‏ Exodus 20

Summary for Exod 20:1-23:33: 20:1–23:33  ^a The Sinai covenant follows very closely the form of the covenants, or suzerain-vassal treaties, that great kings (the suzerains) in the ancient Near East offered to subject peoples (the vassals) as follows: (1) An introduction named the great king who was offering the covenant (20:1  ^b). (2) A historical preamble set out the circumstances that had led to the offer of a treaty (20:2  ^c). (3) Stipulations, the terms upon which the two parties were to agree, typically included the king’s offer of protection from enemies and care during emergency, while the people would agree to behave in conformity to the preferences of that king. Exodus includes a brief setting forth of the terms of the covenant (20:3-17  ^d) followed by expanded terms (chs 21–23  ^e). (4) Another statement indicated where a written copy of the covenant should be kept and when it should be read (24:7  ^f; 25:16  ^g). (5) The gods were called upon to witness the agreement (in Exodus, historical markers are substituted for the gods, 24:4  ^h). (6) The blessings and curses were stated that would follow upon obedience or disobedience to the covenant (23:20-33  ⁱ). Utilizing the political form of the covenant, God invited his people into a formal relationship with himself as king while avoiding the pagan overtones that contaminated religious forms of the time. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:1–7:29  ^j) is a New Testament parallel to this section of Exodus, with the Beatitudes (Matt 5:3-12  ^k) paralleling the Ten Commandments.
Summary for Exod 20:1-17: 20:1-17  ^l The brief statement of the terms of the covenant (see also Deut 5:6-21  ^m). 20:1  ⁿ This corresponds to the introductory statement in the ancient covenant format.

• all these instructions (literally all these words): When these statements are referred to elsewhere (34:28  ^o; Deut 4:13  ^p; 10:4  ^q), the Hebrew text refers to them as the “Ten Words.” These are not arbitrary commandments, but an explanation of God’s basic instructions for human living given by the Creator of human life.
20:2  ^r This sentence corresponds to the preamble in the ancient covenant format. It gives the historical setting that makes such an agreement between two parties both possible and reasonable. We are told that the Lord your God was offering the covenant. It was not some unknown deity that offered this special relationship, but the God of Israel’s ancestors who had revealed his power and his care directly to them. Furthermore, that revelation was an act of gracious rescue on their behalf, demonstrating that he is the only God.
Summary for Exod 20:3-17: 20:3-17  ^s The terms of the covenant specify the behavior the people were expected to manifest if they were to be in a covenant with God. Only the first four instructions (20:2-11  ^t) relate directly to God, while the remaining six (20:12-17  ^u) have to do with human-to-human relationships. A covenant with God stipulates how we are to treat each other because God is profoundly ethical, and he expects us to manifest his character in all our relationships. Other law codes in the ancient Near East did not incorporate such absolute prohibitions, probably because polytheism mitigated against absolute principles. In contrast, covenants with a king did include absolute prohibitions because a single king could demand whatever he wished of his subjects. Here the single king is the sole Creator of the universe, who truly has authority to state absolute principles, demands, and prohibitions.
Summary for Exod 20:3-11: 20:3-11  ^v The first four commandments relate to one’s relationship with God. Observing them would foster a correct understanding of God in contrast to the idolatrous notions of deity that the Israelites had encountered in Egypt and would yet encounter in Canaan. 20:3  ^w Not recognizing any other god is the first step toward learning the truth that there are no other gods besides the Lord (see Deut 4:35  ^x; 6:4  ^y; Isa 43:10-11  ^z; 45:21-22  ^aa).
20:4  ^ab Not making an image of God is the first step toward recognizing that he is transcendent—that he is the Creator of the universe and distinct from it. To represent God as something in creation was inevitably to end up worshiping the creation rather than the Creator, and this immorality had deadly consequences (Rom 1:18-25  ^ac).
Summary for Exod 20:5-6: 20:5-6  ^ad jealous God: God is passionately opposed to our prostituting ourselves with false gods (see Josh 24:19-20  ^ae).

• in the third and fourth generations ... for a thousand generations: It is important to keep both sides of this equation together. God does not punish children for their parents’ sins. Rather, he is saying that our sins affect future generations of descendants. But he is also restricting the natural effects of those sins to three or four generations, while graciously extending the effects of obedience to a thousand generations (see also 34:6-7  ^af; Deut 7:9  ^ag).

