetousness.
Then the voice ceased.