the Second Week after Easter
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Legacy Standard Bible
Exodus 20:6
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and showing lovingkindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my mitzvot.
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
and showing loyal love to thousands of generations of those loving me and of those keeping my commandments.
But I show kindness to thousands who love me and obey my commands.
and showing covenant faithfulness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
but showing graciousness and steadfast lovingkindness to thousands [of generations] of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
but showing favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
And shewing mercie vnto thousandes to them that loue me, & keepe my commandemets.
But if you love me and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for thousands of generations.
but displaying grace to the thousandth generation of those who love me and obey my mitzvot.
and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
But I will be very kind to people who love me and obey my commands. I will be kind to their families for thousands of generations.
but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
And showing mercy to thousands of generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
But I show my love to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my laws.
but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands.
and doing kindness to thousands, to those loving Me, and to those keeping My commandments.
And do mercye vpo many thousandes, that loue me, and kepe my commaundementes.
and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
And I will have mercy through a thousand generations on those who have love for me and keep my laws.
And shewe mercy vnto thousandes in them that loue me, and kepe my commaundementes.
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.
And shewing mercy vnto thousands of them that loue mee, and keepe my Commandements.
and bestowing mercy on them that love me to thousands of them, and on them that keep my commandments.
and shewing mercy unto thousands, of them that love me and keep my commandments.
but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
and Y do mercy in to `a thousynde, to hem that louen me, and kepen myn heestis.
and doing kindness to thousands, of those loving Me and keeping My commands.
and showing loving-kindness to thousands of those that love me and keep my commandments.
And showing mercy to thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
and showing lovingkindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
But I show loving-kindness to thousands of those who love Me and keep My Laws.
but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
but shewing lovingkindness unto thousands of generations , - of them who love me, and keep my commandments.
And shewing mercy unto thousands to them that love me, and keep my commandments.
but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
showing: Deuteronomy 4:37, Deuteronomy 5:29, Deuteronomy 7:9, Jeremiah 32:39, Jeremiah 32:40, Acts 2:39, Romans 11:28, Romans 11:29
love me: John 14:15, John 14:21, 1 John 4:19, 1 John 5:3, 2 John 1:6
Reciprocal: Exodus 34:7 - Keeping Deuteronomy 13:17 - and show Deuteronomy 23:8 - third generation Deuteronomy 30:6 - to love the Lord Joshua 22:5 - love Joshua 23:11 - love Judges 5:31 - them that 1 Kings 11:35 - I will take 1 Kings 21:21 - Behold Nehemiah 1:5 - keepeth Psalms 103:17 - unto children's Psalms 145:20 - preserveth Jeremiah 11:4 - Obey Jeremiah 32:18 - showest Daniel 9:4 - the great Luke 1:50 - General Romans 8:28 - them James 1:12 - them James 2:5 - the
Cross-References
but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God said, ‘You shall not eat from it, and you shall not touch it, lest you die.'"
Then God said to him in the dream, "Indeed, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also held you back from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.
So now, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours."
For Yahweh had utterly shut all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
So Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, "He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death."
Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to harm me.
Then they journeyed on, and there was a terror from God upon the cities which were around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?"
For I will dispossess nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before Yahweh your God.
"If a person sins and acts unfaithfully against Yahweh and deals falsely with his companion in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted to him or through robbery, or if he has extorted from his companion,
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me,.... And show their love by worshipping God, and him only, by serving him acceptably with reverence and godly fear, by a cheerful obedience to all his commands, by all religious exercises, both internal and external, as follows:
and keep my commandments; not only this, but all others; for keeping these from right principles, and with right views, is an instance and evidence of love to God, see John 14:15 and to such persons he shows mercy and kindness, performs acts of grace, and bestows on them blessings of goodness; and indeed it is owing to his own grace, mercy, and kindness to them, that they do love him, and from a principle of love observe his precepts; and this is shown to thousands, to multitudes, who are blessed with such grace as to love the Lord, and keep his commandments: though rather this is to be understood of a thousand generations, and not persons, and should have been supplied, as in the preceding verse, "unto a thousand generations", God being more abundant in showing mercy, and exercising grace and goodness, than he is rigorous in inflicting punishment.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The Hebrew name which is rendered in our King James Version as the ten commandments occurs in Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 10:4. It literally means “the Ten Words.” The Ten Commandments are also called the law, even the commandment Exodus 24:12, the words of the covenant Exodus 34:28, the tables of the covenant Deuteronomy 9:9, the covenant Deuteronomy 4:13, the two tables Deuteronomy 9:10, Deuteronomy 9:17, and, most frequently, the testimony (e. g. Exodus 16:34; Exodus 25:16), or the two tables of the testimony (e. g. Exodus 31:18). In the New Testament they are called simply the commandments (e. g. Matthew 19:17). The name decalogue is found first in Clement of Alexandria, and was commonly used by the Fathers who followed him.
