Parashat Yithro

(Exodus 18:1 - 20:26)

In-law: literally, one contracted through marriage. Since he and Moshe are called fellows (v. 7), Yithro may be the son of Moshe's father-in-law Re’uel. But it is possible that Yithro and Re’uel (and possibly Hovav of Judges 4:11) are different titles or names for the same man, because of how reverentially Moshe treated him (v. 7). The historian Josephus agreed with this view. His name means “his excellency” or “his superiority”, which suggests that he was higher in rank than Moshe. Moshe constantly reaffirms this relationship throughout the chapter, which is unusal since he was a Midyanite (a people that had already brought Israel much trouble), but he greatly respects him. For Moshe and His people: The order is very significant. At this point all of Israel depended on the merit of one man, just as was the case when Yahshua made it possible for the lost tribes to return. Israel’s response to YHWH’s great deeds was laziness and complaint, but not Moshe’s. He did what YHWH said and the way He said to do it, so YHWH gave him as much weight as the rest of Israel, it seems. He is the one most loyal to YHWH at this time—the same picture we see in Yahshua. But we need to see it in ourselves as well. Yahshua was a follower of Moshe, but said his students would do greater things than he did, and this is an expectation he places upon us.

Moshe had originally brought his family to Egypt (4:20), but probably sent his family back because of the pressure of his duties, in order to give all his energy to carrying out his mission.(Hirsch)

Gershom means “an exile there”. Not here—but in Egypt. There Moshe fit with neither the Egyptians nor the Hebrews, but in Midyan he was at home. He had found a wife and begun a household. He had found the tents of learning. (See notes on v. 4.) He probably thought he would live here all his life, but YHWH had other plans.

El …has been my help: the meaning of Eliezer’s name. Aramaic, "supported me". Pharaoh’s sword: the first time he left Egypt, after he had killed an Egyptian. “My father” in this case, may have been Yithro, rather than Amram, because the Book of Yasher and rabbinical writings say Yithro was the one who first taught Moshe YHWH’s name. Moshe was naming his sons in honor of Yithro’s house.

Mountain of Elohim: Aram., "mountain where the glory of YHWH had appeared". As he approached Sinai, he would again be close to Midyan, and they could travel this far to meet him. When he saw the burning bush, he was tending Yithro’s flock; now he has returned to the same place with YHWH’s flock. He was in this position because Yithro had taught him to tend sheep.

7. And Moshe went out to meet his [father]-in-law, and he bowed and kissed him. And each asked his fellow about his welfare, and they came into the tent,

Went out to meet: an example of nomadic hospitality preserved to this day. One does not wait until his guest arrives to greet him. And it appears that Yithro has sent a messenger ahead to announce his arrival, especially since someone of such standing would probably have armed men with him, and he did not want anyone to think he is coming to attack Israel. He shows the courtesy of “calling before he comes” and does not presume to barge in, but allows Moshe to decude whether he will come to him or invite him into the camp. As it turns out, Moshe remains in Yithro’s camp for their meeting. Bowed: prostrate. Kissed him: if he was still prostrate, he would have kissed his feet—a heavy honor given to the one who had taught him how to shepherd flocks, a skill he desperately needed in his work of leading Israel to the Promised Land. We are told to respect the grey-headed. (Lev. 19:32) And though before Israel Moshe represents YHWH Himself, when he is before his teacher, he shows him great honor. The tent: His ancestor Midyan was a son of Avraham with his concubine Qeturah (Gen. 25:2; 1 Chron. 1:32). So he was Semitic as well, and Shem’s tents are where the ways of YHWH are learned. The job of Shem’s descendants is to teach the other descendants of Noach those ways. (Gen. 9:27) Though Israel is Shem’s chief representative now, there are pieces of the truth that YHWH preserved through other peoples, and Moshe does not imagine that he knows it all. The man whom all of Egypt held in high esteem is still teachable, knowing he has more to learn. And he is over 80 years old, so the adage that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is no excuse for any of us!

9. So Yithro rejoiced about all the benefit that YHWH had accomplished for Israel, whom He had delivered from the hand of Egypt.

10. Then Yithro said, "Blessed [be] YHWH, who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt, and from the hand of Pharaoh--who has snatched the people out from under the hand of Egypt!

11. "Now I know that YHWH is greater than all the gods, because in the matter in which they dealt arrogantly, He was above them!"

Now I know: Though tradition says he was ostracized by his own people because he returned to the ways of Shem, until now this may have been a matter of faith for him. Now he has proof that YHWH is greater than all the idols his people worshipped. It is no longer hearsay. It is not a distant memory or a doctrinal stance; he has seen it. By tradition, Yithro was a true seeker of truth, who had participated in every kind of idolatry to test them all, and now he had come to his conclusion. This alone was worth all the "trouble" (v. 8). Israel is meant to be a light to all nations, and their physical experience of YHWH confirmed his belief. He became alive to Israel through the plagues and destruction and death that took place in Egypt. But Moshe did not send missionaries; people heard of Israel and came to its light like moths to a flame. Though Israel is still constantly complaining, still there is already light emanating from them because they have experiences YHWH. The last phrase in Aramaic is "by the very thing through which the Egyptians had schemed to punish Israel, by it they were punished!" It could be that they wanted to push them into the sea--exactly what the Palestinians and other Arabs have often threatened to do to Israel in our day! But it may simply refer to them losing their firstborn sons since they tried to decimate the male Hebrews.

Burnt offering: literally, "ascending" or "rising". Thus he restored the sacrifice that had not been done since Yoseyf brought his family to Egypt, and Aharon (who would be the officiator over sacrifices from here on out) was watching, assumedly learning his technique. This slaughter may have been done on the altar mentioned in 17:15, as no sacrifice was mentioned at the time it was built. Aharon is called because slaughterings will be his responsibility, and here is a demonstration by someone who knows how.

They had barely left Egypt, and were already taking each other to court--a shame. (1 Cor. 6:5) But they were not really a community yet; they had lived in Egypt, but probably did not known most of those who were now their neighbors--at least two million of them, all living in close proximity.

Thy are you alone sitting: He is not asking why Moshe gets to relax while no one else does. Rising in the presence of a judge (to show him honor) is a practice that has continued to our own day, as has standing for the reading of the verdict. What he is askinhg is why no one else is doing some of the judging.

Tnquire: to seek teaching and help (Hirsch); the word is related to "interpretation".

Decrees: or statutes, prescribe customs. The how-to of His instruction (Heb., Torah) which are often very general in nature. The Torah is like the trunk of a large tree, which does not sway in the wind, while the decrees are like the more flexible upper branches, for they can flesh out the Torah in different ways at different times.

The idea was right; the method was wrong.

Wear out: or, become a fool (go crazy, “lose your mind”), and in the process you will drive the people crazy as well. Too heavy for you: Some of his opponents would later quotethis back to Moshe to try to gain power for themselves.

Avraham had given gifts to his concubines’ children, yet we are told that he gave everything he had to Yitzhaq. (Gen. 25:2) Here we see some of Midyan’s gift—in this case, wisdom--being given back to Yitzhaq’s descendants.

