Êxodo 20

Êxodo 20

Wiersbe - The people heard God speak the word but they didn’t see any form of God. The Lord was making it very clear that Israel would be a people of the word, hearing their God speak but not beholding any form that could be copied and then worshiped (Deut. 4:12, 15). “He who can hear can see,” said a Jewish sage; and he was right. In Nehemiah we read a parallel description “Then You came down on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. (Ne 9:13) The writer of Hebrews addressing Jews who were being attracted to the Gospel but still grappling with the role of the law wrote... See to it (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused Him Who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him Who warns from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.”(Heb 12:25,26+) Believer's Study Bible- Thus begins what is called in Ex 24:7 the Book of the Covenant (Ex 20:22-23:33), the most ancient legal code of Israel, containing straightforward commands and case-laws which bridge the gap between the simple uninterpreted absolutes in the Decalogue and the intricate complexities of everyday life. Though there are many similarities between this Jewish code and other ancient legal codes, the uniqueness of the biblical covenant is evident: (1) The authority behind it is not a human king or polytheistic deity, but God Himself. (2) The rich and the poor are equally regulated and protected by one law, because human life is highly valued. (3) Moral, ceremonial, and civil matters are all included in the Mosaic Law. Most other ancient legal codes deal only with civil law. It is also important to recognize that since the Mosaic covenant was a national covenant, speaking to a particular culture, some of the specific rules may not be fully appreciated by the modern reader who is unaware of the life situation to which these laws apply. Ryrie agrees - Here begins "the book of the covenant" (Ex 24:7), which continues through Ex 23:19 and which applies the Ten Commandments to details of everyday life. NET Note - Based on the revelation of the holy sovereign God, this pericope instructs Israel on the form of proper worship of such a God. It focuses on the altar, the centerpiece of worship. The point of the section is this: those who worship this holy God must preserve holiness in the way they worship – they worship where he permits, in the manner he prescribes, and with the blessings he promises. This paragraph is said to open the Book of the Covenant, which specifically rules on matters of life and worship. Exodus 20:23 'You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. NET Exodus 20:23 You must not make gods of silver alongside me, nor make gods of gold for yourselves. NLT Exodus 20:23 Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me. ESV Exodus 20:23 You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. LXE Exodus 20:23 Ye shall not make to yourselves gods of silver, and gods of gold ye shall not make to yourselves. KJV Exodus 20:23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. NIV Exodus 20:23 Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. ASV Exodus 20:23 Ye shall not make other gods with me; gods of silver, or gods of gold, ye shall not make unto you. CSB Exodus 20:23 You must not make gods of silver to rival Me; you must not make gods of gold for yourselves. NKJ Exodus 20:23 `You shall not make anything to be with Me-- gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. NRS Exodus 20:23 You shall not make gods of silver alongside me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. YLT Exodus 20:23 ye do not make with Me gods of silver, even gods of gold ye do not make to yourselves. Ex 20:3-5 Ex 32:1-4 1Sa 5:4,5 2Ki 17:33,41 Eze 20:39 43:8 Da 5:4,23 Zep 1:5 1Co 10:21,22 2Co 6:14-16 Col 2:18,19 1Jn 5:20,21 Rev 22:15 Exodus 20 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries NO IDOLS OF GOLD OR SILVER This is a restatement of the first two commandments in Exodus 20:3-5. Repetition is good for the memory, but in this case it seemed to go in one ear and out the other! You shall not make other gods besides Me gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves - They failed this test almost immediately and made a god of gold! Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” (Deut 32:1-4) Exodus 20:24 'You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. NET Exodus 20:24 'You must make for me an altar made of earth, and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause my name to be honored I will come to you and I will bless you. NLT Exodus 20:24 "Build for me an altar made of earth, and offer your sacrifices to me-- your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats, and your cattle. Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you. ESV Exodus 20:24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. LXE Exodus 20:24 Ye shall make to me an altar of earth; and upon it ye shall sacrifice your whole burnt-offerings, and your peace-offerings, and your sheep and your calves in every place, where I shall record my name; and I will come to thee and bless thee. KJV Exodus 20:24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. NIV Exodus 20:24 " 'Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. ASV Exodus 20:24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings, and thy peace-offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in every place where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee. CSB Exodus 20:24 "You must make an earthen altar for Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats, as well as your cattle. I will come to you and bless you in every place where I cause My name to be remembered. NKJ Exodus 20:24 `An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. NRS Exodus 20:24 You need make for me only an altar of earth and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your offerings of well-being, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. YLT Exodus 20:24 'An altar of earth thou dost make for Me, and thou hast sacrificed on it thy burnt-offerings and thy peace-offerings, thy flock and thy herd; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered I come in unto thee, and have blessed thee. You shall make an altar of earth- Joh 4:24 burnt offerings - Lev 1:1-17 3:1-17 in every place - De 12:5,11,21 14:23 16:5,6,11 26:2 1Ki 8:29,43 9:3 2Ch 6:6 2Ch 7:16 12:13 Ezr 6:12 Ne 1:9 Ps 74:7 76:2 78:68 132:13,14 Jer 7:10-12 Mal 1:11 Mt 18:20 28:20 Joh 4:20-23 1Ti 2:8 I will come to you and bless you - Ge 12:2 Nu 6:24-27 De 7:13 2Sa 6:12 Ps 128:5 134:3 Exodus 20 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ACCEPTABLE ALTARS You shall make an altar of earth for Me - God calls for the altar to be composed of natural things, not things made by