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All things being prepared for the solemn promulgation of the divine law, we have, in this chapter, I. The ten commandments, as God himself spoke them upon Mount Sinai (Ex 20:1-17), as remarkable a portion of scripture as any in the Old Testament. II. The impressions made upon the people thereby, Ex 20:18-21. III. Some particular instructions which God gave privately to Moses, to be by him communicated to the people, relating to his worship, Ex 20:22-26, etc.
1-17
The Ten Commandments (1491 BC)
十诫（公元前1491年）
¹ 神吩咐这一切的话，说： ² "我是耶和华你的神，曾将你从埃及地为奴之家领出来。 ³ 除了我以外，你不可有别的神。 ⁴ 不可为自己雕刻偶像，也不可作什么形像，仿佛上天、下地和地底下、水中的百物。 ⁵ 不可跪拜那些像，也不可事奉它，因为我耶和华你的神是忌邪的神。恨我的，我必追讨他的罪，自父及子，直到三四代； ⁶ 爱我守我诫命的，我必向他们发慈爱，直到千代。 ⁷ 不可妄称耶和华你神的名；因为妄称耶和华名的，耶和华必不以他为无罪。 ⁸ 当记念安息日，守为圣日。 ⁹ 六日要劳碌作你一切的工， ¹⁰ 但第七日是向耶和华你神当守的安息日。这一日你和你的儿女、仆婢、牲畜，并你城里寄居的客旅，无论何工都不可作； ¹¹ 因为六日之内，耶和华造天、地、海和其中的万物，第七日便安息；所以耶和华赐福与安息日，定为圣日。
此处可见：
I. 律法颁布者摩西的序言：神吩咐这一切的话（出20:1）。十诫之律是：1. 神所制定的律法。它们是由天地无限永恒的威严所颁布的。王中王之言所在之处，必定大有能力。2. 是祂亲口所讲的律法。神有多种向世人说话的方式（伯33:14）；一次、两次——借着祂的灵、借着良心、借着护理、借着祂的声音——这一切我们都当细心留意；然而祂从未在任何时候、为任何事像颁布十诫那样说话，因此我们当更加郑重地听。这些话不仅听得见（祂也是这样从天上以声音印证了救赎主，太3:17），而且是带着许多可畏的威仪而说的。这律法神早已赐给人（原本借受造之性刻在他心里）；然而罪已如此涂抹了那字迹，因此有必要以这种方式重新唤起对它的认识。
II\. 立法者的序言：我是耶和华你的神（出20:2）。在此：1. 神宣告自己有权柄制定此律法（概括地）："我是耶和华，将以下一切吩咐你。" 2. 祂提出自己作为头四条诫命所规定之宗教敬拜的唯一对象。他们在此被三股合成的绳所束缚顺服——这绳不容易断。(1.) 因为神是耶和华——自存的、独立的、永恒的，是一切存在与能力的源头；因此祂有无可争议的权利命令我们。赐生命者可以赐律法；所以祂也能扶持我们顺服，赏赐它，并刑罚我们的不顺服。(2.) 祂是他们的神——与他们立约的神，他们自己所同意的神；他们若不肯守祂的诫命，谁肯呢？祂已借应许使自己对他们有了义务，因此可以公义地借诫命使他们负上义务。虽然那特选之约如今已不复存在，然而另有一个约——借着它，一切受洗的人都与祂建立了关系，作为他们的神；所以他们若不顺服祂，便是不义、不忠，且极其忘恩。(3.) 祂曾将他们从埃及地领出来；所以他们因感恩而负有顺服的义务——因为他们既行了如此大的恩慈，将他们从痛苦的奴役中领到荣耀的自由之中。他们自己既是神为拯救他们所行大事的目击者，便不能不看见其中的每一情节都加重了他们的责任。他们如今正享受着得释放的福气果实，并指望快快在迦南得着安顿；他们岂能为那位为他们行了如此多事的神以为行得太多吗？不但如此，借着救赎他们，祂得了进一步的权利来治理他们；他们欠那位使他们得自由、并借买赎而归属之者的服事。这样，基督既救我们脱离罪的奴役，便有权得着我们所能献上的最好服事（路1:74）。祂既解了我们的捆绑，便将我们系于顺服祂的本分（诗116:16）。
III\. 律法本身。十条诫命中头四条，关于我们对神当尽的本分（通常称为第一块法版），记在这些经节中。这些当放在最先，因为人先有造他者当爱，然后才有邻舍当爱；公义与怜悯唯有从敬虔的原则而出之时，才是蒙神悦纳的顺服之行动。那对神不忠的人，我们不能期望他对弟兄忠诚。如今我们对神的本分，一言以蔽之，便是敬拜祂——即将祂名所当得的荣耀归给祂：我们情感的内里敬拜，以及庄严朝见与事奉的外在敬拜。这是被称为永世福音的总纲与精髓（启14:7）：敬拜神。
1. 第一条诫命关乎我们敬拜的对象——耶和华，唯独耶和华（出20:3）：除了我以外，你不可有别的神。埃及人和邻近的列国都有许多的神——他们自己所幻想出来的受造之物、陌生的神、新的神；这律法之所以前置，正是为对付这种过犯。耶和华既是以色列的神，他们必须完全归向祂，不可随从任何别的神——无论是自己发明的，还是从邻国借来的。这是他们当时在多神论遍布天下之时最容易陷入的罪；然而唯有基督的福音才能有效地根除它。我们今日最易犯的违背此诫命的罪，便是将当唯独归给神的荣耀与尊荣归给任何受造之物。骄傲使自我成为神，贪婪使金钱成为神，纵欲使肚腹成为神；凡我们所看重或所爱、所敬畏或所事奉、所喜悦或所倚靠，过于神的——那（无论是什么）我们实际上便把它当作神。这禁令中包含一条作为全律法根基的命令：我们当以耶和华为我们的神，承认祂是神，接受祂为我们的，怀着钦佩与谦卑敬畏之心拜祂，并完全将我们的爱情归于祂。末了在我面前一语暗示：(1.) 我们不能有别的神而不被祂所知道。除了祂之外，没有什么是在祂面前的。拜偶像的人贪图隐秘；但神岂不查出这事吗？（诗44:20,21）。(2.) 这是极其惹祂发怒的；这是当面挑衅祂的罪——祂不能、也不肯忽视或容忍。
2. 第二条诫命关乎敬拜的典章，或神当受敬拜的方式——这理当由祂自己来定规。此处可见：
(1.) 禁令：此处禁止我们甚至以形象敬拜真神（出20:4,5）。[1.] 犹太人（至少在被掳之后）以为这条诫命禁止他们制作任何形象或图画。因此罗马军旗上的形象在他们看来乃是可憎之物（太24:15），尤其是被设立在圣处之时。可以确定，这条诫命禁止为神造像（因为我们能将谁比作祂呢？赛40:15,18），也禁止为宗教用途而造任何受造之物的像。这被称为将神的真理变为虚谎（罗1:25）——因为偶像是教导虚谎的；它暗示我们神有身体，其实祂是无限的灵（哈2:18）。它也禁止我们在想象中为神造像，以为祂如我们一般是人。我们的宗教敬拜当受信心的能力所支配，而非受想象的能力所支配。他们也不可造外邦人所敬拜的形象或图画，免得他们也受试探去敬拜它们。那要避免犯罪的人，必须远离犯罪的场合。[2.] 他们不可偶尔向这些像跪拜——即表示任何敬意或尊荣的记号；更不可常常事奉它们——借献祭、焚香或任何其他宗教敬拜之行动。当他们向真神献上虔诚之时，他们不可有任何形象摆在面前，以为可借此引导、激发或帮助他们的虔诚。虽然敬拜的对象是指向神的，若是经过形象而来，便不蒙悦纳。外邦中最古老、最好的立法者也禁止在他们庙宇中设立形象。这做法曾为罗马的努马——一位异教君王——所禁；却被罗马的教皇——一位基督教主教，然而在此事上却是敌基督的——所命。今日罗马天主教会对形象的使用，显然与这条诫命的明文相违，且与之无法调和；因此他们在一切交在百姓手中的要理问答与灵修书里，都把这条诫命删去，将其理由附于第一条；于是他们称第三条为第二条，第四条为第三条，如此类推；只是为了凑足十条之数，他们将第十条分为两条。这样他们便犯了两样大恶，至今仍持守不改，也拒绝从其中被改革：他们从神的话中删去，又对神的敬拜有所加添。
