Exodus 20

this negative precept includes the affirmative, viz. a command to worship him, the only God. As when Naaman saith, he would neither offer burnt-offering nor.sacrifice to any other God but the Lord; it is plain he meant, that he would sacrifice to him, (1 Kings, v. 17.) See Selden, lib. iii. de Jure N. et G. cap. 1. Before me.] As they were not to forsake him’ and worship some other God; so not to worship any other God, together with him, as many did, (2 Kings xvii. 33.) For in his presence he could not endure any competitor. Vcr. 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, &c] The difference between pesel, which we translate graven image, and temunah, which we translate likeness, seems to be, that the former was a protuberant image, or a statue made of wood, stone, &c. and the other only ^picture, drawn in colours upon a wall, or board, &c. Both which, some have thought, they were prohibited here so much as to make;-whether it were the image, or picture, of the stars, or birds, or men, or beasts, or fishes, forfear they should be drawn to worship them. Thus, it is certain, Origen understood this commandment, when he said, there was not permitted to be so much as Z<oypaog, qvtz ayaXfiaToiroLbg Iv rrj 7roX(rf^ avTvv, &c. a picture-drawer, or a maker, of statues in their commonwealth: to take away all occasion of drawing men’s minds from the worship of God,(lib. iv. contra Cels. p. 181.) Clemens Alexandrinus was of the same opinion, (lib. v. Stromat. and Tertullian, L.deSpectaculis, cap. 23.) Which they derived, in all probability, from the Jews, who, from the time of the Maccabees to the destruction of Jerusalem, thought they were forbidden by this law to make an image or figure of any living creature, especially of a man. This Hermannus Conringius hath plainly demonstrated (in his Paradoxa de.Nummis Ebraeorum, cap. 5.) out of many places in Philo and in Josephus. The latter of which tells us, (lib. xviii. Archaeolog. cap. 5.) that all their governors before Pilate were wont to use ensigns in Jerusalem, without the image of Caesar in them, because their law forbade them ckJvwv 7tolr\mv, the making of images. Ajid when Vitellius was to lead the Roman army through Judea, against the Arabians, with images in their ensigns, the people ran to meet him, beseeching him to forbear it, ov yap avrdig tlvai irarpiov nepiopav tiKovag tig airn)v fepofiivag, for it was not consonant to the laws of their country to see images brought into it. But whether this was the ancient exposition of the law before those times may be doubted. The Talmudists think it was unlawful to make any figures of celestial bodies, either prominent or plain, though it were for ornaments sake: but as for animals, they might make prominent statues of them, except only of men; the images of whom they might draw on a plain: (see Selden, lib. i. de Jure N. et G. cap. 6 — 8.) which distinctions most look upon as ungrounded; and the common opinion is, that Moses did not forbid the very making of an image; but that they should not make them to’ set up in the place of Divine worship. xvi. 22.) See More Nevoch. par. i. cap. 36. which he repeats cap. 54. " No man is called a hater of God, but an idolater;" according to that Dcut. xii. 31. " every abomination to the Lord which he hateth." By which it appears, that they counted the worshippers of images idolaters; though they did not think these images to be gods (for no taian in the world ever thought an image made of, wood and stone, silver or gold, to be the Creator of heaven and earth, or tho Governor of the world), but took them only for things intermediate between God and them, as he there speaks. This was a law so well known to the ancient heathens, that the best men among them would suffer no images to be set up in their temples. In particular, Numa forbade this to the Romans, which he learned, as Clemens Alexandrinus thinks, from Moses. Insomuch, that for the space of a hundred and seventy years, though they built temples, yet ayakfia ov§ev, ovti irXaorbv, ovti filv ypawrbv Iworijvavro, they made no image, neither statue, Twr so much as a picture, (lib. i. Stromat. p. 304.) Plutarch relates the same in the life of Numa Pompilius, and adds this reason, that he thought it a great crime to represent the most excellent Being by such mean things; and that God was to be apprehended only by the mind. The ancient Persians pretend to have received the same law from their Zoroaster; who, in a number of things, is so like to Moses, that Huetius thinks (not without reason) his story was framed out of these books. Ver. G. And shewing mercy unto thousands.’] To invite their obedience, he promises to be kind unto them and their posterity for many generations (so thousands signifies), who were loyal and faithful to him. Such is the infinite goodness of God, that he delights more in shewing mercy, than in acts of severity; there being such a disproportion between the one and the other, as there is between three or four and a thousand. Which made the heavy punishment of idolaters the more reasonable, because they might have enjoyed such great and long-continued blessings, if they would have kept close to their religion. Of them that love me.] Adhered to him alone, as the only object of worship and adoration; with such an affection as a chaste wife bears to her husband. For God now espoused this nation to himself (as the prophets taught them to understand it), and therefore all the idolatry which is forbidden in these commandments is called going a tuhoring from him. And keep my commandments.’] Not only professed to be his entirely, but proved it by observing his precepts. Which keeping or observing of his commandments, is mentioned here, perhaps, and not in any of the following commandments, because this and the first were the principal, upon which the rest depended: there being no reason to mind what he said, if they acknowledged any other God but him* municate him (what that was he shews in the first book), and if he did not lie was to be excommunicated himself. And there is great reason for these civil laws, which have provided a punishment for this crime; not only because it is a great disrespect to God, to use his name so lightly on every trivial occasion; but because such contempt of the Divine Majesty makes men fall into. the fearful sin of perjury. For he saith there, they came near unto him, when they spake these words; which signifies they were at some distance before. Speak thou with ns, and ice will hear, &c] They desire that what God had farther to command them, he would be pleased to acquaint Moses with it; and they would receive it as his own words; but should die with fear if they heard him speak any more with his own voice. This is more largely related, Deut.v.24, 25, &c; and accordingly God afterward communicated to Moses alone the’ rest of his laws, both concerning religion and civil government.. served, (2 Sam. xxiv. 25.) and Solomon, (1 Kings iii. 2. 34.) besides the altar which was in the tabernacle and the temple.

