Exodus 20:3

The Covenant: esp., and probably first, in Dt. and Deuteronomic writers (cf. above, p. 175): Exodus 34:28 (?; see the note); Deuteronomy 4:13 -his covenant" (cf. 23, Exodus 5:2-3); and in the expressions, -the tables of the covenant," Deuteronomy 9:9; Deuteronomy 9:11; Deuteronomy 9:15; 1 Kings 8:9 LXX. (see Skinner); and -the ark of the covenant(of Jehovah)," Deuteronomy 10:8; Deuteronomy 31:9; Deuteronomy 31:25-26; Joshua 3:3; Joshua 3:6; Joshua 3:8; Joshua 3:11; Joshua 3:14; Joshua 3:17; Joshua 4:7; Joshua 4:9; Joshua 4:18; Joshua 6:6; Joshua 6:8; Joshua 8:33 (all JE or D 2 [173]); Numbers 10:33; Numbers 14:44 (both JE); Judges 20:27; 1Sa 4:3-5, 2 Samuel 15:14; 1 Kings 3:15; 1 Kings 6:19; 1 Kings 8:1; 1 Kings 8:6; and several times in Chr. (In the occurrences in JE and other pre-Deuteronomic writers, -the covenant of" is probably the addition of a redactor or scribe familiar with the Deut. expression 1 [174].)

[173] Deuteronomic passages in Josh., Jud., Kings.

[174] This supposition is not arbitrary: because at least as far as we know until Dt. was written, the conditions for calling the ark the -ark of the Covenant" did not exist: no covenant is concluded on the basis of the Decalogue in Ex.; this is first and to have been done in Dt. (cf. Chapman, Introd. to the Pent.p. 113 f.).

The firstcommandment, against polytheism. The fundamental principle of Israel's faith, presupposed throughout the OT., but specially insisted on when there is any danger of other gods, esp. Canaanite gods, being preferred to Jehovah, or worshipped equally with Him.

other gods so Exodus 23:13; cf. in the singular Exodus 34:14 (אל אתר). Very frequent in Dt. and Deuteronomic writers (compilers of Judges and Kings; and Jer.), as Deuteronomy 6:14; Deuteronomy 7:4; Deuteronomy 8:19 al.; Judges 2:12; Judges 2:17; Judges 2:19; 1 Kings 9:6; 1 Kings 9:9; 1 Kings 11:4; 1 Kings 11:10; Jeremiah 1:16; Jeremiah 7:6; Jeremiah 7:9; Jeremiah 7:18 al.Otherwise first in E (Joshua 24:2; Joshua 24:16), 1Sa 26:19, 2 Kings 5:17; Hosea 3:1 (not in other prophets, except Jer., and never in P).

before me or, more distinctly, in front of me, obliging Me (un-willingly) to behold them, and also giving them a prominence above Me.