20:1–2 Similar to what he does in 19:4–6, the Lord in chapter 20 precedes his commands with a reminder of his deliverance. He is worthy of Israel’s worship because he is Creator, but as Creator and Redeemer he is especially worthy. This opening statement is also a reminder that redemption by the Lord always precedes relationship with him. Indeed, Exodus itself has “nineteen chapters of salvation before any chapters of law.”356 The law is meant not to save but to guide those who have been saved in living a life pleasing to their Savior. It answers the question, How do we live out our calling as God’s kingdom of priests and holy nation? In this way it describes the “lifestyle of the redeemed.”357

20:3 The Lord’s opening commands are later identified as the Ten Commandments and equated with the heart of the covenant (cf. esp. 34:28; Deut. 4:13). In what follows I explain each command and, where known, its penalty. (The Ten Commandments do not list specific penalties; these are identified in other passages for all but the tenth, for which cf. comment on 20:17.)

As noted above (cf. Section Overview), the first four commands direct Israel in how to show love to God. Not surprisingly, the first command is for the Israelites to have no other gods. Since the Lord has made us for himself, the most important thing we can do is to give ourselves to him and him only. As a fish is made for water, we are made for the Lord. To worship anyone or anything else would be like a fish’s leaving the life-giving ocean to suffocate on dry land.

Understanding the command’s nuance depends on how one understands the Hebrew phrase translated “before me” (ʿal panaya). Its sense could be (1) “You shall have no other gods physically before me in the tabernacle” (no idols allowed!), (2) “You shall not prefer another god in place of me,” or (3) “You shall have no other gods besides me” (cf. ESV mg.)—that is, in addition to me.358 Since the following commandment covers idols specifically (vv. 4–5a), the second or third nuance seems more likely, but the main point remains the same: we must worship the Lord exclusively. To return to the suzerain-vassal treaty concept, just as the vassal must be absolutely faithful to the suzerain,359 so the Israelites (the vassal) must be absolutely faithful to the Lord (the suzerain). “Just as a nation would never bind itself to more than one suzerain (unless they liked to live dangerously), Israel was not to bind herself to more than one deity.”360 This also explains why the penalty for violating both this command and the next one is death. To worship other gods is an act of high treason, a capital crime in various societies to this day. In the biblical worldview to rebel against the King of creation is to forfeit one’s right to live in that creation.

20:4–6 The second command prohibits making or worshiping idols. Israel must have no other gods (v. 3) and so must avoid the practice by which other gods are worshiped: idolatry (vv. 4–6). This prohibition forbids making idols to represent the Lord (cf. Deut. 4:12, 15) but is stated broadly enough to forbid idols of any kind.

Making and worshiping idols was as prevalent in ancient Near Eastern cultures as materialism is today in Western cultures (cf. Response section on 32:1–34:35, “Why Was Idolatry Such a Temptation?”). Archaeological discoveries have uncovered gods worshiped in all sorts of forms, from birds (the “likeness of anything that is in heaven above”) and various land creatures (anything “that is in the earth beneath”) to aquatic creatures (anything “that is in the water under the earth”).361 These three categories correspond to the creatures the Lord made on days five and six of creation (Gen. 1:20–35), and they are just that: creatures, not the Creator. To worship or serve them in place of him is as useless as it is foolish.

The Lord next gives the reason for the prohibitions (Ex. 20:5b–6). He begins by describing himself as a “jealous God,” which raises immediate questions, since we often use the words “jealous” and “jealousy” with negative connotations. But there are cases in which

jealousy, and even jealous anger, is not petty but proper. A husband or wife is right to feel jealous anger if his or her spouse is unfaithful. This explains how the same root can refer to the Lord’s jealousy when his people have committed spiritual adultery against him by worshiping other gods (Ex. 20:5; Deut. 4:24; 5:9) and why it can parallel his anger (Deut. 32:16).362