Yithro was the "priest of Midyan", but the root meaning of "priest", though usually a religious term, means simply, "officiator", and comes from a root word meaning to judge, which in turn stems from a word meaning “to row a straight course”. To do this one needs to have equal strength in both arms; otherwise he will row in circles. A judge must show both strength and mercy, or he will be unbalanced and the course of the nation will be crooked. Midyan means "strife", so the one whose title declares that he is the "officiator of strife" is the one YHWH sent to Moshe to correct the way he was handling court cases, by his expertise in the area of “crowd control”. As YHWH dealt with the disorder (Gen. 1:2) by bringing light, then dividing the darkness out of the light, the officiator is to bring the light of Torah, then remove the darkness from it by bringing clarity as to the specifics of how it is to be carried out. This way they would not be asking Moshe for things they should be able to search out for themselves. He cannot keep bailing them out every tim ethey fall down; they have to learn to get themselves out of trouble. Christianity’s cop-out of always being ale to fall back on Yahshua does nfot usually allow many to grow in maturity. This way Moshe would only need to be consulted for the hardest cases (v. 22) if he taught them how to judge. His authority would flow downhill to the rest. He might seem high and mighty until someone was in his position and saw how difficult it was. Like the pyramids they left behind in Egypt, the lower stones would now support the one on top by distributing the weight; the way they had been doing things was making the capstone support all the rest of the stones. If he makes them participate, they will learn new capabilities and become responsible people, and he will not be overworked. In the same vein, the Letter to the Hebrews tells us to obey those who are watching out for the welfare of our souls and will give an account to YHWH for them.(13:17ff) He would enlighten them by his example. They are organized vey much like an army. The way in which they must walk: The term used for “walk” here is not the one that simply means to ambulate; it also connotes carrying a burden or leading a person or animal along with one as one walks. I.e., he is walking for someone else, which is the very thing the leaders of Israel must learn to do. Moshe (i.e., the Torah) is the one who teaches us how.

Search out: literally, look hard, and it sometimes holds the connotation of seeing as in a vision or trance. I.e., this may be spiritual knowledge as much as it is asking for character witness. He could tell by their existing fruit, for they would have already proven themselves haters of unjust gain by their actions. There were people like this among the whiners; they were just outweighed by the more vocal majority. Able men: or "forceful", "strong", "full of resolve" and able to resist the temptation of bribery and to handle the criticism that would inevitably come with the job of being a judge, as people resent being ruled over, even benevolently. The term can also mean “wealthy”, and if they were already wealthy, they would be less tempted to accept bribes. A judge of Israel must be sturdy and resilient, for the restraint he brings saves the nation. Hold Elohim in reverence: or fear; if they had a strong awareness that they were answering to one higher still, they would not be likely abuse their power. To fully restore returning Israel, we must bring back this sense of honor and hierarchy that YHWH ordained. Compare Sha'ul's (Paul's) stipulations for the elders over local congregations (1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:7). Until this point there was no consistent organizational structure in Israel except the tribe, clan, and family. Yithro is showing them the type of structure that controls strife and contention: make them responsible for one another and make everyone accountable to someone close to him. “Tens” would refer to families and households, more likely te men with their families than ten individuals cut across natural family lines. The "small claims judges" who presided over only ten men would know them much more intimately, and be able to recognize much more quickly when they were "bluffing" or whether the allegation was out of character for the accused. Under each ruler of a thousand, there would be 130 other rulers. 130 is the numerical value of the word “Sinai”, as well as the Hebrew word ya’amdu, which means “they will stand”. David divided all of the Levites in Israel into 24 divisions (1 Chron. 24), and they were to oversee the rulers of thousands. They were called “the standing men”, as each region would send a representative Levite to the Temple for two one-week periods each year to stand on a stairway in the Court of Israel (Psalm 134:1), observing the proceedings and taking their turn so that they could go back home and teach the rest of Israel. Israel does not choose its leaders; Moshe (the Torah)is authorized to choose for us. Their first qualification is fear of YHWH.

The higher-ranking judges are not there for a defendant to appeal his case, but rather for the lowe judges to consult if they were not able to, with the skills they had, determine how to rule in a particularly complex case, or possibly if he is too close to the accused or accuser and cannot be objective. If the word of the one appointed to rule is not considered binding, he is hardly being seen as the judge of the one being brought to trial!

Elohim ordains it: Aramaic, "as Elohim commands". I.e., He was commanding Moshe through Yithro. In one piece: Heb., "in shalom"--soundness, wholeness, well-being, safety, and tranquility. The answer to the question asked over 40 years before (“Who made you our judge?”) is “Yithro!”

Though Yithro had told him to check with YHWH as to whether this was appropriate advice (v. 23), Moshe recognizes the advice he knew he needed as the provision of YHWH. Listened to his...voice: Aramaic, "accepted his...word". Moshe’s strongest attribute is that he listens well. He can tell us what to do because he does what he is told. This is what makes a leader. (Mat. 8:9)

Moshe: now a symbol for the Torah which he recorded. The first criteria for who should be heads is that they act in accordance with it, not who has the seminary degree or who the board of directors thinks best. Israel was to establish a court system before they entered the Promised Land, for we could not have chaos there. At present YHWH is bringing forth only rulers over tens, but if we are faithful in what is least, He may reward us with greater responsibility. (Luqa 16:10) We must start by holding one another responsible, and the first step is self-examination, though it must not stop there. (Mat. 7:3-5)

He did not just give them rulings, but taught them how to discern for themselves (see v. 16). This is the pattern with which YHWH gave all of His Torah. He constantly tells them to "Keep His instructions, and OBSERVE them--two different things. Yes, do them, because He said so. But then let them teach you broader principles. A Jewish sage wrote that the particular instructions in the Torah are binding, yet they are just examples of a whole frame of mind with which all of our actions must be consistent. Yahshua's "sermon on the mount" (Matthew 5-7) did the same. He said, "Don't imagine that I have come to abolish the [existing] Torah, but to set it on a firmer foundation", then gave examples of how the relatively easy-to-follow commandments really require a heart attitude behind them. "The letter kills", wrote Paul, but the spirit [behind it] gives life." (Romans 7:6; 2 Corinthians 3:6) In the mystical writings, with which he was very familiar, we are told that the Torah in its literary sense is merely a garment, but underneath it lies a "body", which is the real heart of the matter. Moshe taught them not just the garment, but the "man" underneath who is the reason for its shape. Its purpose is to form an interface with the world for the “one new man” that YHWH is making out of a unified Israel. (Ephesians 2:15)

Again he followed the accepted norms of hospitality. Like the Gadarene who had experienced YHWH's power, he was sent back to share with his own people what he had found (see verse 11) It does not say that he took Moshe's wife and sons back with him. Now that the congregation was out of danger, they could stay together as a family again. But he must have had a heavy heart because he could not go back with Yithro to the simpler life he had had in Midyan—probably a real temptation for him with the constant complaints of these people. He had received from Yithro what he needed, having learned to accept right ruling and to rule rightly. So now he disappears, never to be heard from again--an example of how YHWH often brings someone into our lives to teach us only one lesson or only for a season when we need it. Yithro thus walks in the spirit of Melkhitzedeq (Shem), because this is the position YHWH put him in.

CHAPTER 19

Third month: or third renewing, i.e., between the new moon and full moon. This very day: If it was the day of the new moon, this would be 45 days since they left Egypt. By tradition the events for which they came there occurred on Shavuoth, which can be anywhere from the 50th to 57th day after Passover. So they are heading toward the fullness of the moon as the fullness of revelation is approaching. In such a short time they had left Egypt, reconnected with their heritage by removing Yoseyf’s bones, been through a “death and resurrection” in the Reed Sea, becoming Hebrews by crossing over, learned to count the omer through the manna, suffered thirst, been attacked by Amaleq, seen set in order by Yithro, and now were in the place where they could receive the word (the underlying meaning of “uncultivated area”).