Exodus 20:1

JLND God spake all these words, saying. After the trumpet had summoned them all to attend, and sounded a long time louder and louder, there came a voice from thp Schcchinah, or Divine Majesty, out of the midst of the fire, (as we read Deut. iv. 12. v. 4. 22.) that is, of -the angelical host which encircled him, and appeared like flames of fire: which made the apostlosay, tho law was ordained by angels, (Gal. iii. 10.) who were then in attendance upon the Divine Majesty, as his retinue, when he spake all these words, that follow to tho end of the seventeenth verse; which are called the ten words, or commandments, in xxxiv. 28. And he spake them with so great a voice, (Deut. v. 22.) that all the people, who were very numerous, plainly heard them, which-was very wonderful. This was upon the sixth day of the third month, called Sivan. (See Sclden, lib. iii. de Jure N. et G. cap. 11.)

Exodus 20:2

I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, &c. In this preface to the ten commandments, he asserts his right to give them laws, not only in general, as he is Lord of all, but by a peculiar tide he had to their obedience; whom he had taken to himself, -after a special manner, to be his people, by bringing them out of the land of Egypt, and the servitude under which they groaned there. This was a benefit fresh in their minds, and most apt to affect their hearts: and, therefore, he doth not say,as the author of ScpherCosri observes, (par. i. sect.17.) lam tlie Lord of heaven andearth; or, I am^thy Creator; but, lam the Lord thy God, who have shewn a particular favour and kindness to thee, by bringing thee out of the land of Egypt, &c. When he became their king by a special title, (as I observed, iii. 10.) and, upon that account, gave them these laws, w r hereby they were to be governed: and gave them peculiarly to them (as the forenamed author notes), who were tied to the observance of thenvby virtue of their deliverance out of Egypt, and God’s placing his glory among them. Whereas, if they had been tied to them by virtue of their preation, they would have belonged to all nations as much as unto them. Thus he. Maimonides will have these words, lam the Lord thy God, to signify the existence of God; and the next, (ver. 3.) his unity: which two are the great foundations of religion, (More Nevoch. par. ii. cap. 33.).And, indeed, the word Jehovah, or Lord, is generally thought to signify, he who is of himself. And the next word Elohim, which is the most ancient name of God in Scripture, learned men of late derive from the Arabic word alaha (there being no root in Hebrew remaining from whence it can so regularly come), which signifies to worship, serve, and adore. Hottinger hath taken a great deal of pains, in his Hexaemeron, and elsewhere, to confirm this out of that, and out of the Ethiopic language also. The Jews say, indeed, that Elohim is the namo of judgment, as Jehovah is of mercy ) but Abarbincl confutes this, to establish a notion of his own (viz. the omnipotent Cause of all things), which others oppose, as much as he doth the former. And therefore most, J think, now rest in the forenamed notion, that it properly signifies Him, who only is to be religiously worshipped and adored; as it follows in the next words.

Exodus 20:3

Thou shalt have no other gods. That is, believe in one God; or, believe there. is^no other God but me, as Nachman interprets it; and, consequently, worship no other God. This is the great ftnindation (as the Hebrews speak) of the law: for whosoever confesses any other God, he denies the whole law. And they truly observe, also, that