In short just as we should not look negatively at a spouse’s anger over his or her partner’s physical adultery, we should not look negatively at the Lord’s anger over his people’s spiritual adultery. His jealousy actually testifies to his love for his people:

The covenant relationship between God and God’s people really means something only if God is totally committed to it, so much so that he rejects and resists anything that draws us away from the blessing and security it provides. A God who was not jealous in his commitment to us (that is, a God who did not particularly care whether or not we love him in return or just wander off with other gods) would be as contemptible as a husband or wife who did not care whether or not their spouse was faithful to them or was just playing around with others.363

The Lord says he that will show his anger by “visiting the iniquity364 of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me.” As Stuart notes,365 this cannot mean God targets children for sins they did not commit, which goes against his statement in Deuteronomy 24:16: “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.” As for what the phrase does mean, two explanations are most likely, each with biblical warrant.

Boda identifies the first: “Yahweh is committed to disciplining those who rebel against him, and this sort of discipline extends through the family unit, which was typically comprised of four generations, until the death of the offender.”366 Numbers 14:33 is a key text here. In Numbers 14 the Lord has just told the Israelites who refuse to enter the Promised Land that he will punish them by causing them to wander in the wilderness for forty years. He then says, “And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness” (Num. 14:33). In short, the Lord is not angry with the “third and fourth generations”; rather, the family is cohesive, like a body of water, and, when the Lord brings his supernatural discipline to bear on the sinner, the impact can ripple throughout the family.

Alexander identifies the second explanation:

Although God’s patience may extend for several generations, in the end his judgment will fall justly upon those who remain intransigent. In such instances, when they have walked in their fathers’ footsteps, the accumulated guilt of a family will fall on later generations. An important example of this comes in the book of Kings, where the sins of Manasseh are included with those of his descendants when God punishes the people of Judah at the time of the Babylonian exile (cf. 2 Kings 23:26; 24:3).367

In other words the Lord in his mercy may not punish immediately, but he will surely bring punishment to bear when sin is ongoing, even if not until the third or fourth generation.368

The fact that the first approach is clearly illustrated in the Pentateuch weighs in its favor as the most likely explanation of this Pentateuchal passage.369 Having said that, we can recognize how the Lord states things generally enough that his words would allow for the second approach as well. Importantly, both approaches make clear that sin must be avoided at all costs because the Lord will surely bring his justice to bear against it.

The Lord follows this severe warning with the gracious promise that he shows “steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Ex. 20:6). As noted earlier, the word translated “steadfast love” (Hb. khesed), especially when used of the Lord, could also be referred to as gracious steadfast love since it refers to his demonstrating love through favorable action toward someone, giving that person something good (cf. comment on 34:1–8 [at vv. 6–7]). In our context such gracious steadfast love is shown to those who are not apostates (20:5) but faithful covenant members (20:6), not because they are earning his love but because they are walking with him in his life-giving ways and remaining within the sphere of his blessing (cf. comment on 15:22–26, esp. toward the end of the comments there). That the Lord shows such steadfast love to “thousands,” as compared to showing punishment to the “third and the fourth generation,” shows us something of the Lord’s heart: “By the greatest numerical contrast in the Bible (three/four to thousands), God identified eloquently his real desire: to have his people remain loyal forever so that he might in turn show them the rich blessings of his resulting loyalty to them.”370

20:7 The third commandment prohibits using the Lord’s name improperly in speech, such as by false oath or blasphemy.371 As such, to “take the name of the Lord . . . in vain” is not primarily a reference merely to using it as a profanity (though such a use is naturally prohibited by the respect for his name that this command assumes); rather, it refers to misusing (or abusing) his name in any way in speech.

