Discovering Biblical Treasures
UNDERSTANDING THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS
A commentary using Ancient Bible
Study Methods
Michael Harvey Koplitz
This edition copyright ©2019. Michael H. Koplitz.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means without the permission of the
publisher.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise
noted, are taken from the New American
Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962,
1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
by the Lockman Foundation. Used by
permission. (www.Lockman.org)
The NASB uses italic to indicate words that
have been added for clarification. Citations are
shown with large capital letters.
Published by Michael H. Koplitz
ISBN-13: 9781694498175
2
Acknowledgment
This work could
not
have been
accomplished without Dr. Anne Davis,
who taught me Ancient (Hebraic) Bible
study methods, and my two study
partners, Rev. Dr. Robert Cook, and
Pastor Sandra Koplitz. We know that the
journey has just started and will last a
lifetime. The discovery of the depths of
God’s Word is waiting for us to find.
Michael H. Koplitz
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .................................... 7
WHY DO WE NEED TO RETURN TO
THE ORIGINAL INTERPRETATION
OF THE WORD OF GOD? .................... 13
WHAT IS ANCIENT BIBLE STUDY
METHODS? ............................................ 21
INTRODUCING THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS ............................... 29
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT........... 37
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT ........ 51
THE FORTH COMMANDMENT ........ 55
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT ......... 61
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Michael H. Koplitz
THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT .......... 67
THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT .. 69
THE EIGHT COMMANDMENT ......... 73
THE NINTH COMMANDMENT ........ 75
THE TENTH COMMANDMENT ....... 77
CONCLUSION ........................................ 81
BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................... 83
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
Introduction
The giving of the Ten Commandments
was the event when the LORD revealed himself
to Israel. Tradition says that the world fell silent.
It was a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. The
people had to decide if they were going to
accept the LORD’s Torah. Midrash says that
the universe would have ended on that day if
Israel rejected the Torah. Also, it is believed that
every Hebrew soul, past, present, and future
were at the foot of Mount Sinai when the
LORD spoke to Israel and gave them the Ten
Commandments. It is an event in history that
ties all Jewish people together.
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Michael H. Koplitz
It is believed that the people heard the
LORD speaking these commandments. The
Mechilta1 teaches that the LORD recited all Ten
Commandments together in one utterance
indicating
that
Israel
heard
all
ten
commandments.
The Sages taught that the word Torah, in
Hebrew, equals the numeric value of 611 (using
gematria2). Thus Moses taught the people 611
1
“The halakic midrash to Exodus. The name "Mekilta,"
which corresponds to the Hebrew "middah" (= "measure,"
"rule"), was given to this midrash because the Scriptural
comments and explanations of the Law which it contains are
based on fixed rules of Scriptural exegesis ("middot";
comp. Talmud
Hermeneutics).’ Source:
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10594mekilta
2
“Gematria is a numerological system by
which Hebrew letters correspond to numbers. This
system, developed by practitioners of Kabbalah (Jewish
mysticism), derived from Greek influence and became
a tool for interpreting biblical texts. In gematria, each
Hebrew letter is represented by a number (for example,
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
of the 613 laws in the Torah. The other two
laws are the first two commandments that the
LORD taught the people directly. Rashi3 and
aleph = 1, bet = 2, etc.). One can then calculate the
numerical value of a word by adding together the values
of each letter in it. In the realm of biblical interpretation,
commentators base an argument on numerological
equivalence of words. If a word’s numerical value equals
that of another word, a commentator might draw a
connection between these two words and the verses in
which they appear and use this to prove larger
conceptual
conclusions.”
Source:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/gematria/
3
“Rashi, acronym of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzḥaqi, (born
1040, Troyes, Champagne—died July 13, 1105, Troyes),
renowned medieval French commentator on the Bible
and the Talmud (the authoritative Jewish compendium
of law, lore, and commentary). Rashi combined the two
basic methods of interpretation, literal and nonliteral, in
his influential Bible commentary. His commentary on
the Talmud was a landmark in Talmudic exegesis, and
his work still serves among Jews as the
most substantive introduction
to
biblical
and
postbiblical Judaism. Rashi also composed some
penitential hymns (seliḥot), which revolve around twin
themes: the harsh reality of exile and the comforting
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Michael H. Koplitz
Ramban4
believed
that
the
Ten
Commandments were uttered from the LORD,
but all the words were uttered at the same time.
The people could not comprehend what the
LORD said. So, the LORD repeated the
commandments one word at a time. The people
could not tolerate the intense holiness of this
belief
in
redemption.”
Source:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rashi
4
“Nahmanides was a Spanish Talmudist, Kabbalist and
biblical commentator (1194-1270), known, after the
initial letters of his name, as Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben
Nahman). Nahmanides was born in Gerona, Spain,
where he lived for most of his life. An outstanding
Talmudist, his work in this field still enjoys the highest
esteem among students of the Talmud. As a halachic
authority, he exercised a great influence on the Codes
of Jewish law, especially through the Responsa of his
most distinguished disciple, Solomon Ibn Adret.”
Source:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/nahmanid
es-ramban/
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
direct communication from the LORD and
pleaded with Moses to teach them the rest of
the commandments.5
22
"These words the LORD spoke to all your
assembly at the mountain from the midst of
the fire, of the cloud and of the thick gloom,
with a great voice, and He added no more. He
wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave
them to me. 23 "And when you heard the voice
from the midst of the darkness, while the
mountain was burning with fire, you came
near to me, all the heads of your tribes and
your elders. (Deut. 5:22-23 NAU)
The people heard the ten commandments
from the LORD, but it was Moses who taught
them eight of them.
5
Nosson Scherman, The Chumash: the Torah: Haftaros and
Five Megillos, with a Commentary Anthologized from the
Rabbinic Writings (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1998).
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Michael H. Koplitz
The sage Gur Aryeh6 said that the LORD gave
all the commandments in one utterance to
symbolize that Israel and the Torah are an
inseparable unit. The Torah is not a collection
of disparate commandments and statements.
The Torah is one whole unified utterance from
the LORD.
6
“Four hundred years after his death, the Maharal of
Prague remains a larger than life figure, just like his
statue that stands in front of the Prague city hall. He was
a bridge figure between worlds. He helped to close the
gaps between the medieval period and the stirrings of
modernity in the Enlightenment; between Torah and
science; between philosophy and mysticism. Above all,
he is appreciated for explicating the most difficult
passages in the Aggada, making the intent of Chazal
clear to the student intent on mining their deep wisdom
from their sometimes obscure words.” Source:
https://torah.org/series/guraryeh/
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
Why do we need to return to the original
interpretation of the Word of God?