• reject (literally hate): The Hebrew words commonly translated “love” (Exod 20:6  ^ah) and “hate” are difficult to translate into English because they include an act of the will as well as the emotional element we are familiar with. In biblical thinking, to “love” is to choose something and to act consistently in accord with that choice. To “hate” is to reject something and to act in ways consistent with that choice. The choice is connected to emotion: Feeling expresses itself in choices, and our choices show how we really feel.
20:7  ^ai In Hebrew, one’s name connotes nature and character (see study note on 3:13-22). To make the name of God empty (NLT, misuse) is to do anything that makes him appear insignificant or worthless. One way to do this is to invoke his name in an oath we do not mean to keep. But there are other, even more significant ways to bring shame on God’s name (see Num 20:12  ^aj; Amos 2:7  ^ak; cp. Matt 6:9  ^al).
Summary for Exod 20:8-11: 20:8-11  ^am The Sabbath day is kept holy when it is dedicated to the Lord (20:10  ^an). Whatever belongs exclusively to God shares his character. This is not to say that the other six days are unholy, but simply that they are for ordinary work (20:9  ^ao). On this day set apart, we are reminded that it is not our work that supplies our needs. Our needs are supplied by God as an act of his grace (20:6  ^ap).
20:11  ^aq To be in covenant with God is to do what God does; since he rested from his work (Gen 2:1-3  ^ar), how can we think that we need no rest?
Summary for Exod 20:12-17: 20:12-17  ^as The remaining six instructions all have to do with human relationships. Many of the stipulations of the covenant with God relate to how people treat each other. This connection of ethical behavior with religious duty is unique in the Old Testament world. There are several ethical law codes known in the ancient Near East, and several of these predate Moses, but all of them are imposed by a human king and have little to do with religion. The pagan gods, meanwhile, were patently unethical and untrustworthy, unlike the God of Israel, whose people worship him by treating others as he does. See also Matt 19:17-19  ^at. 20:12  ^au To honor your father and mother is to recognize that you are not self-sufficient and self-existent. This is one important step on the road to humility. Arrogance may produce notoriety, but humility and gratitude are the foundations of a long, full life. Both Jesus and Paul refer to this command (see Matt 15:4  ^av; Mark 7:10  ^aw; Eph 6:1-3  ^ax).
20:13  ^ay murder: This is the correct rendering of the Hebrew word. There is another word that connotes mere killing. Taking human life is not prohibited, per se, but the intentional killing of another for personal reasons is prohibited. This principle tells us that God values our individual, physical lives. Jesus expanded on this command in Matt 5:21-26  ^az.
20:14  ^ba adultery: Here this term represents all sexual sins, among which adultery most clearly indicates breaking faith. Adulterers satisfy their sexual desires as they please, and they break faith with their spouse in so doing. Jesus expanded on this command in Matt 5:27-30  ^bb.
20:15  ^bc Stealing is another way of saying that I have an absolute right to my own way, whether I have earned it or not. From the divine side, the prohibition says that God values us even down to our possessions.
20:16  ^bd Not telling a lie can be a very individual act, and even a prideful one. But refusing to testify falsely against your neighbor is an unselfish act, in which your neighbor’s reputation and well-being is more important to you than your own.
20:17  ^be This final principle circles back to the first, for “a greedy person is an idolater” (Col 3:5  ^bf). Covetousness is the worship of this world, the belief that possessions, especially those my neighbor possesses, will give me lasting happiness. To believe this is to break one’s covenant of absolute loyalty to God, who alone supplies our needs. See also Rom 7:7  ^bg.
Summary for Exod 20:18-26: 20:18-26  ^bh This interlude is about access to God. The first part (20:18-21  ^bi) deals with the need for a mediator between the people and God. In 20:22-26  ^bj, we find the appropriate form for an altar in the interval before God revealed his plans for a more permanent sanctuary (see 25:1–30:28  ^bk).
Summary for Exod 20:18-21: 20:18-21  ^bl The people were very conscious of their sinfulness before a holy God and begged Moses to stand between them and God. Moses pointed out that God’s goal was neither to overawe them nor to destroy them. Rather, he wanted their awe of him to keep them from sinning (20:20  ^bm). Jesus is the ultimate mediator between God and people (1 Tim 2:5  ^bn).
Summary for Exod 20:22-26: 20:22-26  ^bo The Lord is transcendent, as shown by his speaking to the people in a disembodied voice from heaven (20:22  ^bp). This would have two effects upon their practice: They were not to use silver or gold to make gods in human form (idols, 20:23  ^bq), and they were not to carve stones for an altar (20:25  ^br). Perhaps this is because they would be tempted to carve stone gods in the process. The altar was to be made of earth (20:24  ^bs) and uncut stones (20:25  ^bt).

