Grasp the Gospel — Bible Comprehension Quizzes

Exodus 20 Study Notes

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General

True or False: The seventh commandment (20:14) forbids adultery, and Jesus later taught that lustful looking already breaks it in the heart.

Answer: True

This is true. The seventh commandment forbids adultery, which is sexual unfaithfulness to one's marriage (20:14). It protects marriage, which God created and honors. Jesus taught that this command is broken not only by the outward act but by lustful looking, which is adultery committed in the heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Hebrews calls on everyone to honor marriage and keep the marriage bed pure, warning that God will judge adulterers (Hebrews 13:4).

  • Exodus 20:14 (BSB)
    “You shall not commit adultery.”
    The seventh commandment forbids adultery.
  • Matthew 5:27-28 (BSB)
    “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
    Jesus teaches that looking at a woman with lust is adultery committed in the heart.
  • Hebrews 13:4 (BSB)
    “Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.”
    Calls for marriage to be honored and the marriage bed kept pure, warning that God will judge adulterers.

Theological

True or False: Exodus 20:14 prohibits adultery, and Christ taught that lustful looking already transgresses it in the heart.

Answer: True

This is true. The seventh commandment guards the marriage covenant by forbidding adultery (20:14). Christ's exposition extends it to the heart, so that the lustful gaze is already adultery (Matthew 5:27-28), and Hebrews 13:4 enjoins honor for marriage and a pure marriage bed under the certainty of God's judgment on adulterers. As with the sixth commandment, the law's inward reach convicts every conscience.

  • Exodus 20:14 (BSB)
    “You shall not commit adultery.”
    The seventh commandment forbids adultery.
  • Matthew 5:27-28 (BSB)
    “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
    Jesus teaches that looking at a woman with lust is adultery committed in the heart.
  • Hebrews 13:4 (BSB)
    “Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.”
    Calls for marriage to be honored and the marriage bed kept pure, warning that God will judge adulterers.

General

In the instructions right after the Ten Commandments (20:22-24), what kind of altar does God tell Israel to make?

Answer: A simple altar made of earth, where they would offer their sacrifices

God begins by reminding the people that they themselves had heard Him speak from heaven (20:22). Because the LORD who spoke to them is the only God, they must not make gods of silver and gold to set beside Him (20:23; compare Deuteronomy 4:35-36). Instead, they were to make Him a simple earthen altar and sacrifice burnt and peace offerings on it (20:24). God promised that wherever He caused His name to be recalled, He would come to them and bless them, a promise that points ahead to the place He would choose for His name (Deuteronomy 12:5). Sadly, Israel soon broke this command by making a gold calf (32:4).

  • Exodus 20:22-24 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is what you are to tell the Israelites: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven. You are not to make any gods alongside Me; you are not to make for yourselves gods of silver or gold. You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.”
    God reminds Israel He spoke from heaven, forbids gods of silver or gold, and commands a simple altar of earth where He will meet and bless them.
  • Deuteronomy 4:35-36 (BSB)
    “You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him. He let you hear His voice from heaven to discipline you, and on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the fire.”
    Moses says God let Israel hear His voice from heaven so they would know there is no other god besides Him.
  • Deuteronomy 12:5 (BSB)
    “Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.”
    God would later choose the place where His name would dwell, echoing the promise to come where He causes His name to be recalled.
  • Exodus 32:4 (BSB)
    “He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!””
    Soon afterward Israel made a gold calf and called it their gods, breaking this very command.

Theological

What does God command in 20:22-24 regarding worship after the Decalogue?

Answer: No silver or gold idols beside Him, and a plain altar of earth for burnt and peace offerings where He will come and bless

The covenant ordinances that follow the Decalogue open by recalling that Israel heard God speak from heaven (20:22), which rules out any silver or gold god set alongside Him (20:23), since the God who spoke to them out of heaven is God alone, and there is none beside Him (Deuteronomy 4:35-36). Worship is to be simple: an earthen altar for burnt and peace offerings, with the promise that wherever God causes His name to be recalled He will come and bless (20:24), anticipating the place He would choose for His name (Deuteronomy 12:5). Israel's golden calf would soon violate this very ordinance (32:4).

  • Exodus 20:22-24 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is what you are to tell the Israelites: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven. You are not to make any gods alongside Me; you are not to make for yourselves gods of silver or gold. You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.”
    God reminds Israel He spoke from heaven, forbids gods of silver or gold, and commands a simple altar of earth where He will meet and bless them.
  • Deuteronomy 4:35-36 (BSB)
    “You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him. He let you hear His voice from heaven to discipline you, and on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the fire.”
    Moses says God let Israel hear His voice from heaven so they would know there is no other god besides Him.
  • Deuteronomy 12:5 (BSB)
    “Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.”
    God would later choose the place where His name would dwell, echoing the promise to come where He causes His name to be recalled.
  • Exodus 32:4 (BSB)
    “He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!””
    Soon afterward Israel made a gold calf and called it their gods, breaking this very command.

General

What makes the tenth commandment (20:17) different from the others that deal with neighbors?

