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00633  Overview of Exodus 19–24: The Covenant at Sinai

Der Abschnitt 2. Mose 19–24 bildet eine geschlossene heilsgeschichtliche Einheit:
den Sinaibund („altes Bündnis“, vgl. Heb 8,13).

00633  Overview of Exodus 19–24: The Covenant at Sinai

50-Line Teaser on the Main LXX Lemmas in Exodus 20

The translation of the Old Testament into the Greek Septuagint (LXX) belongs to the most important bridges between Old and New Testament.

This becomes especially clear in the way the LXX handles the key terms of Exodus 20, the “Ten Words”.

The LXX shapes the language of the New Testament writings; it virtually forms the theological vocabulary of early Christianity.

Many central terms of the NT – such as Kyrios, Logos, Dulia, Phobos or Thysiastērion – have their roots in the LXX version of the Sinai event.

Those who understand the LXX terms recognize deeper connections between law and gospel.

Exodus 20 is an exemplary case for this.

Here God Himself speaks – and the LXX expresses this speech with a linguistic clarity that reaches far beyond the OT.

Thus the divine name JHWH is consistently rendered in Greek by “Kyrios”.

This title is deliberately applied to Jesus Christ in the NT.

In this way the LXX already sets the course for New Testament Christology in the Old Testament.

Likewise the term “Elohim” is rendered as “Theos”.

The LXX uses this term in a strictly monotheistic sense – in full harmony with New Testament doctrine of God.

Particularly important is also the rendering of the Hebrew “Dewarim” by “Logoi”.

In this lies the root of the highly theological language of “Logos”, the Word of God, in the Gospel of John.

The exodus motif also finds a clear linguistic line in the LXX.

The expression “house of bondage” is translated as “Oikos douleias”.

This term is central in the New Testament, especially in Romans and Galatians.

The language about “bondage under sin and law” stands directly in the tradition of the LXX.

Equally important are the theophanic terms with which the appearance of God at Sinai is described.

Words like “Brontai” (thunders), “Astrapai” (lightnings) and “Phōnē salpingos” (trumpet sound) shape the judgment language of Revelation.

The NT thus deliberately takes up the Sinai event.

The LXX also makes clear that fear and reverence are two different things.

“Phobos” does not describe panic, but the reverent attitude before the holiness of God.

The LXX language in Exodus 20 already contains the seeds of New Testament ethics.

The LXX also shapes the language for sin and testing.

Words like “Hamartano”, “Peirazō” and “Dokimazō” become basic terms of the doctrine of faith in the NT.

These terms in the context of Sinai have a clear meaning: fear of God leads to avoiding sin.

The sacrificial and altar terminology is also guided into New Testament channels by the LXX.

The “Mizbeach” becomes “Thysiastērion”.

This term appears in Hebrews and describes the spiritual altar of the church of Christ.

Likewise the burnt offering “Olah” becomes “Holokautōma”.

This word is taken up by Hebrews when it speaks of the insufficiency of the old sacrifices.

The peace offerings “Shelamim” become “Thysiai sōtēriōn” – “sacrifices of salvation”.

In this way the LXX connects the cultic sacrifice with the saving significance fulfilled in Christ in the NT.

The LXX also brings clarity into the ethics of the neighbor.

The “Rea”, the neighbor, becomes “Plēsion”.

This term in the NT becomes the core of love of neighbor.

New Testament ethics can hardly be understood without the LXX version of Sinai.

The motif of drawing near and standing afar is also shaped by the LXX.

Israel “stood afar off” – “Makrothen”.

Moses “drew near” – “Proserchomai”.

Exactly this verb becomes the key word of faith in Hebrews.

The believer may “draw near to the throne of grace”.

The contrast between Sinai and Zion is linguistically prepared by the LXX.

The entire theology of Hebrews lives from these terms.

Whoever considers the LXX terms of Exodus 20 opens a door to deeper understanding of the entire NT.

The LXX is not merely a translation – it is a salvation-historical bridge.

It gives Sinai a language that the New Testament deliberately continues.

Therefore a careful analysis of the LXX lemmas is one of the most important tools of biblical exegesis.

Especially Exodus 20 shows how God spoke at Sinai – and how this speech in the New Covenant found its fulfillment in Christ.