A personal story from the author: While
I was attending Seminary earning my M. Div.
degree, I started to question what the
instructors and reference books were saying
about the Scriptures. One of the ideas being
offered then was that the Bible was full of errors
and not factual. I found that attitude disturbing
for Seminary instructors to be teaching. After
all, the Seminary experience is to train pastors
to go out into God’s world and preach the
Bible. How can you preach the Bible if you
believe what these instructors are teaching? The
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Michael H. Koplitz
methods that were being taught to examine the
Bible just seemed inaccurate to me.
After graduating from Seminary, I spent much
time reading different views about the Bible. I
eventually read the Zohar. This collection of
Midrashim is considered the secret work of the
Torah, according to Kabbalists. Besides, I read
quite a bit about Messianic Judaism. Their view
of the Bible is quite different from the Seminary
view.
I decided that the biblical interpretation
that was being taught in Seminary was not the
biblical interpretation the people heard when
Jesus Christ (whose Hebraic name is Jesus)
preached. I went on a quest to learn what the
people of Jesus’s day thought about Scripture,
and what they thought when the Scriptures
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
were read. This quest led me to Dr. Anne Davis
and The Bible Learning University. Dr. Davis
was in search of the same thing I was searching
for. She had made many discoveries that helped
me in my quest. I earned the Ph. D. degree from
The Bible Learning University in Hebraic
Studies in Christianity concentrating on ancient
Bible Studies methods.
Finally, I found someone who believed
that the church has placed almost 1900 years of
their theological ideas about the Scriptures and
in many places possibly distorting its original
meaning. What is also important to hear is that
the basic tenants of Jesus as God’s Messiah, my
Lord and Savior are in the Bible. My faith in
Jesus is stronger now that I have learned from
Dr. Davis how to study the Scriptures in the
same manner that the people did in Jesus’s day.
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Michael H. Koplitz
Our God is vast and infinite and so is His
Word. May God bless you in your discovery of
what God’s Word is about.
How do people today in the church interpret
Scripture? Generally speaking, the pastor or
teacher of a Bible study class tells the members
of the class what the Scripture means. Where
are they getting their understanding? The
answer is from the book they are using to teach
the class. This is a Greek/western way of
teaching. The book includes an article is in this
book that describes the Greek/western way of
teaching and learning.
So, where does our interpretation of
Scripture come from? It started when the
church decided to break away from its Hebraic
roots around 60 CE. When the church became
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
mainly Gentile, the desire to be connected to
Judaism disappeared. There were political
reasons for this separation and theological
differences. The problem that arose is that the
church learned how to interpret the Scriptures
using the ways of the Greek philosophers,
Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates. This style of
learning is elegant for literature that was written
in the Greek style.
However,
Scripture
is
a
Semitic
document. Yes, even the New Testament is a
Semitic document. Semitic authors wrote
differently than Greek authors. The church
used Greek methods to try to interpret the
Scripture. By doing so, the church lost the
original meaning of the Scripture.
How can we return to the original
interpretation of Jesus’ words? The first step is
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Michael H. Koplitz
to acknowledge that Jesus was Jewish, his first
disciples were Jewish, and the authors of the
New Testament were Jewish. The second step
is to learn how the authors of the Scripture
wrote. The Hebraic methods of writing and
interpreting Scripture has survived through the
centuries and is being used today.
The Sage Hillel defined the Semitic way
of Bible study. He lived approximately seventyyears before Jesus. By using Hillel’s method and
the Sages interpretations, we can discover the
original interpretation of Jesus’ words.
One other thing happened over the
centuries to the interpretation of Jesus’ words.
For the first fifteen centuries the church
leadership, pope, bishops and the like,
determined what the Scripture meant. Using the
Greek methodology of never challenging the
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
teacher, the church interpretations of Scripture
became fixed. The Reformation opened the
door to new interpretations of the Scripture.
Unfortunately, the Reformers used their Greek
learning and teaching methods to interpret the
Scripture. As each new denomination formed
they accepted the interpretation of their
founder as truth. Martin Luther said that the
Scripture must be read literally. That statement
brought about the Fundamentalist movement.
The Scripture was not written literally.
Therefore to read it literally does not offer the
original meaning.
The
Presbyterians
follow
Whitfield’s
interpretation.
The
George
Lutherans
follow Martin Luther’s interpretation. The
German Reformed follow John Calvin’s
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Michael H. Koplitz
interpretation. The Methodist denominations
follow John Wesley’s interpretation.
There are over 1900 years of filters that
the church has put onto the Scripture. These
filters have to be removed to obtain to the
original meaning of the Scripture. That is what
this book is all about. The student of the
Scripture must learn to put aside everything the
church has been teaching and look at the
Scripture with fresh eyes. What does one look
for? That question is answered in this book. The
challenge is presented. It is up to you the
student to determine what you will do with the
tools and methodologies explained in this book.
Several examples are included to help you on
your path.
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
What is Ancient Bible Study Methods?
After 2000 years of Christian theology
and thought, the original meaning to the
Scriptures, especially the Christian Scriptures,
have come to us today with a huge number of
filters. These filters include the theological
interpretations that have developed over the
years about the meaning of the Scriptures.
Unfortunately, Christianity divorced itself from
its mother religion, Judaism, by the end of the
first century C.E. By doing so, combined with
the dwindling number of Jews in the church, the
Hebraic understanding of the Scriptures was
essentially lost and eventually considered invalid
by the church Bishops. Ignatius of Antioch
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Michael H. Koplitz
(died in 107 C.E.) in his Epistle to the
Magnesians wrote, “To profess Jesus Christ
while continuing to follow Jewish customs is an
absurdity. The Christian faith does not look to
Judaism, but Judaism looks to Christianity.”7
In addition to the filters, there is much
cultural information not contained in the
narratives of the Scriptures because the people
of the Bible knew their own culture.
A modern example : If you were to write
in your diary you went to church on Sunday,
there would be a lot of information you would
not include. Anyone reading your diary entry
would know certain things intuitively. Some of
these things would be (1) You drove your car;
7
Friedman, David. They Loved the Torah: What Jesus's First
Followers Really Thought about the Law. Baltimore, MD:
Lederer Books, 2001. 10.
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
(2) The car had gasoline in it; (3) You had a
driver’s license; (4) You had paid for car
insurance, just to list a few items. The same
applies when the narratives of the Scriptures are
read. When a narrative says that Jesus’s disciples
went into a field and picked grain, the narrator
does not have to explain how grain was picked
and how it was prepared for consumption.
Another example would be the marriage story.
The original listeners of the Scriptures did not
need an explanation of what happened at a
Jewish wedding. Read the account of Jesus at
the wedding at Cana, and you will find there is
a lot of cultural information left out about the
ceremony and celebration because it was known
by the people of the day.