Answer: It targets the inner desire for what belongs to someone else, not only outward actions

The tenth commandment forbids coveting, which means craving what belongs to someone else: a neighbor's house, wife, servants, ox, donkey, or any other possession (20:17). Unlike stealing or murder, coveting happens inside, in the heart. Paul said that this very command showed him his sin; he would not have known that coveting was sin had the law not forbidden it (Romans 7:7). This is one of the law's key purposes: to show us our sin and our need for a Savior. The cure for coveting is contentment in God, who promises never to leave His people (Hebrews 13:5), and Paul even calls greed a form of idolatry (Colossians 3:5).

  • Exodus 20:17 (BSB)
    “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.””
    The tenth commandment forbids coveting a neighbor's house, wife, servants, animals, or anything that is his.
  • Romans 7:7 (BSB)
    “What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.””
    Paul says he would not have known coveting as sin had the law not said not to covet.
  • Hebrews 13:5 (BSB)
    “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.””
    Calls believers to be content, free from love of money, because God will never leave them.
  • Colossians 3:5 (BSB)
    “Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.”
    Identifies greed as idolatry, linking the tenth commandment back to the first.

Theological

What is distinctive about the tenth commandment (20:17)?

Answer: It addresses inward desire for a neighbor's possessions and household, exposing sin at its root

The tenth commandment forbids coveting a neighbor's house, wife, servants, livestock, or anything that is his (20:17). It locates sin in desire itself, making the whole law's inward, spiritual character unmistakable. Paul testifies that this command convicted him: he would not have known coveting apart from the law's prohibition (Romans 7:7), an instance of the law's first use in revealing sin and driving the sinner to Christ. Its remedy is contentment grounded in God's promised presence (Hebrews 13:5), and Paul identifies covetousness as idolatry (Colossians 3:5), binding the tenth commandment to the first.

  • Exodus 20:17 (BSB)
    “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.””
    The tenth commandment forbids coveting a neighbor's house, wife, servants, animals, or anything that is his.
  • Romans 7:7 (BSB)
    “What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.””
    Paul says he would not have known coveting as sin had the law not said not to covet.
  • Hebrews 13:5 (BSB)
    “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.””
    Calls believers to be content, free from love of money, because God will never leave them.
  • Colossians 3:5 (BSB)
    “Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.”
    Identifies greed as idolatry, linking the tenth commandment back to the first.

General

What does the ninth commandment forbid (20:16)?

Answer: Giving untrue testimony against another person

The ninth commandment forbids giving false testimony against one's neighbor (20:16). In Israel's courts, a lie from a witness could ruin someone or even cost him his life, so the law took it very seriously: a witness proven to have lied was to receive the very punishment he wanted for the other person (Deuteronomy 19:18-19). Proverbs warns that one who testifies falsely will not escape punishment (Proverbs 19:5). The command reaches beyond the courtroom to all our speech; Paul tells believers to put away lying and speak the truth to each other (Ephesians 4:25).

  • Exodus 20:16 (BSB)
    “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
    The ninth commandment forbids bearing false witness against one's neighbor.
  • Deuteronomy 19:18-19 (BSB)
    “The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.”
    A proven false witness was to receive the penalty he intended for the accused.
  • Proverbs 19:5 (BSB)
    “A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.”
    A false witness will not go unpunished.
  • Ephesians 4:25 (BSB)
    “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.”
    Paul calls believers to put away falsehood and speak truth to one another.

Theological

What is directly prohibited by 20:16?

Answer: Bearing false testimony against a neighbor

The ninth commandment prohibits false testimony against a neighbor (20:16). Its immediate setting is judicial, where perjury could destroy a life, hence the law's provision that a proven false witness suffer what he intended for the accused (Deuteronomy 19:18-19), and the proverb that the perjurer will be punished (Proverbs 19:5). Its principle governs all speech, as Paul commands believers to lay aside lying and tell one another the truth (Ephesians 4:25).

  • Exodus 20:16 (BSB)
    “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
    The ninth commandment forbids bearing false witness against one's neighbor.
  • Deuteronomy 19:18-19 (BSB)
    “The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.”
    A proven false witness was to receive the penalty he intended for the accused.
  • Proverbs 19:5 (BSB)
    “A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.”
    A false witness will not go unpunished.
  • Ephesians 4:25 (BSB)
    “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.”
    Paul calls believers to put away falsehood and speak truth to one another.

General

What promise is attached to the command to honor parents (20:12)?

Answer: Long life in the land God was giving them

The fifth commandment tells God's people to honor their parents, which means to respect, obey, and care for them, and it carries a promise: they would enjoy long life in the land the LORD was giving them (20:12). When Moses repeats it, he adds that it will go well with them (Deuteronomy 5:16). Paul quotes this command to Christian children and points out that it is the first of the commandments to carry a promise (Ephesians 6:1-3), and he says obeying parents pleases the Lord (Colossians 3:20).

  • Exodus 20:12 (BSB)
    “Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
    The fifth commandment calls for honoring father and mother, with the promise of long days in the land.
  • Deuteronomy 5:16 (BSB)
    “Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
    The restated command adds that it may go well with them in the land.
  • Ephesians 6:1-3 (BSB)
    “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.””
    Paul quotes this command to children and notes that it is the first commandment with a promise.
  • Colossians 3:20 (BSB)
    “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.”
    Paul tells children to obey their parents, since this pleases the Lord.