We, too, as returning Israel today, have left Egypt, but are not yet in the Promised Land, so this passage instructs us in a special way. When there is trouble, it is a sure sign that Israel is on the move. They were learning to be true Hebrews and go with the flow. But one might think this means to become slack. But the meaning of R’fidim is slackness, the very thing they were leaving behind to come to Sinai. Going with the flow means getting into it and actively participating—but not trying to be settled, for in a flowing stream trying to stand firm only puts one in more danger of being dashed against the rocks. They were to march—but not to waste time planning how or where, since YHWH was taking care of that. We are told twice that they camped—a red flag to remind us that going with YHWH’s flow also means knowing when to stop moving. When we bump into a wall, it tells us that we have gone as far as we can until we ascend to the next step. There is a pattern of traveling and camping, then traveling and camping again. We see a correlation with events on the new moon and full moon, and this ebb and flow is part of who we are: YHWH develops a theme in us, which we learn in depth until we are ready to “break camp” and start walking it out. We must feed it and give it priority until it becomes a habit. If we do not, every teaching comes with a test built into it, so we can see where we remain weak. If we forget to keep walking in what we have learned, we will all end up back in the same camp again, and then we are going in circles rather than any of us making progress. We have to go through the process over and over until we reach our final goal. No miracle will get us out of this cycle until we change our priorities, for we are only as strong as our weakest link. If we fail too often, we may be put out of the camp so the rest can keep moving. The first use of the word “camped” is plural, but the second is singular, for they were acting as one. The mountain: After Moshe did what YHWH told him to, he received the sign that YHWH had promised to give him that it was really Him speaking to him—that he would bring Israel to serve Him at this mountain. (3:12) The task had to be completed to this point before he received reassurance, but by now YHWH knew that he needed confirmation because of all the grumbling and rebellion of the people against him. They could not receive the Torah until courts were established; now he should be able to count on the elders to help him keep order.

Moshe went up seeking judgment (the emphasis in the title Elohim), so YHWH met him as a merciful provider. When we properly judge ourselves and submit to Him, He will provide for us as well. But we tend to see judgment as a negative thing, but works in tandem with mercy; they are a team. Only when judgment came to Egypt could mercy come to Israel. Had the Egyptians not pushed the limits with their cruelty, we might still have been there. And we cannot say we will allow only YHWH, and no man, to judge us. He judges through His servants, and we should be glad for the buffer of someone who can identify with us—which is part of His mercy in sending us Yahshua. We could never stand His direct judgment. The only previous time we were called the House of Yaaqov was when the whole household had arrived in Egypt and was accounted for. (Gen. 46:27) Now they are again in the same position, after having let themselves dissipate into Egyptians ways and slavery, just as Yaaqov had escaped the house of Lavan after being enslaved there, and as we, too, had been enslaved in the western Church, which was supposed to be a place of protection in our exile, but instead put us in bondage to lies—that the Torah was dead, that we were Gentiles, etc.

Gathered you to Myself: Was YHWH not everywhere? Yes, yet there are places where He especially allows Himself to be met--places of His hospitality, so to speak. Sinai has the same numeric value as "sullam", the Hebrew word for "stairway" like the one Yaaqov saw in his dream and deduced was an entrance to the heavenlies. Sinai and the Temple later built there, with staircases of its own, were portals of holiness that required taking off one's shoes in reverence. You have seen: They had no excuse not to trust Him. But they also saw that He did not treat them the same way, though He clearly could have. He had “beaten up” her old boyfriend, but it was His express decision not to do the same to her. Eagles: unclean and dangerous birds, but He used these to force us to be delivered from the wrong things that we had been empowering.

Hear, listen, keep: to leave out any of these will keep us from receiving the fullness of the gift He wantsw to give us through His instruction (Torah). Listen within: or " listen into"--hear the depths of what I am saying behind the words, the spirit that lies behind the letter. Rashi said this means that if we hear and obey once, we will be able to keep hearing and improve in our obedience. The first step is the hardest, and as we get over that hump, it will become easier until it becomes second nature. We must not despise small beginnings. To be able to obey in bigger things, we must obey in the smallest. If a child will not obey his parent, how can he ever obey the Torah? If a student will not listen to his teacher, how will he ever heard YHWH’s voice? A uniquely valued treasure: literally, sealed up and hidden away. Others may see us as imprisoned in His box, “having to” do things not required of them, losing our rights, or being “under” the Law. But it implies being guarded to the degree that Fort Knox or a top-secret military installation is. When everything else gets stolen (and it will), Israel will not, because it is locked away in His “harem” (which in Semitic languages really has a positive meaning of being specially set apart).

A separated nation: in a class of its own. The very idea calls for judgment, because to separate we must discriminate between different things. We cannot just accept anything. This is not popular today, but if we are not comfortable with it, we must become so by practicing it! Those who refuse to judge or be judged can by definition never be set apart. As He prepares to bring her into the covenant of betrothal at Sinai, He wants her to have no doubt that He loves no one but her. He came to Egypt to get her, but did not stay; there were other elohim in place there. He fought them for her, but has now carried her to His own home. (At this time, Sinai was His special dwelling place.) Since Yahshua sent envoys to gather the lost sheep of the House of Israel back into covenant through his blood, the same holds true for us (1 Kefa/Peter 2:9). Priests: to help others approach YHWH. Israel had its own priests (literally, officiators), but as YHWH's firstborn, the entire people was called to be a priest, or light to the nations. We officiate on His behalf, not our own—not even for the sake of Israel as such, but for the sake of Tzion, which is Israel as joined together with YHWH. And this is not a prophecy or a promise, but a command. It will not just fall into place if we wait long enough; we have to do what must be cone (v. 5) to make it a reality.

Set before them: Aramaic Targum Onqelos adds "in an orderly manner". Indeed, he spoke only to the elders, and they were responsible to relay his words to the rest of the people. He had learned this from Yithro.

Answered: the term has the sense of a melodious, antiphonal response. But the term for answered also means “paid attention to”, and the word for “together” means “in unity”. Thus they were paying attention to their being a single nation, as He had said. (v. 6) This had the potential to be awesome; they all gave the right answer! But experience says that they are speaking from an emotional high, because they have arrived at the place they have heard so much about and it is easy to make great promises. But will they keep them when the high wears off and no one is watching? The text later bears out that our skepticism is realistic. But every teacher lives to see the few who may actually do what he teaches. It is up to us to repair what our ancestors broke, for there can be no Kingdom until we do. The door is open after 2,730 years , and if we do not “catch this train”, the next may not come for seven times as long. (Lev. 26:21, 28) After the moon is full, it will wane again, if we do not start applying what we learn right away. Brought the words back: Moshe himself is made responsible for the words of the people, because "to whom much is given, much is required." But if He is returning words to YHWH, He must have given them the words to say. We can only give Him what He has already given us, for there is no room to boast; even the faith to trust Him is His gift. (Eph. 2:9) But the feeding it back somehow amplifies its reality even more.

Thick cloud: Compare Psalm 18:11. The Torah is still like a thick cloud, but if we listen carefully, we can hear it. The clouds may have been raining lots of water down the mountain; figuratively, at least, the people could either be a dam to them or ride on the flow to where it would take them. Trust in: support, confirm, uphold, and be faithful to. As with Aharon’s budding rod, He clearly demonstrated His choice. In YHWH’s eyes, Moshe was on a higher level than the rest of them, and they were to respect that as they respected Him.

Clean garments are always a symbol of readiness to stand before YHWH in the righteousness that He provides. (note on v. 8; compare Yeshayahu/Isaiah 4:4; Rev. 3:4-5, 18; 7:14) A wise rabbi said, “Woe to the man who sees the Torah as an entity unto itself and does not understand that it is just a covering over the ‘man’ that lies beneath.” Piercing the cloud and understanding its depths is the Kingdom even now. They were about to receive the "garment" [Torah] that could teach them about the "body" that lay beneath it. They had to dramatize their acceptance of the garments of righteousness by their very apparel. The garments also tie in with the impending wedding, as seen in Yahshua’s parable about the man whose wedding garment was provided, yet He did not wear it to the feast. (Mat. 22:11-12) Possessing it means nothing unless we put it on. He counsels us to buy from him white garments. (Rev. 3:18) They symbolize being free from sin. (Yeshayahu 1:18) He wanted the smell of Egypt washed off them so no traces of the one who tried to seduce them would remain on His bride. Heavenly messengers wear such dazzling garments (Mat. 28:2), and the one who represents YHWH as the Ancient of Days on his throne dresses this way (Dan. 7:9), so this is Kingdom clothing. We need to clean ourselves up to eat at His table. In ancient times, they would wash clothing in a river, so in the process of cleaning one’s clothes, one would become clean himself as well. When coming before Him on the Sabbath or a festival, we need to wash away our bad attitudes, make our enthusiasm shine, polish up our willingness to serve, and make our eagerness to hear and do His word gleaming white. There was something big coming, but those who did not put on the right attitude toward it would not be able to participate. (See v. 12.) And though not all would go up, they all had to be clean. The Torah could not be given until the whole camp was in a state of readiness to receive it.

