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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Then called Moses unto all Israel, and said unto them–Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the regulations, which I, am speaking in your ears today,–so shall ye learn them, and observe, to do them. |
O Israel – The Ten Commandments were given to Israel alone. R971:4
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| 2 Yahweh our God, solemnised with us a covenant in Horeb: |
Made a covenant – The Ten Commandments are the "covenant" of the Law. R542:3
The Ten Commandments alone are declared to be the covenant; the ordinances merely went with them. R974:2
With us – The Law covenant was made with the people of Israel, not with Moses. Moses was the Mediator. R4999:3, R4370:5
God dealt only with one man, Moses, in the making of the Law covenant. He stood in the position of a father to the nation, the nation being regarded as children under age. R5046:4
The Jews eagerly accepted the arrangement but, being imperfect, they could not keep this perfect law. PD35/46
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| 3 not with our fathers, did Yahweh solemnise this covenant,–but with us, ourselves–these here today, all of us living. |
With our fathers – Not with any one else previously. F356
But with us – The blessings of that covenant and its promises were only to the one nation; so also its curses. R1725:1, R5046:1
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| 4 Face to face, spake Yahweh with you, in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, |
Talked with you – Not through the intervention of priests. A54
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| 5 (I was standing between Yahweh and you, at that time, to declare unto you the word of Yahweh,–for ye shrank with fear from the presence of the fire, and went not up in the mount) saying:– |
I stood between – Proving that the Law was conditional. R4370:5
It was the Law of God because it came from him; and it is the Law of Moses in that it came through him. HG583:6*
Moses was the Mediator of the Law covenant. As Mediator he stood between the two parties, God and Israel. On the one hand he represented God, and on the other, Israel. R4681:3, R2858:3, R5000:1; Q185:2
So the antitypical Moses, the Christ (Head and Body), as Mediator, will stand between God and the world and will for a thousand years shield the people from the requirements of absolute justice. R4646:1, R5000:1
The title of Mediator applied to Moses only while the covenant was being made. In future renewals, Aaron represents the Mediator in his sacrificing and subsequent blessing the people, while Moses represents the Law. R4570:3*
Not only to satisfy the claims of justice but to instruct, correct and restore as many of the fallen race as so desire. E18
Into the mount – Type of the Kingdom of God. R4037:5
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| 6 I, am Yahweh thy God, who have brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of servants:– |
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| 7 Thou shalt not have other gods, besides me: |
Thou shalt have – The Decalogue is a synopsis of the whole Law. A45
Neither the angelic sons nor the New Creation are under the Law, nor do they need it. F365; R4014:2
The wonderful Law of God, represented by the Ten Commandments, has a depth of meaning not seen on the surface, and was apparently seen by none until Jesus "magnified the law and made it honorable." (Isa. 42:21) R5286:2
None other gods – Mighty ones, my equals. E40
God properly puts himself first; the true God shall have first place in the human heart. R4014:3, R5286:3
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| 8 Thou shalt not make unto thee an image, any form that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: |
Any graven image – With spiritual Israel this goes so far as to include father, mother, self, wealth, ambition; anything that would prevent the Lord from having the first place. R3038:2, R4014:4, R5071:5
Waters beneath – The waters are below, beneath, the level of the "dry land," called the earth. R1813:1
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| 9 thou shalt not bow thyself down to them, nor be led to serve them,–for, I Yahweh, thy God, am a jealous GOD, visiting the iniquity of fathers upon sons, even unto three generations and unto four, unto them that hate me; |
Bow down thyself – Shaw-kaw, worship. E73
Unto them – To images or to rival gods. E73
Am a jealous God – Wanting all the affections, confidence and trust of my creatures, for their own good. R3038:3, R4789:2
God's jealousy is just and is sure to bring to the sinner a just punishment. R4789:2
The impropriety of jealousy is when it leads to bitterness and other like qualities to which the fallen human mind is subject. R4789:2
Upon the children – By the law of nature under which, in wisdom, God has placed humanity. R3038:3
The tendency of sin is to break down the moral character and to impair the physical system. R2668:2
Suffering for the fathers' sins. R527:6*
Unto the third – Darwin considered that species had been and were being built up by the process of natural selection, but no species is being built up, and deviations from the prototype are corrected in the course of three generations. R4859:6*
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| 10 but shewing lovingkindness unto a thousand generations–unto them who love me, and keep my commandments: |
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| 11 Thou shalt not utter the name of Yahweh thy God, for falsehood,–for Yahweh will not let him go unpunished who uttereth his name, for falsehood: |
Taketh his name – The only ones who may properly take Christ's name are those who really become his disciples. R5404:6
As a child adopted into a family takes the name of the family, so we have taken upon ourselves the name of the sons of God. R4014:5
To take the name of God without careful effort to represent him is a sin against God. R1527:6
So the Jews, going to the extreme, avoid the covenant name of God-Jehovah. R3038:6
In vain – Lightly, frivolously, or in any other than a sacred and reverential manner. R3038:5, R1527:3
"Thou desirest truth in the inward parts." (Psa. 51:6) R1527:3
"Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." (2 Tim. 2:19) R1527:3
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| 12 Observe the sabbath day, to hallow it,–as Yahweh thy God, hath commanded thee: |
The sabbath day – Type of the Millennial age. B40; R5071:6; Q607:4
Typifying the rest which spiritual Israelites now enter by faith in Christ. R4015:1, R5071:6, R5360:1