Various ancient Near Eastern texts show concern about misusing a deity’s name in false oaths or blasphemy.372 The same concerns existed in ancient Israel. For example, Israelites commonly took oaths in the Lord’s name to affirm a promise or the truth of one’s words.373 Invoking his name meant calling him as divine witness. Given human nature, however, false oaths in the Lord’s name were made, as several texts show (Lev. 6:3, 5 [cf. 19:12]; Jer. 5:2; 7:9; Isa. 48:1; Zech. 5:4). This serious offense denies the Lord’s sovereign ability to hold humans accountable and treats his holiness with contempt by using his name and reputation for evil purposes. Blasphemy is equally serious to taking false oaths, because it abuses the Lord’s name and therefore his person, expressing severe contempt for him (cf. Lev. 24:10–16).

That the misuse of the Lord’s name in speech is in view here finds support in various lines of evidence. (1) The phrase “take . . . in vain” is found also in Psalm 24:4, where it is parallel to “swearing deceitfully,”374 clearly showing the phrase can refer to misusing the Lord’s name in speech. This is no surprise, because (2) the word translated “take” (Hb. nasaʾ) is used in many contexts to refer to an act of speech, especially of a “formal and solemn utterance.”375 In two of these contexts nasaʾ occurs in a fuller phrase involving the lips or mouth; for example, “To the wicked God says: ‘What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?’” (Ps. 50:16).376 In the majority of contexts, however, the word nasaʾ occurs in a shortened phrase, the reference to the lips or mouth being understood: “Raise/take up a lamentation on the bare heights” (Jer. 7:29)—that is, take it up in your mouth and speak it.377 (3) That misuse of the Lord’s name in speech is in view here is evident from the word translated “in vain,” which consists of a preposition (le) plus a noun that can be translated “vanity” or “falsehood” (shabeʾ). Aside from its use in Deuteronomy 5:11, which repeats this command, the noun occurs only twice elsewhere in the Pentateuch, both in contexts of words or speech that cannot be trusted (Ex. 23:1; Deut. 5:20). This usage is common outside the Pentateuch (Pss. 12:2; 41:6; 139:20; 144:8, 11; Prov. 30:8; Isa. 59:4; Ezek. 13:8) and is again in line with misusing the Lord’s name in speech.378 (4) Finally, this understanding explains why the Lord follows the command with a warning that he will be aware of the wrong (and, by implication, bring punishment for it), the idea being, “If you do swear falsely by my name, or blaspheme my name, though no one else may know, I certainly will and will not hold him guiltless who takes my name in vain.”379 The penalty is not stated but does not need to be: opening oneself up to divine judgment should be threat enough to deter such activity.380

20:8–11 The fourth commandment requires Israelites to “remember the Sabbath day.” “This is not merely a cognitive exercise, any more than remembering your wedding anniversary means simply recalling it. . . . Biblical remembrance requires action. . . . [When] God remembers Israel in their slavery . . . [it] means delivering them from Egypt.”381 As applied to the Sabbath, Israel is to keep the day’s obligations (cf. Deut. 5:12), setting it apart as unique and thus treating it as “holy,” like a “sanctuary of time” (Ex. 20:8).382 The obligation is straightforward: do no work so that everyone may rest (vv. 9–10). Work is to be done for six days but ceases on the seventh, which is a Sabbath—the word itself is built on a root meaning “cease, desist”—“to the Lord” (v. 10). The phrase “to the Lord” occurs with other special days and times (Lev. 23:5, 6, 34, 41; 25:2) and emphasizes that such events are centered on the Lord, serving as time for the Israelites to celebrate him and remember that he is their covenant God. Not surprisingly, the Sabbath will become the sign of Israel’s covenant relationship with him—like a wedding ring that identifies a covenant partner. This also explains why breaking the Sabbath is a capital crime: to break it is to break the covenant and commit treason against the Lord.383

It is important to note that the emphasis is on ceasing work so that everyone can rest. The Sabbath is certainly a day to remember covenant relationship with the Lord and thus gather for corporate worship; Leviticus 23:3 assumes as much by calling the Sabbath a “holy convocation,” that is, a holy gathering (cf. Heb. 10:24–25). But the text emphasizes rest. This applies to everyone, and the text is careful to identify all possible working members of the Israelite household (adults, children, servants, even animals), as well as other workers (“the sojourner who is within your gates”).384 None is to do typical weekday labors, whether the “gathering of food (Ex. 16:29–30), plowing and reaping (Ex. 34:21), kindling fire (Ex. 35:3), [or] gathering wood (Num. 15:32–36).”385 They are instead to rest and “be refreshed” (Ex. 23:12). As Jesus will later say, “The Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27).