Overview of Exodus 19–24: The Covenant at Sinai

The section Exodus 19–24 forms a closed salvation-historical unit:
the Sinai covenant (“old covenant”, cf. Heb. 8:13).
It consists of five clear parts:

A. Exodus 19 – The Preparation at Sinai

Israel arrives in the third month after the exodus at Sinai (19:1).

God calls:

“You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (19:6).

The people answer rashly:

“All that Jehovah has spoken we will do” (19:8).

The people are set apart, washed, boundaries are set.

The mountain quakes, thunders, smokes – God’s majesty is revealed.

➡ This forms the proposal of the covenant.

B. Exodus 20 – The Ten Words (“Ten Commandments”)

“And God spoke all these words” (20:1).

They are the foundation of the covenant, but not the whole body of legislation.

They contain moral norms that reflect God’s holy character.

The people are afraid and stand at a distance (20:18–21).

➡ These are the principles of divine righteousness.

C. Exodus 21–23 – The Book of the Covenant

Often called “the Book of the Covenant” (23:7).

Outworking of the Ten Words for daily life:

• Law concerning slaves

• Compensation for damage

• Property law

• Protection of the weak

• Social regulations

• Sabbath and feasts

• Jurisdiction / judicial procedures

➡ This is the practical concretization of the Ten Words.

D. Exodus 24:1–11 – The Conclusion of the Covenant

The “Book of the Covenant” is read to the people.

The people again answer:

“All that Jehovah has said will we do!” (24:3).

Moses sprinkles the blood on the people and the altar:

“Behold the blood of the covenant” (24:8).

The elders see “the God of Israel” and eat in His presence.

➡ Here the covenant is solemnly concluded.

E. Exodus 24:12–18 – Beginning of the Instructions for the Sanctuary

Moses goes up the mountain for 40 days.

God begins to reveal the sanctuary.

➡ Transition to the next major block (chapters 25–31).

2. Consideration of Exodus 20 – The Ten Words

Introductory

The text begins with great simplicity and majesty:

“And God spoke all these words, saying:” (Ex. 20:1, ELB 1905)

Not Moses, not an angel –
God Himself speaks directly to Israel.

The Hebrew designation is:

עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים – ʿáséret ha-dĕvārím
“The Ten Words”

2.1 Structure of the Ten Words

They divide into two tablets:

• Tablet 1 – Relationship to God (commandments 1–4)

• Tablet 2 – Relationship to one’s neighbor (commandments 5–10)

The order shows God’s thoughts:
Worship → life → relationships → property → hearts → thoughts.

3. Verse-by-verse Notes on Exodus 20

(Elberfelder 1905; selected Hebrew key words transliterated)

Verse 2 – Preamble of the Law

“I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”

Transliteration:

• יְהוָה – JHWH / Yahweh / Jehovah

• מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים – mi-bêt ʿavadím – “out of the house of slaves”

Thought:

• Grace precedes law.

• Deliverance precedes demand.

• God refers to His redeeming act.

1st Commandment (v. 3)

“You shall have no other gods before My face.”

Translit.:
אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים – elohím achérim – “other gods”

God claims exclusive worship.

2nd Commandment (vv. 4–6) – Prohibition of Images

“You shall not make for yourself a graven image…”

Translit.:

• פֶּסֶל – pesel – “carved image, idol”

• תְּמוּנָה – temunáh – “likeness, representation”

Thought:

Not only false gods are forbidden –
also false conceptions of the true God.

3rd Commandment (v. 7) – The Name of God

“You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain.”

Translit.:
לַשָּׁוְא – la-sháv – “to emptiness, to nothingness”

God’s name is His being.
Misuse means dishonoring Him.

4th Commandment (vv. 8–11) – Sabbath

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

Translit.:
שַׁבָּת – shabbát – “day of rest”

The Sabbath is memorial of creation and sign of the covenant with Israel (Ex. 31:13).

5th Commandment (v. 12) – Parents

“Honor your father and your mother.”

Translit.:
כַּבֵּד – kabbéd – “honor, give weight”

First commandment with a promise.

6th Commandment (v. 13) – Life

“You shall not kill.”

Translit.:
לֹא תִּרְצָח – lo tirtsách – “you shall not murder”
Meant is intentional killing.

7th Commandment (v. 14) – Marriage

“You shall not commit adultery.”