Exodus 20:5

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. If they saw an image (as they must needs do in other countries, though we suppose they had none among themselves), he requires them not to use any gesture, or to do any thing that might signify reverence or honour given to them. Such were prostrating themselves before them, bowing their bodies, kissing their hands; much less to offer sacrifice, or burn incense’, &c. to them. Here seems to be a plain gradation in this commandment; three things being here forbidden, if we take the first part of it to signify that they might not so much as make a graven image, or any likeness of any thing, for fear they should be tempted to idolatry. But though this may be supposed to have been a sin, yet not so great as the next, to bow. down to them; which was a degree of honour too high to be paid unto any image: but was not the highest of all; which was to serve them, by offering sacrifice, burning incense, making vows to them; or swearing by them; or consecrating temples to them; or lighting candles before them. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God.] This reason shews that.this commandment is different from the first, and not a part of it. For worshipping of images is forbidden, not merely because he was their God, and there is but one God; but because he is a jealous God, who could not endure any corrival, or consort, in that.which was proper tp himself. And 30 the ancient Jews and Christians also, before St. Austin took, this for the second commandment. The Arabian Christians, in later times, particularly Elmacinus,.distinctly names the ten commandments -in that order which we now do; as Hottinger observes in his Smegma Orientale, p. 43G. Visiting.] i. e. Punishing with heavy judgments, (Lev. xxvi..39.) ■ l The iniquity of the fathers upon the children.] This was threatened to terrify them from this sin, which would.ruin their families; being a kind of high treason against the Lord of heaven and earth. Yet Aben JEzra understands it only of such children as trod in the steps of their forefathers;. for:if they, repented the punishment was mitigated, (Lev. xx vi. i40/ &c.) Unto the third and fourth generation.] That is, as long as they; could be supposed, to; live (which might be. to see the third, and perhaps the fourth generation), he threatens to pursue them with his vengeance in their posterity; whose punishment they themselves should behold, to their great grief. So great was his hatred to this sin; and so odious were such people to him. Thus Maimonides expounds it in his More Nevoch. par. i. cap. 54. Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, is threatened only against the sin of idolatry; as appears from what follows, that such sinners are called haters of him. And he mentions only to the fourth generation; because the most a. man can live to see of his seed, is the fourth generation. Accordingly God orders, saith he, that if any city proved idolaters, the inhabitants should be destroyed utterly, and all that was therein, (Deut. xiii. 13 — 15.) Fathers, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and. the newborn children, were all killed for the sin of their parents." Hence, he saith, (Deut. vii. 10.) he repayeth men that hate him to their face: which is there twice mentioned. Of them that hate me.] For he looked on them not only as enemies, but as haters of him. It is an observation of tho same Maimonides, that, in the whole law of Moses, and in the books of the prophets, we shall never find these words, fury, anger, indignation, jealousy, attributed to God, but when they speak of idolatry: nor’ any man called an enemy to God, an adversary, a hater of him, but only idolaters, (Deut. vi. 14, 15. xi. 16, 17. xxxi. 29, &c. Nehem. i. 2. Deut. vii. 10. Numb, xxxii. 21. Deut. xii; 31.

Exodus 20:7

Thoushalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. By the name of the Lord, in Scripture, is meant the Lord himself: and to take, or lift up his name, is to swear by him. So this word nasa sometimes signifies, without the addition of God’s name, (Isa. iii. 7.) Jissa, he shall lift up in that day; which we truly render, in that day he sltall swear: which thoy did then with the hand I lifted up to heaven. And to take his name or swear in vain, is to swear falsely. Thttt is the principal meaning undoubtedly, that they should not call God to witness unto a lie; promising in his name that which they meant not to perform; or affirming or denying with an oath that which they knew not to be true. For so the word schave frequently signifies in Scripture, a lie. This relates not to their giving a testimony before a judge upon oath (of which ho speaks afterward in a distinct commandment), but to their intercourse and commerce one with auother. For an oath, saith R. Levi, of Barcelona, ought.to establish every thing: and thereby Ave declare ourselves to be as much resolved concerning that which we swear, as we are concerning the being of God. Heathens themselves accounted an oath so sacred a thing, that it was capital for a man to forswear himself, as Hen. Stephanus (in his Fontes Juris Civilis, p. 7.) observes out of Diodorus Siculus, lib. i. and the reason he gives of it is this: that such a man committed two heinous crimes, by violating his piety to God and his faith to men in the highest degree. But besides this, both Jews and Christians always understood swearing lightly, upon frivolous occasions, or without any necessity, to be here forbidden. R. Levi, beforementioned, saith this precept may be violated four several ways, besides swearing that which we mean not to perform. And Salvian applies this to the trivial naming of God and our Saviour, upon all occasions, and sometimes upon bad occasions. " Nihil jam pene vanius quam Christi nomen esse videatur," &c. Every body then swearing by Christ he would do this or that, though of no consequence whether he did it or no, or perhaps a thing which ought not to be done, (lib. iv. de Gubern. Dei, p. 68. edit. Baluz.) They that understand this of swearing by false gods (which are called vain things in Scripture) do but trifle; that is condemned in the foregoing commandment; it being a piece of worship to swear by them. For the Lord will not hold him guiltless, &c] If men did not punish the false swearer, the Lord threatens that he will. And so mankind always thought, as appears by the law of <ftie twelve tables (mentioned by Hen. Stephanus in the book quoted above), " Perjurii poena divina, exitium, humana, dedecus:" Tlie divine punishment of perjury is utter destruction; the human punishment Is disgrace or infamy. And Alexander Sevcrus was so sensible of this, that he thought, u Jurisjurandi contempta religio, satis De^n ultorem habet:" The contempt of the religion of an djtli hath God for a sufficient avenger. For an oath is the strongest bond that is among men, to bind them to -truth and fidelity, as Cicero speaks, (lib. iii. de Offic. cap. 31.) Witness, saith he, the twelve tables; witness our sacred forms in taking an oath; witness our covenant and leagues, wherein we plight our faith to enemies; witness the animadversions of our censors, " qui nulla de re diligentius quam de jurejurando, judicabant;" who judged of nothing more diligently than of an oath. Nor was the other sort of vain (that is, light and idle) swearing, without any just occasion, suffered to go unpunished: for Mr. Selden observes, out of Maimonides, (lib. ii. de Synedr. cap. 11. p. 497.) that if any man was guilty of it, he that heard him swear was bound to excom-

Exodus 20:8

Remember (he sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Be mindful of the day called the sabbath; to make a difference between it and all other days; so that it be not employed as they are.