Theological

What promise does 20:12 attach to honoring father and mother?

Answer: Prolonged days in the land the LORD was giving Israel

The fifth commandment, which heads the duties toward neighbor, requires honoring father and mother and attaches the promise of prolonged days in the land God was giving (20:12), a promise Deuteronomy 5:16 expands with the assurance of their well-being. Paul cites it as the first of the commandments bearing a promise and applies it to children in the church (Ephesians 6:1-3), grounding filial obedience in what pleases the Lord (Colossians 3:20).

  • Exodus 20:12 (BSB)
    “Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
    The fifth commandment calls for honoring father and mother, with the promise of long days in the land.
  • Deuteronomy 5:16 (BSB)
    “Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
    The restated command adds that it may go well with them in the land.
  • Ephesians 6:1-3 (BSB)
    “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.””
    Paul quotes this command to children and notes that it is the first commandment with a promise.
  • Colossians 3:20 (BSB)
    “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.”
    Paul tells children to obey their parents, since this pleases the Lord.

General

True or False: In 20:5, God describes the generations on whom He visits the fathers' iniquity as those who hate Him.

Answer: True

This is true. God calls Himself a jealous God (20:5), meaning He loves His people with a love that will not share them with false gods (34:14). He says He brings the guilt of the fathers upon their descendants, reaching a third and fourth generation, and He specifies who these are: those who hate Him. This does not mean God punishes innocent children for their parents' sins. Elsewhere the law says each person dies for personal sin (Deuteronomy 24:16), and Ezekiel says a son does not carry his father's guilt (Ezekiel 18:20). Rather, when children continue in their parents' hatred of God, the parents' sin and its consequences carry on through the family, and God judges it in them.

  • Exodus 20:5 (BSB)
    “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,”
    God calls Himself jealous, visiting the fathers' iniquity on the third and fourth generations of those who hate Him.
  • Exodus 34:14 (BSB)
    “For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
    God's very name is Jealous, meaning He will not share His people's worship with any rival.
  • Deuteronomy 24:16 (BSB)
    “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”
    Each person is to die for his own sin, not for a parent's or child's.
  • Ezekiel 18:20 (BSB)
    “The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.”
    The son does not bear the father's guilt; each person answers for his own wickedness or righteousness.

Theological

True or False: Exodus 20:5 identifies the later generations who bear the fathers' iniquity as those who hate the LORD.

Answer: True

This is true. The LORD's jealousy, His zealous and exclusive covenant love (20:5; 34:14), is expressed in visiting iniquity on a third and fourth generation, and the text itself qualifies them as those who hate Him. This is consistent with the principle that each dies for personal sin (Deuteronomy 24:16) and that the son does not bear the father's iniquity (Ezekiel 18:20): judgment falls on descendants who share and perpetuate their fathers' enmity toward God, not on innocent heirs punished for someone else's guilt.

  • Exodus 20:5 (BSB)
    “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,”
    God calls Himself jealous, visiting the fathers' iniquity on the third and fourth generations of those who hate Him.
  • Exodus 34:14 (BSB)
    “For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
    God's very name is Jealous, meaning He will not share His people's worship with any rival.
  • Deuteronomy 24:16 (BSB)
    “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”
    Each person is to die for his own sin, not for a parent's or child's.
  • Ezekiel 18:20 (BSB)
    “The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.”
    The son does not bear the father's guilt; each person answers for his own wickedness or righteousness.

General

In contrast to judgment on three or four generations, what does God promise in 20:6?

Answer: Loving devotion reaching a thousand generations among people who love and obey Him

Right after warning of judgment reaching three or four generations among those who hate Him, God says He shows loving devotion, His faithful covenant love, reaching a thousand generations among people who love and obey Him (20:6). The contrast is huge: God's mercy far outweighs His judgment. Moses repeats this promise later (Deuteronomy 7:9), and a psalm celebrates God's loving devotion lasting forever for all who fear Him, with His righteousness reaching their grandchildren (Psalm 103:17-18). Love for God and obedience to Him go together, as Jesus also taught (John 14:15).

  • Exodus 20:6 (BSB)
    “but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
    God shows loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
  • Deuteronomy 7:9 (BSB)
    “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
    Restates that the faithful God keeps His covenant love for a thousand generations of those who love Him.
  • Psalm 103:17-18 (BSB)
    “But from everlasting to everlasting the loving devotion of the LORD extends to those who fear Him, and His righteousness to their children’s children— to those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.”
    Celebrates the LORD's everlasting loving devotion to those who fear Him, with His righteousness reaching their children's children who keep His covenant.
  • John 14:15 (BSB)
    “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
    Jesus ties love for Him to keeping His commands, the same pairing found in 20:6.

Theological

What does 20:6 set against the visitation of iniquity in 20:5?

Answer: Covenant loving devotion reaching a thousand generations among people who love and obey Him

The asymmetry is deliberate: iniquity visited to a third and fourth generation among God's haters (20:5), but loving devotion (hesed) reaching a thousand generations among people who love and obey Him (20:6). God's mercy vastly exceeds His wrath. Deuteronomy 7:9 restates the promise, and Psalm 103:17-18 celebrates everlasting covenant love toward the God-fearing, with His righteousness extending to their grandchildren. Love and obedience are inseparable, as Jesus affirms (John 14:15).