(2.) 支持这禁令的理由（出20:5,6）：[1.] 神在敬拜之事上的忌邪：我耶和华你的神是忌邪的神——特别在这类事上。这表明祂对自己所设立之典章的关切，祂对偶像崇拜和一切虚假敬拜的恨恶，祂对拜偶像之人的不悦，以及祂对敬拜中一切带有偶像崇拜迹象或引向偶像崇拜之物的愤恨。嫉妒是目光敏锐的。偶像崇拜既是属灵的淫乱——正如圣经常常所描写的——神对它的不悦被恰当地称为忌邪。神若在此事上忌邪，我们也当如此——不敢以任何别于祂在话中所定规的方式来敬拜神。[2.] 拜偶像者的刑罚。神把他们视为恨祂的人——虽然他们或许假装爱祂；祂要追讨他们的罪，即严厉地刑罚它——不仅作为违背祂律法的罪，更作为对祂威严的冒犯、对圣约的违背、并对一切宗教根基的打击。祂要追讨在儿女身上——这既是教会要被取消教会资格、被休弃的罪，儿女便与父母一同被赶出约与交通之外，正如起初儿女是与父母一同被接纳的。或者祂要降下刑罚于一个民族，使之成为家族的全然毁灭。若拜偶像的人活到年老，得以看见第三代或第四代的儿女，看见他们被刀杀、被掳、被奴役，必成为他们眼中的刺、心中的碎。神也并非不义——若父母死在自己的罪孽中，儿女又踏他们的脚踪，因从列祖所领受的传统而持守虚假的敬拜，那么当罪孽之量已满，神借审判来算账之时，把列祖所犯的偶像崇拜之罪一并计入，并非不义。祂虽长久容忍拜偶像的百姓，却不永远容忍；及至第四代，最迟必开始追讨。儿女在父母眼中极为宝贵；所以为 deter 人脱离偶像崇拜，并显明神对此何等不悦，不仅家族因之带着羞辱的记号，连父母死后，神的审判也可能因这罪而临到可怜的儿女身上。[3.] 神向忠心敬拜者所要显的恩惠：向爱我守我诫命的，发慈爱直到千代——千万的人，千万代的子孙。这暗示第二条诫命，虽然在字面上只是禁止虚假的敬拜，却包含一条命令——在神所设立的一切典章中敬拜神。正如第一条诫命要求爱、渴慕、喜乐、盼望、钦佩的内里敬拜，照样第二条要求祷告与赞美，并郑重地赴神的道之会。按：第一，那真正爱神的，必以常常谨慎殷勤守祂的诫命——尤其是与敬拜相关的诫命——为本分。那爱神又守这些诫命的，必蒙恩典去守祂其他的诫命。福音的敬拜对各样福音的顺服必有好的影响。第二，神为这样的人存留怜悯。连他们也需要怜悯，并不能自夸功劳；他们必在神那里寻见怜悯——在他们的顺服中有怜悯的保护，并有怜悯的报偿。第三，这怜悯必扩展到千代——远比向恨祂之人所发的怒气更广，因为那只达到三四代。怜悯的江河如今仍流得同样丰盛、同样自由、同样新鲜。
3. 第三条诫命关乎敬拜的态度——当以一切可能的敬畏与郑重来行（出20:7）。此处可见：
(1.) 严格的禁令：不可妄称耶和华你神的名。既以耶和华为他们的神，他们当然要常常提到祂的名（因为万民各奉己神的名而行）；这条诫命便给予一个必要的警诫——不可徒然地提祂的名。这警诫至今仍然同样必要。我们妄称神的名：[1.] 因着假冒为善——口中承认神的名，生活却不与所承认的相称。那奉基督之名却不离弃不义（这名原是他们当离弃的）的人，便是徒然奉祂的名；他们的敬拜是徒然的（太15:7-9），他们的供物是徒然的（赛1:11,13），他们的虔诚是徒然的（雅1:26）。[2.] 因着背约；我们若向神许愿，将自己灵魂的束缚系于善事之上，却不向耶和华我们的神还愿，便是妄称祂的名（太5:33），这是愚昧的，神不喜悦愚昧人（传5:4），也不受人轻慢（加6:7）。[3.] 因着轻率起誓——以起誓的形式提神的名或祂任何属性，却无正当缘由，也不存应有的郑重之心，而把它当作一句口头禅，毫无目的，或无益的目的。[4.] 因着假誓——有人以为这是诫命字面所主要指的；古人也是这样解释的。不可背誓（太5:33）。犹太人所受的教导中，对他们的神当有的宗教敬重之一，便是指着祂的名起誓（申10:20）。但他们若召唤祂作谎言的见证，便是羞辱祂，而非荣耀祂。[5.] 因着轻佻随便地使用神的名，不顾其可畏的意义。虔诚套语的亵渎被禁止，正如起誓套语的亵渎被禁止一样；神借以启示自己的一切事物的亵渎也照样被禁止——祂的道，或祂任何的设立；当这些被变为咒语与符咒，或被当作戏谑与娱乐之时，便是妄称神的名。
(2.) 严厉的刑罚：耶和华必不以他为无罪。官长们虽然刑罚别的过犯，却可能以为自己不必过问这事，因为它并不直接伤害私产或扰乱公安；然而那为自己的尊荣而忌邪的神，却不如此姑息。罪人也许自以为无罪，以为其中并无害处，以为神必永不为这事追问他。为对付这种想法，威吓的话如此说：神必不以他为无罪——如他所盼望的那样；但其中含意更深——即神必亲自作那妄称祂名之人的报应者，他们必发觉落在永生神的手里，真是可怕的。
4. 第四条诫命关乎敬拜的时间。神当日当受服事与尊崇，但七日中有一日当特别分别为圣归祂的尊荣，并在事奉祂之中度过。此处可见：
(1.) 诫命本身（出20:8）：当记念安息日，守为圣日；又（出20:10）：无论何工都不可作。这里假设安息日早已设立；我们从起初便读到神赐福第七日并定为圣日（创2:3），所以这并非新律法的制定，而是旧律法的复兴。[1.] 他们当知道所当宗教性地遵守的是哪一日——第七日，即六日劳碌之后；这第七日是从起初的第七日算起，还是从他们出埃及之日算起，或兼而有之，并不确定：如今这确切的日子已通知他们（出16:23），他们从此当守第七日。[2.] 当如何守。第一，作为安息之日；他们这一日当在他们的本业或世俗事务上不作何工。第二，作为圣日——分别为圣归圣洁之神的尊荣，并在圣洁的操练中度过。神既赐福与它，便使之为圣；他们既郑重地称颂祂，便当守之为圣，不可移作他用——不可偏离设立这日与其他日子之分别的原意。[3.] 谁当守：你、你的儿女；妻子未被提及，因为假设她与丈夫原为一、与丈夫同在，他若分别为圣守安息日，便假设她也与他同守；但家中其余的人都一一指明。儿女与仆人当按他们的年龄与能力守安息日：在这事上，正如宗教的其他例子一样，家主当受期待留心——不仅自己事奉主，也要使他的全家也事奉主，至少不当因他的疏忽使这事不成（书24:15）。甚至归化的客旅也当在此日与其他日子之间有所分别——这在当时虽给他们某种约束，却也是神恩惠旨意的幸福预表，表明祂日后要将外邦人带入教会，使他们得享安息日的福分。比较赛56:6,7。神留意我们所作的，特别是我们在安息日所作的，纵然我们在异乡作客。[4.] 关于这本分的一个特别备忘：当记念。这暗示安息日早已设立并已被遵守；但他们在埃及为奴之时，已经失算了时日，或被督工所禁止，或因宗教上极大的退化和冷淡而任其失落，因此有需要提醒他们。按：被忽略的本分仍然是本分，并不因我们的忽略而失效。这也暗示我们既容易忘记，又当留心记念。有人以为这话指我们当为安息日所作的准备；我们当在它来到以前便思想它，使它来到之时我们可以守之为圣，尽其中的本分。
(2.) 这诫命的理由。[1.] 我们在那六日中已有够多的时间为自己；第七日当让我们事奉神；六日足够使我们疲乏，第七日要我们被迫安息，对我们反而是恩慈。[2.] 这是神的日子：是向耶和华你神当守的安息日——不仅为祂所设立，也是分别为圣归祂的。挪用它便是亵渎；守之为圣乃是当还的债。[3.] 它是为记念世界之造化而设的，因此当为造化主的荣耀而守——作为我们自己当事奉祂的约束，也作为我们信靠那造天造地之神的鼓励。借着守安息日为圣，犹太人宣告他们所敬拜的乃是造化世界之神，并借此将自己与一切敬拜他们自己所造之神的列国分别出来。[4.] 神在六日作工之后，给我们留下了安息的榜样：祂第七日便安息——在自己里面得着满足，并因祂手所造的欢喜——为要教导我们在那一日以祂为满足，并将祂作为的荣耀归给祂（诗92:4）。安息日始于创造之工的完成，照样永世的安息也必终于护理与救赎之工的完成；我们守每周的安息日，既是记念前者，也是盼望后者——两者都是使我们与我们所敬拜的那位相像。[5.] 神自己赐福与安息日，定为圣日。祂借着将它分别为圣归自己而加尊荣于它；它是主的圣日、是可尊敬的；祂又将福气放在其中，鼓励我们在宗教性地遵守那日之时向祂期望得着。这是耶和华所定的日子，我们不可竭力去"废掉"它。祂既赐福它、尊荣它、定为圣，我们便不可亵渎它、羞辱它，并将神借赐福所如此尊荣、所分别的，拉平与寻常的日子同等。
¹² 当孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和华你神所赐你的地上得以长久。 ¹³ 不可杀人。 ¹⁴ 不可奸淫。 ¹⁵ 不可偷盗。 ¹⁶ 不可作假见证陷害人。 ¹⁷ 不可贪恋人的房屋；也不可贪恋人的妻子、仆婢、牛驴，并他一切所有的。
此处可见通常所称的第二块法版之律法——十条诫命中的末后六条——总括我们对自己和对别人当尽的本分，构成对第二大诫命——爱人如己——的注释。正如对神的敬虔是普遍公义不可或缺的分支，照样对人的公义也是真信仰不可或缺的分支。敬虔与诚实必须并行。