Thus we know that the tables were two, and that the commandments were ten, in number. But the Scriptures do not, by any direct statements, enable us to determine with precision how the Ten Commandments are severally to be made out, nor how they are to be allotted to the Two tables. On each of these points various opinions have been held (see Exodus 20:12).
Of the Words of Yahweh engraven on the tables of Stone, we have two distinct statements, one in Exodus Exodus 20:1-17 and one in Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 5:7-21, apparently of equal authority, but differing principally from each other in the fourth, the fifth, and the tenth commandments.
It has been supposed that the original commandments were all in the same terse and simple form of expression as appears (both in Exodus and Deuteronomy) in the first, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth, such as would be most suitable for recollection, and that the passages in each copy in which the most important variations are found were comments added when the books were written.
The account of the delivery of them in Exodus 19:0 and in Exodus 20:18-21 is in accordance with their importance as the recognized basis of the covenant between Yahweh and His ancient people (Exodus 34:27-28; Deuteronomy 4:13; 1 Kings 8:21, etc.), and as the divine testimony against the sinful tendencies in man for all ages. While it is here said that “God spake all these words,” and in Deuteronomy 5:4, that He “talked face to face,” in the New Testament the giving of the law is spoken of as having been through the ministration of Angels Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2. We can reconcile these contrasts of language by keeping in mind that God is a Spirit, and that He is essentially present in the agents who are performing His will.
Exodus 20:2
Which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage - It has been asked: Why, on this occasion, was not the Lord rather proclaimed as “the Creator of Heaven and Earth”? The answer is, Because the Ten Commandments were at this time addressed by Yahweh not merely to human creatures, but to the people whom He had redeemed, to those who had been in bondage, but were now free men Exodus 6:6-7; Exodus 19:5. The commandments are expressed in absolute terms. They are not sanctioned by outward penalties, as if for slaves, but are addressed at once to the conscience, as for free men. The well-being of the nation called for the infliction of penalties, and therefore statutes were passed to punish offenders who blasphemed the name of Yahweh, who profaned the Sabbath, or who committed murder or adultery. (See Leviticus 18:24-30 note.) But these penal statutes were not to be the ground of obedience for the true Israelite according to the covenant. He was to know Yahweh as his Redeemer, and was to obey him as such (Compare Romans 13:5).
Exodus 20:3
Before me - Literally, “before my face.” The meaning is that no god should be worshipped in addition to Yahweh. Compare Exodus 20:23. The polytheism which was the besetting sin of the Israelites did not in later times exclude Yahweh, but associated Him with false deities. (Compare the original of 1 Samuel 2:25.)
Exodus 20:4
Graven image - Any sort of image is here intended.
As the first commandment forbids the worship of any false god, seen or unseen, it is here forbidden to worship an image of any sort, whether the figure of a false deity Joshua 23:7 or one in any way symbolic of Yahweh (see Exodus 32:4). The spiritual acts of worship were symbolized in the furniture and ritual of the tabernacle and the altar, and for this end the forms of living things might be employed as in the case of the Cherubim (see Exodus 25:18 note): but the presence of the invisible God was to be marked by no symbol of Himself, but by His words written on stones, preserved in the ark in the holy of holies and covered by the mercy-seat. The ancient Persians and the earliest legislators of Rome also agreed in repudiating images of the Deity.
A jealous God - Deuteronomy 6:15; Joshua 24:19; Isaiah 42:8; Isaiah 48:11; Nahum 1:2. This reason applies to the First, as well as to the second commandment. The truth expressed in it was declared more fully to Moses when the name of Yahweh was proclaimed to him after he had interceded for Israel on account of the golden calf (Exodus 34:6-7; see the note).
Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children - (Compare Exodus 34:7; Jeremiah 32:18). Sons and remote descendants inherit the consequences of their fathers’ sins, in disease, poverty, captivity, with all the influences of bad example and evil communications. (See Leviticus 26:39; Lamentations 5:7 following) The “inherited curse” seems to fall often most heavily on the least guilty persons; but such suffering must always be free from the sting of conscience; it is not like the visitation for sin on the individual by whom the sin has been committed. The suffering, or loss of advantages, entailed on the unoffending son, is a condition under which he has to carry on the struggle of life, and, like all other inevitable conditions imposed upon men, it cannot tend to his ultimate disadvantage, if he struggles well and perseveres to the end. The principle regulating the administration of justice by earthly tribunals Deuteronomy 24:16, is carried out in spiritual matters by the Supreme Judge.