Sanctify it – Observance as a day of rest, and no more. R4995:3
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| 13 six days, shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; |
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| 14 but, the seventh day, is a sabbath unto Yahweh thy God,–thou shalt do no work–thou, nor thy son nor thy daughter, nor thy servant nor thy handmaid, nor thine ox nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy sojourner who is within thy gates, that, thy servant and thy handmaid, may rest, as well as thou. |
But the seventh day – Not the first day; if this commandment is binding at all, it is binding as stated and cannot be changed. R1727:2
Not do any work – It prohibits all kinds of work, secular or religious. R1727:1
"We which believe do enter into rest." (Heb. 4:3) R3753:4 Deuteronomy 5:15
Keep the sabbath day – This was something new to the Israelites, not previously known among them or their fathers. R1731:3
The Jewish Sabbath and its system of sabbaths are types of the greater Sabbath-the heavenly. Q759:3
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| 15 So shalt thou remember that, a servant, wast thou, in the land of Egypt, and that Yahweh thy God brought thee forth from thence, with a firm hand, and with a stretched-out arm,–for this cause, hath Yahweh thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day: |
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| 16 Honour thy father, and thy mother, as Yahweh thy God hath commanded, thee,–that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, upon the soil which Yahweh thy God is about to give unto thee: |
Honour thy father – To the spiritual Israelite this would mean our Father in heaven. R4019:3
If our forefathers were monkeys, as so many now teach, why should we have much honor or respect for them? R4019:3
Quoted by Jesus in Mark 7:10 and attributed to Moses. HG583:6*
And thy mother – To the spiritual Israelites this would mean God's original covenant with Abraham, typified by Sarah. R4019:5
In the land – The fact that the Jews did not dwell long in the land given them is evidence that they did not keep this commandment properly. R3044:6
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| 17 Thou shalt not commit murder: |
Thou shaft not kill – Hatred of a brother is the spirit of murder. R3045:1, R4019:6, R5286:3
We should not even kill animals wantonly. R3045:1, R4019:5, R5287:6
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| 18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery: |
Commit adultery – Not even "in the heart." (Matt. 5:28) R4020:4, R5286:3
The Church is to be uncontaminated, unadulterated, separate from the world. R3045:3
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| 19 Neither shalt thou steal: |
Neither shalt thou steal – By any method deprive another of that which is properly his. R4020:5
Making false returns to tax assessors, attempting to smuggle without payment of customs duty, failure to give agreed-upon services for wages, are stealing. R5288:1
The worst form of stealing is the filching of another's good name. "Speak evil of no man. (Titus 3:2) R5288:1,4
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| 20 Neither shalt thou testify against thy neighbour, with a witness of falsehood: |
Bear false witness – By a nod of the head, a shrug of the shoulders, or by silence. R3045:5
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| 21 Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's wife,–neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's house, his field, or his servant, or his handmaid, his ox or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbour's. |
Desire ... covet – Wish to appropriate for yourself. R4021:4
"Godliness with contentment (absence of covetousness) is great gain." (1 Tim. 6:6) R3046:1
Covetousness caused Satan's fall. R3046:1
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| 22 These words, spake Yahweh, unto all the convocation of you, in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick gloom, a loud voice, and added not,–and he wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them unto me. |
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| 23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice, out of the midst of the darkness, the mountain also burning with fire, then drew ye near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders, |
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| 24 and ye said–Lo! Yahweh our God hath let us see, his glory and his greatness, his voice also, have we heard out of the midst of the fire,–this day, have we seen, that God may speak with man, who yet may live. |
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| 25 Now, therefore, why should we die? for this great fire, will consume, us,–if, we ourselves, hear the voice of Yahweh our God any more, we shall die. |
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| 26 For who [is there] of all flesh, that ever heard the voice of a Living God, speaking out of the midst of fire, as we, and yet lived? |
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| 27 Go, thou, near, and hear, all that Yahweh our God shall say,–so shalt, thou, speak unto us, all that Yahweh our God shall speak unto thee, and we will hear and do. |
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| 28 And Yahweh heard, the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me,–and Yahweh said unto me–I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee, they have well said all which they have spoken. |
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| 29 Oh that this their heart might remain in them, to revere me, and to keep all my commandments, all the days,–that it might be well with them and with their sons, unto times age-abiding. |
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| 30 Go, say unto them,–Return ye to your tents. |
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| 31 Thou, therefore, here, stand with me and let me speak unto thee–all the commandment, and the statutes, and the regulations, which thou shalt teach them,–that they may do [them] in the land which I, am giving unto them, to possess it. |
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| 32 So then ye must observe to do, as Yahweh your God hath commanded you,–ye must not turn aside, to the right hand or to the left. |
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| 33 In all the way which Yahweh your God hath commanded you, must ye walk,–that ye may live, and it be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land, which ye shall possess. |
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