Exodus 20:8-18

8 Thou shalt remember the sabbath day, to sanctify it.

9 Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work;

10 but the seventh day shall be the sabbath of the LORD thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manslave, nor thy maidslave, nor thy beast, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates;

11 for in six days the LORD made the heavens and earth, the sea, and all that is in them and rested the seventh day; therefore, the LORD blessed the sabbath day and sanctified it.

12 Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may be lengthened upon the land which the LORD thy God gives thee.

13 Thou shalt not murder.

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15 Thou shalt not steal.

16 Thou shalt not give false testimony against thy neighbour.

17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manslave, nor his maidslave, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

18 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 trembled and stood afar off.

Exodus 20:8-18 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.