Translit.:
לֹא תִּנְאָף – lo tinʾáf

Marriage is holy (Mal. 2:14).

8th Commandment (v. 15) – Property

“You shall not steal.”

Translit.:
לֹא תִּגְנֹב – lo tignóv

9th Commandment (v. 16) – Truth

“You shall not bear false witness…”

Translit.:
עֵד שָׁקֶר – ʿed sháqer – “false witness, lying witness”

10th Commandment (v. 17) – Coveting

“You shall not covet…”

Translit.:
לֹא תַחְמֹד – lo tachmód – “you shall not covet”

Here the law penetrates from action to the heart.
Paul: “I had not known sin, except through the law” (Rom. 7:7).

vv. 18–21 – Israel’s Fear and Distance

The people fear the voice of God and say to Moses:

“Speak you with us … but let God not speak with us, lest we die.”

Only in Christ has the distance been overcome (Heb. 12:18–24).

vv. 22–26 – The Altar

The section ends – surprisingly – not with a demand,
but with an altar of earth or unhewn stones:
God’s way to Himself does not run through works (no hewn stone), but through grace.

4. Summary

Exodus 19–24 forms the Sinai covenant:
Preparation → Ten Words → Book of the Covenant → blood covenant → instructions for the sanctuary.

Exodus 20 contains the Ten Words, universal moral principles.

Hebrew key terms show:
God demands heart, truth, purity, fear of God.

The section ends with a reference to sacrifice and grace – a foretaste of Christ.

Word Study – Exodus 20 (עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים)

“The Ten Words”

1. Preamble – Ex. 20:2

🟩 יְהוָה – JHWH (Jehovah)
Root: הוה/היה (“to be, to become”)
Meaning: “The One who is”, “Who is, who was, who is to come”.
Grammar: Tetragram; never provided with vowels in the text.
Theological meaning: The covenant name. The authority of the law comes from God’s being, not from tradition.

🟩 אֱלֹהֶיךָ – elohecha
“your God”
2nd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix.
Emphasis: The God who speaks stands in relationship to an individual.

🟩 מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים – mi-bêt ʿavadím
בַּיִת – bayit: house
עֶבֶד – ʿéved: servant / slave
Plural: עֲבָדִים – ʿavadím

“House of slaves” means:
Israel’s condition in Egypt was total disposal by Pharaoh.

Theological line:
Out of this “house” God leads out (salvation-historically a picture of redemption through Christ).

2. First Word – Ex. 20:3

🟩 לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ – lo jihje lecha
“It shall not be to you…”
Verb: היה – hajah (“to be”) – imperfect 3rd pers. sing.
With “לְ”: “for you, in your sphere/possession”.

🟩 אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים – elohím achérim
אֱלֹהִים – elohím: gods (plural form, here abstract as powers).
אֲחֵרִים – achérim: “other / foreign / different”.

“Other gods” in Hebrew means:
beings or powers which demand loyalty – even if only in thought (cf. Ezek. 14:4 – “idols in the heart”).

3. Second Word – Ex. 20:4–6

🟩 פֶּסֶל – pesel
Root: פסל – “to hew, carve”.
Meaning:

• carved image

• cultic statue

• a representation embodying a divine power

The Hebrew word emphasizes:
👉 People make their god by human work.

🟩 תְּמוּנָה – temunáh
Root: מין / מן – “kind, form”.
Meaning:

• likeness, form, appearance

• visual representation

• also mental conception

Important:
The prohibition aims not only at real statues, but at false conceptions of God.

🟩 לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה – lo tischtachawéh
From שחה – schacháh, “to bow down, worship”.
Hitpael / histaphel form.
Basic idea:
A posture of prostration before a superior.

🟩 קַנָּא – qannáʾ (jealous)
Root: קנא – “to be zealous, to protect passionately”.
When applied to God:

• exclusive love

• holy claim

• indivisible right

God’s “jealousy” is covenant faithfulness, not emotional instability.

4. Third Word – Ex. 20:7

🟩 לַשָּׁוְא – la-sháv
Root: שוא – “emptiness, vanity, falsehood, futility”.
The word includes:

• false oaths

• empty talk

• superficial use

• dishonoring His majesty

The prohibition does not concern the mere uttering of the name,
but using it for nothing, to what is empty.