• The prohibition against revealing one’s nakedness (20:26  ^bu) might have been to separate Israelite religious practice from the nature worship around them. Sexual activity was an integral part of many Canaanite rituals.

‏ Exodus 21

Summary for Exod 21:1: 21:1–23:33  ^bv The terms of the covenant are now expanded. The beginning section (21:1–23:19  ^bw) gives specific examples of the general principles stated in 20:3-17  ^bx. The commitments to which God bound himself if the Israelites kept their side of the covenant are stated in 23:20-33  ^by, as are the blessings of obedience.
Summary for Exod 21:1-23:19: 21:1–23:19  ^bz The statements found here are in the typical case-law format of ancient Near Eastern law codes. This format begins with a hypothetical situation introduced by the word “if.” The following statement of what is to be done in such a case is introduced by “then.” While some cases are grouped into categories in these chapters, there is little attempt to separate personal, civil, or ceremonial laws from one another. For God, life is not compartmentalized. All of life is lived in relationship to God, so all kinds of behavior signify whether we are in loving submission to him or in defiance of him.
Summary for Exod 21:1-11: 21:1-11  ^ca Slavery was a fact of life in the ancient world. In some cases, it was the only resort for those who were destitute. In much of the ancient world, people who were slaves felt that the gods had abandoned them. But the Lord cares about those who are in this helpless condition, so his covenant people must care also. Ultimately, the revelation that Jesus Christ had died for all people everywhere would make the practice of slavery untenable (Gal 3:28  ^cb).
21:2  ^cc A man might sell himself into slavery in order to get money to pay his debts. This law states that the man was never to become the permanent property of the master.
21:3  ^cd If a man and a wife went into slavery together, they were also to go free together.
Summary for Exod 21:4-6: 21:4-6  ^ce The master was not required to provide a slave with a wife who would then be freed with him. The slave in such a situation had to either abandon the family he began while he was a slave or become a permanent slave.
Summary for Exod 21:7-9: 21:7-9  ^cf A female slave was treated differently from a male, possibly because it was understood that she was sold to become a concubine. For such a woman to be released after seven years would not be just. She would either have to return to her father (who clearly did not want her, having previously sold her), marry (an unlikely prospect for a former concubine), or become a prostitute. Thus, it was best for her to remain in the home of her master. Presumably, if a man bought a girl to be his son’s wife (21:9  ^cg), it was understood that the purchase price was not actually buying her but was the equivalent of a bride-price. Typically, a young man wishing to marry a girl had to give her father a gift of some sort, either money or a gift in kind (see 22:16  ^ch; Gen 24:53  ^ci). A woman for whom a bride-price had been paid was not a slave.
Summary for Exod 21:12-17: 21:12-17  ^cj The crimes of murder, kidnapping, and dishonoring one’s parents warranted the death penalty. A murderer forfeits his own life, and human life is so precious that even an accidental death cannot be overlooked. The place of refuge (see Num 35:6-28  ^ck) was a place where an accidental killer could go so that the family of the deceased could not take vengeance (see study notes on Num 35:6-34).
21:14  ^cl dragged ... from my altar: See 1 Kgs 2:28-33  ^cm.
21:17  ^cn Anyone who dishonors: See study note on Lev 20:9; see also Exod 20:12  ^co; Deut 5:16  ^cp; 21:18-21  ^cq; Eph 6:1-4  ^cr.
Summary for Exod 21:18-27: 21:18-27  ^cs These laws governed compensation for injuries that did not lead to death.
Summary for Exod 21:22-25: 21:22-25  ^ct so she gives birth prematurely: It appears that if a child’s birth was caused prematurely and the child died (i.e., there was further injury), the penalty for murder was to be enacted. The law of retaliation (the lex talionis) called for a penalty that matched the injury inflicted on a victim. But this law also served to limit the punishment so it was not more severe than the original injury. Cp. Matt 5:38-39  ^cu.
Summary for Exod 21:28-32: 21:28-32  ^cv If an animal caused a person’s death and the owner was judged to be negligent, the relatives of the deceased could demand the death penalty for both the animal and its owner. However, that penalty was not mandatory, and the relatives could elect to accept compensation (21:30  ^cw).
Summary for Exod 21:33-22:15: 21:33–22:15  ^cx In cases involving loss of property, the responsible person had to pay compensation equal to the value of what was lost. If the person had actually stolen the property, the compensation was multiplied (22:1  ^cy, 4  ^cz, 7  ^da). Where there was a question of responsibility, the parties were to appear before God for adjudication (22:8  ^db). The means by which the judgment was reached is not reported.

