Chapter 20

1 The ten commandments. 18 The people are afraid. 20 Moses comforteth them. 22 Idolatry is forbidden. 24 Of what sort the altar should be.the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

1. God spake. The stage was now set for the proclamation of the moral law, which has remained the fundamental standard of conduct for countless millions ever since. None will deny that this was one of the momentous and decisive events of history. Nor can any deny the vital need of all men for such a code of conduct, because of their moral and spiritual imperfections and their proneness to do that which is evil. The Decalogue stands high above all other moral and spiritual laws. It is comprehensive of all human conduct. It is the only law that can effectively control the conscience. It is for all time a condensed manual of human conduct and covers the entire field of human duty. Our Lord referred to the commandments as the way whereby one might secure eternal life (Matt. 19:16–19). They are suited to every kind of human society, applicable and in force so long as the world shall last (Matt. 5:17, 18). They can never become obsolete, for they are the immutable expression of God’s will and character. It was with good reason that God delivered them to His people both orally and in writing (Ex. 31:18; Deut. 4:13).

Though given to man by divine authority, the Decalogue is not an arbitrary creation of the divine will. It is, rather, an expression of the divine nature. Man was made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), made to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15, 16), and the Ten Commandments are Heaven’s ordained standard of holiness (see Rom. 7:7–25). The key to the spiritual interpretation of the law was given by Christ in the sermon on the mount (Matt. 5 to 7).

The Decalogue is the expression not only of holiness but also of love (Matt. 22:34–40; John 15:10; Rom. 13:8–10; 1 John 2:4). Whatever in service we render to God or man, if it be without love, the law is not fulfilled. It is love that protects us from violating the Ten Commandments, for how could we worship other gods, take His name in vain, and neglect the observance of the Sabbath if we truly love Him? How can we steal that which belongs to our neighbor, testify against him, or covet his possessions if we love him? Love is the root of fidelity toward God, and of honor and respect for the rights of our fellows. It should ever be the great motive that impels us to obedience (John 14:15; 15:10; 2 Cor. 5:14; Gal. 5:6).

When a man first comes to Christ he will consciously abstain from the evil to which he has been accustomed. It was primarily for the purpose of helping sinners distinguish between good and evil that the Decalogue was given largely in negative form. Its recurring “Thou shalt not” testifies to the presence of strong tendencies in the heart that must be suppressed (see Jer. 17:9; Rom. 7:17–23; 1 Tim. 1:9, 10). But this negative form implies a large and satisfying field of moral and spiritual action open to man, and the breadth of character development possible. He is restricted only by the few prohibitions named. The Decalogue certifies to the truth of Christian freedom (James 2:12; 2 Cor. 3:17). Though the letter of the law, because of its few words, may appear to be narrow in scope, its spirit is “exceeding broad” (Ps. 119:96).

The fact that the Ten Commandments were written on two tables of stone emphasizes their application to two classes of moral obligation: duty to God and duty to man (Matt. 22:34–40). That which we owe to God is indispensable to that which we owe to man, for neglect of duties toward our neighbor will speedily follow the neglect of duty toward God. The Bible does not ignore the distinction between religion (duties directly related to God) and morality (duties arising from earthly relationships), but unites both in the deeper concept that all one does is done, as it were, to God, whose authority is supreme in both spheres (see Micah 6:8; Matt. 25:34–45; James 1:27; 1 John 4:20).

As the words of God, the Ten Commandments are to be distinguished from the “judgments” (ch. 21:1) based upon them and included with them in “the book of the covenant” as constituting the statutory law of Israel (see ch. 24:3). The two tables, which comprise the Decalogue, are, to the exclusion of the other parts of the law, variously called “the testimony” (ch. 25:16), “his covenant” (Deut. 4:13), “the words of the covenant” (Ex. 34:28), the “tables of testimony” (Ex. 31:18; 32:15), and “the tables of the covenant” (Deut. 9:9–11). These tables of stone, and these alone, were placed inside the ark of the covenant (Ex. 25:21; 1 Kings 8:9). They were thus regarded as in a special sense the bond of the covenant. The placing of the tables under the mercy seat casts light on the nature of the covenant God made with Israel. It shows that the law is the substratum, the foundation of the covenant, the obligatory document, the bond. Nevertheless, over the law is the mercy seat, sprinkled with the blood of propitiation, a heartening testimony that there is forgiveness with God for those who break the commandments. The OT consistently makes a clear distinction between the moral and ceremonial laws (2 Kings 21:8; Dan. 9:11).