So,
to
obtain
a
more
complete
understanding of the Scriptures, especially the
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Michael H. Koplitz
words of Jesus, we need to learn how to think
like a person did in Jesus’s days. This can be
done by combining the culture and customs of
the people with a linguistic approach of the
Scriptures. The people “listened” intently for
the linguistic clues that led to depth of meaning
because they did not have books or copies of
the Scriptures to read. The Scriptures were
passed down through the generations by a
mouth to ear method.
Much has been written about the
customs and manners of the ancient world,
therefore, current research is sufficient. What
makes this dissertation unique is that it is the
combination of culture and to offer a Hebraic
understanding of Scripture from Jesus’s day as
the Jewish listener heard it.
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
Dr. Robert Price makes an argument in
his article New Testament Narrative as Old
Testament Midrash that the New Testament is
a retelling of the Old Testament, thus creating
aggadah.8 “The New Testament gospels and the
Acts of the Apostles can be shown to be
Christian aggadah upon Jewish scripture, and
these narratives can be neither fully understood
nor fully appreciated without tracing them to
their underlying sources, the object of the
present article.”9
8
Aggadah is “the non legal or narrative material, as parables,
maxims, or anecdotes, in the Talmud and other rabbinical
literature, serving either to illustrate the meaning or purpose of
the law, custom, or Biblical passage being discussed or to
introduce a different, unrelated topic.” Source: "The Definition
of Aggadah." Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.
9
Price, Robert M. "New Testament Narrative as Old Testament
Midrash." In The Christ-myth Theory and Its Problems, 1.
Cranford, NJ: American Atheist Press, 2011. Accessed August
01,
2016.
http://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/art_midrash1.htm
.
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Michael H. Koplitz
What is the Greek system of learning? An
overview of this system of learning is expressed
by J. Parsons in his article Theology and the
Greek Mindset. “The modern university, for
example, was modeled after the ideals of Plato’s
Academy in which (it was hoped) the entire
universe would be explained within its halls.”10
Today’s Seminaries and Bible Colleges are part
of the modern university system and therefore
are using the learning methodology that Plato
and his contemporaries used to view the
universe.
This
system
of
learning
and
understanding is a part of our current education
system. Therefore, when teachers, who are
10
Parsons, John. "Theology and the Greek Mindset - a Brief
Look." Theology and the Greek Mindset - a Brief Look.
Accessed August 01, 2016.
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Hellenism/hell
enism.html.
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
considered experts in their field of study,
instruct students, it is often frowned upon for
the student to challenge the teacher or to create
a debate when the student might not agree with
the teacher’s interpretation. In addition, the
Greek method of learning calls the study of
Scripture hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is “the
science of interpretation, especially of the
Scriptures.”11 This Greek approach is very
different from the Hebraic method proposed by
this study.
The learning methods of Socrates and his
contemporaries make sense when studying, for
example, “The Iliad” by Homer or other Greek
philosophic documents, but these methods do
not necessarily bring to life all of the flavors of
11
"Hermeneutics." Dictionary.com. Accessed April 14, 2016.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hermeneutics.
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Michael H. Koplitz
ancient Middle Eastern documents. This Greek
approach is the method of Bible study that has
been employed by Christianity for over 1900
years.
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
Introducing the Ten Commandments
ל־ה ְדּ ָב ִ ֥רים
ַ וַ יְ ַד ֵבּ֣ר ֱא ִ֔הים ֵ ֛את ָכּWTT Exodus 20:1
אתי
֛ ִ הוֹצ
ֵ הו֣ה ֱא ֶ ֑֔הי ֲא ֶ ֧שׁר
ָ ְ ָ ֽאנ ִ ֹ֖כ֙י י2 מר׃ ס
ֹ ֽ ָה ֵ ֖א ֶלּה ֵלא
ֵמ ֶ ֥א ֶרץ ִמ ְצ ַ ֖ריִ ם ִמ ֵ ֣בּ֥ית ֲﬠ ָב ִ ֑דֽים׃
NAU
Exodus 20:1 Then God spoke all these
words, saying, 2 "I am the LORD your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out
of the house of slavery.
The Hebrew people had gone into Egypt
when a famine struck the land of Canaan in
the days of Jacob. His son Joseph was sold
into slavery by ten of his brothers who were
jealous that their father Jacob favored Joseph.
While in Egypt, Joseph was able to rise to the
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Michael H. Koplitz
rank of the viceroy of Egypt and was
responsible for food distributions. His
brothers came before him one day asking to
purchase grain. They had a family reunion.
The brothers returned to Canaan, and the
family traveled to Egypt.
There was a time in Egyptian history that
a Semitic dynasty existed in the Goshen area
of Egypt. Joseph’s rise to power was because
the Pharaoh was a Semite at the time. The
invitation to Joseph’s family to come to Egypt
and being settled in Goshen supports this
idea. Goshen was in the Nile delta region and
was very fertile. The Hebrew people thrived
and proliferated in this area.
The Semitic dynasty came to an end.
What was the new Pharoah going to do with
the large population of Hebrew people in
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Goshen? The solution was to enslave the
people. By doing so, the Pharoah was able to
advert a revolution by the Semitic people in
Egypt. It also gave him a large workforce.
The Hebrew people never forgot about
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They
had not experienced a revelation of the
LORD while they were in Egypt until the
redeemer came. Moses, the redeemer, directed
the power of the LORD against Egypt and
was able to free the slaves.
The Exodus from Egypt and the
reception of the Ten Commandments is the
defining moment for the Hebrew people. The
people traveled through the Red Sea and made
their way to Mount Sinai. This mountain had
been considered the mountain of God for
many years. Moses met an angel of the LORD
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at the Burning Bush on Mount Sinai. The time
had come for all of Israel to meet the LORD.
The Ten Commandments commence
with a positive commandment that the people
must believe in the LORD who brought them
out of slavery. It is written in the Mechilta that
a conquering king entered his new domain and
the populace asked him to pronounce his
decrees. He responded, “First, you must
accept my sovereignty; only then can I set
forth my decrees.” The LORD was saying to
Israel that she had to accept the sovereignty of
the LORD before they would receive His
laws.12
12
Nosson Scherman, The Chumash: the Torah: Haftaros and
Five Megillos, with a Commentary Anthologized from the
Rabbinic Writings (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1998).
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הו֣ה
ָ ְי
This word is usually translated as “I am
the LORD your God.”
This is the name of God that Moses
received at the Burning Bush. In most
English Bible translations it is translated as
“the LORD.” Usually, the actual name of
God is capitalized. This is the name of God
that the High Priest would say once a year
on Yom Kippur in the Temple at Jerusalem.