The Lord concludes the command by referring to his own activity in creating all things, noting that he made the world in six days and rested on the seventh, in this way blessing it and setting it apart as unique, thus making it holy (Ex. 20:11; cf. Gen. 2:2–3). His world is to honor its Maker by following his lead and resting on this day. “God’s resting [on day seven] is a divine act that builds into the very created order of things a working/resting rhythm. Only when that rhythm is honored by all is the creation what God intended it to be.”386

In summary, the Sabbath has a theological and social function. Theologically, by focusing one day in seven on the Lord, it functions “as a brake on the temptation to idolatry . . . [by] protect[ing] the uniqueness of Yahweh as creator and redeemer.”387 Socially, by giving everyone a day of rest—including servants and temporary workers—it functions “as a brake on [the temptation to] economic exploitation and oppression . . . [thus] preserv[ing] the social liberation that reflect[s] the character of Yahweh.”388 In these ways the Sabbath is a benevolent gift meant to bless those who honor the Lord by keeping it (Ex. 23:12; Deut. 5:14–15; Mark 2:27). With his typical grace the Lord commands the Israelites to proclaim their loyalty to him (observing the Sabbath) in a way that brings them blessing (needed rest and refreshment; cf. Mark 2:27).389

20:12 The commandments now turn from describing how to love God properly (commandments 1–4) to describing how to love fellow humans properly (commandments 5–10; cf. Section Overview).390 The fifth commandment centers on the foundational context for human relationship: the family (cf. note 400 within comment on 20:14). Indeed, the family is the basic building block of a stable society, so it is little wonder that the Lord includes this command, which protects that foundational social unit. The commandment in fact encompasses both a command and a promise.

The command is to honor one’s parents. To honor someone is to treat that person as worthy of respect and esteem (1 Sam. 15:30; Mal. 1:6; cf. those described as honored in Gen. 34:19; Num. 22:15). In the context of the parent-child relationship Israelites are to obey and serve their parents:

They were to obey especially in terms of their parents’ covenant instruction [see Gen. 18:19; Ex. 12:26–27; 13:14; Deut. 6:1–2, 6–7]; to fail to do so was to reject the covenant itself. They were to serve especially in terms of caring for aging parents,391 the very application Jesus later makes of the fifth commandment in Mark 7:10–13: To honor one’s parents includes supporting and caring for them as they become less able to do so themselves. By such obedience and care, the family—the bedrock of covenant instruction and care—would be protected, and faithful covenant living could continue.392

This command therefore includes childhood obedience (cf. Eph. 6:1–3) but also speaks to the honor and care we are to show our parents long after we become adults.393 It does not root such honor and care in our parents’ being perfect (which is not even possible) or even easy to get along with; it roots such honor in the simple fact that they are our parents. Three friends of mine with difficult parents come immediately to mind. None of them was relationally close to his parents, yet each persisted in being respectful and caring for them as they aged, doing deeds of honor and love to honor the Lord. In Israel dishonoring one’s parents was so serious that it not only would result in being under a curse (Deut. 27:16) but, depending on the nature of dishonor shown, could be punishable by death (Ex. 21:15, 17; Lev. 20:9; Deut. 21:18–22).394

The promise is “that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you,” that is, that you may have a long life, as the expanded parallel in Deuteronomy 5:16 suggests: “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long [i.e., that you may live a long life], and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” This promise certainly contains a natural element: the type of honor and care intended here leads to a stable society and also models for the next generation how to care for the current generation when it is older, all of which would lead to longer lives. But, since the threats in Exodus 20:5–6 and 20:7 have the supernatural element of curse, it seems likely that a supernatural element of blessing is meant here. This blessing is a fit reward to those who keep this command faithfully: having cared for their parents into old age, they themselves will experience old age and peace.395

20:13 While the fifth commandment focused on parents, commandments six through ten focus on human relationships more broadly. Positively stated, they explain various ways in which we must love our neighbors as ourselves (Rom. 13:9).