2. I am the Lord. Literally, “I am Yahweh,” a name derived from the verb “to be,” “to become” (see on Ex. 3:14, 15; see p. 172). It means “the Existing One,” “the One who causes to be” (see p. 172). When, therefore, Jesus said to the Jews of His day, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58), they understood that He was claiming to be “the Lord” of the OT. This explains their hostility and their attempt to kill Him (John 8:59). It was Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead, who was the “God” of the Israelites throughout their history (Ex. 32:34; John 1:1-3, 14; 6:46, 62; 17:5; 1 Cor. 10:4; Col. 1:13–18; Heb. 1:1–3; Rev. 1:17, 18; PP 366). It was He who gave them the Decalogue; it was He who declared Himself to be “Lord also of the sabbath” (Mark 2:28). The Gr. heµ zoeµ, “the living One” (Rev. 1:18, RSV), is equivalent to the Heb. Eyeh Хasher Хehyeh, “I am that I am,” of Ex. 3:14.

The house of bondage. God proclaimed His holy law amid thunder and lightning, whose roll seems to find an echo in the imperatives “Thou shalt” and “Thou shalt not.” The terrors of Sinai were designed to bring vividly before the people the awful solemnity of the last great judgment day (PP 339). The exacting precepts of the Decalogue stress the justice of their Author and the strictness of His requirements. But the law was also a reminder of His grace, for the very God who spoke the law is the One who led His people forth from Egypt and set them free from the yoke of bondage. It is He who gave the precious promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Since the Scriptures make Egypt symbolic of the state of sin (see Rev. 11:8), the deliverance of Israel from Egypt may appropriately be compared to the deliverance of all God’s people from the power of sin. The Lord liberated His people from the land of Pharoah in order that He might give them His law (Ps. 105:42–45). Likewise, through the gospel, Christ frees us from the bondage of sin (John 8:34–36; 2 Peter 2:19) in order that we may keep His law, which in Him is translated into true obedience (John 15:10; Rom. 8:1–4). Let those who teach that the gospel of Christ frees us from the holy commands of the Decalogue reflect on this truth. Deliverance from Egypt was to provide the motive for obedience to God’s law. Note the order here: the Lord first saves Israel, then gives them His law to keep. The same order is true under the gospel. Christ first saves us from sin (see John 1:29; 1 Cor. 15:3; Gal. 1:4), then lives out His law within us (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 4:25; 8:1–3; 1 Peter 2:24).

3. Thou shalt. Though the covenant was made with Israel as a whole (ch. 19:5), the use of a singular verb shows that God addressed each individual of the nation and required of him obedience to the law. Collective obedience was not sufficient. For all time the Ten Commandments direct their appeal to, and weigh upon, each man’s conscience (see Eze. 18:19, 20).

Before me. Literally, “before my face.” This Hebrew idiom often means “besides me,” “in addition to me,” or “in opposition to me.” Being the only true God, the Lord requires that He alone be worshiped. This concept of but one God was foreign to the polytheistic belief and practice of other nations. God appeals to us to put Him before all else, to put Him first in our affections and in our lives, in harmony with our Lord’s injunction in the sermon on the mount (Matt. 6:33). Mere belief alone will not do, nor even the acknowledgement that He is the one and only God. We owe wholehearted allegiance and devotion to Him as a personal Being whom it is our privilege to know, to love, and trust, and with whom we may have blessed fellowship. Dependence upon something else than God, whether it be wealth, knowledge, position, or friends, places us in peril. It is hard to fight against the allurements of the world, and so easy to trust in that which is visible and temporal (see Matt. 6:19–34; 1 John 2:15–17). In our materialistic age it is not difficult to violate the spirit of this first commandment, by putting our trust and confidence in some earthly convenience or comfort, and in so doing forget the One who created the things we enjoy (see 2 Cor. 4:18).

4. Graven image. As the first commandment emphasizes the fact that there is but one God, in protest against the worship of many gods, the second places emphasis upon His spiritual nature (John 4:24), in disapproval of idolatry and materialism. This commandment does not necessarily prohibit the use of sculpture and painting in religion. The artistry and representation employed in the construction of the sanctuary (Ex. 25:17–22), in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 6:23–26), and in the “brasen serpent” (Num. 21:8, 9; 2 Kings 18:4) clearly prove that the second commandment does not proscribe religious illustrative material. What is condemned is the reverence, the worship, or quasi worship, which multitudes in many lands give to religious images and pictures. The excuse that the idols themselves are not worshiped does not lessen the force of this prohibition. Idols are not only not to be worshiped, they are not even to be made. The folly of idolatry lies in the fact that idols are merely the product of human skill, and therefore inferior to man and subject to him (Hosea 8:6). But man can truly engage in worship only by directing his thoughts to One greater than himself.