The High Priest would be in front of the Ark
of the Covenant when he said that name.
Unfortunately, with the destruction of the
Second Temple in Jerusalem, the name was
never spoken again. The pronunciation of
the name was lost. Hebrew does not have
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written vowels thus the loss of the
pronunciation. Yahweh may be the correct
pronunciation, but this will never be known.
Therefore, this phrase could be translated as
“I am Yahweh your God.”
“who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out
of the house of slavery.”
Why would the LORD have to identify
Himself to the people? The Sage Rashi
suggests that since the LORD does not have
a body that it was difficult for the people to
perceive
the
LORD’s
essence.
Our
understanding of the LORD is defined on
how the LORD manifests himself. In Egypt,
the Hebrew people experienced the LORD as
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a mighty warrior. At Sinai, the LORD was a
compassionate Father.13
The Zohar14 explains that the LORD
redeemed the people at the forty-ninth and
next to the absolute lowest possible level of
spiritual contamination. This is why the
Exodus is mentioned numerous times in the
Torah and in connection with the many
commandments.15
13
IBID.
“The Zohar (Hebrew ;זֹהַ רSplendor, radiance) is widely
considered the most important work of Kabbalah, Jewish
mysticism. It is a mystical commentary on the Torah (five books
of Moses), written in medieval Aramaic and medieval Hebrew.
It contains a mystical discussion of the nature of God, the origin
and structure of the universe, the nature of souls, sin,
redemption, good and evil, and related topics. The Zohar is not
one book, but a group of books. These books include scriptural
interpretations as well as material on theosophic theology,
mythical cosmogony, mystical psychology, and what some
would
call
anthropology.”
Source:
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-zohar
15
IBID.
14
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The FIRST Commandment
ֽה־ל ֛֩ ֱא ִ ֙ ֥הים ֲא ֵח ִ ֖ ֜רים ַﬠל־
ְ ֽ ֣ל ֹא יִ ְה ֶיWTT Exodus 20:3
ָפּ ָ ֗ ֽניַ ׃
NAU
Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other
gods before Me.
The LORD is the creator of Heaven and
Earth. There is no other God. This is a
foundational stone of the Hebrew people and
a statement of their faith in the LORD. Their
devotion to the LORD as the one and only
God of Heaven and Earth makes them an
outstanding people. This faith in the LORD is
what kept them alive throughout the centuries
of persecution and severe suffering. Many
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Michael H. Koplitz
people have tried to destroy the Hebrew
people. The people’s faith that the LORD
would ensure that a remnant of the people
always survived is a significant factor in the
faith.
The LORD is a spiritual Deity. The
LORD is God from everlasting to everlasting.
He is the creator and sole ruler of the
Universe. The LORD does not share this
action, unlike the pagan gods of the tribes and
nations of the ancient world.
ַל־פּ ָ ֗ ֽני
ָ ַﬠ
This phrase raises a different translation
than is usually found in the English versions
of the Bible. It can be translated as “above my
face.” To be “above my face” means to be in
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the presence. “My presence” means forever.
Since the LORD is eternal, then this
commandment is eternal. Therefore, another
translation can be:
“You shall not recognize the gods of
others in My presence.”
From the English translation, “no other
gods” implies that the Hebrew people at Sinai
did not believe in monotheism. The Hebrew
people believed that their God, Yahweh, was
the sole creator of Heaven and Earth. In
ancient times it was believed that every nation
had their god(s) that took care of them. It was
believed that nations went to war on Earth
because a holy war broke out between rival
gods. The full understanding of monotheism
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Michael H. Koplitz
does not come until the Babylon Exile period.
The book of Jonah states that the LORD is
God over all nations. Jonah is sent by the
LORD to warn the Ninevites that punishment
was coming to them because of their bad
ethics, morals, and sins. Jonah tries to run
from the LORD. It was believed that the
LORD resided inside the borders of the
Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel.
Jonah quickly discovered that the LORD is
everywhere when the storm hit the boat he
was on.
The alternate translation demonstrates
this inherent belief of the time. The LORD
told the people that to recognize any other
god was unacceptable. It is a statement of
monotheism and it recognizes the people’s
understanding. The people spent 270 years in
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Egypt. During that time they learned about
the various Egyptian deities. It would take
time for the Hebrew people to come to a full
understanding of what monotheism is.
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Michael H. Koplitz
42
Understanding the Ten Commandments
The SECOND Commandment
ל־תּמוּנָ֡ ֔ה ֲא ֶ ֤שׁ֣ר ַבּ ָ֙שּׁ ַ ֣מיִ ֙ם׀
ְ ה־ל ֥ ֣ ֶ֙ ֣פ ֶסל֙ ׀ וְ ָכ
ְ ֽ ֣ל ֹא ַ ֽת ֲﬠ ֶ ֙שׂ4
ִמ ֡ ַ ֔מּ ַﬠל ַו ֲֽא ֶ ֥שׁר֩ ָבּ ָ ֖֙א ֶרץ ִמ ַָ֑֜תּ ַחת וַ ֲא ֶ ֥שׁ֣ר ַבּ ַ ֖מּ֣יִ ם׀ ִמ ַ ֥תּ ַ֣חת
ם ִ ֣כּי ָ ֽאנ ִֹ֞כי
֒ ח ֥ו ֣ה ָל ֶ ֖הם֘ וְ ֣ל ֹא ָת ָﬠ ְב ֵ ֑ד
ֶ ְ א־ת ְשׁ ַתּ
ִ ֹ ֽל5 ָל ָ ֗ ֽא ֶרץ׃
ל־בּ ִנ֛ים ַﬠל־
ָ הו֤ה ֱא ֶ֙הי ֙ ֵ ֣אל ַק ָ֔נּא ֠ ֹפּ ֵקד ֲﬠ֙וֹן ָא ֧בֹת ַﬠ
ָ ְי
ל־ר ֵבּ ִ ֖ﬠים ְלשׂ ֹנְ ָ ֽ ֑אי׃
ִ ִשׁ ֵלּ ִ ֥שׁים וְ ַﬠ
וֹתי׃ ס
ֽ ָ וּלשׁ ְֹמ ֵ ֥רי ִמ ְצ
ְ וְ ֥ ֤ﬠֹ ֶשׂה ֶ ֖֙ח ֶס ֙ד ַל ֲא ָל ִ ֑֔פים ְלא ֲֹה ַ ֖בי6
4
"You shall not make for yourself an idol, or
any likeness of what is in heaven above or on
the earth beneath or in the water under the
earth. 5 "You shall not worship them or serve
them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous
God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the
children, on the third and the fourth
generations of those who hate Me, 6 but
showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those
who love Me and keep My commandments.