Exodus 20:9

Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work. This is not a precept requiring labour; but a permission to employ six days in a week, about such worldly business as they had to do. Which permission also God himself abridged, by appointing some other festival days; as all governors may do, upon some special occasions.

Exodus 20:10

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God. Appointed by Ids authority to be a day of rest from your labours. In it thou shalt not do any work] Herein the peculiar respect to the seventh day consisted: on all other days they might work; but on this they were to cease from all manner of work. In which very thing was the sanctifying of this day; it being hereby separated and distinguished from all other days in a very remarkable manner. But then it naturally followed, that, having no other work to do, they should call to mind the reason why it was thus sanctified, or set apart from other days. And the reason, say the Jews themselves, was, " That having no other business, they might fasten in their minds the belief that the world had a beginning; which is a thread that draws after it all the foundation of the law, or the principles of religion." They are the words of R. Levi, of Barcelona. Besides which, there was another reason, which I shall mention presently. But by this it appears, that the observation of this day was a sign, or a badge, to whom they belonged: a profession that they were all the servants of him who created the heaven and the earth, as God himself teaches them to understand it, (xxxi. 13. 17.) And that their minds might be possessed with this sense, lie ordered this solemn commemoration of the creation of the world to be made once in seven days. For as, if there had been quicker returns of it, their secular business might have been too much hindered; so, if it had been delayed longer, this sense might have worn too much out of their minds. 77o/, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, Kc.] They might no more employ others in their worldly business on this day than do it themselves: but their children, though they understood not the reason, were to rest; that in time they might learn this great truth, that all tilings w r ere made by God. Nor thy cattle.] Their oxen, and asses, and all other creatures wont to be employed in their labours, were to enjoy the benefit of this rest as well as themselves, (Deut. v. 14.) Which was absolutely necessary; it being impossible for their servants to rest (as is here also required) if they were to set their cattle on work. Nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.] No stranger, who, by being circumcised, had embraced the Jewish religion. But other strangers might work; who only dwelt y^g Digitized by among them, having renounced idolatry, but not taken upon them the obligation to observe their whole law. Yet if any such person was a servant to a Jew, his master might not employ him on the sabbath-day in any work of his; but the man might work for himself, if he pleased, being not bound to this law. (See Selden,lib. iii. de Jure N. et G. cap. 12.)

Exodus 20:11

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth.) There were two reasons for the sanctification of this day. One was,’ because God rested from his work of creation on the seventh day, which is mentioned here; the other was’, because he had given them rest from their labours in Egypt; which he mentions in the fifth of Deuteronomy. There is’ nobody-hath explained both these better than Maimonides: (More Nevoch. par. ii. cap. 31.) " There are two different causes, saith he, for this precept, from two different effects. For when Moses first explained to us the cause of this celebration, in the promulgation of the tea commandments, he saith it was, because in six days the Lord made heaven and earth. But in the repetition of them, he saith,‘Remember that thou wast a servant in Egypt, &c. therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath-day/ (Deut. 1 v. 15.) The first cause is the glory and magnificence of this day, as it is said,‘Therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and sanctified it/ (Gen. ii. 3.) This was the’ effect of that cause, for in six days he made heaven and earth (this was the reason, he means, of the first institution of the sabbath), but that he gave this precept of the sabbath unto us, (L e. the Israelites) and commanded us to observe it, was from the other cause, which followed the first cause, because we were servants in Egypt. All which time we could not serve according to our own will and pleasure, nor had any rest, or observed a sabbath: and therefore God gave us this special precept of resting and cessation from labours, to join together these two reasons, viz. the belief of the beginning of the world, which presently suggests to us the being of God; and then the memory of God’s benefits unto lis, in giving us rest from our intolerable burdens in Egypt," Wherefore he blessed the sabbath-day, and hallowed it.] In the beginning of the world he blessed the seventh day, (Gen. ii. 3.) and now particularly chose this seventh day* for a sabbath; which he ordered them to observe in memory of their coming out of Egypt on that day; as I observed, xvi. 5. 23. By which he preserved in their minds that singular benefit which he had bestowed upon them: " and most manifestly (saith Maimonides in another place, par. iii. cap. 43.) procured great ease to all sorts of men, by freeing a seventh part of their lives from wearisome labour; which hath another blessing in conjunction with it, that it perpetually preserved and confirmed that most precious history and doctrine concerning the creation of the world."