On the third day, Yoseyf had let his brothers out of an Egyptian prison. On the third day, Yonah was ejected from the great fish. The "third day" is the time for resurrection, not only for Yahshua, for Hoshea says that "on the third day [YHWH] shall raise us up" (Hos. 6:2), speaking of the third millennium (see Psalm 90:4; 2 Peter 3:8) after he prophesied, when both the House of Israel would be regathered to the Land, and the general resurrection of the dead would take place. And, as at creation, all the “waters” (often a symbol for the Torah) are again gathered together. They are also in the third month, and have come to the place which was described as “three days’ journey into the wilderness” (3:5, 8). The promise given in verse 8 was repeated three times (24:3, 7 as well). So the number three is the theme here. The third letter, gimel, is from the word gamal, which means a camel, but at root, one that is weaned, fully dealt with, or mature—when everything is coming together, as here. And Paul tells us that we need to be weaned from the milk (the initial “going through the motions” of obeying the Torah that was being given here) to the meat—again, that “man: that lies beneath—the whole lifestyle of loving YHWH and our neighbor which the specifics of the Torah just give us examples of how to carry over into everything else.

You: that is, Moshe, whose name is also shorthand for the Torah. (Mark 12:26; Luk. 16:29, etc.) Moses was responsible for setting the boundaries. The Torah sets parameters for how we are to understand any other part of Scripture. (Yeshayahu/Isa. 8:20) Be put to death: This is the first time He threatened Israel with the same end that He had brought upon Egypt. But if we continue to act like Egypt instead of Israel, we bring that sentence upon ourselves. Moshe was not the one to execute them; removing the evil from our midst is Israel’s job. (Deut. 17:12) It is the bride who cleans the house. We are later told he set up twelve pillars (24:4), possibly to string cables between, for that is what the word here for boundary means in the most literal sense. But they are not mentioned here, for a physical boundary should not be needed; his orders should be enough.

"Cross": literally "ascend", but see note on v. 17. To cross the boundary meant they were moving across a symbolic line to a place with a higher level of holiness. This typology had to be preserved at all costs. (Moshe himself suffered a great loss, to the extent of not being permitted to enter the Promised Land, because he "broke a picture" that YHWH wanted to use to teach about the Messiah.) Blast: Heb., yovel, the word transliterated “jubilee”, which is the release from debt and restoration of ancient inheritances that comes every 50 years—generally at least once in everyone’s lifetime. It is generally associated with a silver trumpet, but the term itself is for a particular long, drawn-out blast. Summons: drags, draws, or seizes—i.e., it attracts us to get hold of us, to bring us from wherever we are to the assembly of all Israel. That’s when: at the right time, the boundary would be removed. Some boundaries are not permanent, but until then it is a sin to cross. We must act “in season”. One can only move to the next level after he has submitted to the fences that tutor him in how to behave in the presence of real holiness. Until then, it would only burn us up. Indeed, this was a dangerous time to cross the boundary (see note on v. 17), but the main issue was whether they would obey, not knowing this. It is a trumpet sound which will also one day signal our permission to ascend and enter a place that is forbidden to us until all is ready. Then "the Master Himself will descend from heaven with a shout...and the trump of YHWH" (1 Thess. 4:16; compare v. 11 above). The root meaning of yovelis "to go home". This sound has the effect of eliciting a response from the depths of our being, and is meant to awaken one from spiritual slumber and be ready for whatever is about to happen. In. v. 16 the shofar sound is connected with YHWH's voice; it is a holy sound. And one day it will call us home! Shot through: or possibly "cast down from a height" (Sanhedrin 45a.b.), the same punishment as for blaspheming YHWH or idolatry.

15. And he told the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not approach a woman."

YHWH had only said to get ready; Moshe set the first boundary (as he was commanded to do in v. 12) and defined what “ready” was to mean. As soon as the words that YHWH would speak were accepted by the people, it would be a law that anyone engaging in sexual intercourse, or even having a related emission, was disqualified from entering a place designated as holy for an entire day. Going near a woman, of course, would not have this effect in itself, but Moshe built another "fence" and said, in effect, "Don't even put yourself in the position of the possibility of still being unclean whenever the blast might occur on the third day.” Also, as any husband knows, one’s wife brings Him back “down to earth” from his reveries to the practical needs of daily life. By this ban on being near their wives, Moshe was also therefore saying, “Now that we have finally reached this place, let’s focus all our energy on receiving from YHWH, without the mundane distractions that keep us from hearing.” This is one reason we are to stop most other activity on the Sabbath.

Shofar ram's horn used as a trumpet. But a man was not sounding this one! This phenomenon (see notes on v. 17, 18) resembled this sound. Noise, flashing lights, and a “siren” are the most effective ways to get someone’s attention! And no one could approach this fearsome site casually.

Elohim: Aram., "the Memra of Elohim". At some point they actually came UNDER the mountain (Deut. 4:11). This was not until after Moshe and Aharon ascended it, apparently. But the words for base and under are based on the word for "compressed", because like the crossing of the sea, they had to put themselves in a position where they could be crushed by its weight. This is probably the context for Yahshua's comment that if one has faith he can tell "this mountain" to be removed. He was referring to the potential curse in the Torah which they were accepting upon themselves here. By trust in him, it becomes not a threat hanging over their heads, but a wedding canopy for the betrothal ceremony between YHWH and Israel, in which the two tablets formed the ketubah (the written contract for the marriage). Yochanan the Immerser, who Yahshua said stood in Eliyahu's office, was called the "Friend of the Bridegroom" (one of the two witnesses). Moshe, here, is the friend of the Bride, who leads her to her Husband. Moshe and Eliyahu were the two who later spoke to Yahshua on the mountain, and appear to be the two witnesses of Revelation 11. Velikovsky's theory that the earth was passing through the tail of a comet during the exodus could explain the massive force that it would take to lift the mountain off the ground. The head of the comet (others say it was a passby of Mars when it had a different orbit before 701 B.C.E.) would have a strong enough gravitational pull (such as stood the water up into walls when they passed through the Reed Sea.) The "flashes" (v. 16) may have been the exchange of electrical discharges between the comet and the earth, in a much more violent phenomenon than we usually imagine, to the point that Psalms 18, 29, and 46 could be taken literally. Psalm 77 actually says "the universe [itself] shook". Psalm 68 says "Sinai itself was moved". Psalm 97 says the "mountains melted like wax." Obviously there is something cataclysmic going on, not just an isolated east wind; that only accomplished the rapid drying of the land between the waters for them to cross the sea.

The people were not the only ones shaking anymore! A smelting furnace separates what is useful from the useless, burning away the dross and purifying the metal. Mt. Sinai is probably not the traditional site in the Sinai Peninsula (a misnomer based on this error), being too far from Midyan for Moshe to have been pasturing his in-laws' sheep there. Also, no artifacts of any sort from the Israelites' 40-year sojourn have been found in Sinai. Rather, it is more likely Jabal al-Lawz, the highest mountain just east of Midyan, which is along the northeastern coast of the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia (which agrees with Galatians 4:25). This mountain still has remains of 12 pillars around it (see v. 12) and the top is blackened as by fire (see photo above), but it is not a volcanic mountain. Extensive archaeological research has not been permitted by the Saudi government. Hasidic sages say that if we get too near to the fire of YHWH that descends in the Torah, we will be burned, but if we stay too far away, we will become cold. But we must keep coming closer; the only way to avoid being burned up is to be fully consumed by the light instead, so that we become part of it. The more we become that light through living it out, the closer we can approach.

