Exodus 20:13-17
20:13 a 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 b.20:14 c 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 d.
20:15 e 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 f 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 g This final principle circles back to the first, for “a greedy person is an idolater” (Col 3:5 h). 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 i.
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