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Michael H. Koplitz
This commandment has the most
explanation associated with it. Ancient people
worshiped images and idols of their deities. The
idols were made of wood, silver, gold, and
stone. The gods of ancient peoples were human
deities. Humans rose to the rank of deities
because of their power, wealth, being heroes,
kings, princes, and holy men. Many of the gods
of ancient times have been lost to antiquity,
however many of their images are available
today, and people seek out these idols today.16
The sun, moon, and the planets were
worshiped as gods and temples were erected to
allow the people to worship them. Over the
centuries as humans tried to find God, they
16
Rocco A. Errico and George M. Lamsa, Aramaic Light on
Exodus through Deuteronomy: a Commentary Based on the
Aramaic Language and Ancient Near Eastern Customs
(Smyrna, GA: Noohra Foundation, Inc., 2008).
44
Understanding the Ten Commandments
even worshiped animals, trees, brooks, fish, and
other creatures. This commandment makes it
clear that human deities, the lights in the sky nor
the animals and plants on the Earth were god.
Ancient people would hold processions
and feasts to their deities. Many times people
argued and fought each other in an attempt to
elevate their deity. They would argue over
which god was born first.
Our God is a spiritual deity. One cannot
see God. Therefore, one cannot portray Him
with any image or idol. Over time even the
pagan religions came to acknowledge that there
was one deity that created Heaven and Earth.
However,
they
intermediaries
kept
and
their
intercessors
deities
as
between
humans and the creator of Heaven and Earth.
Every tribe and nation had their deities that they
45
Michael H. Koplitz
paid homage to, and they believed that the deity
would speak to the creator for them.
ה־ל ֥ ֣ ֶ֙ ֣פ ֶסל
ְ ( ַ ֽת ֲﬠ ֶ ֙שׂExod. 20:4 WTT)
This phrase is translated as “make
yourself an idol.” It can also be translated as
“make yourself something hewed.” As noted
early, in ancient times metal, wood or stone
would be hewed into an image of an idol. Not
only was the LORD saying not to have idols
He also said do not make idols. There were
Hebrews who probably made idols for the
surrounding tribes because it was a form of
income. However, this commandment not
only forbids the Hebrews from worshiping
such idols it also prevents them from making
them for other people.
46
Understanding the Ten Commandments
ל־תּמוּנָ֡ ֔ה
ְ ( וְ ָכExod. 20:4 WTT)
This phrase means “or any likeness.” The
ban against making idols for Israel or any
other tribe is further inforced by the repetition
of the ban to manufacture idols.
ָבּ ָ ֖֙א ֶרץ ִמ ַָ֑֜תּ ַחת וַ ֲא ֶ ֥שׁ֣ר ַבּ ַ ֖מּ֣יִ ם׀ ִמ ַ ֥ ֣תּ ַחת ָל ָ ֗ ֽא ֶרץ
(Exod. 20:4 WTT)
This phrase is translated as “on the earth
beneath or in the water under the earth.” This
phrase makes it inclusive that anything that
grows on the Earth, any animal on the Earth,
and everything that is in the oceans cannot be
worshiped as a deity. This covers the ancient
tribal belief that the plants, earthly animals,
and water-based animals cannot be considered
deities.
47
Michael H. Koplitz
( ַק ָ֔נּאExod. 20:5 WTT)
This word is usually translated as
“jealous.” It can be translated as “zealous” or
“ impassioned.” There are two places in the
Hebrew Scripture that this word refers to
“jealous.” This verse and in Numbers 5:14
which refers to a suspicious husband’s claim
that his wife was unfaithful, it means abuse of
trust and someone’s refusal to give up
something that is rightfully his.
In this verse, referring to idolatry, it
means that God alone is entitled to the
veneration of humans and will not stand for
the countenance worship to other false gods.
The Mechilta reads that God says, “For
48
Understanding the Ten Commandments
idolatry, I zealously exact punishment, but in
other matters, I am gracious and merciful.”17
ל־ר ֵבּ ִ ֖ﬠים
ִ ל־שׁ ֵלּ ִ ֥שׁים וְ ַﬠ
ִ ל־בּ ִנ֛ים ַﬠ
ָ ֠ ֹפּ ֵקד ֲﬠ֙וֹן ָא ֧בֹת ַﬠ
ְלשׂ ֹנְ ָ ֽ ֑אי
(Exod. 20:5 WTT)
This phrase is translated as “visiting the
iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the
third and the fourth generations of those who
hate Me.” How can children be punished for
the behavior of their parents? The Sages tell
us that the children can be punished for the
sins of their parents if they continue to sin in
the same manner. This creates a legacy and
when the sin is repeated throughout several
generations then the sin can become a
17
Nosson Scherman, The Chumash: the Torah: Haftaros and
Five Megillos, with a Commentary Anthologized from the
Rabbinic Writings (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1998).
49
Michael H. Koplitz
legitimate part of the society’s culture and a
way of life. Thus a new pattern of behavior is
established. Sins are not acceptable to the
LORD even if the culture accepts the sin as a
part of its overall laws and behavior.18
וֹתי
ֽ ָ וּלשׁ ְֹמ ֵ ֥רי ִמ ְצ
ְ ( וְ ֥ ֤ﬠֹ ֶשׂה ֶ ֖֙ח ֶס ֙ד ַל ֲא ָל ִ ֑֔פים ְלא ֲֹה ַ ֖ביExod.
20:6 WTT)
This phrase is translated as “but showing
lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love
Me and keep My commandments.” It means
that the LORD will find kindness to at least two
thousand generations who keep His laws and
these commandments.
18
IBID.
50
Understanding the Ten Commandments
The THIRD Commandment
4
ל־תּמוּנָ֡ ֔ה ֲא ֶ ֤שׁ֣ר ַבּ ָ֙שּׁ ַ ֣מיִ ֙ם׀
ְ ה־ל ֥ ֣ ֶ֙ ֣פ ֶסל֙ ׀ וְ ָכ
ְ ֽ ֣ל ֹא ַ ֽת ֲﬠ ֶ ֙שׂ
ִמ ֡ ַ ֔מּ ַﬠל ַו ֲֽא ֶ ֥שׁר֩ ָבּ ָ ֖֙א ֶרץ ִמ ַָ֑֜תּ ַחת וַ ֲא ֶ ֥שׁ֣ר ַבּ ַ ֖מּ֣יִ ם׀ ִמ ַ ֥ ֣תּ ַחת
( ָל ָ ֗ ֽא ֶרץ׃Exod. 20:4 WTT)
7
"You shall not take the name of the LORD
your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave
him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
(Exod. 20:7 NAU)
What does it mean to take the name of
God in vain? To do this, the word ( ָ ֑שּׁוְ אExod.