Exodus 20:12

Honour thy father and thy mother. In another place they arc commanded to fear them, (Lev. xix. 3.) and as here the father is put before the mother, so there the mother is put before the father; to shew (as Maimonides takeg it, in his treatise called Memarim, cap. 6.) that we ought not to make any difference between them; but they are both equally to be honoured and reverenced. Which is a duty of such great. concernment, that wo are taught, by the placing of this commandment immediately after those which pecu* 2K Microsoft® [chap. XX, liarly relate to God’s worship, that, next to his Majesty, pur parents aro to be honoured, with that reverence, love, obedience, and maintenance, which arc due to them. And therefore notorious disobedience to thcin is threatened with death, as well as apostacy from God. Wherein this honour or fear doth consist, is taught in all books of religion: and Mr. Scldcn hath named a great many things wherein the Jews place it, as the learned reader may see, (lib. ii. de Synedr. cap. 13. p. 558.) I shall only add, that this was a law among the heathens, mentioned by Salcucus, Charondus, and others, in these words, tcl tIkvcl rovg yovug Tifiarwaav, let children honour their parents. And thus Ulpian expresses it, " Filio semper honesta ct sancta persona patris videri debet." And afterward, " Filium patrem et.matron, venerari oportct." With much more that Hen. Stephanus hath collected, in his Pontes ct Hivi Juris Civilis.’ That thy days may be long in the land, &c.] As disobedience to parents is, by the law of Moses, threatened to be punished with death; so, on the contrary, long life (which is the greatest worldly blessing) is promised to the obedient; and that in their own country, which God had peculiarly enriched with abundance of his blessings. Heathens also gave the very same encouragement, saying, that such children should be dear to the gods, both living and dead., So Euripides. *0<mg St rove reicovrag lv |3iq> aifiu, “OS’ 1<tt\ koI Z>~ov ical Savijjv Stotg fiXog. And this famous Senarius, mentioned by the same Hen. Stephanus, with many other notable passages.‘Itcavtog j3((io-f(c YnpojSoo-Kwv roue yovug. Thou shalt live long (or, as long as thou canst desire) if thou nourish thy ancient parents. Whence, children are called by Xenophon, and others, TqpofioaKoi.. Vcr. 13. Thou shalt not kill.”] After the. command about the respect duc: to parents, naturally follows the regard we ought to have to all other men who spring from them. And the greatest injury we can do another is to take away his life; whereby he is deprived of all the enjoyments of this world, and human society itself is also wounded, which cannot subsist if its innocent members cannot be safe. Innocent, I. say, for this commandment doth not hinder men from defending themselves from violence, (xxii. 2.) nor forbid magistrates to punish those with death who commit crimes worthy of it; for this is to preserve the lives of other men, (xxii. 18—20.) Vcr. 14. Thou shalt not commit adultery.’]. Next to a man’s self, his wife is nearer to him than any other person; they t\yo being one flesh. Which makes the injury done to him in her person a breach of human society next to murder. Nay, the LXX. place this commandment before the other, Thou shalt not kill: virtuous women valuing their chastity more than their lives; and the crimes to.which mere pleasure tempts men being more grievous, in the opinion of the great philosopher, than those to which they arc stimulated by anger. Whoredom is also forbidden in the law of Moses, and incest; as wounding any man is, as well as murder: but in these ten words, which arc a short abridgment of their duty, it was sufficient only to mention the principal things of every kind which were hateful to God and injurious to men. Vcr. 15. Tliou shalt not steal.] This was to injure men in their goods and possessions i cither by open rapine, or by craft and cheating; against which God intended to secure them by this precept. Several sorts of this sin aro afterwards mentioned in particular laws. Vcr. 16. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.] As our neighbour is not to be injured by us in deeds, so not in words, by giving a false testimony against him before a judge, which is the chief sin of this kind. This is both an injury to our neighbour, and an affront to God; in whose place the judge is, whom we go about to deceive. Large commentaries on these commandments arc not to be. expected; which may be found in many authors commonly known.

Exodus 20:17

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, &c. Here is forbidden so much as the designing any mischief to others in any of the things forcmentioned. For as all injuries in word or deed arc prohibited in the four preceding commandments; so in this he prohibits those which are only in the heart or counsels of men, but never come to light. And in the enumeration of the things they were not to covet, he begins first with that which was last mentioned, and so backward to the other. For he saith, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, by designing to bear false witness, or to commit theft. And then follows, thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, by intending to abuse her, if. opportunity served; nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, &c. which are his principal goods. He saith nothing of thirsting after his life, which is supposed to be unlawful, because less than that is forbidden. Menander hath something like this: MijSc fit\6vt)g tvafifi lir&vfirjg Uafi^tXe, r O yap Gtog jBA&ra at irX^atov irapdjv. Do not so much as covet the thread of a needle, for God sees thee, being intimately present with thee. (Sec more in Grotius’s Prolegomena in Excerpta ex Stobceo.)

Exodus 20:19

And they said unto Moses. By the heads of their tribes and their elders, (Dcut. v. 23.) who came from the people to Moses while he remained still in his place.

Exodus 20:20

And Moses said unto the people. He bade the elders return this answer to the people that sent them. Fear not.] Be not afraid of your lives. No hurt shall come to you. For God is come to prove you.] God intends, by this dreadful appearance, to discover unto yourselves and others whether you will be such as you pretend, (xix. 8.) And that his fear may be before your face.] And that you may have an awful sense of him in your mind, by having before your eyfcs continually the glory of his majesty, of which you were lately sensible, (ver. 18.) That you sin not.] Let this be your only fear, not to offend God by disobeying his commands.