The sixth commandment has sometimes been translated “Thou shall not kill” (AV, RSV), but, since capital punishment is prescribed for certain crimes—including this one (Ex. 21:12; Lev. 24:17)—and lethal warfare is at times commanded (Num. 21:31–35; 31:1–12; Deut. 20:1–18; etc.), a specific type of killing must be in view here, which most modern versions capture well: “You shall not murder.”

Genesis 9:6–7 provides the rationale for this command: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.” Because God made humans in his image, they are to be respected, valued, and cared for so that they may flourish. As God’s image bearers, humans have supreme worth and are to be treated as such (cf. James 3:9); this value must guide all our personal relationships and ethical reasoning.396 In fact, it explains what appears at first glance to be an irony: requiring the death penalty for murderers (Ex. 21:12; Lev. 24:17). In reality such a penalty emphasizes the tremendous worth of human beings. Human life is, in fact, so valuable that anyone ending it is to face ultimate justice. No one can take the life of another without forfeiting his or her own.397

20:14 The seventh commandment prohibits adultery, that is, a married person’s engaging in sexual activity with someone other than one’s spouse (cf. Lev. 20:10).398 This command is repeated elsewhere in both OT and NT (Lev. 18:20; 1 Cor. 6:9; Heb. 13:4). Like murder, adultery is so serious a wrong that the capital penalty is required (Lev. 20:10). It is considered an act of treachery against one’s spouse (Jer. 3:20; Mal. 2:14), as well as a sin against God (Gen. 20:6; 39:9), who created marriage between man and woman as the cornerstone of a stable human society (Gen. 2:18–24) and who designed sex as the physical expression of the marriage covenant.399 To engage in adultery is thus to betray our covenant partner and to rebel against our Creator by undermining his vision for human flourishing.400

20:15 The eighth commandment prohibits stealing, that is, taking others’ property, typically by stealth (Gen. 31:19; 44:8; Ex. 22:7; etc.). Doing so damages their well-being for the sake of our own, putting our desires ahead of theirs—the very opposite of loving our neighbors as ourselves. Stealing is also a crime against society, whose flourishing is undermined when a person’s property is wrongly taken from him since property is connected to financial security and the ability to survive and prosper.401

The penalties for theft are financial (Ex. 22:1; Lev. 6:1–5). This contrasts with certain ancient Near Eastern laws that stipulate that theft is punishable by death (Code of Hammurabi §§9–10, 22, 25). Not so in Israel; a human life is too valuable to be ended for such a crime. As Wright notes, “The priority of the sixth commandment [“You shall not murder”] over the eighth, then, was more than just numerical. It reflects a scale of values in which human life is of immeasurably higher value than property.”402

20:16 The ninth commandment forbids false testimony in court against a “neighbor,” a term that can refer to someone living near you (Ex. 11:2) but can also refer more broadly to a fellow citizen (cf. Lev. 19:18a with 19:18b).403 The latter understanding fits better with the all-encompassing role the Ten Commandments appear to have for Israelite society. This commandment differs from the third in that the third is concerned with the misuse of the Lord’s name, whether by false oaths, which could be made in a wide variety of contexts, or by blasphemy (cf. comment on 20:7). This commandment is concerned with false testimony in court, which could occur apart from any oath in that culture and would thus not automatically be covered by the third commandment.