  • Exodus 20:6 (BSB)
    “but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
    God shows loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
  • Deuteronomy 7:9 (BSB)
    “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
    Restates that the faithful God keeps His covenant love for a thousand generations of those who love Him.
  • Psalm 103:17-18 (BSB)
    “But from everlasting to everlasting the loving devotion of the LORD extends to those who fear Him, and His righteousness to their children’s children— to those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.”
    Celebrates the LORD's everlasting loving devotion to those who fear Him, with His righteousness reaching their children's children who keep His covenant.
  • John 14:15 (BSB)
    “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
    Jesus ties love for Him to keeping His commands, the same pairing found in 20:6.

General

The sixth commandment forbids murder (20:13). How does Jesus show its deeper reach?

Answer: He teaches that hateful anger and contempt toward a brother also bring judgment

The sixth commandment forbids murder, the unlawful taking of a human life (20:13). Human life is precious because people are made in the image of God (Genesis 9:6). Jesus shows that this command reaches the heart: anger and contemptuous insults toward a brother also make a person guilty before God (Matthew 5:21-22). John says the same thing even more strongly: anyone who hates a fellow believer is a murderer at heart (1 John 3:15). By showing how deep sin goes, the law exposes every person's need for God's mercy.

  • Exodus 20:13 (BSB)
    “You shall not murder.”
    The sixth commandment forbids murder.
  • Genesis 9:6 (BSB)
    “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.”
    Grounds the value of human life in the image of God in which mankind was made.
  • Matthew 5:21-22 (BSB)
    “You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.”
    Jesus teaches that the commandment against murder also condemns hateful anger and contempt.
  • 1 John 3:15 (BSB)
    “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.”
    John says that whoever hates his brother is a murderer at heart.

Theological

How does the New Testament expound the prohibition of murder in 20:13?

Answer: By extending it to the heart, so that hateful anger and contempt fall under its condemnation

The sixth commandment forbids murder (20:13), grounded in humanity's creation in God's image (Genesis 9:6). Christ's exposition shows the law's spiritual reach: unrighteous anger and contempt incur judgment (Matthew 5:21-22), and John equates hatred with murder (1 John 3:15). The commandment thus not only restrains outward violence but searches the heart, convicting all of sin and driving them to Christ.

  • Exodus 20:13 (BSB)
    “You shall not murder.”
    The sixth commandment forbids murder.
  • Genesis 9:6 (BSB)
    “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.”
    Grounds the value of human life in the image of God in which mankind was made.
  • Matthew 5:21-22 (BSB)
    “You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.”
    Jesus teaches that the commandment against murder also condemns hateful anger and contempt.
  • 1 John 3:15 (BSB)
    “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.”
    John says that whoever hates his brother is a murderer at heart.

General

What does the second commandment forbid (20:4-5)?

Answer: Making images of any created thing, whether in the sky, on land, or in the water, and bowing down to worship them

The second commandment forbids Israel to make an image of any creature in the sky, on land, or in the water, and to bow down to or serve such images (20:4-5). The first commandment tells us which God to worship; the second tells us how. When God spoke at Sinai, the people heard His voice but saw no shape, so they were forbidden to fashion any image, even one meant to picture the LORD (Deuteronomy 4:15-16). Jesus teaches that, because God is Spirit, true worship must be in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Paul describes how sinful people trade away the living God's glory for carved likenesses of creatures (Romans 1:22-23).

  • Exodus 20:4-5 (BSB)
    “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,”
    The second commandment forbids making an image of anything in heaven, on earth, or in the waters, or bowing down to such images.
  • Deuteronomy 4:15-16 (BSB)
    “So since you saw no form of any kind on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb, be careful that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,”
    Moses says Israel saw no form when God spoke at Horeb, so they must make no image of any shape.
  • John 4:24 (BSB)
    “God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.””
    Jesus teaches that God is Spirit and must be worshiped in spirit and truth.
  • Romans 1:22-23 (BSB)
    “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.”
    Paul describes fallen humanity exchanging God's glory for images of creatures, the very sin this command forbids.

Theological

What does the second commandment (20:4-5) prohibit?

Answer: Fashioning images of any created thing in heaven, earth, or sea and bowing down to serve them

The second commandment forbids fashioning an image of any creature of sky, land, or sea, and bowing to or serving it (20:4-5). Where the first commandment governs the object of worship, the second governs its manner. Deuteronomy 4:15-16 grounds the ban in Horeb itself: Israel heard a voice but saw no form, so no image may represent the LORD. God, being Spirit, is to be worshiped in spirit and truth (John 4:24), and Romans 1:22-23 traces idolatry to the fallen exchange of God's glory for the likeness of creatures.

  • Exodus 20:4-5 (BSB)
    “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,”
    The second commandment forbids making an image of anything in heaven, on earth, or in the waters, or bowing down to such images.
  • Deuteronomy 4:15-16 (BSB)
    “So since you saw no form of any kind on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb, be careful that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,”
    Moses says Israel saw no form when God spoke at Horeb, so they must make no image of any shape.
  • John 4:24 (BSB)
    “God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.””
    Jesus teaches that God is Spirit and must be worshiped in spirit and truth.
  • Romans 1:22-23 (BSB)
    “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.”
    Paul describes fallen humanity exchanging God's glory for images of creatures, the very sin this command forbids.