men. John Currid- God requires a humble altar for sacrifice. It is simply to be an altar of earth (a genitive of substance). Numerous altars constructed of bricks and field stones have been found in ancient Palestine through excavation—at Arad, Jericho, Megiddo, Shechem and elsewhere. However, the command here does not include brick-making. It seems to include only loose earth and perhaps field stones. (Ibid) And you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings - This offering is prescribed in more detail in Leviticus 1. The burnt offering (olah) was a whole offering so that everything was burnt and ascended as a sweet aroma to the LORD. NET Note on burnt offering - It signified complete surrender by the worshiper who brought the animal, and complete acceptance by God, thereby making atonement. The NT parallel is Romans 12:1+ "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies (ALL OF YOURSELF) a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." And your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen - Peace offerings are described in Leviticus 3 and Leviticus 7. NET Note on peace offerings - This was a communal meal offering to celebrate being at peace with God. It was made usually for thanksgiving, for payment of vows, or as a freewill offering. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you- John Currid notes that "in every place" is literally "in every the place" and he explains why the "the" is used - As Gesenius states, it is ‘a dogmatic condition’ in order to avoid authorization of several holy places. Sacrifices are to be offered to God, and his worship is to be centralized, in only one place—‘the’ place—that is, the sanctuary (be it the tabernacle or the temple). Remembered (02142)(zakar) means to recall, call to mind or to be brought to remembrance. In this context the NET Note says zakar "in the Hiphil can mean more than remember or cause to remember (remind)—it has the sense of praise or honor....The point of the verse is that God will give Israel reason for praising and honoring Him, and in every place that occurs He will make his presence known by blessing them. WHEN CRITICS ASK - EXODUS 20:24—Was the altar made of earth or of wood? PROBLEM: Here the altar is constructed of earth, but in Exodus 27:1 it was constructed of “acacia wood.” SOLUTION: The altar itself was only a hollow case made of acacia wood and covered with bronze (Ex. 27:2). But when it was used it was filled with earth or stones so as to form a bed for the coals. (Howe and Geisler) Robert Hawker - An altar of earth.—Exodus 20:24. Every thing and every service, in the old testament dispensation, as well as in the gospel Church, points to Christ. Behold, my soul, in the Lord’s appointment of “an altar of earth,” how jealous the Lord is of his honour. If the altar dedicated to the Lord’s service, be of earth, or if it be of stone, there was not to be the least mixture. Nothing hewn, nothing polished by man’s art, or man’s device; “for if,” saith Jehovah, “thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.” Behold, how fully Jesus was preached here! There can be nothing offered to the Lord for his acceptance, but what is the Lord’s. Jesus is the Father’s gift to poor sinners; and when a poor sinner presents before the Father the Lord Jesus, as his whole altar, sacrifice, and offering, he presents to the Father what the Father first presented to him. If the sinner were to join any thing of his own with this offering, this were to pollute it. Sweet thought! my soul, cherish it in the warmest of thine affections; carry it about with thee for thy daily exercise of faith, upon the person of Jesus, that nothing of thine may mingle with the pure, and perfect salvation, which is alone in him. And, depend upon it, thy God and Father is more honoured, more glorified, and will be more beloved, by such a perfect reliance upon him, in whom his soul delighteth, than he would be by the greatest and most costly sacrifice of thine own providing. The infinite and eternal worth and efficacy of Jesus’s blood and righteousness is upon everlasting record. God is well pleased with him, and his people in him; and a voice from heaven hath proclaimed it to the earth. To offer any thing of our own, by way of making it pleadable, is to pollute it; yea, it is to make it questionable, as if we thought it not complete. And by thus doing, we declare that our hearts are not thoroughly pleased with what Jehovah hath declared himself well pleased, but are seeking to rest our souls, not upon the altar, which is wholly the Lord’s, but adding to it of our own. Oh! for grace to make Jesus what the Father hath made him, the all in all of man’s salvation; and be ever ready to let him have all the glory, who alone hath accomplished it, “in believing the record that God hath given of his dear Son.” Exodus 20:25 'If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. NET Exodus 20:25 If you make me an altar of stone, you must not build it of stones shaped with tools, for if you use your tool on it you have defiled it. NLT Exodus 20:25 If you use stones to build my altar, use only natural, uncut stones. Do not shape the stones with a tool, for that would make the altar unfit for holy use. ESV Exodus 20:25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. LXE Exodus 20:25 And if thou wilt make to me an altar of stones, thou shalt not build them hewn stones; for thou hast lifted up thy tool upon them, and they are defiled. KJV Exodus 20:25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. NIV Exodus 20:25 If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. ASV Exodus 20:25 And if thou make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. CSB Exodus 20:25 If you make a stone altar for Me, you must not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it. NKJ Exodus 20:25 `And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it. NRS Exodus 20:25 But if you make for me an altar of stone, do not build it of hewn stones; for if you use a chisel upon it you profane it. YLT Exodus 20:25 'And if an altar of stones thou dost make to Me, thou dost not build them of hewn work; when thy tool thou hast waved over it, then thou dost pollute it; De 27:5,6 Jos 8:31 Exodus 20 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ONLY UNHEWN STONES ALLOWED FOR ALTAR If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it - The reasons for this prohibition are not stated. Perhaps it is to distinguish the Israelite altar from the Canaanite altars composed mainly of hewn stones. John Currid has an interesting thought that "the injunction, in the immediate context, is also aimed at proscribing the making of images. The Israelites are not to wield their tools in the construction of earthen altars so that they should not be enticed into making idols." (Ibid)