Chapter 20
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1And God spake all these words, saying,
2I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
13Thou shalt not kill.
14Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15Thou shalt not steal.
16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
18And 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 removed, and stood afar off.
19And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
20And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
21And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
22And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
23Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
24An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.
25And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
“I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
Overview
God speaks the Ten Commandments directly to Israel from Mount Sinai. The first four commandments address the relationship between God and His people: no other gods, no graven images, no taking God's name in vain, and keeping the Sabbath holy. The last six address relationships among people: honor parents, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, and do not covet. The people tremble at God's voice and ask Moses to serve as mediator. Moses reassures them that God has come to test them so that His fear may be before them and they may not sin. God gives additional instructions about altars.
Key Themes
The Moral Law of God
The Ten Commandments express God's unchanging moral character and define what it means for humans to live rightly before God and with one another — they are the foundation of all biblical ethics.
The Need for a Mediator
The people's terror at God's direct speech and their plea for Moses to stand between them and God reveals humanity's fundamental need for a mediator — someone who can stand in the gap between a holy God and sinful people.
The Fear of God as a Guard Against Sin
Moses tells the people that God's terrifying presence is a gift — 'that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not' — the proper fear of God is a powerful deterrent to sin.
Study Questions
Why does God introduce the commandments by identifying Himself as the one who brought Israel out of Egypt (v. 2) — how does grace precede and ground the law?
What does the first commandment ('Thou shalt have no other gods before me') mean in a culture that may not worship literal idols but has many functional ones?
Why does the Sabbath commandment receive the most extensive explanation (vv. 8-11), and what does Sabbath rest teach about God and human identity?
What does Israel's terrified request for a mediator (v. 19) reveal about the human condition before a holy God?
How do the Ten Commandments function in the life of a Christian — are they a means of salvation, a guide for living, or something else?
Connection to Christ
Jesus said He came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He perfectly obeyed every commandment and bore the penalty for our lawbreaking. The people's plea for a mediator at Sinai is answered ultimately in Christ, 'the one mediator between God and men' (1 Timothy 2:5), who speaks to us not from a smoking mountain but from the mercy seat of grace.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Exodus 20. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?