General

What does the first commandment require (20:3)?

Answer: That Israel worship and trust no god besides the LORD

The first commandment tells Israel that no other god may stand before the LORD (20:3). This does not mean putting God first on a list of gods; it means no other god is allowed at all, because there truly is no other God (Isaiah 45:5). The LORD alone is to receive His people's worship, trust, and love. Israel later confessed this in the words Jesus called the greatest commandment: there is one LORD, and He must be loved with all one's heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Jesus Himself refused to worship anyone but God when Satan tempted Him (Matthew 4:10).

  • Exodus 20:3 (BSB)
    “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
    The first commandment forbids Israel to have any other gods before the LORD.
  • Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (BSB)
    “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
    The Shema confesses that the LORD is one and calls for loving Him with all one's heart, soul, and strength.
  • Isaiah 45:5 (BSB)
    “I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me,”
    The LORD declares that there is no other God besides Him.
  • Matthew 4:10 (BSB)
    ““Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus told him. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’””
    Jesus answers Satan by insisting that worship and service belong to God alone.

Theological

What does the first commandment (20:3) demand?

Answer: Exclusive allegiance to the LORD, admitting no rival deity in His presence

The first commandment requires exclusive devotion: no rival god before the LORD's face (20:3). It is not a hierarchy of loyalties but a total ban on rivals, grounded in the fact that the LORD alone is God (Isaiah 45:5). Its positive side is the Shema's call to wholehearted love of the one LORD (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), and Christ Himself, resisting Satan, affirms that worship and service belong to God alone (Matthew 4:10).

  • Exodus 20:3 (BSB)
    “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
    The first commandment forbids Israel to have any other gods before the LORD.
  • Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (BSB)
    “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
    The Shema confesses that the LORD is one and calls for loving Him with all one's heart, soul, and strength.
  • Isaiah 45:5 (BSB)
    “I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me,”
    The LORD declares that there is no other God besides Him.
  • Matthew 4:10 (BSB)
    ““Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus told him. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’””
    Jesus answers Satan by insisting that worship and service belong to God alone.

General

How does God introduce Himself before giving the Ten Commandments (20:2)?

Answer: As Israel's God, who had already rescued them from slavery in Egypt

Before a single command is given, God says who He is and what He has already done: He is the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt, where they had been slaves (20:1-2). The order is important. God did not say, keep these laws and I will rescue you. He rescued them first, and then told a people who already belonged to Him how to live. Paul makes the same point: the law came long after God's promise and could not cancel it (Galatians 3:17), and no one is made right with God by keeping the law, which instead shows us our sin (Romans 3:20). Salvation is God's free gift, and good works follow as the fruit of it (Ephesians 2:8-10). The commandments show God's people how to live gratefully, reveal sin, and hold back evil.

  • Exodus 20:1-2 (BSB)
    “And God spoke all these words: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”
    God speaks the commandments, first identifying Himself as Israel's God who brought them out of Egypt and slavery.
  • Galatians 3:17 (BSB)
    “What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise.”
    Paul says the law, coming 430 years after the promise, cannot revoke the covenant God had previously established.
  • Romans 3:20 (BSB)
    “Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.”
    States that no one is justified by works of the law; the law brings knowledge of sin rather than a righteousness of our own.
  • Ephesians 2:8-10 (BSB)
    “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.”
    Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works, yet it produces the good works God prepared for His people.

Theological

What is the theological significance of the preface to the Decalogue (20:2)?

Answer: It grounds the commandments in a redemption already accomplished, so the law is given to a people already God's

The Decalogue opens with the LORD's self-identification as Israel's God and Redeemer from Egyptian bondage (20:1-2): the indicative of grace precedes the imperatives. The law is not a ladder to acceptance but the rule of life for a people already redeemed. Paul argues that the law, arriving 430 years after the promise, cannot annul it (Galatians 3:17), and that no flesh is justified by legal works, through which comes knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20). Grace saves through faith apart from works, yet issues in the good works God ordained (Ephesians 2:8-10). Positively, the law reveals sin, restrains evil, and guides the grateful obedience of the redeemed.

  • Exodus 20:1-2 (BSB)
    “And God spoke all these words: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”
    God speaks the commandments, first identifying Himself as Israel's God who brought them out of Egypt and slavery.
  • Galatians 3:17 (BSB)
    “What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise.”
    Paul says the law, coming 430 years after the promise, cannot revoke the covenant God had previously established.
  • Romans 3:20 (BSB)
    “Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.”
    States that no one is justified by works of the law; the law brings knowledge of sin rather than a righteousness of our own.
  • Ephesians 2:8-10 (BSB)
    “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.”
    Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works, yet it produces the good works God prepared for His people.

General

True or False: Exodus 20:11 gives God's own rest after the six days of creation as the reason for the Sabbath.

