Exodus 20:25

_AND 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._ IF THOU WILT MAKE ME AN ALTAR OF STONE ... NOT ... OF HEWN STONE. The reason was, that in the polish of a human chisel the emblematic idea suggested by the earth (see the note at Exodus 20:24) would be entirely lost, while inventions in decorative art would pre-occupy the minds of the worshippers; and an additional reason probably was, lest in following the prevalent styles of architecture, they should be led to carve the altar with figures and ornaments which might lead to superstition; and if once familiarized with such artificial fabrics, they might, on their settlement, appropriate to the worship of God altars that had been besmeared with victims offered to Canaanite idols....

22-26 Moses having entered into the thick darkness, God there spake in his hearing all that follows from hence to the end of chap. 23, which is mostly an exposition of the ten commandments. The laws in these verses relate to God's worship. The Israelites are assured of God's gracious acceptance of their devotions. Under the gospel, men are encouraged to pray every where, and wherever God's people meet in his name to worship him, he will be in the midst of them; there he will come unto them, and will bless them....

Verse Exodus 20:25. _THOU SHALT NOT BUILD IT OF HEWN STONE_] Because they were now in a wandering state, and had as yet no fixed residence; and therefore no time should be wasted to rear costly altars, which could not be transported with them, and which they must soon leave. Besides, they must not lavish skill or expense on the construction of an altar; the altar of itself, whether costly or mean, was nothing in the worship; it was only the _place_ on which the victim should be laid, and their mind must be attentively fixed on that God to whom the sacrifice was offered, and on the sacrifice itself, as that appointed by the Lord to make an atonement for their sins....

Nothing could be more appropriate as the commencement of the book of the covenant than these regulations for public worship. The rules for the building of altars must have been old and accepted, and are not inconsistent with the directions for the construction of the altar of the court of the tabernacle, Exodus 27:1 (compare Joshua 22:26)....

EXPOSITION THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT, (Exodus 20:1. Exodus 20:22, to Exodus 22:1.Exodus 22:23). The Decalogue is followed by a series of laws, civil, social, and religious, which occupy the remainder of Exodus 20:1. and the whole of the three following chapters (Exodus 21:1; Exodus 22:1. and 23.). I

AND IF THOU WILT MAKE ME AN ALTAR OF STONE,.... If they chose instead of an earthen one to make one of stone, as they might in rocky places, where they came, and in such an one where they now were, Mount Sinai, under which hill an altar was built, Exodus 24:4, THOU SHALL NOT BUILD IT OF HEWN STONE; which would require time and occasion expense, to hew and polish them in an artificial way; but it was to be built of rude and unpolished stones, just as they were taken out of the quarry, or found lying by the way, and which were laid up in an heap one upon another, and was done with little trouble, and without any ornament, and easily separated and thrown down, when become useless: the reason of this law, as given by Maimonides w, is this, "because the idolaters of that time built their altars of hewn stones, therefore God forbad it, lest we should be like them, and

CHAPTER 20 THE COVENANT REVEALED _ 1. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1)_ 2. Jehovah's gracious provision (Exodus 20:18) This law covenant is now stated. It was given three times. First orally here, when God spake all these words. Then in Exodus 31 Moses received the tables of stone, “written with the finger of God,” the same finger which later wrote on earth in the sand (John 8). The first tables were broken and Moses was commanded to hew two tables of stone upon which Jehovah again wrote the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:1). This law was given to Israel exclu

EXODUS 20:22 E. LAWS OF WORSHIP. This begins the Book of the Covenant, a small collection of religious and moral laws. The reference to God as talking with the people from heaven (Exodus 20:22_ b)_ was probably added after the insertion of the Decalogue. In Exodus 20:23 the pl. ye shows that this was not part of the Horeb book, in which thou is used. The RV seems to be right (against LXX) in making Exodus 20:23 a a doublet of Exodus 20:3. Perhaps it ran, Ye shall not serve (make) along with me other (silver) gods. In any case, it is over-costly images on

NOT... HEWN STONE. No human handiwork tc be used in approaching God in worship. tool. Man's work, in this sphere, pollutes....

The collection opens with directions respecting the manner which God is to be worshipped (other directions about religious observances follow in Exodus 22:20; Exodus 22:29-31; Exodus 23:10-19)....