I. 第五条诫命关乎我们对亲属当尽的本分；其中儿女对父母的本分被特别说明：当孝敬父母——这包含：1. 对他们的人格当有适度的尊敬——内里敬重他们，并在一切场合以我们对他们的行为外表上表现出来。敬畏他们（利19:3），敬重他们（来12:9）。与此相反的，是戏笑他们、藐视他们（箴30:17）。2. 顺服他们合法的命令；这正是弗6:1-3所解释的：儿女，要顺从父母——他们呼唤时当来，差遣时当去，所吩咐的当行，所禁止的当禁；并且作为儿女，当甘心乐意，并出于爱的原则而行。虽然你曾说过"我不肯"，后来却懊悔而顺从（太21:29）。3. 顺服他们的责备、教训与管教——不仅顺服善良温和的，也顺服乖僻的，乃是出于向神的良心。4. 在一切事上按着父母的忠告、指引与同意安排自己，不可擅自挪移他们的产业，而要得他们的同意。5. 在一切事上努力作父母的安慰，使他们晚年得以安逸——若他们缺乏供养，便维持他们：这正是我们的救主特别指出本诫命所包含的意思（太15:4-6）。附于这条诫命的理由乃是一个应许：使你的日子在耶和华你神所赐你的地上得以长久。祂在诫命的序言中，提到领他们出埃及作为顺服的理由；祂在此在第二块法版的开头，又提到领他们进迦南作为另一个理由；他们如今在旷野之时，当把那美地放在心上、放在眼前。他们也当记念：到了那地以后，他们便是处于受试用之地位，若行为不善，他们的年日必在那地被缩短——无论是某些人被剪除，还是整个民族被迁离。但此处长寿在那美地中特别应许给顺命的儿女。那对父母尽本分的人，最有可能享受父母为他们所积存、所遗留的福分；那供养父母的，必发觉那位共同的天父必供养他们。这应许在弗6:3中被解释为：使你得福，在世长寿。那出于向神的良心而遵守这条和其余神诫命的人，可以确信他们必得福，也必在世长寿——按无穷智慧看为好的程度；他们在世上所似乎短缺的，必在永生——神所要赐他们的属天迦南——之中丰丰富富地补足。
II. 第六条诫命关乎我们自己和邻舍的生命（出20:13）：不可杀人——不可行任何有损或伤害自己身体或别人身体之健康、安宁与生命的事，除非是不义地行。这是自然律之一，曾借挪亚和他儿子们所受的诫命极力强调（创9:5,6）。它并不禁止合法战争中的杀戮，或我们正当的防卫，也不禁止官长将罪犯处死——因为这些事都有助于保全生命；它却禁止对任何人的人格怀有恶念与仇恨（因为凡恨他弟兄的，就是杀人的），也禁止由此而生的一切个人报复；又禁止一切因突然挑衅而发的暴躁怒气，以及在怒中所说、所作、或企图去作的伤害：我们的救主正是这样解释这条诫命的（太5:22）。而最糟的是，它禁止逼迫——埋伏等候地上无辜又卓越之人的血。
III. 第七条诫命关乎我们自己和邻舍的贞洁：不可奸淫（出20:14）。这被我们的救主置于第六条之前（可10:19）：不可奸淫，不可杀人；因为我们的贞洁当如我们的性命同样宝贵，我们当同样惧怕那玷污身体之事，如同惧怕那毁灭身体之事。这条诫命禁止一切不洁的行为，以及产生这些行为、与灵魂争战的肉体私欲；也禁止一切培养并激发这些肉体私欲的做法——如动淫念地看：基督告诉我们，这是这条诫命所禁的（太5:28）。
IV. 第八条诫命关乎我们自己和邻舍的财富、产业与货物：不可偷盗（出20:15）。虽然神近日曾允许并命定他们以公义的追讨方式掠夺埃及人，却并未要此事成为先例，使他们可以如此彼此掠夺。这条诫命禁止我们：因犯罪的耗费而抢夺自己已有的，或因犯罪的吝啬而夺去其用度与安慰；也禁止抢夺别人——挪移古时的地界，侵犯邻舍的权利，强行或暗中取走他身上、家中或田间的财物，在交易中欺诈，不还所借的或所拾的，扣留正当的债务、租金或工价；而最糟的是，在货币或税收上抢夺公众，或抢夺那奉献为宗教事奉之物。
V. 第九条诫命关乎我们自己和邻舍的好名声：不可作假见证（出20:16）。这禁止：1. 在任何事上说谎话——撒谎、含糊其辞，以及任何设计谋欺骗邻舍的方式。2. 不公地说邻舍的坏话，损害他的声誉；以及（包括两者之罪）3. 作假见证陷害他——以他所不知道的事控告他，无论是经宣誓的法定方式（如此便同时违背了第三条诫命，以及第六或第八条），还是非法定地在日常交谈中——毁谤、背后说人、搬弄是非、将所作的错事放大使其显得更糟，以及任何设法借邻舍的败坏来抬高自己名声的方式。
VI. 第十条诫命直击根本：不可贪恋（出20:17）。前面的诫命暗中禁止一切要行那将损害邻舍之事的欲望；这一条禁止一切要得那将满足自己之事的无度欲望。"但愿某人的房屋是我的！某人的妻子是我的！某人的产业是我的！" 这无疑是对自己分的不满，并对邻舍的嫉妒；这正是这里所特别禁止的罪。当神的恩典使鳞从保罗眼中脱落之时，他便看出这条律法——不可贪恋——禁止一切不规则的嗜欲与渴望——那些是从败坏本性首先生出的，是那住在我们里头的罪最初的发动，是我们所犯一切罪的开端：这就是他所说的那私欲——他原不知道其恶，直到这条诫命以它的能力临到他良心之时，才将他显明出来（罗7:7）。愿神赐我们都看见自己在这律法之镜中的面貌，并将我们的心置于它的治理之下！
英文原文
The Ten Commandments (1491 BC)
¹ And God spake all these words, saying,
² I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
³ Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
⁴ Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
⁵ Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
⁶ And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
⁷ Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
⁸ Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
⁹ Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
¹⁰ But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
¹¹ For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Here is, I. The preface of the law-writer, Moses: God spoke all these words, Ex 20:1. The law of the ten commandments is, 1. A law of God's making. They are enjoined by the infinite eternal Majesty of heaven and earth. And where the word of the King of kings is surely there is power. 2. It is a law of his own speaking. God has many ways of speaking to the children of men (Job 33:14); once, yea twice—by his Spirit, by conscience, by providences, by his voice, all which we ought carefully to attend to; but he never spoke, at any time, upon any occasion, as he spoke the ten commandments, which therefore we ought to hear with the more earnest heed. They were not only spoken audibly (so he owned the Redeemer by a voice from heaven, Mt 3:17), but with a great deal of dreadful pomp. This law God had given to man before (it was written in his heart by nature); but sin had so defaced that writing that it was necessary, in this manner, to revive the knowledge of it.