Answer: True

This is true. The commandment explains itself: the LORD made heaven, earth, sea, and everything in them in six days and rested on the seventh, so He blessed that day and made it holy (20:11). Israel's week was meant to follow the pattern God set at creation (Genesis 2:2-3). When Moses repeats the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy, he adds a second reason: recall your slavery in Egypt and how the LORD brought you out (Deuteronomy 5:15). God also called the Sabbath a sign between Him and Israel (31:13). Christians have differed over how this command relates to the Lord's Day, the Christian day of worship, but the text itself clearly roots the Sabbath in God's own work and rest.

  • Exodus 20:11 (BSB)
    “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”
    The Sabbath command is grounded in the LORD's six days of creation and His rest on the seventh, which He blessed and made holy.
  • Genesis 2:2-3 (BSB)
    “And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished.”
    Records God resting on the seventh day after creation and blessing and sanctifying it, the event 20:11 cites.
  • Deuteronomy 5:15 (BSB)
    “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”
    The restated command also grounds the Sabbath in Israel's redemption from slavery in Egypt.
  • Exodus 31:13 (BSB)
    ““Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep My Sabbaths, for this will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”
    God later calls the Sabbath a sign between Himself and Israel that He is the LORD who sanctifies them.

Theological

True or False: The rationale given in 20:11 for the Sabbath is the LORD's own rest following His six days of creation.

Answer: True

This is true. The motive clause grounds the Sabbath in creation: the LORD made heaven, earth, sea, and all they contain over six days, rested on the seventh, and therefore blessed and hallowed the day (20:11; Genesis 2:2-3). Deuteronomy 5:15 supplies a complementary redemptive ground, Israel's deliverance from slavery, and Exodus 31:13 designates the Sabbath a covenant sign that the LORD sanctifies His people. How the command bears on the Christian Lord's Day is a question on which believers, including Reformed believers, have differed; the grounding Scripture itself gives the day, in creation and in redemption, is plain.

  • Exodus 20:11 (BSB)
    “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”
    The Sabbath command is grounded in the LORD's six days of creation and His rest on the seventh, which He blessed and made holy.
  • Genesis 2:2-3 (BSB)
    “And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished.”
    Records God resting on the seventh day after creation and blessing and sanctifying it, the event 20:11 cites.
  • Deuteronomy 5:15 (BSB)
    “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”
    The restated command also grounds the Sabbath in Israel's redemption from slavery in Egypt.
  • Exodus 31:13 (BSB)
    ““Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep My Sabbaths, for this will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”
    God later calls the Sabbath a sign between Himself and Israel that He is the LORD who sanctifies them.

General

According to 20:8-10, who was to stop working on the Sabbath?

Answer: The whole household: the family, male and female servants, animals, and foreigners living among them

The fourth commandment tells Israel to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (20:8). They were to work for six days, but day seven was the LORD's own day, and no one in the household was to work: not the head of the house, not their sons or daughters, not their male or female servants, not their animals, and not foreigners living in their towns (20:9-10). The rest reached even the lowest members of the household; Deuteronomy adds that servants were to rest just as their masters did (Deuteronomy 5:14). Israel had already been taught to rest on this day when God gave the manna (16:23). Jesus later taught that God gave the Sabbath for the good of people, and that He Himself is Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28).

  • Exodus 20:8-10 (BSB)
    “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates.”
    The fourth commandment calls Israel to keep the Sabbath holy, working six days and resting on the seventh with the whole household.
  • Exodus 16:23 (BSB)
    “He told them, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Then set aside whatever remains and keep it until morning.’””
    Before Sinai, Moses had already told Israel that the day after the sixth was a holy Sabbath rest to the LORD.
  • Deuteronomy 5:14 (BSB)
    “but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do.”
    The restated command adds that servants are to rest as their masters do.
  • Mark 2:27-28 (BSB)
    “Then Jesus declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.””
    Jesus says the Sabbath was made for man and that He is Lord even of the Sabbath.

Theological

Whom does the Sabbath command of 20:8-10 include in its rest?

Answer: The entire household, including children, servants, livestock, and resident foreigners

The command to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (20:8) frames the week: six days of labor, then a seventh day belonging to the LORD on which no one in the household works, including sons and daughters, servants, livestock, and the sojourner in Israel's towns (20:9-10). Its reach to the least powerful is notable, and Deuteronomy 5:14 makes the humane purpose explicit, that servants rest as their masters do. The day was not new at Sinai, having already been set apart in connection with the manna (16:23). Jesus affirms that the Sabbath exists for humanity's good and declares Himself its Lord (Mark 2:27-28).

  • Exodus 20:8-10 (BSB)
    “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates.”
    The fourth commandment calls Israel to keep the Sabbath holy, working six days and resting on the seventh with the whole household.
  • Exodus 16:23 (BSB)
    “He told them, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Then set aside whatever remains and keep it until morning.’””
    Before Sinai, Moses had already told Israel that the day after the sixth was a holy Sabbath rest to the LORD.
  • Deuteronomy 5:14 (BSB)
    “but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do.”
    The restated command adds that servants are to rest as their masters do.
  • Mark 2:27-28 (BSB)
    “Then Jesus declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.””
    Jesus says the Sabbath was made for man and that He is Lord even of the Sabbath.