Any likeness. The threefold division here and elsewhere (sky, earth, and water) covers the entire physical universe, from which the heathen drew and fashioned their deities (Deut. 4:15–19; Rom. 1:22, 23).

5. Not bow down. This strikes at the outward honor given images in the ancient world. They were not looked upon as emblems, but as real and actual embodiments of deity. It was believed that the gods took up their abode in these images. Those who made them were not esteemed; they might even be despised. But their idolatrous handiwork was reverentially adored and worshiped.

A jealous God. God refuses to share His glory with idols (Isa. 42:8; 48:11). He declines the worship and service of a divided heart (Ex. 34:12–15; Deut. 4:23, 24; 6:14, 15; Joshua 24:15, 19, 20). Jesus Himself said, “No man can serve two masters” (Matt. 6:24).

Visiting the iniquity. This seeming threat has disturbed the minds of some who see in it the manifestation of a vengeful spirit. A distinction should be made, however, between the natural results of a sinful course of action, and punishment inflicted because of it (PP 306). God does not penalize one individual for the wrong deeds of another (Eze. 18:2–24). Each man stands before God, responsible only for his own acts. At the same time God does not interfere with the laws of heredity in such a way as to protect one generation from the misdeeds of its fathers, as that would be inconsistent with His character and His principles of dealing with men. It is only through these laws of heredity, which were of course ordained by the Creator in the beginning (see Gen. 1:21, 24, 25), that divine justice visits the “iniquity” of one generation upon the next.

No one can escape completely the consequences of dissipation, disease, profligacy, evil doing, ignorance, and bad habits handed down by preceding generations. The descendants of degraded idolaters and the offspring of evil and vicious men generally begin life under the handicap of physical and moral sin, and harvest the fruit of seed sown by their parents. Juvenile delinquency proves the truth of the second commandment. Environment also has a decided effect upon each rising generation. But since God is gracious and just, we may trust Him to deal fairly with each person, making due allowance for the disadvantages of birth, the inherited predispositions, and the influence of previous environment upon character. His justice and mercy require this (Ps. 87:6; Luke 12:47, 48; John 15:22; Acts 17:30; 2 Cor. 8:12). At the same time our aim is to be victorious over every inherited and cultivated tendency to evil (COL 315, 330, 331; DA 671).

God “visits,” or “appoints,” the results of iniquity, not vindictively, but to teach sinners that a wrong course of action inevitably brings unfortunate results.

Them that hate me. That is, those who, though they know God, refuse to serve Him. To set one’s affections upon false gods of any kind, to place one’s trust in anything besides the Lord, is to “hate” Him. Those who do so inevitably bring trouble and suffering not only upon themselves but also upon those who come after them. Those parents who think most of God, think most of their children. The use of the strong word “hate” is characteristically Oriental, expressing as it does the most intense disapproval. All a man need do to classify himself among those who “hate” God is to love Him less than he loves other persons or things (Luke 14:26; Rom. 9:13).

6. Keep my commandments. It is through obedience that true love for God is shown. Since God Himself is love, and His dealings with His creatures are motivated by love (1 John 4:7–21), God does not wish us to obey Him because we must but because we choose to do so (John 14:15, 21; 15:10; 1 John 2:5; 5:3; 2 John 6).

7. In vain. The word thus translated means “iniquity,” “falsehood,” “vanity,” “emptiness.” To inculcate reverence is the chief purpose of the third commandment (see Ps. 111:9; Eccl. 5:1, 2), which is an appropriate sequel to the two that precede it. Those who serve none but the true God, and serve Him in spirit and in truth, will avoid any careless, irreverent, or unnecessary use of the holy name. They will not indulge in profanity. Profanity, or any careless language for that matter, not only violates the spirit of religion but indicates a lack of breeding and gentlemanliness as well.

“Immodest words admit of no defence,

For want of decency is want of sense.”

This commandment applies not only to words we should avoid but to the care with which we should use those that are good (see Matt. 12:34–37).

The third commandment also condemns empty ceremony and formality in worship (see 2 Tim. 3:5), and exalts worship in the true spirit of holiness (John 4:24). It shows that obedience to the letter of the law is not sufficient. None ever reverenced the name of God more strictly than did the Jews, who to this day will not utter it. As a result, no one now knows how it should be pronounced. But in their extreme devotion to the letter of the law the Jews offered God an empty honor. This false zeal did not prevent the tragic mistake of the Jewish nation 2,000 years ago (John 1:11; Acts 13:46).