5. Fourth Word – Ex. 20:8–11

🟩 זָכוֹר – sachór (“remember”)
Imperative, masc. singular.
Means:

• actively recall

• keep in the heart

• act on that basis

🟩 שַׁבָּת – schabbát
Root: שבת – “to cease, rest”.
Basic idea:
Rest through cessation of work, not idleness.

The Sabbath is a reminder of creation (v. 11) and a sign of the covenant with Israel (31:13–17).

🟩 לְקַדְּשׁוֹ – le-kaddeschó
From קדשׁ – qādasch, “to make holy, set apart”.
Meaning:
“to sanctify it, set it apart, treat it as different.”

6. Fifth Word – Ex. 20:12

🟩 כַּבֵּד – kabbéd (“honor”)
Root: כבד – “to be heavy, weighty”.
Meaning of “honor”:
👉 “Give weight, value, significance.”

To honor parents therefore means:
to acknowledge their dignity and role as given by God.

7. Sixth Word – Ex. 20:13

🟩 לֹא תִּרְצָח – lo tirtsách
Root: רצח – “to murder, kill maliciously”.
Not the general “to kill” (that would be הרג – harág),
but:

• intentional

• unlawful

• out of hatred or deceit

8. Seventh Word – Ex. 20:14

🟩 לֹא תִּנְאָף – lo tinʾáf
Root: נאף – “to commit adultery”.
Standard term for sexual unfaithfulness in an existing marriage.

Theologically:
Also used for covenant unfaithfulness of Israel (Hos. 4:12).

9. Eighth Word – Ex. 20:15

🟩 לֹא תִּגְנֹב – lo tignóv
Root: גנב – “to steal, take secretly”.
Includes:

• theft of property

• man-stealing (Ex. 21:16)

• theft of ideas/words (cf. Jer. 23:30)

10. Ninth Word – Ex. 20:16

🟩 עֵד שָׁקֶר – ʿed sháqer
עֵד – ʿed: witness
שָׁקֶר – sháqer: lie, deceit, falsehood

The context is legal:
a formulated, harmful, deliberately false statement.

11. Tenth Word – Ex. 20:17

🟩 לֹא תַחְמֹד – lo tachmód (“you shall not covet”)
Root: חמד – “to desire, take delight in, want to possess”.
Use:

• positive: Ps. 19:10 “the Word of God desirable”

• negative: desire for what does not belong to me

Hebrew here captures the innermost movement of the heart.

🟩 אֵשֶׁת רֵעֶךָ – éschét reʿecha (“the wife of your neighbor”)
אִשָּׁה – ischah: woman / wife
רֵעַ – reʿa: neighbor / fellow man / companion

🟩 כֹּל אֲשֶׁר לְרֵעֶךָ – kol ascher le-reʿecha
“everything that is your neighbor’s”
Universal formulation → the most comprehensive boundary.

12. Postscript – Ex. 20:18–21

🟩 נִגָּשׁ – niggāsch (“to approach”)
Root: נגשׁ
Meaning:

• to approach

• to draw near to God (in cultic purity)

Here: “not being able to draw near because of fear”.

🟩 מוֹרָא – morá (“fear / reverence”)
From ירא – “to fear, to revere”.
Two kinds of fear:

• trembling fear (Israel, v. 19)

• reverent obedience (v. 20)

13. Altar – Ex. 20:24–26

🟩 מִזְבֵּחַ – mizbéach (“altar”)
Root: זבח – “to slaughter, sacrifice”.
Meaning:
“place of approach through sacrifice”.

🟩 גָּזִית – gazít (“hewn stone”)
Root: גזז – “to cut, to hew”.
The altar was not to be made from such stones:
👉 No human work may be the basis of approach to God.

🔵 Summary of the Most Important Observations

The Ten Words do not first address external actions,
but lead into the heart (coveting).

Almost all verbs are negative clauses in the imperfect –
not as penalties, but as divine standards.

The terms are precise:

• “lo tirtsach” = murder, not killing in general

• “lo tachmod” = inner coveting

• “pesel” and “temunah” = not only outward images, but false ideas of God

God reveals Himself as qannáʾ (“the zealous One”),
expression of His exclusive covenant love.

The chapter ends with altar and sacrifice → a theological bracket:
The law shows the standard, the altar shows the way of grace.