II. The preface of the Law-maker: I am the Lord thy God, Ex 20:2. Herein, 1. God asserts his own authority to enact this law in general: "I am the Lord who command thee all that follows." 2. He proposes himself as the sole object of that religious worship which is enjoined in the first four of the commandments. They are here bound to obedience by a threefold cord, which, one would think, could not easily be broken. (1.) Because God is the Lord—Jehovah, self-existent, independent, eternal, and the fountain of all being and power; therefore he has an incontestable right to command us. He that gives being may give law; and therefore he is able to bear us out in our obedience, to reward it, and to punish our disobedience. (2.) He was their God, a God in covenant with them, their God by their own consent; and, if they would not keep his commandments, who would? He had laid himself under obligations to them by promise, and therefore might justly lay his obligations on them by precept. Though that covenant of peculiarity is now no more, yet there is another, by virtue of which all that are baptized are taken into relation to him as their God, and are therefore unjust, unfaithful, and very ungrateful, if they obey him not. (3.) He had brought them out of the land of Egypt; therefore they were bound in gratitude to obey him, because he had done them so great a kindness, had brought them out of a grievous slavery into a glorious liberty. They themselves had been eye-witnesses of the great things God had done in order to their deliverance, and could not but have observed that every circumstance of it heightened their obligation. They were now enjoying the blessed fruits of their deliverance, and in expectation of a speedy settlement in Canaan; and could they think any thing too much to do for him that had done so much for them? Nay, by redeeming them, he acquired a further right to rule them; they owed their service to him to whom they owed their freedom, and whose they were by purchase. And thus Christ, having rescued us out of the bondage of sin, is entitled to the best service we can do him, Lu 1:74. Having loosed our bonds, he has bound us to obey him, Ps 116:16.
III. The law itself. The first four of the ten commandments, which concern our duty to God (commonly called the first table), we have in these verses. It was fit that those should be put first, because man had a Maker to love before he had a neighbour to love; and justice and charity are acceptable acts of obedience to God only when they flow from the principles of piety. It cannot be expected that he should be true to his brother who is false to his God. Now our duty to God is, in one word, to worship him, that is, to give to him the glory due to his name, the inward worship of our affections, the outward worship of solemn address and attendance. This is spoken of as the sum and substance of the everlasting gospel. Re 14:7, Worship God.
1. The first commandment concerns the object of our worship, Jehovah, and him only (Ex 20:3): Thou shalt have no other gods before me. The Egyptians, and other neighbouring nations, had many gods, the creatures of their own fancy, strange gods, new gods; this law was prefixed because of that transgression, and, Jehovah being the God of Israel, they must entirely cleave to him, and not be for any other, either of their own invention or borrowed from their neighbours. This was the sin they were most in danger of now that the world was so overspread with polytheism, which yet could not be rooted out effectually but by the gospel of Christ. The sin against this commandment which we are most in danger of is giving the glory and honour to any creature which are due to God only. Pride makes a god of self, covetousness makes a god of money, sensuality makes a god of the belly; whatever is esteemed or loved, feared or served, delighted in or depended on, more than God, that (whatever it is) we do in effect make a god of. This prohibition includes a precept which is the foundation of the whole law, that we take the Lord for our God, acknowledge that he is God, accept him for ours, adore him with admiration and humble reverence, and set our affections entirely upon him. In the last words, before me, it is intimated, (1.) That we cannot have any other God but he will certainly know it. There is none besides him but what is before him. Idolaters covet secresy; but shall not God search this out? (2.) That it is very provoking to him; it is a sin that dares him to his face, which he cannot, which he will not, overlook, nor connive at. See Ps 44:20,21.
2. The second commandment concerns the ordinances of worship, or the way in which God will be worshipped, which it is fit that he himself should have the appointing of. Here is,
(1.) The prohibition: we are here forbidden to worship even the true God by images, Ex 20:4,5. [1.] The Jews (at least after the captivity) thought themselves forbidden by this commandment to make any image or picture whatsoever. Hence the very images which the Roman armies had in their ensigns are called an abomination to them (Mt 24:15), especially when they were set up in the holy place. It is certain that it forbids making any image of God (for to whom can we liken him? Isa 40:15,18), or the image of any creature for a religious use. It is called the changing of the truth of God into a lie (Ro 1:25), for an image is a teacher of lies; it insinuates to us that God has a body, whereas he is an infinite spirit, Hab 2:18. It also forbids us to make images of God in our fancies, as if he were a man as we are. Our religious worship must be governed by the power of faith, not by the power of imagination. They must not make such images or pictures as the heathen worshipped, lest they also should be tempted to worship them. Those who would be kept from sin must keep themselves from the occasions of it. [2.] They must not bow down to them occasionally, that is, show any sign of respect or honour to them, much less serve them constantly, by sacrifice or incense, or any other act of religious worship. When they paid their devotion to the true God, they must not have any image before them, for the directing, exciting, or assisting of their devotion. Though the worship was designed to terminate in God, it would not please him if it came to him through an image. The best and most ancient lawgivers among the heathen forbade the setting up of images in their temples. This practice was forbidden in Rome by Numa, a pagan prince; yet commanded in Rome by the pope, a Christian bishop, but, in this, anti-christian. The use of images in the church of Rome, at this day, is so plainly contrary to the letter of this command, and so impossible to be reconciled to it, that in all their catechisms and books of devotion, which they put into the hands of the people, they leave out this commandment, joining the reason of it to the first; and so the third commandment they call the second, the fourth the third, etc.; only, to make up the number ten, they divide the tenth into two. Thus have they committed two great evils, in which they persist, and from which they hate to be reformed; they take away from God's word, and add to his worship.
(2.) The reasons to enforce this prohibition (Ex 20:5,6), which are, [1.] God's jealousy in the matters of his worship: "I am the Lord Jehovah, and thy God, am a jealous God, especially in things of this nature." This intimates the care he has of his own institutions, his hatred of idolatry and all false worship, his displeasure against idolaters, and that he resents every thing in his worship that looks like, or leads to, idolatry. Jealousy is quicksighted. Idolatry being spiritual adultery, as it is very often represented in scripture, the displeasure of God against it is fitly called jealousy. If God is jealous herein, we should be so, afraid of offering any worship to God otherwise than as he has appointed in his word. [2.] The punishment of idolaters. God looks upon them as haters of him, though they perhaps pretend love to him; he will visit their iniquity, that is, he will very severely punish it, not only as a breach of his law, but as an affront to his majesty, a violation of the covenant, and a blow at the root of all religion. He will visit it upon the children, that is, this being a sin for which churches shall be unchurched and a bill of divorce given them, the children shall be cast out of covenant and communion together with the parents, as with the parents the children were at first taken in. Or he will bring such judgments upon a people as shall be the total ruin of families. If idolaters live to be old, so as to see their children of the third or fourth generation, it shall be the vexation of their eyes, and the breaking of their hearts, to see them fall by the sword, carried captive, and enslaved. Nor is it an unrighteous thing with God (if the parents died in their iniquity, and the children tread in their steps, and keep up false worships, because they received them by tradition from their fathers), when the measure is full, and God comes by his judgments to reckon with them, to bring into the account the idolatries their fathers were guilty of. Though he bear long with an idolatrous people, he will not bear always, but by the fourth generation, at furthest, he will begin to visit. Children are dear to their parents; therefore, to deter men from idolatry, and to show how much God is displeased with it, not only a brand of infamy is by it entailed upon families, but the judgments of God may for it be executed upon the poor children when the parents are dead and gone. [3.] The favour God would show to his faithful worshippers: Keeping mercy for thousands of persons, thousands of generations of those that love me, and keep my commandments. This intimates that the second commandment, though, in the letter of it, it is only a prohibition of false worships, yet includes a precept of worshipping God in all those ordinances which he has instituted. As the first commandment requires the inward worship of love, desire, joy, hope, and admiration, so the second requires the outward worship of prayer and praise, and solemn attendance on God's word. Note, First, Those that truly love God will make it their constant care and endeavour to keep his commandments, particularly those that relate to his worship. Those that love God, and keep those commandments, shall receive grace to keep his other commandments. Gospel worship will have a good influence upon all manner of gospel obedience. Secondly, God has mercy in store for such. Even they need mercy, and cannot plead merit; and mercy they shall find with God, merciful protection in their obedience and a merciful recompence of it. Thirdly, This mercy shall extend to thousands, much further than the wrath threatened to those that hate him, for that reaches but to the third or fourth generation. The streams of mercy run now as full, as free, and as fresh, as ever.