While witnesses are a fundamental part of judicial systems today, they were especially important in ancient times, when forensic science did not exist. Due to human nature, however, false testimony was a problem then as now and was offered “for a variety of reasons and pressures. These can include: fraud and greed (Lev. 19:11–13), slander and hatred (vv. 16–18), crowd pressure or conspiracy (Ex. 23:1–2), misplaced favoritism or pity (Ex. 23:3, Lev. 19:15), and even family loyalties (Deut. 13:6–11).”404 Such testimony leads to general injustice and to particular harm to anyone falsely accused, who may suffer loss of reputation, standing or property, physical harm (in the case of corporal or capital punishment; cf. 1 Kings 21:1–13; Matt. 26:59), or a combination of these. The temptation to harm may have been especially great in local courts, where a witness would likely know the accused: “In the intimate atmosphere of a local trial it would be particularly easy for neighbors to let their feuds and personal animosities distort the proceedings.”405 Not surprisingly, later texts seek to mitigate false testimony by requiring two or three witnesses to establish a charge (Deut. 19:15). The Lord is a God of justice; his people must testify truthfully so that justice may be done.

The penalty for false testimony corresponds to the crime: whatever harm the false witness would have caused to the accused is to be brought to bear against the false witness so that everyone may “hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you” (Deut. 19:20; cf. Deut. 19:18–21 as a whole).

20:17 The tenth commandment forbids coveting what belongs to others (for “neighbor” cf. comment on 20:16) and is the only command that repeats its prohibition: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant.”406 The relationship between the prohibitions could be understood in one of two ways. If the word “house” refers to the physical structure (cf. Gen. 33:17), then the second prohibition lists things in addition to the house that may not be coveted (although, if this were the sense, we might expect to see all the items listed together instead of their being separated by a repetition of the command not to covet). But if the word “house” refers more broadly to the household and household property (cf. Gen. 39:4–9), then the second prohibition explains what the first means by “house” (which perhaps makes more sense of the repetition of the command not to covet). Either way, the result is the same, as the end of the command makes clear: “You shall not covet . . . anything that is your neighbor’s.”

The English word “covet” can be defined as “to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably.”407 This is close to the way in which the Bible uses the relevant Hebrew term (khamad) but is not quite strong enough, since the Hebrew term typically denotes desire of something coupled with an attempt to obtain it; they are two sides of the same coin. The sense is perhaps best captured by our phrase “to set the heart on something,” meaning to desire something and to take the necessary steps to get it. At seminary, when I set my heart on winning the affections of a fellow student named Ski, I not only desired to do so but took the necessary steps to seek her affections. (Thankfully, I was successful!) Similarly, the Hebrew term translated “covet” refers to a desire one chooses to engage with action. This is true of its use outside the Pentateuch408 but also within it, as in Deuteronomy 7:25: “The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet [i.e., set your heart on] the silver or the gold that is on them [and409] take it for yourselves.” While it could be argued that this verse refers to two distinct actions, it seems better to understand these as two sides of the same coin. Indeed, the connection between desiring and taking is so strong that Exodus 34:24, which assures Israelites that they can visit the Lord’s central sanctuary without fear of invasion, simply states, “I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.” This is not a promise that no one will desire their land; it is a promise no one will set their heart on it and attempt to take it, and the Hebrew term communicates both ideas strongly enough that the word for “take” is unnecessary.410 In short the tenth commandment could be rendered, “You shall not set your heart on your neighbor’s house, wife, etc.,” implying one must not attempt to take these things for oneself.

This understanding helps answer two questions often raised about this commandment. The first question assumes that “covet” simply means “desire” and therefore asks, “How can a commandment prohibit a desire, which often arise involuntarily?” The short answer is that this commandment is not simply about desire; it is about desire that we choose to engage, desire that we allow to govern our actions. This is where the rendering “You shall not set your heart on your neighbor’s house” is so helpful. Many sinful desires—hatred, lust, envy, greed—can be indulged or turned from, nursed or repented of (and, if my own struggle reflects that of the typical believer, one may need to repent of the same sinful desire a hundred times in the same day). Saints of previous generations described this war against sinful desires as “mortifying the flesh,” that is, putting to death the desires of our sinful nature through continually repenting and turning away from them. They recognized that the battle against sin begins in the heart and that repentance must start there as well. This commandment points the way, forbidding us from indulging sinful desires by setting our hearts on that which belongs to another.

