Exodus 20:2

2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

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Exodus 20:2 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
English Standard Version (ESV)
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
New Living Translation (NLT)
2 “I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
The Message Bible (MSG)
2 I am God, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a life of slavery.
American Standard Version (ASV)
2 I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
2 "I am the LORD your God. I brought you out of Egypt. That is the land where you were slaves.

Exodus 20:2 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 20:2

I am the Lord thy God
This verse does not contain the first of these commands, but is a preface to them, showing that God had a right to enact and enjoin the people of Israel laws; and that they were under obligation to attend unto them with reverence, and cheerfully obey them, since he was the Lord, the eternal and immutable Jehovah, the Being of beings, who gives being to all creatures, and gave them theirs, and therefore had a right to give them what laws he pleased; and he was their God, their covenant God, in a special and peculiar manner, their King and their God, they being a Theocracy, and so more immediately under his government, and therefore had laws given them preferable to what any other people had:

which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt:
where they had been afflicted many years, and reduced to great distress, but were brought forth with an high hand, and with great riches, and in a very wonderful and miraculous manner; so that they were under great obligations to yield a ready and cheerful obedience to the will of God:

out of the house of bondage:
or "servants" F2; that is, where they had been servants and slaves, but now were made free, and were become a body politic, a kingdom of themselves, under their Lord, King, Lawgiver, and Saviour, Jehovah himself, and therefore to be governed by laws of his enacting; and this shows that this body of laws was delivered out to the people of Israel, and primarily belong to them; for of no other can the above things be said.


FOOTNOTES:

F2 (Mydbe) "servorum", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Exodus 20:2 In-Context

1 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

Cross References 4

  • 1. S Genesis 17:7; Exodus 16:12; Leviticus 19:2; Leviticus 20:7; Isaiah 43:3; Ezekiel 20:19
  • 2. S Genesis 15:7
  • 3. S Exodus 6:6
  • 4. Exodus 13:3; Ezekiel 20:6
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