3. The third commandment concerns the manner of our worship, that it be done with all possible reverence and seriousness, Ex 20:7. We have here,
(1.) A strict prohibition: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. It is supposed that, having taken Jehovah for their God, they would make mention of his name (for thus all people will walk every one in the name of his god); this command gives a needful caution not to mention it in vain, and it is still as needful as ever. We take God's name in vain, [1.] By hypocrisy, making a profession of God's name, but not living up to that profession. Those that name the name of Christ, but do not depart from iniquity, as that name binds them to do, name it in vain; their worship is vain (Mt 15:7-9), their oblations are vain (Isa 1:11,13), their religion is vain, Jam 1:26. [2.] By covenant-breaking; if we make promises to God, binding our souls with those bonds to that which is good, and yet perform not to the Lord our vows, we take his name in vain (Mt 5:33), it is folly, and God has no pleasure in fools (Ec 5:4), nor will he be mocked, Ga 6:7. [3.] By rash swearing, mentioning the name of God, or any of his attributes, in the form of an oath, without any just occasion for it, or due application of mind to it, but as a by-word, to no purpose at all, or to no good purpose. [4.] By false swearing, which, some think, is chiefly intended in the letter of the commandment; so it was expounded by those of old time. Thou shalt not forswear thyself, Mt 5:33. One part of the religious regard the Jews were taught to pay to their God was to swear by his name, De 10:20. But they affronted him, instead of doing him honour, if they called him to be witness to a lie. [5.] By using the name of God lightly and carelessly, and without any regard to its awful significancy. The profanation of the forms of devotion is forbidden, as well as the profanation of the forms of swearing; as also the profanation of any of those things whereby God makes himself known, his word, or any of his institutions; when they are either turned into charms and spells, or into jest and sport, the name of God is taken in vain.
(2.) A severe penalty: The Lord will not hold him guiltless; magistrates, who punish other offences, may not think themselves concerned to take notice of this, because it does not immediately offer injury either to private property or the public peace; but God, who is jealous for his honour, will not thus connive at it. The sinner may perhaps hold himself guiltless, and think there is no harm in it, and that God will never call him to an account for it. To obviate this suggestion, the threatening is thus expressed, God will not hold him guiltless, as he hopes he will; but more is implied, namely, that God will himself be the avenger of those that take his name in vain, and they will find it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
4. The fourth commandment concerns the time of worship. God is to be served and honoured daily, but one day in seven is to be particularly dedicated to his honour and spent in his service. Here is,
(1.) The command itself (Ex 20:8): Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy; and (Ex 20:10), In it thou shalt do no manner of work. It is taken for granted that the sabbath was instituted before; we read of God's blessing and sanctifying a seventh day from the beginning (Ge 2:3), so that this was not the enacting of a new law, but the reviving of an old law. [1.] They are told what is the day they must religiously observe—a seventh, after six days' labour; whether this was the seventh by computation from the first seventh, or from the day of their coming out of Egypt, or both, is not certain: now the precise day was notified to them (Ex 16:23), and from this they were to observe the seventh. [2.] How it must be observed. First, As a day of rest; they were to do no manner of work on this day in their callings or worldly business. Secondly, As a holy day, set apart to the honour of the holy God, and to be spent in holy exercises. God, by blessing it, had made it holy; they, by solemnly blessing him, must keep it holy, and not alienate it to any other purpose than that for which the difference between it and other days was instituted. [3.] Who must observe it: Thou, and thy son, and thy daughter; the wife is not mentioned, because she is supposed to be one with the husband and present with him, and, if he sanctify the sabbath, it is taken for granted that she will join with him; but the rest of the family are specified. Children and servants must keep the sabbath, according to their age and capacity: in this, as in other instances of religion, it is expected that masters of families should take care, not only to serve the Lord themselves, but that their houses also should serve him, at least that it may not be through their neglect if they do not, Jos 24:15. Even the proselyted strangers must observe a difference between this day and other days, which, if it laid some restraint upon them then, yet proved a happy indication of God's gracious purpose, in process of time, to bring the Gentiles into the church, that they might share in the benefit of sabbaths. Compare Isa 56:6,7. God takes notice of what we do, particularly what we do on sabbath days, though we should be where we are strangers. [4.] A particular memorandum put upon this duty: Remember it. It is intimated that the sabbath was instituted and observed before; but in their bondage in Egypt they had lost their computation, or were restrained by their task-masters, or, through a great degeneracy and indifference in religion, they had let fall the observance of it, and therefore it was requisite they should be reminded of it. Note, Neglected duties remain duties still, notwithstanding our neglect. It also intimates that we are both apt to forget it and concerned to remember it. Some think it denotes the preparation we are to make for the sabbath; we must think of it before it comes, that, when it does come, we may keep it holy, and do the duty of it.
(2.) The reasons of this command. [1.] We have time enough for ourselves in those six days, on the seventh day let us serve God; and time enough to tire ourselves, on the seventh it will be a kindness to us to be obliged to rest. [2.] This is God's day: it is the sabbath of the Lord thy God, not only instituted by him, but consecrated to him. It is sacrilege to alienate it; the sanctification of it is a debt. [3.] It is designed for a memorial of the creation of the world, and therefore to be observed to the glory of the Creator, as an engagement upon ourselves to serve him and an encouragement to us to trust in him who made heaven and earth. By the sanctification of the sabbath, the Jews declared that they worshipped the God that made the world, and so distinguished themselves from all other nations, who worshipped gods which they themselves made. [4.] God has given us an example of rest, after six days' work: he rested the seventh day, took a complacency in himself, and rejoiced in the work of his hand, to teach us, on that day, to take a complacency in him, and to give him the glory of his works, Ps 92:4. The sabbath began in the finishing of the work of creation, so will the everlasting sabbath in the finishing of the work of providence and redemption; and we observe the weekly sabbath in expectation of that, as well as in remembrance of the former, in both conforming ourselves to him we worship. [5.] He has himself blessed the sabbath day and sanctified it. He has put an honour upon it by setting it apart for himself; it is the holy of the Lord and honourable: and he has put blessings into it, which he has encouraged us to expect from him in the religious observance of that day. It is the day which the Lord hath made, let not us do what we can to unmake it. He has blessed, honoured, and sanctified it, let not us profane it, dishonour it, and level that with common time which God's blessing has thus dignified and distinguished.
¹² Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
¹³ Thou shalt not kill.
¹⁴ Thou shalt not commit adultery.
¹⁵ Thou shalt not steal.
¹⁶ Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
¹⁷ Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
We have here the laws of the second table, as they are commonly called, the last six of the ten commandments, comprehending our duty to ourselves and to one another, and constituting a comment upon the second great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. As religion towards God is an essential branch of universal righteousness, so righteousness towards men is an essential branch of true religion. Godliness and honesty must go together.