Exodus 20:6
Unto thousands - unto the thousandth generation. Yahweh’s visitations of chastisement extend to the third and fourth generation, his visitations of mercy to the thousandth; that is, forever. That this is the true rendering seems to follow from Deuteronomy 7:9; Compare 2 Samuel 7:15-16.
Exodus 20:7
Our translators make the Third commandment bear upon any profane and idle utterance of the name of God. Others give it the sense, “Thou shalt not swear falsely by the name of Jehovah thy God.” The Hebrew word which answers to “in vain” may be rendered either way. The two abuses of the sacred name seem to be distinguished in Leviticus 19:12 (see Matthew 5:33). Our King James Version is probably right in giving the rendering which is more inclusive. The caution that a breach of this commandment incurs guilt in the eyes of Yahweh is especially appropriate, in consequence of the ease with which the temptation to take God’s name “in vain” besets people in their common conversation with each other.
Exodus 20:8
Remember the sabbath day - There is no distinct evidence that the Sabbath, as a formal ordinance, was recognized before the time of Moses (compare Nehemiah 9:14; Ezekiel 20:10-12; Deuteronomy 5:15). The word “remember” may either be used in the sense of “keep in mind” what is here enjoined for the first time, or it may refer back to what is related in Exodus 16:22-26.
Exodus 20:10
The sabbath ... - a Sabbath to Yahweh thy God. The proper meaning of “sabbath” is, “rest after labor.” Compare Exodus 16:26.
Thy stranger that is within thy gates - Not a “stranger,” as is an unknown person, but a “lodger,” or “sojourner.” In this place it denotes one who had come from another people to take up his permanent abode among the Israelites, and who might have been well known to his neighbors. That the word did not primarily refer to foreign domestic servants (though all such were included under it) is to be inferred from the term used for “gates,” signifying not the doors of a private dwelling, but the gates of a town or camp.
Exodus 20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother - According to our usage, the fifth commandment is placed as the first in the second table; and this is necessarily involved in the common division of the commandments into our duty toward God and our duty toward men. But the more ancient, and probably the better, division allots five commandments to each table (compare Romans 13:9), proceeding on the distinction that the First table relates to the duties which arise from our filial relations, the second to those which arise from our fraternal relations. The connection between the first four commandments and the fifth exists in the truth that all faith in God centers in the filial feeling. Our parents stand between us and God in a way in which no other beings can. On the maintenance of parental authority, see Exodus 21:15, Exodus 21:17; Deuteronomy 21:18-21.
That thy days may be long upon the land - Filial respect is the ground of national permanence (compare Jeremiah 35:18-19; Matthew 15:4-6; Mark 7:10-11). The divine words were addressed emphatically to Israel, but they set forth a universal principle of national life Ephesians 6:2.
Exodus 20:13-14
Matthew 5:21-32 is the best comment on these two verses.
Exodus 20:15
The right of property is sanctioned in the eighth commandment by an external rule: its deeper meaning is involved in the tenth commandment.
Exodus 20:17
As the sixth, seventh, and eighth commandments forbid us to injure our neighbor in deed, the ninth forbids us to injure him in word, and the tenth, in thought. No human eye can see the coveting heart; it is witnessed only by him who possesses it and by Him to whom all things are naked and open Luke 12:15-21. But it is the root of all sins of word or deed against our neighbor James 1:14-15.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Exodus 20:6. And showing mercy unto thousands — Mark; even those who love God and keep his commandments merit nothing from him, and therefore the salvation and blessedness which these enjoy come from the mercy of God: Showing mercy, c. What a disproportion between the works of justice and mercy! Justice works to the third or fourth, mercy to thousands of generations!
The heathen had maxims like these. Theocritus also teaches that the children of the good shall be blessed because of their parents' piety, and that evil shall come upon the offspring of the wicked: -
Ευσεβεων παιδεσσι τα λωΐα, δυσσεβεων δ' ου.
Idyll. 26, v. 32.
Upon the children of the righteous fall
The choicest blessings on the wicked, wo.
That love me, and keep my commandments. — It was this that caused Christ to comprise the fulfilment of the whole law in love to God and man; Exodus 20:1. And as love is the grand principle of obedience, and the only incentive to it, so there can be no obedience without it. It would be more easy even in Egyptian bondage to make brick without straw, than to do the will of God unless his love be shed abroad in the heart of the Holy Spirit. Love, says the apostle, is the fulfilling of the law; Romans 13:10.