The third commandment also forbids false swearing, or perjury, which has always been considered a serious moral and social offense deserving of the most severe punishment. The careless use of God’s name denotes a lack of reverence for Him. If our thinking is on a spiritually elevated plane, our words will also be elevated, and will be dictated by what is honest and sincere (Phil. 4:8).

8. Remember. This word does not make the fourth commandment more important than the other nine. All are equally so. To break one is to break all (James 2:8–11). But the Sabbath commandment reminds us that the seventh-day Sabbath, as God’s appointed rest for man, goes back to the very beginning of human history and is an inseparable part of the creation week (Gen. 2:1–3; PP 336). The argument that the Sabbath was first given to man at Sinai is wholly without foundation (Mark 2:27; PP 80, 258). In a personal sense the Sabbath comes as a reminder that amid the pressing cares of life we ought not to forget God. To enter fully into the spirit of the Sabbath is to find a valuable aid in obeying the rest of the Decalogue. The special attention and devotion given on this day of rest to God and to things of eternal value provide reserve power for victory over the evils against which we are warned in the other commandments. The Sabbath has well been compared to a bridge thrown across life’s troubled waters, over which we may pass to reach the opposite shore, a link between earth and heaven, a type of the eternal day when those who are true to God shall put on forever the robe of immortal holiness and joy.

We should “remember” also that mere rest from physical labor does not constitute Sabbath observance. The Sabbath was never intended as a day of idleness and inactivity. Sabbathkeeping is not so much a matter of refraining from certain forms of inactivity as it is of entering purposefully into others. We cease from the weekly round of toil only as a means to the end of devoting the day to other pursuits. The spirit of true Sabbathkeeping will lead one to improve its sacred hours by seeking to understand more perfectly the character and will of God, to appreciate more fully His love and mercy, and to cooperate more effectively with Him in ministering to the spiritual needs of his fellow men. Whatever contributes to these primary objectives is appropriate to the spirit and purpose of the Sabbath. Whatever contributes primarily to the gratification of one’s personal desires or to the pursuit of one’s own interests is no more a part of true Sabbathkeeping than is ordinary labor. This principle applies to thoughts and words as well as to actions.

The Sabbath points us back to a perfect world in the long ago (Gen. 1:31; 2:1–3), and reminds us of the time when the Creator will again “make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). It is a reminder also that God stands ready to restore within our hearts and lives His own image as it was in the beginning (Gen. 1:26, 27). He who enters into the true spirit of Sabbath observance will thus qualify for receiving the seal of God, which is the divine recognition that His character is reflected perfectly in the life (Eze. 20:20). It is our happy privilege once each week to forget everything that reminds us of this world of sin and to “remember” those things that draw us closer to God. The Sabbath may become to us a little sanctuary in the wilderness of this world, where we may for a time be free from its cares and enter, as it were, into the joys of heaven. If the Sabbath rest was desirable for sinless beings in Paradise (Gen. 2:1–3), how much more essential it is for erring mortals preparing to re-enter that blest abode!

9. Shalt thou labour. This is a permission rather than a command. What work is to be done should be performed on the first six days of the week, so that the Sabbath, which comes on the seventh day, may be free for the worship and service of God.

10. The seventh day. No unnecessary secular labor is to be performed on that day. It is to be spent in religious reflection, worship, and service for God. It provides, as well, an opportunity for physical rest. This feature of the Sabbath is peculiarly important to man in his sinful state, when he must earn his bread by the sweat of his face (Gen. 3:17–19).

The Sabbath of the Lord. Literally, “the Lord’s Sabbath.” In Hebrew, “Sabbath” has no definite article, “the,” but this does not take from the Sabbath command its definiteness. The point of controversy between Sundaykeepers and Sabbathkeepers is not over whether a Christian should rest—“not do any work”—one day in the week, but which day of the week that should be, the first or the seventh. The commandment answers explicitly, “the seventh day.” The command divides the week into two parts: (1) “six days shalt thou … do all thy work,” (2) “the seventh day … thou shalt not do any work.” And why this prohibition of work on “the seventh day”? Because it is a “sabbath of the Lord.” The word Sabbath is from the Heb. shabbath, which means “rest.” Thus the command prohibits work on “the seventh day” because it is a rest day of the Lord. This takes us back to the origin of the Sabbath, when God “rested on the seventh day” (Gen. 2:2). It is therefore plain that the contrast is not between “the” and “a,” but between “work” and “rest.” “Six days,” says the command, are work days, but “the seventh day” is a rest day. That “the seventh day” is uniquely God’s rest day is made evident in the opening words of the command: “Remember the sabbath [rest] day, to keep it holy.”