General

Which of the Ten Commandments directly protects a neighbor's belongings from being taken (20:15)?

Answer: The commandment against stealing

The eighth commandment forbids stealing (20:15), protecting what God has given each person. The law repeats this alongside commands not to lie or cheat (Leviticus 19:11). The New Testament turns it into a positive calling: the one who used to steal should work honestly so that he has something to give to people in need (Ephesians 4:28). Proverbs even prays to be kept from the kind of poverty that might tempt a person to steal and so dishonor God's name (Proverbs 30:8-9).

  • Exodus 20:15 (BSB)
    “You shall not steal.”
    The eighth commandment forbids stealing.
  • Leviticus 19:11 (BSB)
    “You must not steal. You must not lie or deceive one another.”
    Repeats the ban on stealing alongside lying and deceit.
  • Ephesians 4:28 (BSB)
    “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.”
    Paul tells the thief to stop stealing and to work so he can share with those in need.
  • Proverbs 30:8-9 (BSB)
    “Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion. Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.”
    Prays to be kept from poverty that might lead to stealing and profaning God's name.

Theological

Which commandment in the Decalogue most directly protects a neighbor's property (20:15)?

Answer: The eighth, forbidding theft

The eighth commandment forbids theft (20:15), guarding the property God has entrusted to each neighbor; Leviticus 19:11 pairs it with prohibitions on lying and deceit. Its positive duty is honest labor and generosity, as Paul directs the former thief to work so that he can give to the needy (Ephesians 4:28), and Proverbs 30:8-9 connects stealing with profaning God's name, showing that sins against neighbor are also sins against God.

  • Exodus 20:15 (BSB)
    “You shall not steal.”
    The eighth commandment forbids stealing.
  • Leviticus 19:11 (BSB)
    “You must not steal. You must not lie or deceive one another.”
    Repeats the ban on stealing alongside lying and deceit.
  • Ephesians 4:28 (BSB)
    “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.”
    Paul tells the thief to stop stealing and to work so he can share with those in need.
  • Proverbs 30:8-9 (BSB)
    “Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion. Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.”
    Prays to be kept from poverty that might lead to stealing and profaning God's name.

General

What does the third commandment forbid, and what warning comes with it (20:7)?

Answer: Using the LORD's name emptily or falsely, with a warning that He will hold the offender guilty

The third commandment forbids taking the LORD's name in vain (20:7), which means using it in an empty, careless, or false way, such as swearing a false oath by it (Leviticus 19:12). It does not forbid speaking God's name; His people are meant to call on Him and praise His name. The commandment comes with a warning: God will not treat as innocent anyone who misuses His name. Jesus taught His followers to pray first that God's name be treated as holy (Matthew 6:9), and James urges believers to speak plainly and truthfully rather than piling up oaths (James 5:12).

  • Exodus 20:7 (BSB)
    “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.”
    The third commandment forbids taking the LORD's name in vain and warns that He will not leave such a person unpunished.
  • Leviticus 19:12 (BSB)
    “You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.”
    Forbids swearing falsely by God's name, one clear way His name is profaned.
  • Matthew 6:9 (BSB)
    “So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”
    Jesus teaches His disciples to pray first that God's name be hallowed, the positive side of this commandment.
  • James 5:12 (BSB)
    “Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.”
    Calls believers to plain truthful speech rather than oaths, lest they fall under judgment.

Theological

What does 20:7 prohibit, and what sanction attaches to it?

Answer: Empty, false, or irreverent use of the LORD's name, with His warning that He will not hold the offender guiltless

The third commandment forbids lifting up the LORD's name to emptiness (20:7): false oaths sworn by it (Leviticus 19:12), flippant or irreverent use, and any profession of His name that is hollow. It carries a specific sanction: God will not acquit the offender. Its positive counterpart is the first petition of the Lord's Prayer, that God's name be hallowed (Matthew 6:9), and James 5:12 applies its spirit in calling for plain, truthful speech that needs no oaths.

  • Exodus 20:7 (BSB)
    “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.”
    The third commandment forbids taking the LORD's name in vain and warns that He will not leave such a person unpunished.
  • Leviticus 19:12 (BSB)
    “You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.”
    Forbids swearing falsely by God's name, one clear way His name is profaned.
  • Matthew 6:9 (BSB)
    “So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”
    Jesus teaches His disciples to pray first that God's name be hallowed, the positive side of this commandment.
  • James 5:12 (BSB)
    “Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.”
    Calls believers to plain truthful speech rather than oaths, lest they fall under judgment.

General

After hearing the thunder and seeing the smoke, what did the people ask Moses to do (20:18-19)?

Answer: Speak to them himself, because they feared they would die if God spoke to them

The people saw the thunder, lightning, smoke, and heard the horn, and they shook with fear and stayed far back (20:18). They begged Moses to speak to them himself, because they were afraid that if God kept speaking they would die (20:19). Moses told them not to be afraid: God had come to test them, so that reverence for Him would stay with them and keep them from sinning (20:20). The people stood far off while Moses went near to the deep darkness in which God was present (20:21). God approved their request and promised to raise up a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:16-18), and Peter says that prophet is Jesus (Acts 3:22). Proverbs agrees with Moses that fearing the LORD turns a person away from evil (Proverbs 16:6).