I. The fifth commandment concerns the duties we owe to our relations; those of children to their parents are alone specified: Honour thy father and thy mother, which includes, 1. A decent respect to their persons, an inward esteem of them outwardly expressed upon all occasions in our conduct towards them. Fear them (Le 19:3), give them reverence, Heb 12:9. The contrary to this is mocking at them and despising them, Pr 30:17. 2. Obedience to their lawful commands; so it is expounded (Eph 6:1-3): "Children, obey your parents, come when they call you, go where they send you, do what they bid you, refrain from what they forbid you; and this, as children, cheerfully, and from a principle of love." Though you have said, "We will not," yet afterwards repent and obey, Mt 21:29. 3. Submission to their rebukes, instructions, and corrections; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward, out of conscience towards God. 4. Disposing of themselves with the advice, direction, and consent, of parents, not alienating their property, but with their approbation. 5. Endeavouring, in every thing, to be the comfort of their parents, and to make their old age easy to them, maintaining them if they stand in need of support, which our Saviour makes to be particularly intended in this commandment, Mt 15:4-6. The reason annexed to this commandment is a promise: That thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Having mentioned, in the preface to the commandments, has bringing them out of Egypt as a reason for their obedience, he here, in the beginning of the second table, mentions his bringing them into Canaan, as another reason; that good land they must have upon their thoughts and in their eye, now that they were in the wilderness. They must also remember, when they came to that land, that they were upon their good behaviour, and that, if they did not conduct themselves well, their days should be shortened in that land, both the days of particular persons who should be cut off from it, and the days of their nation which should be removed out of it. But here a long life in that good land is promised particularly to obedient children. Those that do their duty to their parents are most likely to have the comfort of that which their parents gather for them and leave to them; those that support their parents shall find that God, the common Father, will support them. This promise is expounded (Eph 6:3), That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Those who, in conscience towards God, keep this and the rest of God's commandments, may be sure that it shall be well with them, and that they shall live as long on earth as Infinite Wisdom sees good for them, and that what they may seem to be cut short of on earth shall be abundantly made up in eternal life, the heavenly Canaan which God will give them.
II. The sixth commandment concerns our own and our neighbour's life (Ex 20:13): "Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not do any thing hurtful or injurious to the health, ease, and life, of thy own body, or any other person's unjustly." This is one of the laws of nature, and was strongly enforced by the precepts given to Noah and his sons, Ge 9:5,6. It does not forbid killing in lawful war, or in our own necessary defence, nor the magistrate's putting offenders to death, for those things tend to the preserving of life; but it forbids all malice and hatred to the person of any (for he that hateth his brother is a murderer), and all personal revenge arising therefrom; also all rash anger upon sudden provocations, and hurt said or done, or aimed to be done, in passion: of this our Saviour expounds this commandment, Mt 5:22. And, as that which is worst of all, it forbids persecution, laying wait for the blood of the innocent and excellent ones of the earth.
III. The seventh commandment concerns our own and our neighbour's chastity: Thou shalt not commit adultery, Ex 20:14. This is put before the sixth by our Saviour (Mk 10:19): Do not commit adultery, do not kill; for our chastity should be as dear to us as our lives, and we should be as much afraid of that which defiles the body as of that which destroys it. This commandment forbids all acts of uncleanness, with all those fleshly lusts which produce those acts and war against the soul, and all those practices which cherish and excite those fleshly lusts, as looking, in order to lust, which, Christ tells us, is forbidden in this commandment, Mt 5:28.
IV. The eighth commandment concerns our own and our neighbour's wealth, estate, and goods: Thou shalt not steal, Ex 20:15. Though God had lately allowed and appointed them to spoil the Egyptians in a way of just reprisal, yet he did not intend that it should be drawn into a precedent and that they should be allowed thus to spoil one another. This command forbids us to rob ourselves of what we have by sinful spending, or of the use and comfort of it by sinful sparing, and to rob others by removing the ancient landmarks, invading our neighbour's rights, taking his goods from his person, or house, or field, forcibly or clandestinely, over-reaching in bargains, nor restoring what is borrowed or found, withholding just debts, rents, or wages, and (which is worst of all) to rob the public in the coin or revenue, or that which is dedicated to the service of religion.
V. The ninth commandment concerns our own and our neighbour's good name: Thou shalt not bear false witness, Ex 20:16. This forbids, 1. Speaking falsely in any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive our neighbour. 2. Speaking unjustly against our neighbour, to the prejudice of his reputation; and (which involves the guilty of both), 3. Bearing false witness against him, laying to his charge things that he knows not, either judicially, upon oath (by which the third commandment, and the sixth of eighth, as well as this, are broken), or extrajudicially, in common converse, slandering, backbiting, tale-bearing, aggravating what is done amiss and making it worse than it is, and any way endeavouring to raise our own reputation upon the ruin of our neighbour's.
VI. The tenth commandment strikes at the root: Thou shalt not covet, Ex 20:17. The foregoing commands implicitly forbid all desire of doing that which will be an injury to our neighbour; this forbids all inordinate desire of having that which will be a gratification to ourselves. "O that such a man's house were mine! Such a man's wife mine! Such a man's estate mine!" This is certainly the language of discontent at our own lot, and envy at our neighbour's; and these are the sins principally forbidden here. St. Paul, when the grace of God caused the scales to fall from his eyes, perceived that this law, Thou shalt not covet, forbade all those irregular appetites and desires which are the first-born of the corrupt nature, the first risings of the sin that dwelleth in us, and the beginnings of all the sin that is committed by us: this is that lust which, he says, he had not known the evil of, if this commandment, when it came to his conscience in the power of it, had not shown it to him, Ro 7:7. God give us all to see our face in the glass of this law, and to lay our hearts under the government of it!