20:7 WTT) must be examined. In principal
English translations of the Scripture, this word
is translated as “in vain.” It means “vanity” or
“falsehood.” For this commandment, the
translation
“falsehood”
is
fitting.
This
commandment comes from the method that
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Michael H. Koplitz
merchants and buyers were using. A negotiation
for the price of an object would occur between
a buyer and seller. Prices were not marked on
items. Instead, a negotiating of price occurred.
The merchant would start at a high price. The
buyer would refuse to pay such a price. The
merchant might lower the price and invoke the
name of the LORD. The buyer would also
invoke the name of the LORD when a
counteroffer was made. The buyer would
invoke the name of his son, swear on the graves
of his ancestors, for the merchant to give him
the actual price. Through bargaining over goods
the name of the LORD was used to cheat and
deceive.19
19
Rocco A. Errico and George M. Lamsa, Aramaic Light on
Exodus through Deuteronomy: a Commentary Based on the
Aramaic Language and Ancient Near Eastern Customs
(Smyrna, GA: Noohra Foundation, Inc., 2008).
52
Understanding the Ten Commandments
The Targum Onkelos20 translates the
first part of the commandment as: “Thou shalt
not swear in the name of the Lord thy God
vainly.” This translation corresponds to the
usage of the LORD’s name in business
transactions.
ת־שׁ ֖מוֹ ַל ָ ֽשּׁוְ א
ְ הוה ֵ ֛את ֲא ֶשׁר־יִ ָ ֥שּׂא ֶא
֔ ָ ְִ ֣כּי ֤ל ֹא יְנַ ֶקּ ֙ה י
(Exod. 20:7 WTT)
20
During the period when the Jews suffered bitterly under the
rule of the hated Emperor Hadrian who quelled the uprising of
Bar Kochba, razed the great city of Bethar and murdered many
Jews, among them Rabbi Akivah (approximately in the year
3880, 52 years after the destruction of the second Beth
Hamikdosh), there arose a bright star that lights up the Jewish
heavens even to this day. We are referring to the great Onkelos,
who translated the Torah into Aramaic, a translation (which is
also an interpretation) known as "Targum Onkelos." It is printed
almost in every Chumash. "Targum Onkelos" is so holy that
when one reviews the weekly portion (as one is supposed to do
every week) it has to be reviewed twice in the Chumash and
once
in
Targum.
Source:
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/112286/jewis
h/Onkelos.htm
53
Michael H. Koplitz
This phrase is usually translated as “for
the LORD will not leave him unpunished, who
takes His name in vain.” A closer translation to
the original Hebrew is “for the LORD will not
clear one who swears falsely by His name.
(Exod. 20:7 TNK)” When a person swears an
oath and uses the LORD’s name, the person is
saying that his/her word is as right as the
LORD’s existence. If the oath is violated the
person who made the oath is holding the
LORD in contempt. In doing so the LORD will
never absolve the person.21
21
Nosson Scherman, The Chumash: the Torah: Haftaros and
Five Megillos, with a Commentary Anthologized from the
Rabbinic Writings (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1998).
54
Understanding the Ten Commandments
The FORTH Commandment
ים ַ ֽתּ ֲﬠ ֔בֹ ֘ד
֙ יָמ
֣ ִ ֵ ֤שׁ ֶ֣שׁת9 זָ ֛כוֹר֩ ֶאת־י֥֙ וֹם ַה ַשּׁ ָ ֖֜בּת ְל ַק ְדּ ֽ֗שׁוֹ׃8
◌
֒ אכ ֶ ֽתּ ׃
ְ ל־מ ַל
ְ ית ָכּ
ָ וְ ָﬠ ִ ֖ ֣שׂ
שׂה ָכל־
֣ ֙ ֶ א־ת ֲﬠ
ַ ֹ יהו֣ה ֱא ֶ ֑֗הי ֽ ֣ל
ָ יﬠי ַשׁ ָ ֖בּ֣ת׀ ַל
ִ֜ ֔ וֹם ַה ְשּׁ ִב
֙ וְ ֙י10
וּב ֶה ְמ ֶ֔ ֗תּ
ְ ֜֙ וּבנְ ֽ ֣־וּ ִ֠ב ֶ֗תּ ַﬠ ְב ְדּ ֙ ֤ וַ ֲא ָ ֽמ ְת
ִ אכה ַא ָ ֣תּה׀
֜ ָ֡ ְמ ָל
שׁר ִבּ ְשׁ ָﬠ ֶ ֽ֔רי ׃
֣ ֥ ֶ וְ גֵ ְר ֙ ֖ ֲא
ת־ה ָ֗א ֶרץ
ָ ת־ה ָשּׁ ַ ֣מיִ ם וְ ֶא
ַ הוה ֶא
֜ ָ ְים ָﬠ ָ ֙שׂה י
֩ ת־יָמ
ִ ִ ֣כּי ֵ ֽשׁ ֶשׁ11
ל־כּן
ֵ֗ יﬠי ַﬠ
֑ ִ ר־בּם וַ יָּ ֖נַ ח ַבּיּ֣ וֹם ַה ְשּׁ ִב
ָ֔ ל־א ֶשׁ
ֲ ת־כּ
ָ ת־היָּ ֙ם וְ ֶא
ַ ֶא
הו֛ה ֶאת־י֥וֹם ַה ַשּׁ ָ ֖בּת ַ ֽו ַיְק ְדּ ֵ ֽשׁהוּ׃ ס
ָ ְֵבּ ַ ֧ר י
(Exod. 20:8-11 WTT)
8
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9
"Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10
but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD
your God; in it you shall not do any work, you
or your son or your daughter, your male or your
female servant or your cattle or your sojourner
who stays with you. 11 "For in six days the
LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea
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Michael H. Koplitz
and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh
day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath
day and made it holy.
(Exod. 20:8-11 NAU)
The observance of the sabbath is a
foundational stone of the Hebraic religion.
During the time of Yeshua the Messiah of
Nazareth, Sabbath observance was the most
important of the Ten Commandments. Vast
commentaries
detailing
strict
and
rigid
observance of the sabbath were written. The
day was supposed to be a time for people to be
free from all the toils and work of the masses so
that they would be with their families and
worship the LORD.
The sabbath day was changed to Sunday
by Emperor Constantine for Christianity. The
Council of Laodicea in 360 CE changed the
56
Understanding the Ten Commandments
date. The Emperor made himself the guardian
of the faith.22 By doing so he could change any
aspect of Christianity that he wished.