This also helps answer the second question often raised: How does this commandment differ from the eighth (“You shall not steal”)? Simply stated, this commandment is broader, since setting our hearts on what belongs to others can lead to a multitude of sins. If we covet property, this could certainly lead to stealing (8th commandment) but also false swearing, false testimony, or murder (3rd, 9th and 6th commandments; cf. 1 Kings 21:1–13); if we covet another’s spouse, this could lead to adultery (7th commandment). This commandment gets at the heart of many sins we commit. Indeed, if the Ten Commandments begin by making sure that we have the right foundation in place by worshiping God alone, then they end by teaching us that the battle to be faithful to him is waged in our hearts, which we must guard with all diligence.411

No punishment is listed here or elsewhere for breaking this commandment, perhaps because coveting often expresses itself in ways covered by other laws (e.g., stealing or adultery or murder).

20:18–21 We now return to the people and what they are experiencing. To imagine it is to appreciate their response. As they hear the Lord’s majestic, powerful voice boom out each of the Ten Commandments directly to them,412 four other things are happening repeatedly:413 thunder is rumbling, lightning flashing, the earth-shaking trumpet sounding, and the furnace-like smoke billowing (Ex. 20:18). Understandably terrified, they “tremble,” a word used elsewhere of swaying trees (Judg. 9:9, 11) and staggering drunkards (Ps. 107:27), meaning the Israelites are literally tottering with fear, barely able to stand. While they have respected the boundaries the Lord had set around the mountain by staying at its foot (Ex. 19:17), they now draw further back and plead with Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die” (20:19).414 By stating that they will listen, they make clear they are not drawing back in rebellion. Rather, they are drawing back in terror; they have seen the Lord’s nuclear power and fear it will melt them.

At first, Moses’ response seems contradictory. Using the same Hebrew root, he tells them not to “fear” while also saying the Lord has come so that his “fear” might be before them (v. 20). The contradiction disappears once his words are put in context, the thought being, “Do not fear that you will die, as you just said (v. 19), for God has come not to kill you but to test you to see whether you will be obedient to his commands.415 He has also come so that416 the fear of him may be before you,417 meaning you must keep before your eyes the reality of his power and ability to bring his justice to bear against evil and therefore must have the appropriate fear of experiencing it, with the result that you not sin.”418 Ideally, children obey their parents from a heart of love, but, because a child’s love is often overrun by sinful desires, parents must use discipline to instill a fear of doing wrong as another motivation toward obedience. So it is with God and his people. Like a good father, he shows his children tender care and love while also disciplining them in such a way that they fear doing wrong. They are to delight to obey him because of their great love toward him, while also feeling literal fear of disobeying him, because his discipline is so sure. And, as with all good discipline, the end goal is the good of the one disciplined: “Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!” (Deut. 5:29).419

We might summarize Moses’ words in this way: “Do not live in constant dread of him, since his goal is not at all your harm. But, if you consider rebelling against him, then you should be very much afraid!” That the Lord makes the point so strongly shows he is well aware how weak the Israelites’ love and faith are at this point.

Exodus 20:21 then marks an important transition indicating that God has granted the people’s request and will speak directly to Moses instead (cf. Deut. 5:22–33, which also shows he does not view their request negatively). The clause “the people stood far off” is repeated from the end of Exodus 20:18 to indicate they do not return close to the mountain to hear God’s voice. (Deut. 5:30 fills out the picture, letting us know the Lord instructs them to return to their tents.) The text then notes, “Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was,” that is, to the ominous storm cloud on the mountain (Ex. 19:16; Deut. 5:22), to receive further revelation to pass on to the people. It is now clear to them that they should treat any future revelation to Moses—such as that which is about to come in the following chapters—as bearing the same authority as the Ten Commandments they have just heard the Lord himself speak to them.420