18-21
Terror with Which the Law Was Given (1491 BC)
律法颁布时所带来的战兢（主前1491年）
¹⁸ 众百姓见雷轰、闪电、角声、山上冒烟，就都发颤，远远地站立， ¹⁹ 对摩西说："求你和我们说话，我们必听；不要神和我们说话，恐怕我们死亡。" ²⁰ 摩西对百姓说："不要惧怕，因为神降临是要试验你们，叫你们时常敬畏他，不致犯罪。" ²¹ 于是百姓远远地站立，摩西就挨近神所在的幽暗之中。
I. 律法颁布时所伴随的非比寻常的战兢。从未有律法以如此威严的盛况颁布过；每一个字都为雷声所加重，每一句话都为闪电所停顿——无疑比寻常的雷轰闪电更响亮、更辉煌。律法何以要以如此可畏的方式、并如此惊人的仪仗而颁布呢？1. 这是一次性的安排，为要以感官所及的启示彰显神荣耀的威严，以扶持我们对此的信心，叫我们既知道主是可畏的（林后5:11），便被劝服常存敬畏之心而活。2. 这也是末日审判之威严的预演，那时罪人要因违背这律法而被传审：天使长的号筒要发出警报，宣告审判官的降临，有烈火在他面前吞灭（诗50:3）。3. 这也表明律法在良心中所带来的定罪之感是何等可畏，好预备灵魂领受福音的安慰。如此，律法便由摩西以能令人惊惧、战栗、谦卑的方式而颁布，使那借耶稣基督而来的恩典与真理更被人欢迎。使徒在来12:18等处详述了这一旧约时代威严可畏的事例，作为反衬，以衬托出我们基督徒在新约时代的 light、自由与喜乐中所享的特权。
II. 这威严在百姓身上当下所产生的印象；他们的心若不是冥顽不灵，必不能不为所动。1. 他们就都发颤，远远地站立（出20:18）。在神未开口之前，他们正拥挤着要向前窥探（出19:21）；但如今他们已彻底被治愈了那僭妄之心，学会了当守的距离。2. 他们求不要再这样向他们说话（来12:19），而是恳求神借摩西向他们说话（出20:19）。他们这样行，便是将自己置于摩西中保之职下——他们自己举荐他，认为他是适于在神与他们之间斡旋的人，并应许要听从他如同听从神的使者；这样，他们也是在教导我们，当甘心顺服那无穷智慧所采用的方式——借着我们同类的人向我们说话，他们的威严不会使我们害怕，他们的手也不会重压我们（伯33:7）。神曾一度试用直接向世人说话的方法，但事实证明人担当不起；这样作反而使人远离神，并没有引人归向神；而且正如结局所证明的，这虽使他们惊惧，却不能拦阻他们拜偶像——此后不久他们便拜了金牛犊。因此，我们当满足于圣经和传道职事所赐给我们的教训；因为我们若不信从这些，纵然神如在西奈山上那样以雷轰闪电向我们说话，也不会被劝服：这事在此已经定了。
III. 摩西以解释神在威严中的旨意来鼓励他们（出20:20）：不要惧怕——就是"不要以为这雷轰与火焰是要将你们消灭"（这正是他们所怕的，出20:19，恐怕我们死亡）。雷轰与闪电原是埃及的灾殃之一，但摩西不要他们以为这些是照着差遣到埃及人那里的差使差到他们这里来：不，这些是为了——1. 试验他们，要看看他们是否喜欢没有中保而直接与神打交道，从而叫他们明白神为他们所拣选的，是何等美好——就是把摩西置于那职分上。自从亚当在园中听见神的声音而躲避以来（创3:8-10），罪人便担当不起直接向神说话，或直接听神说话。2. 守他们在本分上，拦阻他们得罪神。他鼓励他们说不要惧怕，却又告诉他们神如此向他们说话，是叫他的敬畏常在你们面前。我们不可存那惊惶失措的恐惧——就是那含着刑罚的恐惧（约壹4:18），那种恐惧只在当下激动人的幻想，使人战栗，生发奴仆的捆绑，将我们出卖给撒但，使我们与神疏远；但我们却当常存心中对神威严的敬畏，对他不悦的畏惧，以及对他至高主权的甘心顺服：这样的敬畏必激发我们尽本分，使我们行事为人谨慎周全。如此当存畏惧事奉耶和华，又当存战兢而快乐（诗2:11）；并在床上的时候心里思想，畏惧着，便不犯罪（诗4:4小字）。
IV. 他们借摩西中保之职与神相交的长进（出20:21）。百姓因有罪疚之感、惧怕神的震怒，仍远远站立之时，摩西却挨近神所在的幽暗；他是被引到近前的——原文如此：若非神呼召他、鼓励他，摩西自己断不敢闯入那幽暗之中；正如一些拉比所揣测的，神差遣一位天使拉他的手，领他上去。论到那位伟大的中保，经上也是这样说：我要使他就近我（耶30:21）；我们也是借着他才得亲近（弗3:12）。
英文原文
Terror with Which the Law Was Given (1491 BC)
¹⁸ And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
¹⁹ And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
²⁰ And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
²¹ And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
I. The extraordinary terror with which the law was given. Never was any thing delivered with such awful pomp; every word was accented, and every sentence paused, with thunder and lightning, much louder and brighter, no doubt, than ordinary. And why was the law given in this dreadful manner, and with all this tremendous ceremony? 1. It was designed (once for all) to give a sensible discovery of the glorious majesty of God, for the assistance of our faith concerning it, that, knowing the terror of the Lord, we may be persuaded to live in his fear. 2. It was a specimen of the terrors of the general judgment, in which sinners will be called to an account for the breach of this law: the archangel's trumpet will then sound an alarm, to give notice of the Judge's coming, and a fire shall devour before him. 3. It was an indication of the terror of those convictions which the law brings into conscience, to prepare the soul for the comforts of the gospel. Thus was the law given by Moses in such a way as might startle, affright, and humble men, that the grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ might be the more welcome. The apostle largely describes this instance of the terror of that dispensation, as a foil to set off our privileges, as Christians, in the light, liberty, and joy, of the New-Testament dispensation, Heb 12:18, etc.
II. The impression which this made, for the present, upon the people; they must have had stupid hearts indeed, if this had not affected them. 1. They removed, and stood afar off, Ex 20:18. Before God began to speak, they were thrusting forward to gaze (Ex 19:21); but now they were effectually cured of their presumption, and taught to keep their distance. 2. They entreated that the word should not be so spoken to them any more (Heb 12:19), but begged that God would speak to them by Moses, Ex 20:19. Hereby they obliged themselves to acquiesce in the mediation of Moses, they themselves nominating him as a fit person to deal between them and God, and promising to hearken to him as to God's messenger; hereby also they teach us to acquiesce in that method which Infinite Wisdom takes, of speaking to us by men like ourselves, whose terror shall not make us afraid, nor their hand be heavy upon us. Once God tried the expedient of speaking to the children of men immediately, but it was found that they could not bear it; it rather drove men from God than brought them to him, and, as it proved in the issue, though it terrified them, it did not deter them from idolatry, for soon after this they worshipped the golden calf. Let us therefore rest satisfied with the instructions given us by the scriptures and the ministry; for, if we believe not them, neither should we be persuaded though God should speak to us in thunder and lightning, as he did from Mount Sinai: here that matter was determined.
III. The encouragement Moses gave them, by explaining the design of God in his terror (Ex 20:20): Fear not, that is, "Think not that the thunder and fire are designed to consume you," which was the thing they feared (Ex 20:19, lest we die); thunder and lightning constituted one of the plagues of Egypt, but Moses would not have them think they were sent to them on the same errand on which they were sent to the Egyptians: no, they were intended, 1. To prove them, to try how they would like dealing with God immediately, without a mediator, and so to convince them how admirably well God had chosen for them, in putting Moses into that office. Ever since Adam fled, upon hearing God's voice in the garden, sinful man could not bear either to speak to God or hear from him immediately. 2. To keep them to their duty, and prevent their sinning against God. He encourages them, saying, Fear not, and yet tells them that God thus spoke to them, that his fear might be before their face. We must not fear with amazement—with that fear which has torment, which only works upon the fancy for the present, sets us a trembling, genders to bondage, betrays us to Satan, and alienates us from God; but we must always have in our minds a reverence of God's majesty, a dread of his displeasure, and an obedient regard to his sovereign authority over us: this fear will quicken us to our duty and make us circumspect in our walking. Thus stand in awe, and sin not, Ps 4:4.
IV. The progress of their communion with God by the mediation of Moses, Ex 20:21. While the people continued to stand afar off, conscious of guilt and afraid of God's wrath, Moses drew near unto the thick darkness; he was made to draw near, so the word is: Moses, of himself, durst not have ventured into the thick darkness, if God had not called him, and encouraged him, and, as some of the rabbies suppose, sent an angel to take him by the hand, and lead him up. Thus it is said of the great Mediator, I will cause him to draw near (Jer 30:21), and by him it is that we also are introduced, Eph 3:12.
