Exodus 20 KJV: The Moral Law and the Voice of the Almighty

Exodus 20 documents the delivery of the Ten Commandments, the moral framework for the covenant community. It begins with the vertical relationship between man and God (Commandments 1-4) and proceeds to the horizontal relationships between neighbors (Commandments 5-10). The chapter also records the people’s terror at the divine voice and their request for Moses to act as their permanent mediator.

  1. v1-11: The First Four Commandments: Duty to God
  2. v12-17: The Last Six Commandments: Duty to Man
  3. v18-21: The Fear of the People and the Mediator
  4. v22-26: Regulations Concerning Altars

Exodus chapter 20

And God spake all these words, saying,
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.
Thou 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.
Thou 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;
And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Thou 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.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:
But 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:
For 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.
Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.
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 removed, and stood afar off.
And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
And 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.
And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
And 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.
Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
An 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.
And 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.
Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

Discover the 10 eternal principles of justice and devotion that define what it means to live in a right relationship with God and others. Begin your study with exodus 20 summary.

The commandments start with 'I am the Lord your God who brought you out,' showing that obedience is a response to the rescue, not a way to earn it. The 'Word Secret' is *Chamad*, meaning 'to covet' or 'desire,' which is the only commandment that targets the hidden thoughts of the heart rather than an outward action. Discover the riches with exodus 20 commentary, containing expert led word study (original greek/hebrew) and passage level analysis.

Unlock the hidden exodus 20 1 meaning and summary by exploring context, analyzing original greek and hebrew words, and studying cross references of each verse.

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3 min read (561 words)