About the Ten Commandments

Exodus 20

Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as we discover new insights and new perspectives from a very old book.

I’m reading Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Exodus 20

The first 17 verses are probably recognizable to you as what are called the Ten Commandments. Permit me to share my brief impressions of them (using the NRSV). I’ll number the commandments as tradition has it, but also am including the specific verse numbers in the passages.

1. 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before[a] me.

The footnote for “before” says “or besides.” Perhaps meaning “in addition to me.”

Might I suggest that we all have our “Egypt” and have all been enslaved in some way. It is faith in a better life that makes a better life possible. Maybe the LORD is exactly that: the LORD is faith.

And that faith can only be internal, exclusive to you. All other “gods” are external. When they seem to be more powerful than you, they put you in the position of questioning your faith. Then you’re right back into slavery.