22-26
The Law Concerning Altars (1491 BC)
关于祭坛的律法（公元前1491年）
²² 耶和华对摩西说：你要这样对以色列人说：你们自己看见我从天上和你们说话了。
²³ 你们不可作神像与我并列，也不可为自己作金的神像。
²⁴ 你要为我筑土坛，在上面以牛羊献为燔祭和平安祭。凡记下我名的地方，我必到那里赐福给你。
²⁵ 你若为我筑石坛，不可用凿成的石头，因你在上头一动刀斧，就把坛污秽了。
²⁶ 你上我的坛，不可用台阶，免得露出你的下体来。
摩西进了神所在的幽暗之中，神便在那里只在摩西耳中私下地、毫无威吓地说话，所说的一切从此时直到出23:1-32末了——这些大半是十诫的阐释——他当先口传，再以笔录传给百姓。这些经文中的律法，是关乎对神敬拜的。
I. 此处禁止他们为敬拜而制造神像（出20:22,23）：你们自己看见我从天上和你们说话了（这是他奇妙的俯就，胜过一位大君王亲切地与一群可怜的乞丐交谈的俯就）；如今你们不可作银的神像。
1. 第二诫在此重申，或(1.) 是指出神以这种方式赐他们这律法时所主要关注的事——即他们特别倾向偶像崇拜，以及那罪的特殊严重性。神赐给他们十条诫命，却吩咐摩西特别向他们强调头两条。他们不可忘记其中任何一条，但务要谨记这几条。或(2.) 是指出可从神对他们如此说话的事实中正当推出的结论。神已经给他们充分证明他在他们中间，他们不必好像他不在似的为他造像。况且他们只看见他与他们说话；他们没有看见任何形像，所以他们无法为神造像；而他仅借声音向他们显现，这明明表明他们不可造任何这等形像，而当借他的话与他相交，而非别的方式。
2. 此处暗示反对拜像的两个理由：(1.) 这样行他们会冒犯神——这是从你们不可作神像与我并列所暗示的。他们虽假托只是将偶像作为神的代表来敬拜，实则使其与神相争，这是神所不容的。(2.) 这样行他们会自害己身——这是从你们也不可为自己作金的神像所暗示的：你们以为借其有助于虔诚，其实你们是败坏了虔诚，并欺骗了自己。起初他们似乎是按所拜的对象用金银造像，借这些金属的贵重来尊荣神，借其光辉来感化自己于神的荣耀；然而即使在这些上，他们也将神的真实变为虚谎，于是逐渐地被公义地交给强烈的错觉，竟去拜木石之像。
II. 此处指示他们为敬拜筑坛：所指的是随时之坛——他们在旷野中立起的、会幕搭好之前所用的坛，以及日后在特别急需之时为眼前用途而立的坛——如基甸所筑（士6:24）、玛挪亚（士13:19）、撒母耳（撒上7:17）以及其他许多人所筑的。我们可以设想，如今以色列人既然蒙神如此荣耀地启示自己，他们当中许多人在这虔诚的激动中会愿意向神献祭；献祭既必须有坛，他们就受命——
1. 要把坛筑得极其朴素，或用土，或用未凿的石头（出20:24,25）。为免他们受试探去想雕刻的像，他们甚至不可把作坛的石头凿成形状，而当照原样、粗陋地堆起来。这条规矩是在礼仪律设立之前——礼仪律所指定的坛更为昂贵——所定的，这暗示在礼仪律时代结束之后，朴素将被接纳为宗教外在事奉的最佳装饰，福音的敬拜不应当以外表的浮华和华丽来举行。圣洁之美无需粉饰；那些把基督的新妇装扮如妓女的人，并没有服事她——罗马教会正是如此：土坛才是最好的。
2. 要把坛筑得极低（出20:26），以致他们不可用台阶上去。坛越高、离天越近，祭物便越蒙悦纳——这是外邦人的愚妄想法，因此他们择高坛而立；为反对这一点，并表明神所看的是心的升高，而非祭物的升高，他们在此被吩咐要把坛筑低。我们可以设想，他们在旷野中所筑的坛和其他随时之坛，原只为一次献一只牲畜而设；但所罗门圣殿中的坛要造得更长更宽，以便能同时容纳许多祭牲，其高度为十肘，使高度与长宽成相称的比例；为那坛，用台阶而上是必需的，但无疑这些台阶的构造避免了此处所说的不便——在上面露出下体来。
III. 此处向他们保证神必恩慈地悦纳他们的虔诚，只要他们照他的旨意献上（出20:24）：凡记下我名的地方——或我名被记下的地方（就是真心敬拜我的地方）——我必到那里赐福给你。 后来神拣选了一特定的地方记下他的名；但这事既在福音之下已被废除，人在各处都被鼓励祷告，这应许便在其全幅广度上复苏：无论何处，只要神的百姓奉他的名聚集敬拜他，他必在他们中间，他必以他的同在尊荣他们，并以他恩典的恩赐赏赐他们；他必到他们那里，赐福给他们——比这更多的，我们不必再求，来美化我们的严肃聚会。
英文原文
The Law Concerning Altars (1491 BC)
²² And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
²³ Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
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.
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.
²⁶ Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
Moses having gone into the thick darkness, where God was, God there spoke in his hearing only, privately and without terror, all that follows hence to the end of Ex 23:1-32, which is mostly an exposition of the ten commandments; and he was to transmit it by word of mouth first, and afterwards in writing, to the people. The laws in these verses related to God's worship.
I. They are here forbidden to make images for worship (Ex 20:22,23): You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven (such was his wonderful condescension, much more than for some mighty prince to talk familiarly with a company of poor beggars); now you shall not make gods of silver.
1. This repetition of the second commandment comes in here, either (1.) As pointing to that which God had chiefly in view in giving them this law in this manner, that is, their peculiar addictedness to idolatry, and the peculiar sinfulness of that crime. Ten commandments God had given them, but Moses is ordered to inculcate upon them especially the first two. They must not forget any of them, but they must be sure to remember those. Or, (2.) As pointing to that which might properly be inferred from God's speaking to them as he had done. He had given them sufficient demonstration of his presence among them; they needed not to make images of him, as if he were absent. Besides, they had only seen that he talked with them; they had seen no manner of similitude, so that they could not make any image of God; and his manifesting himself to them only by a voice plainly showed them that they must not make any such image, but keep up their communion with God by his word, and not otherwise.
2. Two arguments are here hinted against image-worship:—(1.) That thereby they would affront God, intimated in that, You shall not make with me gods. Though they pretended to worship them but as representations of God, yet really they made them rivals with God, which he would not endure. (2.) That thereby they would abuse themselves, intimated in that, "You shall not make unto you gods; while you think by them to assist your devotion, you will really corrupt it, and put a cheat upon yourselves." At first, it should seem, they made their images for worship of gold and silver, pretending, by the richness of those metals, to honour God, and, by the brightness of them, to affect themselves with his glory; but, even in these, they changed the truth of God into a lie, and so, by degrees, were justly given up to such strong delusions as to worship images of wood or stone.
II. They are here directed in making altars for worship: it is meant of occasional altars, such as they reared now in the wilderness, before the tabernacle was erected, and afterwards upon special emergencies, for present use, such as Gideon built (Jdg 6:24), Manoah (Jdg 13:19), Samuel (1Sa 7:17), and many others. We may suppose, now that the people of Israel were, with this glorious discovery which God had made of himself to them, that many of them would incline, in this pang of devotion, to offer sacrifice to God; and, it being necessary to a sacrifice that there be an alter, they are here appointed,
1. To make their altars very plain, either of earth or of unhewn stone, Ex 20:24,25. That they might not be tempted to think of a graven image, they must not so much as hew into shape the stones that they made their altars of, but pile them up as they were, in the rough. This rule being prescribed before the establishment of the ceremonial law, which appointed altars much more costly, intimates that, after the period of that law, plainness should be accepted as the best ornament of the external services of religion, and that gospel-worship should not be performed with external pomp and gaiety. The beauty of holiness needs no paint, nor do those do any service to the spouse of Christ that dress her in the attire of a harlot, as the church of Rome does: an altar of earth does best.
2. To make their altars very low (Ex 20:26), so that they might not go up by steps to them. That the higher the altar was, and the nearer heaven, the more acceptable the sacrifice was, was a foolish fancy of the heathen, who therefore chose high places; in opposition to this, and to show that it is the elevation of the heart, not of the sacrifice, that God looks at, they were here ordered to make their altars low. We may suppose that the altars they reared in the wilderness, and other occasional altars, were designed only for the sacrifice of one beast at a time; but the altar in Solomon's temple, which was to be made much longer and broader, that it might contain many sacrifices at once, was made ten cubits high, that the height might bear a decent proportion to the length and breadth; and to that it was requisite they should go up by steps, which yet, no doubt, were so contrived as to prevent the inconvenience here spoken of, the discovering of their nakedness thereon.
III. They are here assured of God's gracious acceptance of their devotions, wherever they were paid according to his will (Ex 20:24): In all places where I record my name, or where my name is recorded (that is, where I am worshipped in sincerity), I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. Afterwards, God chose one particular place wherein to record his name: but that being taken away now under the gospel, when men are encouraged to pray everywhere, this promise revives in its full extent, that, wherever God's people meet in his name to worship him, he will be in the midst of them, he will honour them with his presence, and reward them with the gifts of his grace; there he will come unto them, and will bless them, and more than this we need not desire for the beautifying of our solemn assemblies.
颁布神圣律法的庄严大典既已预备齐全，本章记有：I. 十诫，这是神在西奈山上亲口所说的（出二十1-17），是旧约中与任何经文同样卓越的一段。II. 律法在百姓心中所留下的印象（出二十18-21）。III. 神私下赐给摩西的一些具体吩咐，要他转达给百姓，论及敬拜神的事（出二十22-26等）。