The angels announced to the shepherds: “For unto you is born … a Saviour” (Luke 2:11). We do not therefore conclude that Christ was simply one of many saviors. We capture the meaning of the angel’s words when we put the emphasis on the word “Saviour.” Christ came, not as a military conqueror or an earthly king, but as a Saviour. Numerous other passages deal with the uniqueness of His salvation, and that we can be saved by none other. Thus with the matter of “the” and “a” in the fourth command.

Not do any work. This does not forbid acts of mercy or work essential to the preservation of life and health that cannot be performed on other days. It is always “lawful to do well on the sabbath days” (Matt. 12:1–14; Mark 2:23–28). The rest here spoken of is not to be considered merely in terms of cessation from ordinary labor, though this is, of course, included. It must be a holy rest, in which there is communion with God.

Nor thy cattle. God’s care for dumb animals is repeatedly stressed by OT writers (Ex. 23:5, 12; Deut. 25:4). He remembered them in the ark (Gen. 8:1). They were included in His covenant following the Flood (Gen. 9:9–11). He claims the cattle as His own (Ps. 50:10). The presence of “much cattle” provided one reason why Nineveh was spared (Jonah 4:11).

Thy stranger. That is, a foreigner who of his own free will joined himself to the Israelites. A “mixed multitude” left Egypt with Israel (Ex. 12:38) and accompanied them in their wilderness wanderings. So long as they chose to remain with the Israelites they were to conform to the requirements God set for His own people. In a sense this restricted their liberty, but they were free to depart if they did not wish to obey. In compensation, as it were, they enjoyed a measure of the blessings God bestowed upon Israel (Num. 10:29; Zech. 8:22, 23).

11. The Lord made. It is significant that Christ Himself, as Creator (John 1:1–3), rested upon the world’s first Sabbath day (DA 769) and spoke the law at Sinai (PP 366). Those who are re-created in His likeness (Eph. 4:24) will choose to follow His example in this as in other matters (1 Peter 2:21). The Creator did not “rest” because of weariness or fatigue (Isa. 40:28). His “rest” was cessation of labor at the close of a completed task (Gen. 1:31 to 2:3). In resting He set us an example (Matt. 3:15; cf. Heb. 4:10). The Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27), to satisfy a need that was originally spiritual, but which, with the entrance of sin, became physical as well (see Gen. 3:17–19). One of the reasons the Israelites were delivered from Egypt was that they might observe the divinely appointed day of rest. Their oppression in Egypt had made such observance most difficult (see Ex. 5:5–9; Deut. 5:12–15; PK 180).

12. Honour thy father. Having covered in the first four commandments our duties toward God, we now take up the second table of the law, dealing with duties toward our fellows (Matt. 22:34–40). Inasmuch as prior to the age of moral accountability parents stand to their children as the representatives of God (PP 308), it is logical and fitting that our first man-ward duty should be toward them (Deut. 6:6, 7; Eph. 6:1–3; Col. 3:20). Another purpose of this commandment is to engender respect for all rightful authority. Such respect begins with the attitude of children toward their parents. In the mind of the child this becomes the basis for respect and obedience owed to those who are legitimately placed in authority over him throughout life, particularly in the church and in the state (Rom. 13:1–7; Heb. 13:17; 1 Peter 2:13–18). There is included in the spirit of this commandment the thought that those in authority in the home and outside of it should so conduct themselves that they are ever worthy of the respect and obedience of those under them (Eph. 6:4, 9; Col. 3:21; 4:1).

13. Not kill. Any rightful understanding of our relation to our neighbor indicates that we must respect and honor his life, for all life is sacred (Gen. 9:5, 6). Jesus magnified (Isa. 42:21) this commandment to include anger and contempt (Matt. 5:21, 22). Later the apostle John added hatred (1 John 3:14, 15). Not only does this commandment forbid violence to the body, but, what is of far greater consequence, injury to the soul. We break it when we lead others into sin by our example and action, and thus contribute to the destruction of their souls. Those who corrupt the innocent and seduce the virtuous “kill” in a far worse sense than the cutthroat and the bandit, in that they do more than to kill the body (Matt. 10:28).