The same sound has continued from verse 16. Elohim responded as a witness through a voice: Aramaic, "from before Elohim he was answered by a voice". A normal voice or breath grows weaker as it progresses; here it is the opposite. This trumpet-like sound was, according to Hebrew tradition, the words of the Torah going out in all 70 languages to the 70 nations besides Israel, but only Israel chose to receive them. The descendants who would later be dispersed throughout the whole world stood here within their forefathers, and it was for their sake that the nations were offered the Torah as well (cf. Romans 11). In Acts 2, traditionally on the anniversary of this date, the covenant was renewed again (as Abraham's covenant was renewed here with adaptations for the size of the nation now) with words in many languages and tongues of fire. (See 20:18) The Jewish Midrash says the Israelites were unable to see the sun during the entire time of wandering because of the thick clouds this catastrophe produced, and were thus unable to orient themselves, in agreement with Velikovsky's theory. He writes, "Earthquakes are often accompanied by a roaring noise that comes from the bowels of the earth...The eruptions of volcanoes are also accompanied by loud noises... The approach of two large globes [earth and the comet] toward each other could also produce trumpetlike sounds, varying as the distance between them increased or lessened... According to Midrashic literature, the trumpet sounding at Mount Sinai had seven different pitches, and the rabbinical literature speaks of ‘the heavenly music' heard at the revelation... The din caused by the groaning earth repeated itself again and again, but not so loud, as subterranean strata readjusted themselves after being dislocated...The papyrus Ipuwer calls these years ‘years of noise...There is no end to noise.'" (Worlds in Collision) He even documents peoples as far away as China hearing a sound remarkably like the pronunciation of YHWH’s Name. Responded: also means “lowered” or “paid attention”. Though the sound was becoming louder, the Hebrew word for “responded” is smaller than the rest in the Masoretic text, possibly to suggest that YHWH had to diminish His intensity so they would not be “blown away” by His voice. But the strangest thing is that Moshe is the one who speaks first, and YHWH responds! He went up to hear from YHWH, but YHWH let him speak first so that the Torah that had been established in him already by Yithro could receive His seal of approval. The Torah that YHWH gave Israel actually came from Moshe the prophet. He had put His words into him first, but required him to speak them back to Him so they could come alive—and to this He gives His “Amen!” We are not just to receive His words, but to “live them back” to Him as well. We bring the Torah to life by carrying it out. Being carved in stone is not enough. When we say, “We’ll do it”, He asks us to repeat the instructions to be sure we understood properly. Because His people accept His word, it can go forth to all nations in their tongues (the backdrop for Acts chapter 2), but this is actually no different from His people being a light to all nations by living by the Torah.

Top: literally, "head".

As soon as he ascended, YHWH told him to descend again, because He does not want us to have a perpetual Sabbath. Like the priests who served in the Temple in shifts, we ascend closer to YHWH so we can descend to live out what we have learned by serving Israel. This is part of what YHWH’s vision of the messengers of YHWH ascending and descending on the staircase was all about. In order to look: we want to get up close to see things, but this was not a tourist attraction. “Look” can also mean “perceive”, and this was the very temptation haSatan began with on Chavvah (“Eve”).

Though there were not even overtly any priests as of yet, this is a foreshadowing of all the meticulous rituals the high priest had to go through on the Day of Atonement before entering the holiest place where the presence of YHWH dwelt in a special way. The priests had a different boundary than the rest of the people, but still had a boundary. They could go where no one else in Israel could, but still could not just “waltz” into the Holy of Holies, since these were not high priests. Even Aharon’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, went in presumptuously and pompously, and learned the hard way what comes of thinking we have rights that YHWH has not expressly granted. We each need to know our responsibilities and our place, staying within the specific limits He has set for us.

24. So YHWH told him, "Go on down, then come back up with Aharon accompanying you, but don't let the priests or the people break through to ascend to YHWH, so He will not burst out [violently] among them."

Moshe tried to argue that the people had already been told all they needed to know, assuming that “a word to the wise” would be sufficient. But YHWH is telling him that he does not realize what kind of people he is working with. They need to be reminded to respect the boundaries. Death is outside of them. The Aramaic targum interprets “burst out” specifically as "kill some of them". If they broke the command, He would break through as well—in a different way! This time Aharon is permitted an exemption from the boundary. He is set apart from both the people and the rest of the priests. This is the right picture, foreshadowing the fact that only the high priest could enter YHWH’s special sanctuary (though Moshe himself was granted an exception to that). Even Y’hoshua, who led Israel in battle, was not yet permitted to come up, and imagine how Chuwr might have felt after upholding Moshe’s arms so that Israel would prevail, and still not being allowed the same privilege as these two had. (By tradition, however, Chuwr was far beyond this sentiment, for he is said to have fought the building of the golden calf until he was killed by those who wanted it built.)

CHAPTER 20

2. "I [Myself] am YHWH your Elohim, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt--out from the house of subjugation."

In Hebrew tradition, THIS is the first "commandment" (the second, then, is everything from verses 3-6), because these ten are not called "commandments" in Scripture, but "words" or "statements". The inherent "command" is to simply recognize this fact. The word here for "I" is a specialized one that indicates an intimacy between the speaker and the one spoken to. But recognizing that His name is YHWH and that we are to have a relationship to Him as on those terms is the foundational principle He lays down. He often places this phrase “I am YHWH your Elohim” next to a command, partly to say, “You must do it because of who I am, and I said so”, but also because it is only through obeying these commands that we can truly know what He is like. YHWH is the name that emphasizes that He is our provider. Elohim emphasizes the fact that He is our judge. And He also reminds us here that He is our deliverer. “Your” and “you” are singular here, emphasizing that He is to have these three relationships to each of us, but the unifying factor is that the whole nation of Israel must relate to Him together as Father, King, and Husband in order for these relationships to come to their fullness. Our deliverance is not complete until the whole of Israel is delivered.

Other elohim: There are in one sense "gods" in the world--powerful spiritual rulers placed over certain regions (1 Cor. 8:5), which, as long as they do not interfere with His purposes for Israel, have a rightful place in keeping order among men. (See Daniel 10:13ff). But for Israel there is a direct relationship. In My presence: literally, above My face, or against My face. Today He might say, “Get them out of My face!” This does not mean we may have lesser elohim elsewhere, hidden from Him! Provision comes with a test: we must recognize that it is all from YHWH, no matter how many intermediaries He may use. Nothing is to be between us and His face, blocking it. Yahshua acts as "kinsman redeemer" to bring those who left the covenant back into relationship with YHWH, but does not take His place. In a special sense, YHWH is called “Yaaqov’s share”. (Yirmeyahu 51:19, etc.) Recall that this is a betrothal contract, of which human vows to “forsake all others” are a picture. This is the preamble to the covenant, in which the generalities are presented first, then the specifics. He had to be so possessive because He knew Israel’s tendencies to stray after other elohim. He had to “get the upper hand” so that He would be free to do what was best for us. Israel is His property, for He redeemed her from Pharaoh. (v. 2) Through Yahshua, He has paid for us again, so how much more are we His property to command as He wishes? The term elohim really means “mighty ones”; we are not to consider anything mighty to exist in relation to ourselves, except Him. What is a major threat to others (such as the Reed Sea) is not a problem for Him, and is not to be feared. It also emphasizes His judgment, and if He has rendered judgment on something, we must not go looking for other opinions. It is no longer our option. Our feelings are usually wrong, so we need to go by what He says alone, even if our other judges (parents, employers, or governors) might tell us to do otherwise. His provision (which includes His judgment) is better than anything we will find elsewhere.

