Exodus Chapter 20 — The Ten Commandments
God gives the Ten Commandments to the Israelites at Mount Sinai and establishes rules for proper worship and altar building.
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Notable Verses
Exodus 20:3
“You shall have no other gods before me.”
This is the first commandment, establishing the requirement of exclusive devotion to God.
Exodus 20:12
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you.”
This is the first commandment concerning human relationships and is accompanied by a specific promise.
Exodus 20:20
“Moses said to the people, 'Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.'”
Moses explains the purpose of the awe-inspiring display of God's power as a deterrent against wrongdoing.
Chapter Summary
Exodus 20 records the pivotal moment when God delivers the Ten Commandments to the Israelites at Mount Sinai. After reminding the people of their deliverance from Egypt, God provides the core requirements of the covenant: prohibiting other gods and idols, honoring His name and the Sabbath, and maintaining moral conduct toward others through honoring parents and avoiding murder, adultery, theft, false testimony, and covetousness. The narrative describes the people's intense fear as they witness thunder, lightning, and smoke on the mountain, prompting them to ask Moses to mediate between them and God so they do not perish. The chapter concludes with God giving Moses specific instructions regarding the prohibition of gold and silver idols and the proper way to construct simple altars of earth or unhewn stone, emphasizing that human tools would pollute a sacred altar.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Ten Commandments include worshiping only God, avoiding idols, not misusing God's name, keeping the Sabbath, honoring parents, and prohibiting murder, adultery, theft, false testimony, and coveting.
The Israelites witnessed terrifying physical manifestations of God's presence, including thunder, lightning, a smoking mountain, and a loud trumpet blast, which made them fear for their lives.
God commanded that altars be made of earth or natural, uncut stones. He specifically forbade using tools on the stones, stating that doing so would pollute the altar.
Study Note
The Ten Commandments are often referred to as the Decalogue, a term derived from the Greek words for 'ten' and 'words'.
Related Chapters
Deuteronomy 5
This chapter contains the second formal listing of the Ten Commandments in the Bible.
Matthew 5
Jesus provides deeper spiritual commentary on several of the commandments introduced in Exodus 20.
Exodus 19
This preceding chapter describes the preparation and arrival at Mount Sinai before the law was given.
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