14. Not commit adultery. This prohibition covers not only adultery but fornication and impurity of any and every kind in act, word, and thought (Matt. 5:27, 28). This, our third duty toward our “neighbour,” is to respect and honor the bond upon which the family is built, that of the marriage relationship, which to the Christian is as precious as life itself (see Heb. 13:4). Marriage makes the husband and wife “one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). To be untrue to this sacred union or to lead another to do so is to despise that which is sacred and to commit a crime as well. Throughout human history it has not generally been considered a grievous offense for the husband to become an adulterer. If, however, the wife did so, she has been dealt with most severely. Society speaks of the “fallen woman,” but little is said of the “fallen man.” The commandment applies with equal force to both husband and wife (Heb. 13:4; Rev. 21:8).

15. Not steal. Here the right to possess property is set forth, a right that is to be respected by others. For society to exist at all, this principle must be safeguarded, else there is no security and no protection. All would be anarchy. This commandment forbids any act by which, directly or indirectly, we dishonestly obtain the goods of another. Especially in these days when the keen edge of morality is becoming increasingly dull, it is well to remember that adulteration, the concealment of defects, misrepresentation of quality, and the employment of false weights or measures are all the acts of a thief as much as pocket picking or shoplifting.

Employees steal when they take a “commission” unknown to their superiors, or appropriate that which has not been expressly agreed upon, or neglect to do whatever work they contracted to do, or perform it in a slovenly manner, or damage the owner’s property through carelessness or diminish it by waste.

Employers steal when they withhold from their employees the benefits they promised, or allow their wages to fall into arrears, or force them to work overtime without proper remuneration, or deprive them of any other consideration they have a reasonable right to expect. They steal who conceal goods from a customs inspector or misrepresent them in any way, or who make out false or misleading tax returns, or who cheat tradesmen by incurring debts that they can never repay, or who in view of impending bankruptcy turn over their property to a friend, with the understanding that it is later to be restored, or who have recourse to any so-called tricks of trade.

Except for those possessed by the spirit of honesty, those who love justice, equity, and fair dealing, those who make it their law of life to do for others as they would that others should do to them, all men will, in one way or another, defraud their “neighbour.” We may steal from others in more subtle ways, robbing them of their faith in God through doubt and criticism, through the shattering effect of a bad example when otherwise trusted, by confusing and perplexing them by statements they are not prepared to understand, by pernicious, slanderous gossip that may deprive them of their good name and character. Whatever withholds from another that which is rightfully his, or appropriates to one’s own use that which is another’s—this is stealing. To accept credit for the labors or ideas of another, to use that which is his without his permission, or to take advantage of another in any way—this too is stealing.

“Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls:

Who steals my purse steals trash; ’tis something, nothing;

’Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands;

But he that filches from me my good name

Robs me of that which not enriches him,

And makes me poor indeed.”

16. False witness. This commandment may be transgressed in a public manner by untruthful witness borne in a court of law (ch. 23:1). Perjury has ever been considered a serious offense against society, and has been punished accordingly. In Athens a false witness was heavily fined. If convicted thrice of this crime, he lost his civil rights. In Rome a law of the Twelve Tables sentenced the transgressor to be hurled headlong from the Tarpeian Rock. In Egypt the penalty was amputation of the nose and ears.

This prohibition of the Decalogue is frequently violated by speaking evil of another, whereby his character is blackened, his motives misrepresented, and his reputation depreciated. All too many find it dull and tame to praise and speak well of their fellows. They find a vicious thrill in pointing out flaws in the conduct of others, judging their motives, and criticizing their endeavors. Since, unfortunately, many are ever ready and eager to listen to this supposed wisdom, the thrill is increased and the selfish, sinful ego of the detractor is enhanced. This commandment may also be broken by those who remain silent when they hear an innocent man unjustly maligned. It can be broken by a shrug of the shoulder or by an arching of the eyebrows. Whoever tampers in any way with the exact truth, in order to gain personal advantage or for any other purpose, is guilty of bearing “false witness.” The suppression of truth that might result in injury to oneself or others—this too is bearing “false witness.”