Exodus 20:21

And the people stood afar off. In their tents, within their camp. For God commanded him to bid the elders, after this discourse, to go to their tents from whence they came; where, I suppose, the rest of the people were, (Deut. v. 30.) But he bade Moses stay with him; and he would, as they desired, tell him all the rest of the things which he intended to enjoin them, (ver. 31.) And Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.] Who called him to him again, as he had done before, (xix. 20.) There is a curious observation in Pirke Eliezer, that the Hebrew word hero is not nogesh, he approached, or drew near, as we translate it; but niggesh, he was drawn, near: the angel Gabriel, or Michael (as he fancies), coming, and taking him by the hand and leading him up to God, (cap. 41.) But this signifies rather that he did not go up of his own accord, but was called by God to draw near to his Divine Majesty. Which he did the next day, upon the seventh day of Sivan: and received, fifty-seven laws (besides the ten which God himself delivered), partly civil and partly religious; which were explications of the decalogue.

Exodus 20:22

And the Lordsaidunto Moses. When they were together in the thick cloud beforementioned. This thou shalt say unto the children of Israel.] When thou goest down again to them. Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.] The apprehension of one sense (as Maimonides phrases it, More Ncvoch. par. i. cap. 4G.) is usually in Scripture put for the apprehension of another. As, see the word of the Lord; (J er. ii. 31.) that is, hear it, or mark it diligently. Or, the meaning here may be, you saw, i. e. perceived, by the thunderings, and lightnings, and all the rest of the tokens of a majestic presence, that it was I who spake from above.

Exodus 20:23

Ye shall not make with me. The Hebrew writers here make a pause, or full stop, as if it were a complete sentence. And the meaning is explained in the Talmud to be, Ye shall not make the similitude of the ministers that minister before me above, as the sun, the moon,, the stars, or the angels, (Gem. Bab. upon Avoda Zura.) And so Maimonides, upon the same subject; it is unlawful to form the images of the sun, the moon, the stars, the celestial signs, or angels, according to that which is written, Ye shall not make with me; i.e. nothing like the ministers that minister to me above. (See Selden* lib. ii. de Jurfe N. et G. cap. G. p. 198.) But if we join these with the following words the sense is the same; that, as they acknowledged no other gods but him, so they should not make any imago to represent him. To enforce which, the word make is repeated in the end of the verse, whereby greater efficacy i£ added to the command. / Gods of silver, or gods of gold, shall ye not make unto you.] He gives this caution, lest by the splendour of these metals.they should be tempted (being prone to superstition and idolatry) to make such kind of representations. For by gods are meant images to represent him; which at the first were made very glittering, like the heavenly bodies; but afterward they proceed to worship images of mere wood, or stone. The coherence of this with the foregoing verses is something obscure: unless we observe how this is reported in the book of Deuteronomy: where Moses puts them in mind, that they u saw no similitude on the day that God spake with them in Horeb," (iv. 15.) and therefore ought not to " make them a graven image, the similitude of any figure," &c. (ver. 16 — 19.) Accordingly the meaning is here, “ye have seen that I talked with you from heaven/’, (r. e. you heard only a voice, but saw no similitude of man, or any other creature,) therefore ye shall not represent me by any image, though never so rich and glorious. And thus Greg. Nyssen seems to have understood it, de Vita Mosis, p. ISO God gave Moses many Divine commandments, the chief of which is?j eva((5eta y teal rb rag wptirovGac vTro\ri\p£iQ irepl t/jc Odag (j>v<x£u)c tx uv > piety towards God, and to have becoming notions and conceptions of the Divine nature, as transcending all visible things, nay, all our thoughts, and like to nothing that we know. And therefore he bids them, in their conceptions of him, not to look at any thing they saw, nor liken’ r?)v tov wavrbc virepiczifxivriv <pvmv, the nature which transcends the whole universe, to any thing that they were acquainted withal. There was the greater need of this precept, if the Egyptian worship in these days was the same with that in other times; when Osiris was adored in the form of a golden ox, or an ox of wood all gilded over, as Plutarch calls it fioi>$ Staxpvaog.