Carved: or "engraved" or ‘hewn into shape”. This connotes a three-dimensional image formed out of something else. Resemblance: or "representation". This is the next logical step in idolatry, followed by the third in v. 5. (Hirsch) We rarely see literal idols used today, except in Buddhist or Hindu settings, but we do participate in the worship of many things that our own hands have shaped if we put too high a priority on any of them, especially things that crowd YHWH out of our lives, put too much emphasis on our flesh, or simply do not profit Israel in any way. We worship even what our minds carve out—things that often do not really even exist (such as scenarios we worry about), giving importance to what has none.

Serve: or “minister to”, a work done on another’s behalf that one is not paid to perform. I.e., YHWH’s bride is not to go clean her old boyfriend’s house for free! This term for "jealous" is never used of men in Scripture; we can never attain to this type of jealousy, because it implies a deserving more pure than anything we can ever achieve. It means He wants to be our desired. Hirsch: "Demanding His exclusive rights". On their children: the Aramaic renders it "rebellious children", and adds "when the children follow their fathers in sinning", to avoid the idea that a son or daughter who repented of his parents' ways would still be punished. This agrees with Yirmeyahu 31:29ff. Holding us guilty until something is done to rectify it is a blessing since He does not let anyone go on thinking they got away with doing wrong without consequences. Third or fourth: Not that He is bound to a minimum of three or a maximum of four; the emphasis is on the fact that the things we give most attention to will filter down to our children. What we fear is what they will learn to fear until this cycle is broken. Who hate Me: One might argue that he loves YHWH, but the test Yahshua gave as to whether we actually do love Him is whether we keep His commandments (Yochanan 14:15; 15:7-10), and that is exactly how verse 6 defines it. In Scripture, hate does not have to have anything to do with feelings of malice; it has to do with our actions: do we actually walk in our own priorities rather than His? If we make idols with our hands or minds, we hate Him, no matter what we say or how we feel. Any sin is missing the target, but hate as defined in Hebrew is missing the target without even noticing or giving weight to the fact that there is a target at all. That is why we are to hide His word in our hearts—so it speaks to us when we start to carve out idols through what we fear. Torah is the cure for hate!

Lovingkindness: or "mercy". Thousands: an idiom for a huge amount. Note how "mercy triumphs over judgment." (Yaaqov 2:13) YHWH clearly prefers to be merciful, but we must make this possible for Him through guarding or building a hedge around His commandments instead of building emergency scenarios in our minds. If we do not create a receptacle with which to channel His mercy, it will leak away. So use the “sandbag” of Torah so we can experience it.

Carry the Name: or "take the Name upon yourself"; Aramaic, "swear falsely with his name". Swearing calls down on oneself all that YHWH is, in the event that what one says is not true. It combines the belief that He is always watching over us with the idea that He holds the power over all that will happen to us; to swear falsely in His Name is to ignore both of these. In a wasteful manner: in an empty way, in vain, in a way that indicates devastating or ruining it, treating it as useless. This means so much more than just using it as a profane epithet. It is making Him out to be just like all the gods, which in popular belief acted little differently than men; i.e., His existence makes no difference in our plans, decisions, or expectations. When we worry, we are doing just that. In Hebrew something that is not unique, but is just like everything else, is conceptually nonexistent, having nothing of its own to show for its having lived. Thus it is purposeless. Making a superfluous oath is thus "playing with the most solemn of all solemn acts of men". (Hirsch) Lifting up His Name to devastation also includes diminishing His true Name (YHWH) by replacing it with other, lesser names, especially those with pagan background usages. So keep both aspects in balance: while we endeavor to hold His Name as sacred, He does not, on the other hand, want us to stop using it altogether, for that would also bring it to nought. Rather, we are not to use it lightly or irresponsibly, and not apply it to things that are worthless or that He does not approve of (as outlined by the Torah). And it means to live in a way worthy of those who have His name upon us, doing nothing that is not commensurate with that awesome privilege. If we are going to say we are YHWH’s wife, we must act like it. Our actions—or lack thereof—reflect on His Name. If we call on His name, we are saying He is all things to us, but if our actions prove otherwise, we bring His name to nothing. Guiltless: or exempt from punishment.

Remember: recall, recognize, or make mention of it--because it is nothing new at this point; it has been around since creation (and verse 11 makes this connection overtly). This assumes we keep track of which day it is. But if we look around today, it is to see how easy it is for even very religious people to forget. A parallel passage, Deut. 5:12, says “observe” (“guard”) where this one says “remember”, for to guard we must remember. The term for “guard” essentially means to fence off—i.e., look for ways to ensure that you stay away from your own pursuits. Meeting together helps us keep those things off our minds. We should make a point of doing as many things as possible differently on the Sabbath so that nothing on it is ordinary or mundane. This is the one commandment YHWH repeated after all the words Moshe brought down from the mountain (31:13-17), probably because He knew it would be the one most frequently susceptible to mis-obedience by otherwise-righteous people. (It does not just say "one day in seven", but specifically the seventh day of the week.) But keeping it in mind also requires a concrete participation as acknowledgment of its spiritual reality. The tense of "remember" here extends indefinitely beyond merely the day itself (S.R. Hirsch), since in a sense all days were created for the purpose of having a Sabbath rest. The liturgy for the end of the Sabbath blesses YHWH who, as He created a distinction between the Sabbath and the ordinary days, has also distinguished between light and darkness, and between Israel and the rest of the nations, since it is not to be a nation just like all the others. Set-apart: in a category of its own.

Work: here, occupation for the sake of gain or the continuation of creation by altering the nature or form of anything. Herein again is the importance of finishing the work YHWH gives us to do in this age, and not waiting until it is convenient to obey (as it will be in the Kingdom) to show with Whom we stand. Notice that even on the six ordinary days, service takes priority over employment.

Sabbath: time of ceasing and desisting. Employment: or "constructive work", or "using the material of the world for our own purposes" (Hirsch). We do this for six days, but only this is excluded on the Sabbath; the "labor [for service]" in verse 9 (for which we expect no reward in return and through which others benefit and are moved to bless YHWH) is not prohibited, so we do that type of work seven days a week, not just on the Sabbath when we desist from the work for our own gain. The rabbis say “your wife” is not mentioned in the list, because husband and wife are considered one entity. Service to one another [the first type of work (labor) listed above] is not forbidden on the Sabbath; indeed, on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple doubled their work of sacrifices. What is forbidden is doing things for our own pleasure (Isaiah 58:13)--the opposite of serving one another and focusing on YHWH--and anything by which we participate in an act of creating or gainful activity, since it is a reminder that YHWH, not Mammon, has the final word and ultimate ownership of our lives. Everything else takes a back seat to this and does not matter. (As demonstrated by the Maccabees and in the Six-Day War, or more commonly by continuing to run hospitals, deeds necessary to preserve life are exempted from this prohibition, though those who do so should not earn anything by doing so, or if they must, then give it away.) We also let others rest, and even our animals have a day to be themselves, and not "ours". Guest who is within your gates: an idiom for someone who has come under Israel’s authority to learn from her about YHWH, with a view to one day becoming part of the community. But even a guest who is passing through is responsible to know the rules of what may or may not be done on the Sabbath. Rashi comments that our ceasing is also to be in attitude, not just deed; we are to enter into the Sabbath with the same ease we would feel if all our other work was actually completed, just as YHWH did after creation. Though it was not on a Sabbath, Yahshua exemplified this idea just before his death, when he said he had completed all the work YHWH had given him to do.

The Sabbath is the only day in creation on which we can participate in what YHWH is doing and thereby be united with Him. We cannot participate in making the earth or stars, but we can rest when He rests. Thus those who participate in the day He blessed are blessed as well. YHWH gave much more weight and detail to this command than any other, showing how important it is to Him. The first three commands pertain specifically to our relationship with YHWH, and twice as many--six--that pertain to our relationship with our fellow men. Yochanan the Envoy emphasized this, asking how we could love YHWH, whom we cannot see, if we cannot even love our neighbors, whom we can see, as ourselves. “The Sabbath is made for man”, but that means it is a gift, and we must find its proper use, not simply throw it away or let it sit unused. “The Sabbath is made for man”, but not for individual men. “Keeping the Sabbath”does not mean keeping it to oneself. (Yeshayahu 58:13) If there is a door without a house, what is its purpose? But the hinge on which the gateway between them swings is this fourth command. It ties the two great commands together.

