Exodus 20

King James Version · 26 verses · 936 cross-references linking it to 415 other chapters

1. 1And God spake all these words, saying,12 cross-references: Deuteronomy 5:22, Deuteronomy 5:4, Deuteronomy 4:36, Acts 7:38, Deuteronomy 4:33
2. 2I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.70 cross-references: Deuteronomy 5:6, Hosea 13:4, Leviticus 26:13, Psalms 81:10, Exodus 13:3
3. 3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.47 cross-references: Deuteronomy 5:7, Matthew 4:10, Psalms 81:9, Isaiah 46:9, Deuteronomy 6:5
4. 4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:54 cross-references: Leviticus 26:1, Deuteronomy 5:8, Deuteronomy 4:15–19, Psalms 97:7, Leviticus 19:4
5. 5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;123 cross-references: Numbers 14:18, Deuteronomy 5:9, Deuteronomy 4:24, Exodus 34:14, Joshua 24:19
6. 6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.27 cross-references: Deuteronomy 7:9, John 14:21, 1 John 5:3, Jeremiah 32:39–40, Acts 2:39
7. 7Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.46 cross-references: Deuteronomy 5:11, Leviticus 19:12, James 5:12, Matthew 5:33–37, Psalms 50:14–16
8. 8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.33 cross-references: Leviticus 26:2, Leviticus 19:3, Exodus 31:13–16, Genesis 2:3, Leviticus 23:3
9. 9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:11 cross-references: Luke 13:14, Exodus 23:12, Exodus 34:21, Leviticus 23:3, Exodus 35:2
10. 10But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:19 cross-references: Deuteronomy 5:14–15, Exodus 34:21, Numbers 15:32–36, Exodus 16:27–28, Deuteronomy 24:14–22
11. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.26 cross-references: Genesis 1:1–2, Genesis 2:2–3, Exodus 31:17, Mark 2:27–28, Psalms 95:4–7
12. 12Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.68 cross-references: Ephesians 6:1–3, Colossians 3:20, Deuteronomy 5:16, Mark 7:10, Proverbs 23:22–25
13. 13Thou shalt not kill.37 cross-references: Romans 13:9, Deuteronomy 5:17, Genesis 9:5–6, Matthew 5:21–22, Exodus 21:14
14. 14Thou shalt not commit adultery.30 cross-references: Hebrews 13:4, Deuteronomy 5:18, Romans 7:2–3, Romans 13:9, Revelation 21:8
15. 15Thou shalt not steal.30 cross-references: Romans 13:9, Ephesians 4:28, Leviticus 19:11, Leviticus 19:13, Matthew 19:18
16. 16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.36 cross-references: Proverbs 19:5, Matthew 19:18, Psalms 15:3, Matthew 26:59–60, Deuteronomy 19:15–21
17. 17Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.52 cross-references: Romans 13:9, Luke 12:15, Hebrews 13:5, Colossians 3:5, Ephesians 5:5
18. 18And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.31 cross-references: Exodus 19:16–18, Jeremiah 23:23, Hebrews 12:18–19, Psalms 139:7–8
19. 19And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.24 cross-references: Deuteronomy 18:16, Acts 7:38, Galatians 3:19, Exodus 33:20, Deuteronomy 5:23–27
20. 20And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.26 cross-references: Deuteronomy 13:3, Proverbs 3:7, 1 Samuel 12:20, Deuteronomy 8:2, Isaiah 8:13
21. 21And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.23 cross-references: 1 Kings 8:12, Psalms 97:2, 1 Timothy 6:16, Psalms 18:9, 2 Chronicles 6:1
22. 22And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.10 cross-references: Nehemiah 9:13, Deuteronomy 4:36, Hebrews 12:25–26
23. 23Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.28 cross-references: Ezekiel 20:39, Zephaniah 1:5, 2 Kings 17:33, 1 Corinthians 10:21–22, Exodus 20:3–5
24. 24An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.63 cross-references: Deuteronomy 12:5, 2 Chronicles 6:6, Psalms 132:13–14, 1 Kings 9:3, 2 Chronicles 7:16
25. 25And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.6 cross-references: Deuteronomy 27:5–6, Joshua 8:31
26. 26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.8 cross-references: 1 Peter 1:16, Psalms 89:7, Ecclesiastes 5:1, Leviticus 10:3, Hebrews 12:28–29

Explained connections

• The Ten Commandments, twice Exodus 20:3 and Deuteronomy 5:7

  The Decalogue is given at Sinai in Exodus and repeated by Moses forty years later in Deuteronomy to the next generation. The texts are almost identical, with notable differences.

• Two reasons for the Sabbath Exodus 20:11 and Deuteronomy 5:15

  Exodus grounds the Sabbath in creation: God rested on the seventh day. Deuteronomy grounds it in redemption: remember you were slaves in Egypt. Both texts together give two reasons to rest.

• You shall not murder Exodus 20:13 and Matthew 5:21

  Jesus quotes the sixth commandment, then deepens it: anger and contempt for a brother already break its spirit. He is not abolishing the law but showing its full intent.

• You shall not commit adultery Exodus 20:14 and Matthew 5:27

  Jesus extends the seventh commandment to the heart: looking at a woman with lust is adultery already. The Sermon on the Mount moves the commandments from actions to desires.

• Honour your father and mother Exodus 20:12 and Ephesians 6:2

  Paul quotes the fifth commandment to children and notes it is the first commandment with a promise attached: that it may go well with you.

• You shall not covet Exodus 20:17 and Romans 7:7

  Paul says he would not have known desire as sin without the command not to covet. The tenth commandment, which concerns the heart rather than actions, exposes sin's inner reach.

• One God, one Lord Exodus 20:3 and 1 Corinthians 8:6

  The first commandment forbids other gods. Paul reaffirms there is one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ — reworking the Shema to include Jesus within Israel's one God.

• A Sabbath rest remains Exodus 20:8 and Hebrews 4:9

  Israel kept the seventh day holy as rest. Hebrews says a Sabbath rest remains for God's people, entered by faith and ceasing from one's own works.

Chapters most linked to Exodus 20

• Deuteronomy 533 links
• Leviticus 1922 links
• Deuteronomy 420 links
• Exodus 3213 links
• Leviticus 2612 links
• Exodus 2310 links
• Hebrews 129 links
• Deuteronomy 78 links
• Deuteronomy 68 links
• 2 Kings 178 links
• Exodus 348 links
• Matthew 58 links
• Matthew 198 links
• Ezekiel 208 links
• Exodus 197 links
• Psalms 817 links

People in Exodus 20

God, Moses, Jacob

Places in Exodus 20

Egypt

Hard questions about Exodus 20

• Does God punish children for their parents’ sins, or does each person bear his own guilt?
• If making images is forbidden, why did God command the cherubim and the bronze serpent?
• Must the Sabbath still be kept?
• Is killing always wrong?
• Does the Bible ever permit adultery or sex outside marriage?
• Does the Bible ever approve of taking what belongs to others?
• Does the Bible ever approve of lying?
• Does God dwell in light or in darkness?
• Was the Sabbath given because God rested on the seventh day or because he brought Israel out of Egypt?
• Did Jesus teach his followers to dishonour or hate their families?
• Was the law given by God or through angels?
• Is it wrong to covet?
• Should we fear God, if perfect love casts out fear?
• May we call anyone ‘father’?

Archaeology

• Nash Papyrus c. 150–100 BC