‏ Exodus 22

Summary for Exod 22:16-31: 22:16-31  ^dc These miscellaneous cases involving social responsibility are not categorized. All parts of life are an expression of one’s obedience to God (see study note on 21:1–23:19).
22:18  ^dd The practices of a sorceress represented the pagan worldview from which God was delivering his people. That worldview was utterly incompatible with the biblical one (see 20:3  ^de; 23:13  ^df).
22:20  ^dg must be destroyed: See thematic note for Complete Dedication at end of chapter.
22:21  ^dh The Hebrews were to treat foreigners kindly because they, too, had once been foreigners (see also 23:9  ^di; Deut 10:18-19  ^dj). For further development of the principle, see Luke 6:31  ^dk.
Summary for Exod 22:22-23: 22:22-23  ^dl The widow, the orphan, and the foreigner were in a helpless and economically disadvantaged position. God, by his protective stance toward these persons, demonstrated that he does not value people on the basis of their power or wealth, the standards accepted by most humans. Instead, God values people because they share his image (Gen 1:27  ^dm).
Summary for Exod 22:25-27: 22:25-27  ^dn Although interest could not be charged on a loan to another Israelite, collateral, or security, could be required. However, even the security had to be handled in a humane way. The requirements of the covenant mirrored the character of God.
22:30  ^do God is considerate even of animals (see Jon 4:11  ^dp).
22:31  ^dq Because of the symbolic significance of blood as life itself, God forbade eating meat with the blood still in it (see Lev 17:10-16  ^dr).

Thematic note: Complete Dedication
The Hebrew word kherem (“specially set apart”) is difficult to translate because it represents a concept for which there is no exact parallel in modern English. In the conquest of Canaan under Joshua, kherem designated something that was dedicated to a pagan god and therefore hostile to the Lord. Such things were to be destroyed (see Josh 6:18  ^ds). In the case of valuable metal items, they were brought to the sanctuary, where they became holy to the Lord (Lev 27:28  ^dt; see also Josh 6:19  ^du, 24  ^dv). The concept of being “specially set apart” was also applied to Israel’s enemies when they and their property were destroyed (Josh 6:17-19  ^dw; 1 Sam 15:2-3  ^dx).
In Leviticus 27:21  ^dy, 28  ^dz, kherem indicates an acceptable vow devoting something to the Lord for use in the sanctuary (see Num 18:14  ^ea). This made the item, land, or person holy. The thing or person could not be bought back; it remained in the Lord’s service permanently.
The concept of complete dedication through total destruction underlies several passages in the apostle Paul’s writings. In Romans 9:3  ^eb, Paul was even willing to be declared anathema (the Greek equivalent of kherem) if it would bring about the salvation of his fellow Jews. In Galatians 1:8-9  ^ec, the same Greek word indicates an appropriate end for those who preach a false gospel. In 1 Corinthians 12:3  ^ed, Paul warns that no one speaking in the Spirit can call Jesus anathema, that is, no one who has God’s Spirit will interpret Jesus’ crucifixion as a sign of God’s rejection of him, as the Jews of Paul’s day did. Instead, they will recognize it as an act of atonement for sinful humanity.


Passages for Further Study
Exod 22:20  ^ee; Lev 27:28-29  ^ef; Num 18:8-14  ^eg; 21:2-3  ^eh; Deut 7:1-6  ^ei, 26  ^ej; 13:12-18  ^ek; Josh 6:17-19  ^el, 24  ^em; 7:11-15  ^en; 1 Sam 15:2-3  ^eo; 1 Kgs 20:42  ^ep; Isa 43:26-28  ^eq; Mal 4:5-6  ^er; Rom 9:3  ^es; 1 Cor 16:22  ^et; Gal 1:8-9  ^eu

