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Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments

(Deut 5.1–21)

1God spoke, and these were his words: 2“I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves.

3“Worship no god but me.

4“Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth. 5Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the LORD your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation. 6But I show my love to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my laws.

Notes for verses 4–63 entries

Text notes

Cross-references

  • Exodus 20:4–5 – Exodus 34:17 ; Leviticus 19:4 ; Leviticus 26:1 ; Deuteronomy 4:15–18 ; Deuteronomy 27:15

  • Exodus 20:5–6 – Exodus 34:6–7 ; Numbers 14:18 ; Deuteronomy 7:9–10

7“Do not use my name for evil purposes, for I, the LORD your God, will punish anyone who misuses my name.

Notes for verse 71 entry

Cross-references

8“Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. 9You have six days in which to do your work, 10but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work — neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. 11In six days I, the LORD, made the earth, the sky, the sea, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I, the LORD, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.

Notes for verses 8–113 entries

Cross-references

  • Exodus 20:8 – Exodus 16:23–30 ; Exodus 31:12–14

  • Exodus 20:9–10 – Exodus 23:12 ; Exodus 31:15 ; Exodus 34:21 ; Exodus 35:2 ; Leviticus 23:3

  • Exodus 20:11 – Genesis 2:1–3 ; Exodus 31:17

12“Respect your father and your mother, so that you may live a long time in the land that I am giving you.

Notes for verse 121 entry

Cross-references

  • Exodus 20:12 – Deuteronomy 27:16 ; Matthew 15:4 ; Matthew 19:19 ; Mark 7:10 ; Mark 10:19 ; Luke 18:20 ; Ephesians 6:2 , Ephesians 6:3

13“Do not commit murder.

Notes for verse 131 entry

Cross-references

  • Exodus 20:13 – Genesis 9:6 ; Leviticus 24:17 ; Matthew 5:21 ; Matthew 19:18 ; Mark 10:19 ; Luke 18:20 ; Romans 13:9 ; James 2:11

14“Do not commit adultery.

Notes for verse 141 entry

Cross-references

  • Exodus 20:14 – Leviticus 20:10 ; Matthew 5:27 ; Matthew 19:18 ; Mark 10:19 ; Luke 18:20 ; Romans 13:9 ; James 2:11

15“Do not steal.

Notes for verse 151 entry

Cross-references

  • Exodus 20:15 – Leviticus 19:11 ; Matthew 19:18 ; Mark 10:19 ; Luke 18:20 ; Romans 13:9

16“Do not accuse anyone falsely.

Notes for verse 161 entry

Cross-references

  • Exodus 20:16 – Exodus 23:1 ; Matthew 19:18 ; Mark 10:19 ; Luke 18:20

17“Do not desire another man's house; do not desire his wife, his slaves, his cattle, his donkeys, or anything else that he owns.”

Notes for verse 171 entry

Cross-references

The People's Fear

(Deut 5.22–33)

18When the people heard the thunder and the trumpet blast and saw the lightning and the smoking mountain, they trembled with fear and stood a long way off. 19They said to Moses, “If you speak to us, we will listen; but we are afraid that if God speaks to us, we will die.”

Notes for verses 18–191 entry

Cross-references

20Moses replied, “Don't be afraid; God has only come to test you and make you keep on obeying him, so that you will not sin.” 21But the people continued to stand a long way off, and only Moses went near the dark cloud where God was.

Laws about Altars

22The LORD commanded Moses to say to the Israelites: “You have seen how I, the LORD, have spoken to you from heaven. 23Do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gold to be worshipped in addition to me. 24Make an altar of earth for me, and on it sacrifice your sheep and your cattle as offerings to be completely burnt and as fellowship offerings. In every place that I set aside for you to worship me, I will come to you and bless you. 25If you make an altar of stone for me, do not build it out of cut stones, because when you use a chisel on stones, you make them unfit for my use. 26Do not build an altar for me with steps leading up to it; if you do, you will expose yourselves as you go up the steps.

Notes for verses 22–261 entry

Cross-references

  • Exodus 20:25 – Deuteronomy 27:5–7 ; Joshua 8:31

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