In modern times the Sabbath is a time for
prayer, fasting and good works. The Sabbath
reminds us that the LORD is the creator of
Heaven and Earth. It also reminds us that the
LORD spent six days creating Heaven and
Earth, and He rested on the seventh day. The
Sabbath is to be sanctified by wearing beautiful
clothing, eating excellent food, and devoting the
day to the study of the Scripture and in service
to the LORD.23
22
Rocco A. Errico and George M. Lamsa, Aramaic Light on
Exodus through Deuteronomy: a Commentary Based on the
Aramaic Language and Ancient Near Eastern Customs
(Smyrna, GA: Noohra Foundation, Inc., 2008).
23
Nosson Scherman, The Chumash: the Torah: Haftaros and
Five Megillos, with a Commentary Anthologized from the
Rabbinic Writings (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1998).
57
Michael H. Koplitz
( זָ ֛כוֹרExod. 20:8 WTT)
This word means “to remember.” "It
also implies repentance (see Ezek 6:9) or
observing the commandments (see Num 15:40)
especially that of the Sabbath (Exo 20:8). “For
the ends of the earth, remembrance is
repentance” (Psa 22:27). In political relations,
not remembering a treaty is to break it (see
Amos 1:9). Such cases are clear examples of
distinct causes and effects, but in some other
cases the relation between the remembering and
the joint action is so close that they are virtually
identified in the mind of the writer.”24
24
R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke,
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody
Press, 2004).
58
Understanding the Ten Commandments
A part of the sanctification of the
Sabbath is to repent for any sins that have been
committed. If this is done every week on the
Sabbath then repentance would be for the week
and the soul would be cleansed.
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Michael H. Koplitz
60
Understanding the Ten Commandments
The FIFTH Commandment
יָמי ַ ֚ﬠל
ֶ֔ ת־א ֶ ֑מּ ְל ַ֙מ ַ ֙ﬠן יַ ֲא ִר ֣כוּן
ִ ת־א ִ ֖בי וְ ֶא
ָ ַכּ ֵ ֥בּד ֶא
הו֥ה ֱא ֶ ֖הי נ ֵ ֹ֥תן ָ ֽל ׃ ס
ָ ְ( ָה ֲא ָד ָ֔מה ֲא ֶשׁר־יExod. 20:12
WTT)
12
"Honor your father and your mother, that
your days may be prolonged in the land which
the LORD your God gives you. (Exod. 20:12
NAU)
In the Near East, family ties were
essential and were preserved for a long time. It
was not unusual for children to live with their
parents under the same roof. It was a sacred
duty to care for parents. Besides, children would
seek out the wisdom and counsel from their
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Michael H. Koplitz
parents. In return, their parents offered
blessings and guidance to their children.25
The Sages believed that when honoring
one’s parent that one was honoring the LORD.
Having respect for parents is a part of one’s
obligation to the LORD.26
ת־א ֶ ֑מּ
ִ ת־א ִ ֖בי וְ ֶא
ָ ( ַכּ ֵ ֥בּד ֶאExod. 20:12 WTT)
This phrase is translated as “honor your
father and mother.” What does it mean to pay
honor? The first word of the phrase can be
25
Rocco A. Errico and George M. Lamsa, Aramaic Light on
Exodus through Deuteronomy: a Commentary Based on the
Aramaic Language and Ancient Near Eastern Customs
(Smyrna, GA: Noohra Foundation, Inc., 2008).
26
Nosson Scherman, The Chumash: the Torah: Haftaros and
Five Megillos, with a Commentary Anthologized from the
Rabbinic Writings (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1998).
62
Understanding the Ten Commandments
translated as “be heavy, grievous, hard, rich,
honorable, or glorious.”27
To honor parents refers to deeds that
raise the status of parents or provide them with
comfort if necessary, which would include food,
drink, clothing, and shelter. A child is not
permitted to do anything that would disgrace or
degrade their parents.
Children who have abusive parents
might find it difficult, if not impossible, to
honor their parents. The Sages connect the
tenth commandment about coveting with the
fifth commandment about honoring parents.
The Mechilta connects the two by saying that a
covetous parent will have children who
27
R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke,
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody
Press, 2004).
63
Michael H. Koplitz
dishonor them, because the parent’s selfishness
can lead them to overstep all bounds of decent
conduct, putting selfish desires above all other
considerations.28
Another view of abusive parents is that
their abusiveness indicates that they are not
spiritual people and do not hold the LORD in
reverence. Children are a blessing from the
LORD. Abusive parents do not view children
as blessings but rather as curses. When a parent
views a blessing from the LORD as a curse,
then they are not obeying the Word of the
LORD. This type of person turns to the
negative side of the Universe and can become
overtaken by Satan because of their evil ways. It
28
Nosson Scherman, The Chumash: the Torah: Haftaros and
Five Megillos, with a Commentary Anthologized from the
Rabbinic Writings (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1998).
64
Understanding the Ten Commandments
is against the Laws of the LORD to honor any
person who has become a part of the Kingdom
of Satan. Therefore, the children would be
exempt from this commandment until their
abusive parents leave the Kingdom of Satan,
repent, and return to the ways of the LORD
because one must not honor Satan or his evil
demons.
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Michael H. Koplitz
66
Understanding the Ten Commandments
The SIXTH Commandment
֥ל ֹ֖א ִתּ ְר ָ ֖צֽח׃ סWTT Exodus 20:13
NAU
Exodus 20:13 "You shall not murder.
A person who believes in the LORD and
His Word would not commit murder. The
LORD is the creator and sustainer of life. It is
for the LORD to create souls and life and for
the LORD to destroy souls or cause death.29
When this commandment was given to
the Hebrew people, every nation had its gods,
laws, and ordinances. Therefore, this law meant
that a member of the Hebrew tribe was not
permitted to kill any other member of the tribe.
29
IBID.
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Michael H. Koplitz
During the travels in the wilderness, Moses
instructed the people to kill the men and
women of Midian. Moses issued this order
because Midian was attacking Israel. Therefore,
going to war against an enemy who is trying to
kill you is not considered murder. When the
LORD as the creator of Heaven and Earth is
accepted as universal, in the eighth century
B.C.E.30 the Ten Commandments and other
Laws which the LORD gave to the Hebrew
people became law throughout the Near East.
30
Rocco A. Errico and George M. Lamsa, Aramaic Light on
Exodus through Deuteronomy: a Commentary Based on the
Aramaic Language and Ancient Near Eastern Customs
(Smyrna, GA: Noohra Foundation, Inc., 2008).
68
Understanding the Ten Commandments
The SEVENTH Commandment
֣ל ֹ֖א ִתּנְ ָ ֑אֽף׃ סWTT Exodus 20:14
NAU
Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit
adultery.