‏ Exodus 23

Summary for Exod 23:1-9: 23:1-9  ^ev This call for justice includes a miscellaneous list of covenant requirements, most of which have to do with fairness and integrity.
Summary for Exod 23:1-3: 23:1-3  ^ew It is necessary to give true witness, even under the pressure of evil people (23:1  ^ex), the crowd (23:2  ^ey), or misguided motives (23:3  ^ez, 7-8  ^fa).
23:7  ^fb God’s character is the motive for righteous behavior (see 22:22-24  ^fc, 27  ^fd).
Summary for Exod 23:10-12: 23:10-12  ^fe Renewal, rest (23:12  ^ff), and refreshment are important. Just as humans and animals are to enjoy these in the weekly Sabbath, so the land is to be given rest every seven years (23:10-11  ^fg; see study note on 20:8-11).
Summary for Exod 23:14-17: 23:14-17  ^fh God’s command was that every man in Israel must appear before ... the Lord (23:17  ^fi), that is, at the Tabernacle, three times each year. While all the people were camped around the Tabernacle in the wilderness, this requirement did not create any problems. Later, when the people were dispersed throughout the land at a distance from the Tabernacle (later the Temple), it was more difficult. The stipulation seems to have been intended to keep the people from building local worship centers, which would splinter them as a people and allow for pagan influences on the worship of Yahweh. Sadly, these stipulations were not carefully carried out (see, e.g., 2 Kgs 23:21-23  ^fj).
23:15  ^fk appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib: See 13:4-5  ^fl; Lev 23:5-8  ^fm; Deut 16:1-8  ^fn.
23:16  ^fo The Festival of Harvest was celebrated seven weeks after Passover, around the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest (mid-May to mid-June). In postbiblical Judaism, this festival commemorated the giving of the Sinai covenant, which was calculated to have occurred fifty days after the first Passover in Egypt (see Lev 23:15-21  ^fp; Deut 16:9-12  ^fq).

• The Festival of the Final Harvest was celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar (mid-September to mid-October), after the final harvest of grapes was complete. This festival commemorated the wilderness wanderings when God provided for his people.
23:18  ^fr Blood symbolized life (Lev 17:11-14  ^fs; Deut 12:23  ^ft), so blood must not be mixed with yeast, which was not normally included in offerings (see study note on Lev 2:11).

• The fat, considered the best part of the offering, was to be burned at once (see Lev 3:3-5  ^fu).
23:19  ^fv The significance of the command not to cook a young goat in its mother’s milk is unknown. Its inclusion at this point suggests that it may have been a pagan religious practice.
Summary for Exod 23:20-33: 23:20-33  ^fw If the people kept the covenant stipulations just listed, the Covenant Lord agreed to protect them from enemies (23:22-23  ^fx) and from illness (23:25-26  ^fy) and give them a land to possess (23:27-31  ^fz). These covenant promises were contingent upon absolute loyalty to the Covenant Lord. In particular, it would be an act of rebellion (23:21  ^ga) to worship the gods (23:24  ^gb, 32-33  ^gc) of the dispossessed peoples.
Summary for Exod 23:20-23: 23:20-23  ^gd an angel: Probably the “angel of the Lord,” who was often a manifestation of the Lord himself (see 3:2  ^ge).
23:24  ^gf In Canaanite worship, sacred pillars were erected to represent the deities. Sometimes they would have a human likeness carved on them.
23:26  ^gg Pagan rites were carried out in an attempt to manipulate the forces of fertility and reproduction. God promised to give these gifts freely if the people would faithfully carry out the terms of their covenant with him.
Summary for Exod 23:29-31: 23:29-31  ^gh I will: God, not Israel, would take the land. The land would be a gift from their Covenant Lord. Israel was being granted possession of it as long as they faithfully fulfilled the covenant.
23:31  ^gi from the eastern wilderness to the Euphrates River: See Gen 15:18  ^gj; Num 34:2-12  ^gk; Deut 11:24  ^gl; 2 Chr 9:26  ^gm.

• I will hand over to you the people: God had promised the land to Abraham (Gen 15:16  ^gn). At that time, “the sins of the Amorites” had not yet run their course. Now they had. God was not arbitrarily dispossessing the Amorites (i.e., the Canaanites) but was using his people, the Israelites, to judge their wickedness.
23:33  ^go they will cause you to sin against me: The Canaanites were to be destroyed because there could be no truce between a holy God and sin. Furthermore, the continuance of God’s revelation, which was to culminate in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, depended on the survival of that revelation through the people of Israel. If they fell back into paganism, that could not happen.