Exodus 20:24

An altar of earth shalt thou make unto me. For the better observation of the foregoing commandment, he orders that his altars should bo made as, plain and simple as might be. Either of sods and turfs of earth (which were easily prepared, in most places, whilst they stayed in the wilderness), or of rough and unpolished stone (if they came into rocky places where no sods were to bo got), that so there might be no occasion to grave any image upon them. Such altars, Tcrtullian observes, were among the ancient Romans in the days of Nuraa: when,- as they had no sumptuous temples, nor images, so they had only temerariade cespite altaria, altars hastily huddledup of earth without any art, (Apolog. cap. 25.) which Jamblichus calls fivfxovc avToax^Sfovc, ex tempore, altars (as we would now speak) thrown up. on a sudden. And so Scioppius- 2K2 Microsoft® [chap. XX. pretends he found somo MSS. have it in that place of Tertullian, not temeraria, but temporaria; altars made only for a present use, not to remain after the sacrifice was done. Nay, Fortunatus Scacchus will have it that Moses here commands them to make the earth tlieir altar; as the words may be translated out of the Hebrew: which he thus interprets, " Thou shalt mark out a placo upon the bare ground, and there offer sacrifice,” (Myrothec. ii. Sacr. Elceochrys. cap. 5G.) And shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings, &c] This form of worship, as Maimonides himself acknowledges, was appointed by God, because it was used in all the world. Which moved him, not to abolish it, but to translate it, from created and imaginary beings, to his own most adorable name. Therefore ho commanded us, saith he, to make him a sanctuary, (xxv. 8.) and consecrate an altar to his name, and offer him sacrifices (for which he alleges this very text), and on the contrary prohibits us to do such things to any other being, (xxii. 20. xxxiv. 13, 14. More Nevoch. par. iii. cap. 32.) In all places.’] This shews that the foregoing commandment hath a peculiar respect to the time they were in the wilderness (especially till the tabernacle was erected) when they were in their travels, removing from place to place, and not fixed in any: then these altars were very proper, which might be prepared on a sudden, and as suddenly thrown down again. Where I record my name.’] Or cause jt to be remembered.and acknowledged, by some token or symbol (that is) whereby he signified that he would,be worshipped there. “Which sense the Chaldee seems to me to have expressed most exactly; hi every place tvhere I shall make viy glory ft. e. the Schechinah) to dwell, from whence I will bless thee: i. e. hear their prayers. This must be the meaning here; because the ark, which was the memorial of God’s presence with them, w r as not yet made. Or else, he means the sacrifices and altars beforcmentioned, which Sir. Mode thinks may be here pointed at; because these were rites of remembrance whereby the name of God was commemorated and recorded, and his covenant with men testified and renewed. (See book ii. p. 453, &c.) And, indeed, the word zacar doth most certainly signify, not only to remember or record, but to worship and to perform sacred offices: so tlie meaning may be, in every place where I exhibit myself to be worshipped and honoured. I will come unto thee, or, meet with thee.] Upon which account the tabernacle of the Lord was called Ohel Hoed, the tabernacle of meeting. Not because of the people’s meeting there to worship (as is commonly supposed, when we translate those words the tabernacle of the congregation), but of God’s meeting there with his people, as Mr. Medc observes (p. 43G.) from many plain places. of Scripture, (Exod. xxix. 42. xxx. 3G. Numb. xvii. 4.) And I will bless thee.”] Give thee testimonies of my gracious presence and acceptance. The gentiles believed their gods were present where their images were worshipped. But he promises to be present in all places whatsoever, where he would have his name celebrated (i.e. where he would be worshipped), though tlieir sacrifices Ayerc offered upon the most mean and simple altar.

Exodus 20:25

If thou wilt make me an altar of stone, &c. If it cannot be made without stones (saith Maimonides, par. iii. More Nevoch. cap. 45.) take care that the stones remain in their own natural form, and that they be not polished, &c. This was to avoid idolatry; for fear they should make any figure with the tools they employed, in shaping and fashioning the stones, after an artificial manner: or should reserve’the pieces of stone that were pared off for superstitious or magical uses. Just, saith Maimonides, as he forbids planting a grove near his altar, for that was to imitate idolaters, (Deut. xvi. 22.) See Deut. iv. 15, 1G. which plainly shews this was the reason of this command. In short, these altars were built like those of turf, on a sudden, without any art; only by piling stones one upon another. Such an altar David built upon a special occasion, (2 Sam. xxiv. 25.) and after him Elijah, (1 Kings xviii. 31, 32.) and Fortunatus Scacchus makes it probable that it was such an one which Ezra built, at their return from Babylon to their own country, (iii. 2, 3. Myrothec. ii. Sacr.Eloeochrys. cap. 59.) where he represents the form of such an altar among the heathen, out of an ancient monument, (p. 5S5.) And there is little doubt, I think, that the altars built by the patriarchs were of this sort; particularly that which Abraham erected whereon to offer his son Isaac, (Gen. xxii. 9.) for it was raised so suddenly that no art could be employed about it. I omit other reasons which the Jews allege for this law., for they seem to me to be fanciful. And shall rather observe, that Plato in his Laws ordered all things belonging to the service of God should be very simple and plain, without any cost or ornament: and therefore forbids gold, silver, or ivory, because they were things too invidious (InfyZovov KTTiixa), and brass and iron he would not have used, because they were iroXifiwv Spyava, the instruments of wars: but one single piece of wood or stone should servo for an image, and that made in a day’s time, (lib. xii. de Lcgibus, p. 955, 95G. edit. Serran.) It seems difficult also to reconcile these two verses with God’s own ordinance, not long after, in the twenty-seventh chapter of this book; where he bids Moses to make him an altar neither of earth,.nor of stone, but of shittim-wood, covered with brass, for the use of the tabcrnacle,where he recorded his name. But it is to be considered, that these two verses speak only of occasional altars (as I may call them) which they might have use of, not only before but after the tabernacle was erected. These God doth not forbid, when there was a special reason for them; but he intending there should be no stated altar, but that at the tabernacle, he would have these made of unpolished stones, laid ono upon another, that they might be thrown* down as soon as raised; and that they might not draw people from the tabernacle, nor administer occasion of idolatry, by an artificial workmanship and imagery. Now that there were such altars raised upon certain great occasipns, but not to continue, appears from the sacred history. For (xxiv. 4.) Moses built one at the foot of Mount Sinai, by God’s command it is likely, and of this fashion. And he gave order for building one of stone after they came to Canaan, (Deut. xxvii. 1 — 3.) which Joshua performed, according to this rule, as is expressly said Josh. viii. 30, 31. Of thfs sort were those of Gideon and Manoah, (Judg. vi. 24. 26. xiii. 19.) And we read of altars built by Samuel, (1 Sam. vii. 17.) and by Saul, (xiv. 35.) and David, as was before ob-