This is "the first commandment with a promise", as Paul writes (Ephesians 6:2). It does not mean that, as adults, we must obey them in everything (though in Ephesians 6:1 children are commanded to do so while under their tutelage as long as it agrees with YHWH's other commands, and in the Land no parent should have been teaching his children anything pagan), but rather to literally "treat them as important", "give weight to" their teachings, as Proverbs constantly reminds us. I.e., do not take them lightly, considering how much time and energy they have invested in us. Of course we should not follow them into any lawlessness. The greatest honor that we can give them is to insist on YHWH’s standards, even if they do not, for we will have proven that they have raised worthy children insofar as they were able to bring us before we transferred that obedience directly to Him. Of course, if we expect our children to honor us, we must teach them how to show honor by ourselves honoring those who are in authority over us—an honor inherent to their position no matter how well they always live up to it. We do not have the option of not honoring those YHWH has placed in authority over us—a concept most modern folks reject. But if we do not respect our authorities, we are not worthy of our children’s respect. In ancient times, the “father” would be whoever was the head of the household—often a grandfather or uncle—or anyone who had taken you into his household. In this case, Moshe was the father to all of Israel. On a deeper level, YHWH is our Father and, though Israel’s tribes had four mothers, the Torah is the “mother” we all now have in common. Notwithstanding this literal command, “father” and “mother” are singular here, so it points us to the parents that we all have in common. On this level (especially being right after His mention of creation) we could paraphrase it as "Consider Adam and Chavvah—do not take their story lightly, so that you do are not banished from your land as they were.” (Their days were shortened and they were left to till the soil in drudgery.) Our days can be prolonged into the age to come, even if our physical lives in this age are cut short because faithfulness to YHWH requires us to lay them down for Himself or for our brothers. Yahshua put this command in perspective by saying that if we are not willing to forsake our physically parents for the sake of the Kingdom, we are not worthy of it. (Luqa 8:20) Proverbs 1 says that the first way to obtain wisdom is through our parents’ instruction, but the fear of YHWH is the beginning of knowledge—and by Yahshua’s definition, anyone who personifies this to us is our true parent. He said his true mother was anyone who did YHWH's will, whether a blood relative or not.

The term means to uselessly kill for no reason—selfishly or outside the proper context; this verb is never used of legal killing. It applies to killing animals for mere sport, and in a wider sense, rabbinically, it means, "Do not destroy anything that is still useful" and do not even shame a man who does not deserve it. Killing men in war is permitted, yet there is still a tainting of one's life and a dulling of one's spirit in this. The half-sheqel Temple tax was provided to atone for this type of wrongdoing that is sometimes necessary because of others’ sin. The root meaning of the term for murder is "to bore through", i.e., in a broader sense it applies to any willing, purposeful exercise of free will that is unlawful. (Hirsch)

The technical meaning here includes only intimacy involving a married woman, because it represents idolatry, which is spiritual adultery, for the emphasis as these laws were given was that Israel is YHWH’s wife and can belong to no one else. These two uses of the term are almost interchangeable in Scripture, partly because pagan worship so often included sexual relations with priests and temple prostitutes. The term does not specifically apply if the woman involved is not already married or betrothed, though there are plenty of other restrictions in the Torah about whom one may or may not relate to sexually. The Torah allowed for divorce because of the hardness of men's hearts. The letter leaves room for men's weakness; the spirit--the picture it intends to get across--does not. Yahshua says that if you can stand the full weight of it, by all means opt for that interpretation. Adultery, figuratively, also means to "adulterate" the Word of YHWH, or teach it falsely. Loosening the meaning of His commands (Mat. 5) leads others into idolatry.

This applies to anything that is not rightfully one's own, but especially carries the connotation of kidnapping fellow human beings. We can also steal immaterial things like people's reputation or drive. The other ways we can steal are included in the commands not to murder, commit adultery, bear false witness, or desire what is not ours. And we steal from YHWH by having rivals to His position or by failing to guard His Sabbath.

Fellow: literally, one from the same flock, with the same shepherd: friend, companion, or "brother". It does not specifically apply to all one's fellow humans, except in a general sense. The command here is not about lying in general, but about saying (or even letting another tell us) something untrue about a comrade--or telling the truth in a way designed to injure his reputation. Even in the Renewed Covenant we are only told not to lie to "one another" because we belong to the truth and it is now our nature. This does not preclude misleading an enemy during his acts of hostility against you, which we could call bearing false witness on behalf of our neighbor. The verb here technically means a provoked response to an event or a question; the falseness can refer either to the person as a witness (with malicious motive) or to the actual testimony he gives. (Hirsch) Injurious: or false, deceitful. We could be a false witness simply by rolling our eyes in suggestion that someone has done wrong, if it leads others to believe he did. The word "witness" is related to the word for "continuity", indicating that retaining the matter in our minds endows the witnessed event or outburst with a permanence it might not have otherwise had. (Hirsch) "Bear" actually means to "uphold" gossip by listening to it, heeding it, or allowing it to be spoken to us; a true neighbor will at least give the benefit of the doubt to one who is being accused by an outsider to the community.

This is a further refining of—or a fence built around—the command not to steal. It places it one step further from us, not even allowing us to think about stealing! YHWH has a right even to tell us not only what not to do, but how to feel about not doing it! It means we should not even take pleasure in what is not ours. Wish for: or, crave. We must take control of what we delight in and what we despise. At that time they had been slaves and knew what not to desire. Do not even give such feelings an audience; it may be harder today since so few are trained to control self to such an extent. A large part of the Torah walk involves acting contrary to our natural inclinations. I.e., in addition to keeping our mouths shut we must also train ourselves not to have the thoughts that might lead us to speak evil of our neighbor, or be manifest in some other way. Discipline in one area can make us stronger in others. Coveting led Izavel (Jezebel) to bear false witness in the process of her stealing. Desire: or "delight in", but it differs from mere inner longing (a different verb in Hebrew) by indicating a lust which proceeds into opportunistic action. (Hirsch) "House" includes the sense of "household", "inheritance", or "descendants", and would extend to envying another’s position of authority or those under his authority. It does not mean one may not desire a similar possession if it is granted to be within his power to obtain, but this emphasizes that we are each given a different calling, and what one needs is not necessarily what another should have. All are to work together as a body, but with different functions. This is an issue of faith, to trust YHWH's judgment, that He has indeed distributed each commodity to those who are best suited to handle it for the benefit of the whole community. Hirsch says this sets on the "Ten Words" the seal of being no mere mortal laws: men can forbid crimes; only YHWH can legislate against the thoughts and intents of the heart. Yahshua only intensified our understanding of the tenth commandment in the "Sermon on the Mount" by pointing out how keeping every external command does not guarantee that our hearts are right. Rabbi Avraham Joshua Heschel says that a sin of the mind is greater than one carried out physically, because at present our mind is the only way of perceiving and communing with YHWH, who is not physical. However, seven commands deal with physical actions, whereas only three deal with thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, so it is clear where the emphasis is. The fact that the latter two commands specify that they relate to our “fellow” does not necessarily mean the three prior commands have a broader application to all mankind, for we should only relate to the outside world insofar as it benefits Israel, until all is in order internally so that we can truly be a light that shines accurately to all nations; how could we be a blessing to them if any part of what we spread to them is not true or not done properly in-house? The paradox is that YHWH made Israel separate from all nations, yet placed us at the crossroads of the world. But it is noteworthy that even when YHWH wanted Israel to plunder the Egyptians, He did not tell them to steal from them, but to ask and borrow from them, and then He gave them the leverage to do so. Proverbs also warns about being seduced by foreign women, so the command about adultery would carry over there as well, at least in terms of how it would dissipate our interests and resources away from the priorities YHWH has given Israel. We have to consider how carrying out any of these activities elsewhere would affect the rest of the flock, but they must certainly never be done to one another. Entering into the habit of stealing or murdering is generally destructive to our own souls, and we are likely to be needlessly killed by outsiders if we do these things, so there is rarely profit in not carrying over the same principles to those beyond Israel, but the weight to be given to both entities is best expressed by Galatians 6:10: "As we have occasion, let us do what is beneficial to everyone, [but] especially those who are of the household of faith" (i.e., if there is a conflict between the two).