📘 Morphological Overall Table – Hebrew Key Words in Exodus 20

Legend of abbreviations:
subst. = noun
verb. = verb
impf. = imperfect
perf. = perfect
imp. = imperative
sg./pl. = singular/plural
m./f. = masculine/feminine
cs. = construct form
st. abs. = status absolutus
1st/2nd/3rd pers. = person

🔵 1. Preamble (Ex. 20:2)

🔵 2. First Word (v. 3)

🔵 3. Second Word (vv. 4–6)

🔵 4. Third Word (v. 7)

🔵 5. Fourth Word (vv. 8–11)

🔵 6. Fifth Word (v. 12)

🔵 7. Sixth Word (v. 13)

🔵 8. Seventh Word (v. 14)

🔵 9. Eighth Word (v. 15)

🔵 10. Ninth Word (v. 16)

🔵 11. Tenth Word (v. 17)

🔵 12. Postscript & Altar (vv. 18–26)

📌 Summary

This morphological table shows:

• The Ten Words consist predominantly of imperfect verb forms as prohibitive negations (lo + impf.).

• Many key words have broad semantic fields (שוא, חמד, כבד).

• The text moves from acts (stealing, murdering) through relationships (adultery) to the inner attitude of the heart (coveting).

The chapter ends with words about the altar – morphologically and theologically a pointer to grace instead of human works.

🔵 FURTHER WORD STUDY: Synonyms – LXX – NT Connections

The Ten Words (עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים)

1. First Word – Foreign Gods (v. 3)

Hebrew main expression:
אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים – elohím achérim
“other / foreign gods”

Synonyms & related expressions

The Bible thus knows “gods” that really exist as powers (1 Cor. 10:20), but possess no creative power.

LXX

θεοὶ ἕτεροι – theoi heteroi
“other gods”, literally “of another kind”.

NT connections

• 1 Cor. 8:5–6: There are “many so-called gods”, but “one God, the Father”.

• 1 John 5:21: “Keep yourselves from idols!”

• Matt. 4:10: “You shall worship the Lord your God” – directly from Deut. 6:13.

2. Second Word – Prohibition of Images (vv. 4–6)

Main words:
פֶּסֶל – pesel (image, carved idol)
תְּמוּנָה – temunáh (form, appearance)

Synonyms in the OT

LXX

• εἴδωλον – eidōlon: idol → in the NT the central term for “idol”.

• ὁμοίωμα – homoíōma: likeness, form.

These terms shape the NT:
eidōlon becomes the central word for idolatry.

NT connections

• Rom. 1:23: “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image…”

• John 4:24: “God is Spirit” – hence the prohibition of images.

• Acts 17:29: God is not to be represented by “gold or silver or stone, a work of man’s art”.

• 1 John 5:21: “Keep yourselves from idols.”

3. Third Word – The Name of God (v. 7)

Main word:
שֵׁם – shem (name)

Synonyms & semantic field

• כָּבוֹד – kavod (glory): God’s being, God’s weight.

• נְקָרָא – niqraʾ (to be called): belonging.

LXX

ματαιότης – mataiótēs
from Hebrew שָׁוְא (emptiness, vanity).
Not false pronunciation is meant, but abuse, “empty use”.

NT connections

• Matt. 6:9: “Hallowed be Your name.”

• Phil. 2:9–10: The name of Jesus as highest revelation of God.

• Jas. 5:12: No oaths → background is the 3rd commandment.

4. Fourth Word – Sabbath (vv. 8–11)

Main word:
שַׁבָּת – schabbát (rest, sabbath)
“Ceasing” – not laziness, but completion.

Synonyms

• נוּחַ – nuach – to rest (v. 11)

• שָׁקַט – schakat – to become quiet

• מְנוּחָה – menucháh – resting place, especially God’s rest

LXX

σάββατον – sabbaton
is carried over into the NT.

NT connections

• Mark 2:27: Sabbath was made for man.

• Col. 2:16–17: Sabbath is a shadow; the reality is Christ.

• Heb. 4: “Sabbath rest” = eschatological rest of God.

5. Fifth Word – Honoring Parents (v. 12)

Main word:
כַּבֵּד – kabbéd (honor)

Word field

Root כבד means “to be heavy”, from which:

• glory

• dignity

• giving weight → “to honor”

Synonyms

• ירא (jiraʾ) – fear, respect

• שמע (schəmaʿ) – hear, obey (ethically)

LXX

τίμα – tíma
imperative of τιμάω (to honor, esteem).

