Comments on Exodus 20

     This chapter is certainly the most well known of all of
Exodus as it encompasses the Decalogue, more commonly known among
Christians as the Ten Commandments.  The precise division of the
Decalogue has varied over time, but we all get the general idea.

v15-18  The people are overwhelmed by the theophany and back away
from the mountain requesting Moses to act as intercessor between
them.  Formerly they were questioning his inspiration, but now
they do not.

v19-22  The Lord gives Moses a series of commands emphasizing the
prohibition of idol worship, even to the point of prohibiting
them from carving stones for sacrificial altars.  To carve the
stone would be considered risking the creation of an idol, so the
Lord tells them to leave the stones as is, or as He has created
them.

v23  The Israelites apparently adopted the Egyptian custom of
wearing relatively short skirts as opposed to the traditional
full length robes of the nomads.  Here, the Lord tells them not
to expose themselves to onlookers by ascending wearing such
clothing.  In other words, the Lord expects them to dress
modestly.  This command is modified in 28:42.



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