  • Exodus 20:18-21 (BSB)
    “When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. “Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” “Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.” And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.”
    The terrified people keep their distance and ask Moses to speak to them instead of God; Moses tells them not to fear, since God came to test them.
  • Deuteronomy 18:16-18 (BSB)
    “This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!” Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.”
    God approves Israel's request at Horeb and promises a prophet like Moses who will speak His words.
  • Acts 3:22 (BSB)
    “For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you.”
    Peter identifies Jesus as the prophet like Moses whom Israel must hear.
  • Proverbs 16:6 (BSB)
    “By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.”
    By the fear of the LORD a person turns away from evil, the purpose Moses gives in 20:20.

Theological

What do the people request in 20:18-19, and how does Moses answer (20:20)?

Answer: That Moses speak in God's place lest they die; Moses says God came to test them so that His fear would keep them from sin

Overwhelmed by the theophany, the people stand far off and plead for Moses to mediate, fearing death if God speaks further (20:18-19). Moses' reply holds together two kinds of fear: they are not to be terrified, since God's coming is to test them, so that reverent fear of Him would restrain them from sin (20:20; Proverbs 16:6). Moses alone draws near to the thick darkness (20:21). God endorses the request and promises a prophet like Moses who will speak His words (Deuteronomy 18:16-18), fulfilled in Christ, the prophet Israel must hear (Acts 3:22).

  • Exodus 20:18-21 (BSB)
    “When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. “Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” “Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.” And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.”
    The terrified people keep their distance and ask Moses to speak to them instead of God; Moses tells them not to fear, since God came to test them.
  • Deuteronomy 18:16-18 (BSB)
    “This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!” Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.”
    God approves Israel's request at Horeb and promises a prophet like Moses who will speak His words.
  • Acts 3:22 (BSB)
    “For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you.”
    Peter identifies Jesus as the prophet like Moses whom Israel must hear.
  • Proverbs 16:6 (BSB)
    “By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.”
    By the fear of the LORD a person turns away from evil, the purpose Moses gives in 20:20.

General

True or False: According to 20:25, God allowed a stone altar only if the stones had not been shaped with tools.

Answer: True

This is true. If Israel built a stone altar, the stones had to be left in their natural state; cutting them with a tool would make the altar unclean (20:25). God also said the altar must not have steps, so that no one's body would be exposed as they climbed up to it (20:26). Worship was to be offered in God's way, not improved by human craftsmanship, and with proper modesty before Him. Moses later repeated this rule for the altar to be built after entering the land (Deuteronomy 27:5-6), and Joshua built that altar exactly that way (Joshua 8:30-31). Later, the priests were given linen undergarments for the same concern about modesty at the altar (28:42-43).

  • Exodus 20:25-26 (BSB)
    “Now if you make an altar of stones for Me, you must not build it with stones shaped by tools; for if you use a chisel on it, you will defile it. And you must not go up to My altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.’”
    An altar of stones must be of uncut stones, since tool work would defile it, and it must not have steps that would expose the worshiper.
  • Deuteronomy 27:5-6 (BSB)
    “Moreover, you are to build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You must not use any iron tool on them. You shall build the altar of the LORD your God with uncut stones and offer upon it burnt offerings to the LORD your God.”
    Israel was later told to build an altar of uncut stones with no iron tool used on them.
  • Joshua 8:30-31 (BSB)
    “At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.”
    Joshua built the altar on Mount Ebal of uncut stones, following this law of Moses.
  • Exodus 28:42-43 (BSB)
    “Make linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh, extending from waist to thigh. Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants.”
    Priests were later given linen undergarments so they would not be exposed when serving at the altar.

Theological

True or False: Exodus 20:25 permits a stone altar only if the stones are left unhewn by tools.

Answer: True

This is true. A stone altar must be built of unhewn stones, since applying a tool would profane it (20:25), and it must not be approached by steps, lest the worshiper's nakedness be exposed (20:26). The altar is to be received as God prescribes, not enhanced by human artistry, and approached with decency. The rule was later observed in Moses' command for the Ebal altar (Deuteronomy 27:5-6) and Joshua's obedience to it (Joshua 8:30-31), while the concern for modesty reappears in the priests' linen undergarments (28:42-43).

  • Exodus 20:25-26 (BSB)
    “Now if you make an altar of stones for Me, you must not build it with stones shaped by tools; for if you use a chisel on it, you will defile it. And you must not go up to My altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.’”
    An altar of stones must be of uncut stones, since tool work would defile it, and it must not have steps that would expose the worshiper.
  • Deuteronomy 27:5-6 (BSB)
    “Moreover, you are to build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You must not use any iron tool on them. You shall build the altar of the LORD your God with uncut stones and offer upon it burnt offerings to the LORD your God.”
    Israel was later told to build an altar of uncut stones with no iron tool used on them.
  • Joshua 8:30-31 (BSB)
    “At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.”
    Joshua built the altar on Mount Ebal of uncut stones, following this law of Moses.
  • Exodus 28:42-43 (BSB)
    “Make linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh, extending from waist to thigh. Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants.”
    Priests were later given linen undergarments so they would not be exposed when serving at the altar.