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Exodus 20:17-26

Listen to Exodus 20:17-26
17 1“You shall not covet 2your neighbor’s house; 3you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s. ”
18 Now when all the people saw 4the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid[a] and trembled, and they stood far off
19 and said to Moses, 5“You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die. ”
20 6Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to 7test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin. ”
21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the 8thick darkness where God was.

Laws About Altars

22 And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have 9talked with you from heaven.
23 10You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.
24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. 11In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and 12bless you.
25 13If you make me an altar of stone, 14you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it.
26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it. ’

Exodus 20:17-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 20

In this chapter we have an account of the giving of the law on Mount Sinai; the preface to it, Ex 20:1,2, the ten commandments it consists of, Ex 20:8-17, the circumstances attending it, which caused the people to remove at some distance, Ex 20:18, when they desired of Moses, that he would speak to them and not God, who bid them not fear, since this was for the trial of them; but still they kept at a distance, while Moses drew nigh to God, Ex 20:19-21 who ordered him to caution the children of Israel against idolatry, and directed what sort of an altar he would have made whereon to offer their sacrifices, promising that where his name was recorded he would grant his presence and blessing, Ex 20:22-26.

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Cross References 14

  • 1. 20:17 Luke 12:15; Eph. 5:3, 5; Cited Rom. 7:7; 13:9; [Col. 3:5; Heb. 13:5]
  • 2. 20:17 Mic. 2:2
  • 3. 20:17 Jer. 5:8; Matt. 5:28
  • 4. 20:18 Heb. 12:18
  • 5. 20:19 Deut. 5:25, 27; 18:16; Gal. 3:19, 20; Heb. 12:19
  • 6. 20:20 [1 Sam. 12:20]
  • 7. 20:20 [Gen. 22:1]; Deut. 13:3
  • 8. 20:21 Deut. 4:11; 2 Sam. 22:10; 1 Kgs. 8:12; Ps. 18:9; 97:2
  • 9. 20:22 Deut. 4:36; Neh. 9:13; Heb. 12:25
  • 10. 20:23 [ch. 32:31; 2 Kgs. 17:33; Ezek. 20:39; Zeph. 1:5]
  • 11. 20:24 Deut. 12:5, 11; 14:23; 16:6, 11; 26:2; 1 Kgs. 8:29; 9:3; 2 Chr. 6:6; 7:16; 12:13; Ezra 6:12; Neh. 1:9; Ps. 74:7; Jer. 7:10, 12
  • 12. 20:24 Deut. 7:13
  • 13. 20:25 Deut. 27:5; Josh. 8:31
  • 14. 20:25 [1 Kgs. 5:17; 1 Chr. 22:2]

Footnotes 1

  • [a] 20:18 Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Masoretic Text 'the people saw'
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025

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