Matthew Henry Commentary Exodus 20

God speaks in many ways to the children of men—by conscience, by providences, by his voice, all of which we should carefully attend to; but he never spoke at any time as he spoke the TEN COMMANDMENTS. God had given this law to them before; it was written in their hearts. But sin so defaced it that it was necessary to revive the knowledge of it.

The law is spiritual and discerns the secret thoughts, desires, and dispositions of the heart. Its grand demand is love, without which outward obedience is mere hypocrisy. It requires perfect, unfailing, constant obedience; no law in the world admits disobedience to itself.

Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10). Whether in the heart or the conduct, in thought, word, or deed, to omit or to vary anything is sin, and the wages of sin is death.

The first four of the Ten Commandments, commonly called the First Table, tell us our duty to God. It was fitting that these should be put first, because humans had a Maker to love before they had a neighbour to love. It cannot be expected that a person should be true to their brother or sister, who is false to their God. The first commandment concerns the object of worship, JEHOVAH, and Him only.

The worship of creatures is forbidden here. Whatever comes short of perfect love, gratitude, reverence, or worship breaks this commandment. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. The second commandment refers to the worship we are to render to the Lord our God. It is forbidden to make any image or picture of the Deity, in any form or for any purpose; or to worship any creature, image, or picture.

But the spiritual significance of this command extends much further. All kinds of superstition are forbidden here, and the use of mere human inventions in the worship of God. The third commandment concerns the manner of worship, that it be conducted with all possible reverence and seriousness. All false oaths are forbidden. All frivolous appealing to God, all profane cursing, is a terrible breach of this command.

Whether it concerns the Word of God or other sacred things, all similar misuses break this commandment, and there is no profit, honour, or pleasure in them. The Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain. The form of the fourth commandment, “Remember,” shows that it was not given for the first time then, but was known by the people before. One day in seven is to be kept holy.

Six days are allotted for worldly business, but not in such a way as to neglect the service of God and the care of our souls. On those days we must do all our work, and leave none to be done on the Sabbath day. Christ allowed works of necessity, charity, and piety; for the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath (Mark 2:27); but all works of luxury, vanity, or self-indulgence in any form are forbidden. Trading, paying wages, settling accounts, writing letters of business, worldly studies, frivolous visits, journeys, or idle conversation do not constitute keeping this day holy to the Lord.

Sloth and indolence may be a carnal rest, but not a holy rest. The Sabbath of the Lord should be a day of rest from worldly labour and a rest in the service of God. The advantages from the proper observance of this holy day—even if only for the health and happiness of humankind, along with the time it affords for taking care of the soul—demonstrate the excellence of this commandment. The day is blessed; people are blessed by it and in it.

The blessing and direction to keep this day holy are not limited to the seventh day, but are spoken of the Sabbath day.

The laws of the Second Table, that is, the last six of the Ten Commandments, state our duty to ourselves and to one another, and explain the great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Luke 10:27). Godliness and honesty must go together. The fifth commandment concerns the duties we owe to our relations. Honour thy father and thy mother includes esteem of them, shown in our conduct; obedience to their lawful commands (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.

This honor also includes submission to their counsels and corrections. It means endeavoring in everything to comfort parents and to make their old age easy, including maintaining them if they need support—a duty our Savior highlights as particularly intended in this commandment (Matthew 15:4–6). Careful observers have noted a peculiar blessing in temporal things on obedient children, and the reverse on disobedient children.

The sixth commandment requires that we regard the life and safety of others as we do our own. Magistrates and their officers, and witnesses testifying the truth, do not break this command.

Self-defense is lawful, but much that is not deemed murder by human laws is murder before God. Furious passions, stirred up by anger or drunkenness, are no excuse. More guilty is murder in duels, which is a horrible effect of a haughty, revengeful spirit. All fighting, whether for wages, for renown, or out of anger and malice, breaks this command, and the bloodshed in it is murder. Tempting people to vice and crimes that shorten life may also be included.

Misconduct that may break the heart or shorten the lives of parents, wives, or other relatives is a breach of this command. This command forbids all envy, malice, hatred, or anger, and all provoking or insulting language. The destruction of our own lives is also forbidden here. This commandment requires a spirit of kindness, longsuffering, and forgiveness.

The seventh commandment concerns chastity.

We should be as much afraid of that which defiles the body as of that which destroys it. Whatever tends to pollute the imagination or to arouse the passions falls under this law, such as impure pictures, books, conversation, or any other similar matters.

The eighth commandment is the law of love as it respects the property of others. The portion of worldly things allotted to us, as far as it is obtained in an honest way, is the bread which God has given us. For that, we should be thankful, be content with it, and, in the use of lawful means, trust Providence for the future.

Imposing upon the ignorance, trusting nature, or necessity of others, and many other things, break God's law, though scarcely blamed in society. Plunderers of kingdoms, though they may be above human justice, will be included in this judgment. Defrauding the public, contracting debts without the prospect of paying them, evading payment of just debts, extravagance, living on charity when not necessary, and squeezing the poor in their wages—these and similar things break this command. This commandment requires industry, frugality, and contentment, and to do to others, regarding worldly property, as we would have them do to us.

The ninth commandment concerns our own and our neighbor's good name.

This commandment forbids speaking falsely on any matter, lying, equivocating, and in any way devising or designing to deceive our neighbor. It also forbids speaking unjustly against our neighbor to hurt his reputation, and bearing false witness against him. In common conversation, it further prohibits slandering, backbiting, and tale-bearing; making what is done amiss worse than it is; and in any way endeavoring to raise our own reputation upon the ruin of our neighbor's. How much this command is broken every day among people of all ranks!

The tenth commandment strikes at the root: Thou shalt not covet. The other commandments forbid all desire of doing what will be an injury to our neighbor; this one forbids all wrong desire of having what will gratify ourselves.

This law, which is so extensive that we cannot measure it, so spiritual that we cannot evade it, and so reasonable that we cannot find fault with it, will be the rule of the future judgment of God, as it is for the present conduct of man. If tried by this rule, we will find our lives have been spent in transgressions.

And with this holy law and an awe-inspiring judgment before us, who can despise the gospel of Christ? And the knowledge of the law shows our need of repentance.

In every believer's heart, sin is dethroned and crucified, the law of God is written, and the image of God is renewed. The Holy Spirit enables him to hate sin and flee from it, to love and keep this law in sincerity and truth; nor will he cease to repent.

Moses having entered into the thick darkness, God there spoke in his hearing all that follows from this point to the end of chapter 23, which is mostly an exposition of the ten commandments. The laws in these verses relate to God's worship. The Israelites are assured of God's gracious acceptance of their devotions. Under the gospel, people are encouraged to pray everywhere, and wherever God's people meet in his name to worship him, he will be in the midst of them; there he will come to them, and will bless them.