NT connections

• Eph. 6:2: “the first commandment with a promise.”

• Matt. 15:4–6: Christ rebukes the Pharisees because they “invalidated” this commandment by tradition.

6. Sixth Word – Not Murder (v. 13)

Main word:
רצח – ratsach = murder (not: general “to kill”).

Related field

LXX

οὐ φονεύσεις – ou phoneuseis
“you shall not murder”.

phoneus is the murderer, not the warrior.

NT connections

• Matt. 5:21–22: Christ takes the commandment back to the root: anger.

• 1 John 3:15: “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer.”

7. Seventh Word – Not Commit Adultery (v. 14)

Root:
נאף – naʾaf

Synonyms

• זנה (zanáh) – to fornicate, commit whoredom (also spiritually)

• חטא (chataʾ) – to sin (general)

LXX

οὐ μοιχεύσεις – ou moicheuseis

NT connections

• Matt. 5:27–28: Lust in the heart = adultery.

• Heb. 13:4: Marriage is “honorable”.

• Jas. 4:4: “Adulteresses” as image of spiritual unfaithfulness.

8. Eighth Word – Not Steal (v. 15)

Root:
גנב – ganav (steal)

Synonyms

• עשק (aschák) – to oppress, deprive of wages

• גזל (gazal) – to rob (by violence)

• כחש (kachash) – to pretend, deceive

• קדם (qadam) – to take unjust advantage (fraud)

LXX

οὐ κλέψεις – ou klepseis
→ basis for “kleptomania”.

NT connections

• Eph. 4:28: “He who stole must steal no more.”

• John 10:10: The thief comes to “steal”.

• Matt. 19:18: Jesus quotes the commandment verbatim.

9. Ninth Word – False Witness (v. 16)

Root:
שקר – shaqer (to lie, deceive)

Synonyms

• כזב (kazáv) – to deceive

• מרמה (mirmáh) – deceit, fraud

• בדא (badá) – to invent

• רמה (ramá) – to deceive

LXX

οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις – ou pseudomartyreseis
“you shall not bear false witness.”

NT connections

• Eph. 4:25: “Put away lying.”

• John 8:44: Satan is the “father of lies”.

• Matt. 26:59: False witnesses against Jesus.

10. Tenth Word – Not Covet (v. 17)

Root:
חמד – chamad
“to desire, to take delight in”

Related field

LXX

οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις – ouk epithymēseis
“you shall not covet”.

epithymia = strong inner orientation/desire.

NT connections

• Rom. 7:7: Paul: “I had not known sin except through the law … You shall not covet.”

• Jas. 1:14–15: Desire → sin → death.

• Gal. 5:17: The flesh desires against the Spirit.

🔵 11. Postscript & Altar (vv. 24–26)

Root:
זבח – zavach (to sacrifice)

Synonyms

• עלה (olah) – burnt offering (going up)

• חטאה (chattaʾah) – sin offering

• שׁלם (shelamim) – peace offerings

LXX

θυσιαστήριον (thysiastērion) – altar
θυσία (thysia) – sacrifice

NT connections

• Heb. 10: Christ as the only sacrifice.

• Eph. 5:2: Christ “as an offering and a sacrifice”.

• John 1:29: “the Lamb of God.”

🔵 Overall Theological Observation

The LXX connects the Hebrew language of law with the Greek NT.
Thus a hermeneutical key emerges:

• No idol → God is Spirit.

• No image → Christ is the image of God (Col. 1:15).

• No false use of the name → the name of Jesus is above every name.

• Sabbath → Christ is the rest.

• Marriage → picture of Christ and the Church (Eph. 5).

• Murder → the root is hatred.

• Stealing → Christ gives life.

• Lying → Christ is the truth.

• Coveting → spiritual-mindedness.

The Ten Words are deepened in the NT, made inward, and fulfilled in a christological way.

“Let’s Open the LXX Drawer a Bit Further” –

Beyond the Ten Words to the Whole Text of Exodus 20

Focus:

• Which Greek terms does the LXX use?

• Which semantic fields emerge?

• Which NT lines take up these terms?