This command refers to the sacredness
of marriage and family ties. In Genesis, it reads
that a man will leave his parents to cleave with
this
wife.
This
commandment
against
committing adultery creates the sacredness of
marriage. When Pharoah learned that he was
going to marry Abraham’s wife Sarah, Pharaoh
immediately returned her to him. Morality was
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Michael H. Koplitz
influential among the peoples in the Near
East.31
The Mechilta says that someone who
betrays the marital relationship can be expected
to betray the LORD. The violation of this
commandment is a capital offense if the
offender is cohabitating with a married woman.
The Sages created different levels of offenses
for this commandment.32
“Adultery (sexual intercourse between a
married woman and a man other than her
husband [the biblical prohibition does not
include sex between a married man and an
unmarried woman]) is the only sexual offense
recorded in the Ten Commandments. It is again
31
IBID.
Nosson Scherman, The Chumash: the Torah: Haftaros and
Five Megillos, with a Commentary Anthologized from the
Rabbinic Writings (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1998).
32
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recorded in the “Holiness Code” of Leviticus.
The Book of Genesis calls adultery “the great
sin” and the Talmud calls adultery ha’averah (the
sin par excellence). According to rabbinic
tradition, it [along with incest, in the category
of gilui arayot] is considered one of the three sins
(along with idolatry and murder) that people
should avoid even at the pain of death. The
gravity of adultery is evident by the fact that the
Bible describes the offense as being punishable
by the death penalty for both the man and the
woman.”33
33
Ronald H. Isaacs, “Adultery,” My Jewish Learning (My Jewish
Learning, February 21, 2003), Accessed September 19, 2019
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/adultery/.
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Michael H. Koplitz
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
The EIGHT Commandment
֣ל ֹ֖א ִתּגְ ֔ ֽ ֹנב׃ סWTT Exodus 20:15
NAU
Exodus 20:15 "You shall not steal.
This commandment refers explicitly to
kidnapping.34 It also refers to a kidnapping
where the victim is forced to work for the
kidnapper, and then the victim is sold into
slavery.35
The definition of stealing, not being
kidnapping, is found in the book of Leviticus.
34
R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke,
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody
Press, 2004).
35
Nosson Scherman, The Chumash: the Torah: Haftaros and
Five Megillos, with a Commentary Anthologized from the
Rabbinic Writings (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1998).
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Michael H. Koplitz
NAU
Leviticus 19:11 'You shall not steal,
nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.
(Lev. 19:11 NAU)
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
The NINTH Commandment
א־ת ֲﬠ ֶנ֥ה ְב ֵר ֲﬠ ֖ ֵ ֥ﬠד ָ ֽשׁ ֶקר׃ ס
ַ ֹ ֽלWTT Exodus 20:16
NAU
Exodus 20:16 "You shall not bear false
witness against your neighbor.
This command means that in front of a
judge only the truth can be spoken. This passage
also prohibits gossip and slander. “The Sages
apply it to prohibit testimony even in cases
where a witness is convinced that something
took place but he did not actually see it.”36
This commandment is parallel to the
fourth commandment about violating the
Sabbath. The Sabbath is a testimony that the
LORD created the Heavens and Earth in six
36
IBID.
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Michael H. Koplitz
days. It is believed that if a person can lie in a
court of law, then that person can come to deny
the LORD as the Creator of Heaven and
Earth.37
37
IBID.
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
The TENTH Commandment
מד
ֹ ֞ א־ת ְח
ַ ֹ מד ֵבּ֣ית ֵר ֶ ֑ﬠ ֽל
ֹ ֖ ֥ל ֹא ַת ְחWTT Exodus 20:17
שׁוֹרוֹ וַ ֲחמ ֹ֔רוֹ וְ ֖כֹל ֲא ֶ ֥שׁר
֣ ְתוֹ ו
֙ ֵ ֣א ֶשׁת ֵר ֗ ֶﬠ וְ ַﬠ ְב ֤דּוֹ וַ ֲא ָמ
ְל ֵר ֶ ֽﬠ ׃ פ
NAU
Exodus 20:17 "You shall not covet your
neighbor's house; you shall not covet your
neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female
servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that
belongs to your neighbor."
A peasant of a kingdom could never
draw his lust to the queen. It would never
happen. A peasant could lust after his
neighbor’s daughter because this lust could be
satisfied. A logical person realizes that desiring
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Michael H. Koplitz
something or someone which is not possible
will not attempt to gain such a prize.
Unfortunately, that is not always true. A person
who is a true disciple of the LORD would
realize that there is a reason that the LORD
does not want that person to possess something
that his/her neighbor has.38
Covetousness is a form of lust because it
takes over the person into wanting something
that is not theirs. Covetousness tends to lead
one to other crimes, such as theft and murder.
Not lusting over what a neighbor has is the best
way to prevent any offenses against the Laws of
the LORD.
There are biblical narratives about what
covetousness can do. There is a narrative about
38
IBID.
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
King Ahab who coveted a field and what
happened when he could not buy it at first.
There is a narrative about what happened to
King David when he lusted for Bathsheba.
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Michael H. Koplitz
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
Conclusion
When
examining
the
Ten
Commandments in its original language and
connecting the ancient culture of the Near East,
the original meaning is discovered. Over the
years the Ten Commandments were read and
obeyed by a literal interpretation. The literal
reading of the Ten Commandments using
Western/Greek analysis is what takes away the
original meaning. Applying Ancient Bible Study
Methods brings back the original meaning.
The Ten Commandments in its original
form applies to any society in any age. Instead
of removing the Ten Commandments from
public places, society should be educating its
people about their intentions. The world would
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be a better place if all people would follow the
Word of the LORD.
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Understanding the Ten Commandments
Bibliography
2003. Adultery. February 21. Accessed September 19,
2019.
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/adu
ltery/.
Friedman, David. 2001. They Loved the Torah: What
Jesus' first followers Really thought about the
Law. Baltimore, MD: Lederer Books.
Harris, Robert Laird. 1981. Theological Word Book of the
Old Testament.
n.d. Hermeneutics. Accessed April 14, 2016.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hermen
eutics.
Parsons, John. n.d. Theology and Greek Mindset Set.
Accessed August 01, 2016.
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Hel
lenism/hellenism.html.
Price, Robert. n.d. New Testament Narrative as Old
Testament Midrash. Accessed August 01, 2016.
http://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/art_
midrash1.htm.
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Scherman, Nosson. 1998. The Chumash: The Torah:
Haftaros and Five Megillos. Brooklyn, NY:
Mesorah Publications.
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