17. Not covet. The tenth commandment is supplementary to the eight, for covetousness is the root from which theft grows. In fact, the tenth commandment strikes at the roots of the other nine. It represents a decided advance beyond the morality of any other ancient code. Most codes went no further than the deed, and a few took speech into account, but none proposed to regulate the thoughts. This prohibition is fundamental to human experience in that it penetrates to the motive behind the outward act. It teaches us that God sees the heart (1 Sam. 16:7; 1 Kings 8:39; 1 Chron. 28:9; Heb. 4:13), and is concerned less with the outward act than with the thought from which the action springs. It establishes the principle that the very thoughts of our hearts come under the jurisdiction of God’s law, that we are as responsible for them as for our actions. The wrong thought entertained promotes a wrong desire, which in time gives birth to a wrong action (Prov. 4:23; James 1:13–15). A man may refrain from adultery because of the social and civil penalties that follow such transgressions, yet in Heaven’s sight he may be as guilty as if he actually committed the deed (Matt. 5:28).

This basic commandment reveals the profound truth that we are not the helpless slaves of our natural desires and passions. Within us is a force, the will, which, under the control of Christ, can submerge every unlawful desire and passion (Phil. 2:13). It sums up the Decalogue by affirming that man is essentially a free moral agent.

18. They removed. More accurately, “they trembled.” The terrors of Sinai—the thunderings, the lightnings, the noise of the trumpet, the smoking mountain, the cloud and the voice speaking out of it—inspired the people with holy fear (Deut. 5:23–31).

20. Fear not. Moses pacified the people with the calm assurance that they need have no fear. It was God’s purpose to impress indelibly upon their minds a concept of His majesty and power, as a restraint from sinning. The Israelites were still dull in their comprehension of God, and consequently needed the discipline of fear until such a time as they were ready to be guided by the tender voice of love.

21. Moses drew near. As the people withdrew, probably to the doors of their tents, Moses drew near to God. In contrast to the fear of his fellow Israelites, which drove them from God, the servant of the Lord, in the boldness of faith and consecration, was attracted to the Lord. Where God was, he would be. Some, because of their sinful condition, are repelled by the divine presence; others because of their upright heart find their highest satisfaction in fellowship with their Creator (Matt. 8:34; Luke 4:42; Job 23:3; Ps. 42:1, 2). Men who have greatly transgressed, and who therefore cannot help but see God as “a revenger to execute wrath” and a “consuming fire” (Rom. 13:4; Heb. 12:29), often lose sight of the more tender attributes of God and cease to feel that He is their Father, “merciful and gracious” (Ex. 34:6; Ps. 86:15; 103:13).

22. Thus thou shalt say. With this verse begins the “book of the covenant” (ch. 24:7), which closes with ch. 23. It is a detailed enlargement upon the principles contained in the Decalogue, and is composed of various civil, social, and religious laws. From ch. 24:4, 7 we are led to believe that these laws, received by Moses at Sinai immediately after the delivery of the Ten Commandments, were put in writing and collected into a book, known as “the book of the covenant,” which was considered especially holy. Following the order of the Decalogue, the first and foremost laws are those having to do with the worship of God (vs. 23–26). Next come laws respecting the rights of persons (ch. 21:1–32), beginning with the rights of slaves and ending with the compensation to be made for injuries to persons caused by cattle. The third section has to do with rights of property (ch. 21:33 to 22:15). The remaining part of the “book” gives miscellaneous laws, some concerned with divine affairs, some with human affairs generally related to the civil organization of the state. This code contains some 70 distinct laws.

Ye have seen. This is a significant reminder that the Author of these civil laws is the same one who spoke the Ten Commandments amid the thunders of Sinai.

23. Gods of silver. This repetition of the prohibition of the second commandment is to be accounted for by the rampant idolatry of the time. How strong this idolatrous pressure was is shown by the fact that when the people thought Moses had deserted them they forthwith made themselves a golden calf (ch. 32). But “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24). That they might not worship Him through material representations, He remained invisible as He spoke from the cloud on Mt. Sinai (Deut. 4:12).

24. Altar of earth. Altars were essential to the religious of antiquity. They were often made of earth, sod, or stones collected on the spot. The patriarchal altars were probably of this kind (Gen. 8:20; 12:7; 13:18; 22:9). It was now ordered that the same usage continue, for the reason that elaborate altars of “hewn stone” would encourage idolatry, since the images that might be engraved upon the altars would become objects of worship.

