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27,299 commentary entries
The Pulpit Commentary
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:17
Thou shalt not covet. Here the Mosaic law takes a step enormously in advance of any other ancient code. Most codes stopped short at the deed; a few went on to words; not one attempted to control thoughts. "Thou shalt no…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:17
The last commandment of the second table. Murder, adultery, theft, slander, all these spring from a corrupt heart. The wrong thought admitted nourishes the wrong desire, which in time gives birth to the wrong action. Ou…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:18-21
EXPOSITION WITHDRAWAL OF THE PEOPLE, AND NEARER APPROACH OF MOSES TO GOD. The effect produced upon the people by the accumulated terrors of Sinai—"the thunderings and the lightnings, the noise of the trumpet, and the mo…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:18-21
The Divine presence at once attractive and repellent. When Christ was upon the earth, so winning was his graciousness that crowds flocked to him, and one man at least exclaimed, "Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever t…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:18
The people saw the thunderings. The use of a specific verb for a generic one, with terms to all of which it is not, strictly speaking, applicable, is common to many writers, and is known to grammarians as zengma. "Saw"…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:18-22
The terrors of Sinai their design and their effects. I. THEIR DESIGN. 1. Not to slay the people. The people dreaded that if God spoke to them again, they would die (Exodus 20:19). But Moses said—No; this was not the des…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:19
And they said unto Moses. Their whole speech, as delivered in Deuteronomy, was as follows:—"Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire:…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:20-22
The law of the altar. I. THE OBJECT Or WORSHIP. The true God, not gods of silver, or gods of gold (Exodus 20:23). The God who had talked with them from heaven had appeared in no visible form. "Ye heard the voice of the…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:20
And Moses said unto the people. Not immediately—Moses first held colloquy with God. God declared that the people had "spoken well" (Deuteronomy 5:28); and authorised Moses to allow of their withdrawal (Deuteronomy 5:30)…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:21
The people stood afar off. They retired from the base of Sinai to their tents, where they "stood," probably in their tent doors. And Moses drew near unto the thick darkness. As the people drew back, Moses drew near. The…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:22-26
EXPOSITION THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT, (Exodus 20:1-26. Exodus 20:22, to Exodus 22:1-31. Exodus 22:23). The Decalogue is followed by a series of laws, civil, social, and religious, which occupy the remainder of Exodus 20:…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:22
Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. The book opened with this reminder, which at once recalled its author and declared its authority. "I, who give these laws, am the same who spake the ten commandments…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:22-26
I will go unto the altar of God. The directions given shadow forth the essentials of genuine worship. Amongst the heathen the idol is the central figure, the human symbol of the unseen God. The true God will admit no su…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:23
Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, etc. This is a repetition, in part, of the second commandment, and can only be accounted for by the prohibition being specially needed. The first idea of the Israelites, when th…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:24
An altar of earth. Among the nations of antiquity altars were indispensable to Divine worship, which everywhere included sacrifice. They were often provided on the spur of the occasion, and were then "constructed of ear…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:25
And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone—i.e; if, notwithstanding my preference expressed for an altar of earth, thou wilt insist on making me one of stone, as more permanent, and so more honourable, then I require th…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 20:26
Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar. Here the reason of decency, added in the text, is obvious; and the law would necessarily continue until sacerdotal vestments of a very different character from the clot…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 21:1
These are the judgments. The term "judgment" applies most properly to the decisions of courts and the laws founded upon them. No doubt the laws contained in the "Book of the Covenant" were to a large extent old laws, wh…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 21:1-11
Regulations for the treatment of slaves. I. THE CONDITIONAL ELEMENT RUNNING THROUGH THESE REGULATIONS. What a difference there is here from the strong, uncompromising imperatives of Exodus 20:1-26! There we feel that we…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 21:1-32
EXPOSITION THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT.—Continued. I. Laws connected with the rights of persons (Exodus 21:1-32). The regulations of this section concern— 1. Slavery (Exodus 21:2-6); 2. Murder and other kinds of homicide (…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 21:1
The judgments. The "rights" or "judgments" contained in this and the two following chapters show the manner in which the spirit and principles of the preceding moral legislation were intended to be applied to the regula…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 21:2-11
Slavery.
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 21:2-12
Hebrew bond-service. The laws relating to this subject are to be found, in addition to those in the present chapter, in Exodus 12:43-45; Exodus 22:3; Le Exodus 25:39 -55; Exodus 26:13; Deuteronomy 12:12, Deuteronomy 12:…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 21:2
If thou buy an Hebrew servant. Slavery, it is clear, was an existing institution. The law of Moses did not make it, but found it, and by not forbidding, allowed it. The Divine legislator was content under the circumstan…