I will structure it into thematic groups so you can easily turn it later into a full exposition.

1. Prologue and Formula of Redemption (Ex. 20:2)

Hebrew text:

“I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”

1.1 κύριος ὁ θεός σου (kyrios ho theos sou)

LXX: ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος ὁ θεός σου
for: “I am Jehovah your God”

κύριος (kyrios) is the fixed substitute for JHWH.
θεός corresponds to אֱלֹהִים.

NT lines:

• “κύριος ὁ θεός ἡμῶν” – classic God-formula (Rev. 4:8).

• The application of the title κύριος to Christ (Phil. 2:11) is directly tied to the covenant name of God in the OT.

1.2 ἐξήγαγόν σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου (Ex. 20:2 LXX)

ἐξάγω – exágō: to lead out, bring out.
– Perfect exodus verb, frequent in the LXX.

γῆ Αἰγύπτου – gē Aigyptou: land of Egypt.

“House of bondage”:

Heb.: מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים – mi-bêt ʿavadím
LXX: ἐξ οἴκου δουλείας – ex oikou douleías

δουλεία – douleia = slavery, bondage.

In the NT:

• Rom. 8:15: “not again a spirit of bondage (δουλείας)”

• Gal. 5:1: “do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage (δουλείας).”

👉 The LXX formula “oikos douleias” is the crucial bridge for Paul’s language about bondage under law and sin.

2. Language of Revelation – God Speaks from Sinai

2.1 “And God spoke all these words” – Ex. 20:1

Heb.: וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים – wajdabbér elohím

LXX: καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους λέγων

Important LXX terms:

• λαλέω – laleō: to speak
  – In the NT: standard verb for divine speech and preaching (Heb. 1:1–2; 2 Cor. 4:13).

• λόγος – logos: word, utterance
  – LXX: “ten λόγοι” → “Ten Words”
  – NT: Christ Himself as ὁ λόγος (John 1:1).

Here lies the linguistic background for:

“God, having spoken of old in many ways...” (Heb. 1:1).

2.2 People, Distance, and Nearness to God (20:18–21)

Key words in the LXX:

• ὁ λαός – ho laos (people) – standard for עַם.

• μακρόθεν – makrothen – from afar (v. 18: the people stand “afar off”).

• προσελθεῖν / προσέρχομαι – proselthein / proserchomai – to come near (v. 21 Moses draws near to the darkness where God is).

proserchomai becomes important in the NT:

• Heb. 4:16: “Let us come near…”

• Heb. 10:22; 12:18–24: contrast Sinai – Zion.

3. Theophanic Terms (20:18)

Thunder, lightning, trumpet sound, smoking mountain, the people trembling.

The LXX uses typical “Sinai terminology”:

• βρονταί – brontai: thunders

• ἀστραπαί – astrapai: lightnings

• φωνὴ σάλπιγγος – phōnē salpingos: voice/sound of a trumpet

• ὄρος καπνίζον – oros kapnizon: smoking mountain

• ἐφοβήθη ὁ λαός – ephobēthē ho laos: the people were afraid

NT connections:

• Heb. 12:18–21: detailed Sinai citation with the same terms: νέφος (cloud), γνόφος (gloom), θύελλα (storm), σάλπιγξ, φωνὴ ῥημάτων.

• Rev. 8–11: thunders and lightnings (βρονταί, ἀστραπαί) in God’s judgment.

👉 The LXX language in Ex. 20 is directly the “imagery” for Heb. 12 and Revelation.

4. Fear, Testing, Sin (Ex. 20:20)

“Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that you may not sin.”

LXX (Ex. 20:20):

• μὴ φοβεῖσθε – mē phobeisthe: do not be afraid

• ἦλθεν γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ἵνα πειράσῃ ὑμᾶς (or in some texts: δοκιμάζῃ)
  – πειράζω – peirazō: to test, to tempt
  – δοκιμάζω – dokimazō: to examine, approve

• ὁ φόβος αὐτοῦ – ho phobos autou: His fear

• ἵνα μὴ ἁμαρτάνητε – hina mē hamartanēte: in order that you may not sin
  – ἁμαρτάνω – hamartanō: to miss, to sin

NT connections:

• φόβος θεοῦ – phobos theou: fear of God (2 Cor. 7:1; