Exodus 20

The Hebrew text doesn’t actually say who God was talking to: Moses or the crowd. Most scholars seem to teach that God was talking to the crowd he had ordered to gather at the base of Mount Sinai to meet with him. Exodus 20:22 seems to confirm this. God’s speech to them ends as it began: with the people watching a frightening event with thunder and lightning and the blare of a ram’s horn (Exodus 19:16-19; 20:18). Some scholars say God’s speech in Exodus 20 makes most sense if we jump from 19:19 to 20:1. That transition, they say, makes it easier to follow. What comes between is a repetition of instructions God had given earlier and that had been carried out, repeated here for emphasis.

Jews observe the Sabbath from sundown Friday night through sundown Saturday. Most Christians worship on Sunday, the day of the week Jesus rose from the dead.

More literally, treat the Sabbath as “holy.” People or objects such as worship center utensils are considered “holy” when they are devoted to God, and reserved for his use or purpose. Christian writers such as Paul said the death and resurrection of Jesus, “marks the end of Jewish Law. Rules the Jews observed are now obsolete” (Ephesians 2:15). See also Hebrews 8:7-13, which ends with this statement about a new agreement God made with humanity, through the ministry of Jesus: “It replaced the old agreement, which became obsolete and is already on the verge of disappearing.” The writers don’t argue that the most basic laws are obsolete, such as the Ten Commandments. Instead, they’re talking about laws that set Jews apart from others, such as laws about circumcision and kosher food. Under the new agreement, the New Testament, there’s no difference: “We’re not Jews or non-Jews. We’re not slaves or free folk. We’re not men or women. We’re one people, united in Jesus, the Messiah” (Galatians 3:28).

This might make more sense after reading Exodus 21:17. It was a capital offense to disrespect parents.

The original Hebrew word, rasah, can also mean: murder, execute, or commit unintentional manslaughter.

This is the last time God ever speaks directly to the people in the Old Testament. From here on he speaks only through prophets.

This was the most common animal sacrifice. Worshipers burned the entire animal. See Leviticus 1.

A peace offering, described in Leviticus 3, is one of several prescribed offerings in Jewish tradition. When Jewish people wanted to give thanks to God for something, such as good health or safety, they would sacrifice a sheep, goat, cow, or bull. They would burn part of the animal, including the kidneys and fat covering the intestines. They would eat the rest in celebration, often with family and friends. It takes a fair number of hungry people to eat a cow. But people were eager to eat meat because it was rare in Bible times for common folks to eat meat, many Bible scholars say.