Exodus 20:26

Thou slialt not go up by steps unto my attar. This was most suitable to the state of travellers, to have their altars low, not lofty. Besides, he would not have them imitate the gentiles, who sacrificed in high places; imagining their sacrifices were most acceptable when they were nearest to heaven. Whence the Egyptians, living in a flat country wherein were no mountains, built altars of a very great height, which could not be well done by sods of earth, or stones loosely laid together. Nor would God have it done, when he ordered Moses to make an altar of brass and wood at the tabernacle; which it is evident was go low, that a man might stand and minister there without being raised from the earth: for it was but three cubits high, (xxvii. 1.) which is less by one cubit than the ordinary stature of men. Not go up by steps.] There were steps in the temple built by Solomon unto the brazen altar, which was ten cubits high: and Ezekiel expressly mentions them in the description of his temple, (xliii. 17.) which seeming to disagree with this command, interpreters are much concerned to reconcile them. And the forenamed Fortun. Scacchus, cap. 03. contends earnestly that no altar was higher than three cubits; and therefore those steps mentioned by Ezekiel did not belong to the altar, but to the basis or ground-work (as we speak) upon which it stood* But this is said without good ground, for we read expressly that Solompn’s altar. wj\s ten cubits high, (2 Chron. iv. 1.) at which there:- fpre the priest could not minister, wifhout some steps, whereby he ascended, so high, as to be able to lay on the wood and the sacrifice upon it, &c. By steps therefore (to omit other conjectures) I understand many steps (which are here forbidden), such a,s the gentiles had to go up to their Bamoth, or high places; as we see by one of the pyramids in Egypt, and the high tower at Mexico; to which they ascended by a hundred and eighty steps. But a very few served for Solomon’s altar; and they were so contrived also, as, the Hebrew writers tell us, that there was no danger of that which God intended hereby to prevent in the words following. Tliat thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.’] The Hebrews say it was a kind of causeway, or bridge, whereby they went up to the altar; which rose by little and little, till they came to the place where they were to stand. (See L’Empereur upon the Codex Middoth, cap. 3. sect. 3.) Or else the steps were so broad and so little distant one from another, and the ascent thereby made so easy and equal, that there was no need of lifting up their legs high, and therefore no danger of discovering the lower parts of the body (their thighs, buttocks, and secret parts), which might have been seen by those below (bad they ascended by many large and high steps) under such loose garments as were worn in those countries; and thereby the priests might have been exposed to contempt, and the people moved to laughter, or had bad thoughts excited in them. In short, the meaning is, they should not go up many steps, far distant one from another, so that one must have taken large strides to ascend them. The Jews say, particularly Maimonides, (par. iii. More Nevoch. cap. 45.) that the worshippers.of BaaHfeor were wont to discover their nakedness, that is, their secret parts, before him. Which he takes to be the reason of this command; lest any such thing should happen in God’s presence: and this was the reason also of another law, that the priests should have breeches made for them, which none of the people wore, in those times, but thq priests alone; and that only when they ministered. The Gemara Hierosolym. upon the story of Balaam, gives a long account of this impure worship, as L’Empereur observes upon Codex Middoth, cap. 3. sect. 4. But there is no proof of this from any ancient author; and the Babylonian Gemara gives a different account of the worship of Peor; which looks as if the Jews studied how to make it ridiculous, as well as filthy. But if there were any solid ground for it, it would afford the clearest explication of this place.

And all the people saw the thunderings, &c. Seeing being the principal sense, it is frequently put for the rest: and this passage may be translated, they sensibly perceived, &c. (Sec Gen. xlii. 1. and Drusius’s Qurcstioncs Hcbr. lib. i. cap. 10.) The thunderings and the lightnings.] Sec xix. 16. And the noise of the trumpet.] Which ceased, while God spake the ten words to them; but now began again, together with thunders and lightnings, when they were ended. For as they were introduced in a most majestic manner, to raise their attention, and strike an awe into them; so they were closed, that they might be the more sensible of the drcadfulness of that Majesty who spake to them; and that they might have a greater reverence to his law. They removed, andstoodafar off.] They were at the bottom of the mount while God spake to them; but now started back, for fear those flames they saw upon the mountain, (Dcut. v. 25.) and perhaps flashed from thence in a terrible manner, should devour them. How far they removed we know not; some think to the place where they were encamped before this glorious appearance, out of which Moses brought them to meet with God, (xix. 2. 17.) •