# Exodus 20 đ: The Ten Commandments
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đ Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đ Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#đ¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#đ§ Chapter Summary]]
> [[#âď¸ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#đ Key Principles / đ Life Application]]
> [[#đŹ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#âď¸ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đ Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#đ Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đ Internal Notes]]
## đ Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
## The Decalogue
[[#Verse 01.]]Â God spoke all these words:
[[#Verse 01.]] God spoke all these words:
[[#Verse 02.]] âI, the Lord, am your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
[[#Verse 03.]] âYou shall have no other gods before me.
[[#Verse 04.]] âYou shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water below.Â
[[#Verse 05.]] You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me,Â
[[#Verse 06.]] and showing covenant faithfulness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
[[#Verse 07.]] âYou shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold guiltless anyone who takes his name in vain.
[[#Verse 08.]] âRemember the Sabbath day to set it apart as holy.Â
[[#Verse 09.]] For six days you may labor and do all your work,Â
[[#Verse 10.]] but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates.Â
[[#Verse 11.]] For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
[[#Verse 12.]] âHonor your father and your mother, that you may live a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving to you.
[[#Verse 13.]]Â âYou shall not murder.
[[#Verse 14.]]Â âYou shall not commit adultery.
[[#Verse 15.]]Â âYou shall not steal.
[[#Verse 16.]] âYou shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
[[#Verse 17.]] âYou shall not covet your neighborâs house. You shall not covet your neighborâs wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.â
[[#Verse 18.]] All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smokingâand when the people saw it they trembled with fear and kept their distance.Â
[[#Verse 19.]] They said to Moses, âYou speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die.âÂ
[[#Verse 20.]] Moses said to the people, âDo not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you so that you do not sin.âÂ
[[#Verse 21.]] The people kept their distance, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.
## The Altar
[[#Verse 22.]] The Lord said to Moses, âThus you will tell the Israelites: âYou yourselves have seen that I have spoken with you from heaven.
[[#Verse 23.]] You must not make gods of silver alongside me, nor make gods of gold for yourselves.
[[#Verse 24.]] ââYou must make for me an altar made of earth, and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause my name to be honored I will come to you and I will bless you.Â
[[#Verse 25.]] If you make me an altar of stone, you must not build it of stones shaped with tools, for if you use your tool on it you have defiled it.Â
[[#Verse 26.]]Â And you must not go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness is not exposed.â
## đ Verse-by-Verse Commentary
##### Verse 05.
- God is not saying He punishes the children for the sins of their parents. He is saying, when you pass your sinful practices (such as idol worship) on to them, they will also sin by doing it. They are not exempt from sin because they didnât start it. Therefore, stay clean not just for yourself but for those you pass your legacy on to.
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
###### Verse 23.
###### Verse 24.
###### Verse 25.
###### Verse 26.
## đ¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. The Hebrew calls them the "ten words" (34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13), which is where the word "Decalogue" comes from.
2. The commandments begin with God's saving act (20:2). Grace comes before law.
3. Jewish, Catholic and Lutheran, and most other Protestant traditions divide and number the commandments in different ways.
4. The Ten Commandments appear twice in the Bible, here and in Deuteronomy 5.
5. The Sabbath is grounded in creation here (20:11) and in deliverance from Egypt in Deuteronomy 5:15.
6. The command not to misuse God's name (20:7) literally speaks of lifting up His name "to emptiness."
7. The Hebrew verb in 20:13 (*ratsach*) refers to murder, the unlawful taking of a life.
8. Paul calls "honor your father and mother" the first commandment with a promise (Ephesians 6:2).
9. The people were afraid and stood at a distance, asking Moses to speak to them instead (20:18-19).
10. God required altars of earth or uncut stone (20:24-25), and without steps (20:26).
## đ§ Chapter Summary
> [!note] đą Still growing. This section is on its way.
## âď¸ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the One who fulfills the law (Matthew 5:17). He kept every commandment perfectly, summed them up in love for God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40), and gives His righteousness to all who believe (Romans 10:4).
## đ Key Principles / đ Life Application
> [!note] đą Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đŹ Discussion Questions
1. God begins with who He is and what He has done (20:2) before giving any command. How does that shape the way we obey?
2. Which of the Ten Commandments do you find most challenging in today's culture, and why?
3. How do the first four commandments (love for God) relate to the last six (love for neighbor)?
## âď¸ Key Verses to Remember
- đ verse 2: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.
- đ verse 3: You shall have no other gods before Me.
- đ verse 20: God came to test you so that the fear of Him would keep you from sinning.
## đ Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đ [[Matthew 05#Verse 17.|Matthew 5:17]] - Jesus came to fulfill the law.
- đ [[Matthew 22#Verse 37.|Matthew 22:37-40]] - The two greatest commandments.
- đ [[Deuteronomy 05#Verse 06.|Deuteronomy 5:6-21]] - The Ten Commandments repeated.
- đ [[Romans 13#Verse 08.|Romans 13:8-10]] - Love fulfills the law.
- đ [[Ephesians 06#Verse 02.|Ephesians 6:2-3]] - The first commandment with a promise.
## đ Devotional Reflection
đ SOAP: [[Exodus 20- SOAP|Start With Relationship]]
## đ Internal Notes