Observed: or perceived. They finally understood what the shofar-sound had spoken, because Moshe had now interpreted and explained it to them. It literally says they saw the sound (voice). The Midrash says they saw every letter of the Torah coming forth. Josephus writes of thunderbolts as well as thunder, and a terrifying type of lightning. This manifestation was merely a prologue to the other commands He would give; these ten in a sense summarize all of His commands, and they are the only ones written by His own hand, but He did later command Y'hoshua to have the Israelites literally write them all in stone at the border of the Land so that anyone entering knew he was under obligation to follow these regulations while there. So while we may not say that we need only obey these ten but not the fine points elucidated later, the fine points actually given are in a sense only examples of many more righteous acts that a deeper understanding of and a love for the spirit of the Torah will precipitate. The torches, in conjunction with the smoking mountain, immediately remind us of the covenant YHWH cut with Avraham (Gen. 15:17), where a torch and a smoking oven also figure prominently, along with a reference to the very period of enslavement that had just ended for them and the judgment that had just come on the nation that had enslaved them. This may be why they shook: they realized they were seeing what they had always heard that Avraham saw, and that right before their eyes the covenant made with him was indeed being renewed with the whole community of his descendents (which itself is the very next theme in Genesis after this event). YHWH has also, through His commands, recounted the history of the types of sins that have been special problems for Israel.

How tragic that we were not interested in becoming more intimate with YHWH. This is like Christianity, which wants the covenant, but chooses a mediator to do everything for us so that we do not have to get too close. Yes, it is dangerous; it will kill us--but the part of us it kills deserves to die anyway. Circumcision of the heart is never easy, but always necessary if we are to bear pure fruit. Becoming an unselfish community terrifies us. Yet we accepted the stipulation that we would have a mediator, yet many now demand a personal relationship that ignores the national relationship of Israel to YHWH. And we also accepted Moshe as our intermediary, which means we must take what he says as from YHWH, who later also agreed to this arrangement. So how can anyone who wants a relationship with YHWH say Moshe’s words are no longer binding?

"Proving": from a word meaning "to elevate", but related to the tempering of a precious metal that comes only through heat and pressure. Yahshua quoted Psalm 82: "You [judges of the earth] are elohim, yet you will die like men" because you do not do justice. There is a "spark" of YHWH’s image in each of us, yet it requires the smelting-furnace of the Torah (including Yahshua, the Word made flesh) to purge it of what will condemn us to perish like animals if we do not allow it to do its work. “Be afraid” and “awe” are the same word in Hebrew, so He is just showing us what we should fear and what we should not fear. As Yahshua said, we should not fear circumstances but only the One who controls them. (Mat. 10:28) And conversely, it is He, not His blessing, that is awesome, for it is all about Him, not about our situation.

Close to: Aramaic, "the side of". Again He could be more readily found in places of darkness

You have observed: They therefore know that He is real, whereas they have never seen any of the idols they fashioned with their own hands do anything like this! From the heavens: He is still speaking, long after those at Bavel failed to reach the heavens. And we could understand Him. If we accept His terms rather than trying to come on our own, the damage done at Bavel can be repaired.

The golden images of kh’ruvim that He expressly commanded were meant to engender human traits, not depict divine ones (Hirsch); the bronze serpent that He commissioned was a picture of Messiah, not of his Father YHWH. Messiah Himself is the only "image" of YHWH allowed to be seen by men, although we will one day become part of that image if we continue to follow Him--the door and the way back to YHWH. Alongside Me: close to Me, on the same level of relationship as you are required to have with Me--i.e., competing with Me in your minds and hearts. He reiterates the prohibition of idols, but this time specifies two materials which, unlike wood and stone out of which other idols might have been fashioned, have taken on a life of their own as idols in themselves because of the meaning they have been given by men. They are hard-to-get materials, so our natural inclination is to want to try. They have become a way to store what we cannot eat today so we have something for tomorrow—i.e., a way to trade what we have that is more than we need for a sense of security. So silver and gold in particular are not to be considered mighty; He did not even allow silver or gold (as money) to be brought into His Temple itself; it had to be exchanged outside for sacrificial offerings if necessary. He does not want us to “marry Him for His money”; He would rather we keep the place of ascension to Him simple:

Dirt—the building material—is contrasted with the gold and silver of the previous verse. It is more connected with what is alive, and that is what He wants offered to Him. He does not want us to bring heavenly things down to earth, but rather, elevate earthly things to Him. (Hirsch) On it: actually, the slaughtering itself was not done on it, but nearby; only the burning of the animal was carried out atop the altar.

"Build them": the plural is in the original. "Build" can connote "have or obtain children". This gives us a clue as to what the altar stones are really a picture of. Profane: to pollute, violate, defile, desecrate, prostitute, or treat as common (and thus no longer useful to YHWH). Each "living stone" is shaped to fill a particular place in the living Temple, the body of the Second Adam. The judge is not meant to be chipped into a man of mercy; they will all balance each other out, but each has an intense message to emphasize and this will be lost if we are homogenized. We are not to shape these stones according to our desire, but to hold them together by the "joints and ligaments" of the sharing of our strengths and gifts among the whole community. The water of the Torah makes the sand of the descendants of Avraham (spiritual and phytsical) into the mortar of a love that will firmly establish us as one building, though without it we would roll off each other. The theme of uncut stones also links us to the stone cut out without hands (Daniel 2:34)--the new Kingdom of Yahshua, a man who never allowed his flesh to be defiled, which pulverizes the counterfeit image of man's glorious kingdoms. The Temple is made of cut stones, but not cut on-site (because the living stones are chosen on earth and finally fit together in the heavenlies), but the altar, in every instance, is built prior to the Temple (because we cannot build it without the righteousness of Messiah shed abroad by his sacrifice). It is built not of all the common people, but leaders with vision, who have not been chopped by society to fits its categories (the grand doctrines of men that profane the living stones). Or, if they have, they have had to be taken out of that "building" and placed back in the rushing river-water of the Word to be reshaped.

On the literal level, since most people wore essentially what we would call “skirts”, walking up steps would tend to expose their private areas. The altar had a ramp built up to it instead. There is a proper time for honesty about who we are and what we lack, but it is not before the whole congregation when it is focused on something that applies to the whole community and not the individual as such. But "nakedness" in Scripture also points to the lack of white raiment, a picture of righteousness, with which we now have to be covered (atoned for) because we are already defiled. Our flesh may not be exposed directly to His holiness. But YHWH's business is salvaging and repairing the ruined things of the world and making them holy again, and that is what the priesthood was about. Yet the priests were commanded to wear short trousers under their garments as an added preventive for exposure. There must therefore be a deeper meaning. If we build steps, our approach to YHWH is predetermined. We even see it in the tracts today describing the “steps to salvation”—in this order, say this prayer, etc.—and everyone must come in the same way. As we come closer to YHWH, our walk must change; steps built for a child would be hard to walk on and rather restrictive to someone 40 years old. And one could not walk the same way when carrying the parts of a sheep as with the much large parts of a bull. But on a ramp, there is room to approach in whatever way YHWH asks at the time, whether He wants us to dance or twirl or take larger or smaller steps than identical steps would allow. Steps are like the hewn stones He forbids in the altar, for when we are set in our ways, our minds cannot be renewed.