Read Exodus 20:1-26 at Bible Gateway.
the teaching tools of scripture
Hebrew paragraph divisions
Exo 20:1 {s} And God spoke all these words, saying
Exo 20:2-6 {s} Israel shall have no gods before YHVH
Exo 20:7 {p} Israel shall not take the name of YHVH in vain
Exo 20:8-11 {s} Remember the Sabbath day to set it apart
Exo 20:12 {s} Honor your father and mother
Exo 20:13 {s} You shall not murder
Exo 20:14 {s} You shall not commit adultery
Exo 20:15 {s} You shall not steal
Exo 20:16 {s} You shall not bear false witness
Exo 20:17a {s} You shall not covet your neighbor’s house
Exo 20:17b {p} You shall not covet anything that is your neighbor’s
Exo 20:18-21 {s} The fear of God prevents us from sinning (breaking commandment)
Exo 20:22-26 {p} Explanation of ‘Have no gods before Me’
Exo 20:1-26 chiastic structure
B pair: The sanctity of YHVH’s worship paired with the sanctity of the heart’s affections. When we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, i.e., when we have guarded upon which our hearts set our affections, we are motivated to guard the sanctity of His worship.
C pair: The sanctity of YHVH’s name paired with the sanctity of truth. In ancient days, oaths were sworn by invoking the name of God (May God do so to me, and more also, if I do not …; By God I will do thus and so … etc.) so that the oath keeper would fear to break the oath (i.e., he would stay true to his word) because God looks after the sanctity of His name. When His name is invoked, He now has a vested interest that the oath be kept.
D pair: The sanctity of keeping the Sabbath paired with the sanctity of private property. Working on God’s holy day steals from Him, for this day He has set aside to keep an appointment to meet with us.
E pair: The sanctity of God’s authority paired with the sanctity of marital intimacy. One command honors parents, the other command honors spouses. The E pair preserves the stability of the family.
The central axis, Do not commit murder, preserves life. Preserving life is the central axis of all the commandments, because the commandments were given not to increase anything to God, but to increase everything pertaining to life, prosperity, and blessing for those who keep them on this side of heaven.
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