Offerings. That these are introduced here without explanation indicates that sacrifices were already known, as was indeed the case (Gen. 8:20; 22:9, 13). Not long before, Jethro had offered a sacrifice within the camp of Israel (Ex. 18:12). Although for many years the Jews had not sacrificed to God in Egypt (see PP 333), they evidently preserved the idea of doing so. It was for the express purpose of offering sacrifices that Moses demanded Pharaoh’s permission to go into the wilderness (chs. 8:25–27; 10:24, 25). The burnt offering symbolized personal consecration and self-surrender (Lev. 6:8–13; Ps. 51:16–19), and the peace offering renewed fellowship with God and expressed thankfulness (Lev. 7:11–34). Although we have passed the day of material offerings such as these, we are still invited by God to render unto Him “spiritual sacrifices” (1 Peter 2:5) of self-surrender (Rom. 12:1), of a “broken spirit” (Ps. 51:17, and of joy and thanksgiving (Ps. 27:6; 107:22).

Come unto thee. This is a conditional promise, to be fulfilled if the people would build proper altars and offer proper sacrifices in “all places” where God would record His name.

25. Altar of stone. In cases where, notwithstanding the divine preference of the previous verse, the people would erect a more permanent and honorable altar of stone, God required that the stones be left in their rough, natural state.

Lift up thy tool. Here again in His ardent desire, prompted by love, that His people should not be corrupted by idolatry, God forbids the elaborate carving of the altars with objects that might woo them to idolatry. There is suggested the further thought that if we presume to put something of our own into the sacrifice as a ground for acceptance, we render it in vain. Self-obtrusion, however well intended, is pollution. The altar is an expression of God’s will. Try to improve it, and it becomes instead an expression of the will of the would-be improver. The altar of self is not the altar of God. Sacrifices offered upon it may satisfy the worshiper; they cannot be pleasing to God. Let us not lose the lesson found in the experience of Cain (Gen. 4:3, 4). The pillar of Simeon Stylites did not raise the value of his prayers. Our prayers would have a better chance of reaching heaven if they came from a contrite heart at the foot of the pillar (see Isa. 66:1, 2).

26. By steps. It is not enough that the offering be made with a pure motive; it must be offered in a pure and reverent manner. Though this injunction was specially directed against the enthusiastic and passionate indecencies associated with idolatry, it illustrates an eternal truth. God requires decency and order in His worship (1 Cor. 14:40). God looks at character, but He demands also that character be matched by conduct. Proper decorum, dress, and attitude are imperative to the worship of God (Eccl. 5:1, 2).

The detailed instructions God gave Israel concerning the manner in which they were to worship Him point to the important fact that nothing is unimportant in His sight. It is often faithfulness in what may seem “least” that determines whether “much” can be entrusted to us (Luke 16:10).

Ellen G. White comments

1-26Ev 232; PP 305-310; SR 140-148; 9T 211

1     MB 73

1-63T 296

1-17GC vi; ML 163; 5T 445

1-19FE 237, 287, 506; PP 336, 366

2     PP 305; SR 140

3     AA 151; CS 123, 145; CT 248; FE 312; MYP 316; PK 177, 182, 210, 624; PP 305, 317; SR 140, 299; Te 38; 1T 484, 486, 506; 2T 45; 3T 340, 543; 4T 632; 5T 173, 250; 6T 10

4     PK 100; PP 305, 336; SR 140

4-6EW 211

5     PK 100; PP 305, 306; SR 140; 4T 249; 5T 300

6     PP 306; SR 140; 4T 250

7     EW 70; MB 102; ML 282; PP 306; SR 140

8     DA 283; EW 34, 65, 85; GC 605; LS 95, 101; ML 287; MM 49, 50; PP 336; SL 54; 2T 703; 4T 249; 6T 353, 359; 9T 212

48-10ML 231

8-11EW 217; GC 434; PP 111, 307, 336; SR 140, 380; TM 135; 1T 76, 532; 2T 583; 4T 247; 6T 38; 8T 197

9     MM 50; 4T 249

9, 10    EW 255; 4T 252

10   CS 66; EW 33, 69; GC 447, 576; LS 101; MM 215; PP 525; 4T 114

10, 11  GC 437

11   Ed 250; ML 140

12   AH 283, 292, 299, 302, 360; DA 146; FE 101, 104, 403; ML 278; MYP 331, 444; PP 308, 337; SR 141; 1T 217, 401, 498; 2T 80; 3T 151, 232, 294; 5T 108, 125

13   MB 89; PP 148, 308; SR 141

14   AH 55, 327, 346; MB 93, 99; PP 308; SR 141; 2T 457; 4T 138, 141, 215

15   AH 58, 392; CH 283; FE 102; MYP 446; PP 308; SR 141

16   AH 250; CH 284; MB 104; MH 193; PP 309; SR 141; 4T 312, 331

17   CS 145; PP 309, 365; SR 141

18-23SR 142

19   FE 506; TM 99; 4T 514

19-21PP 310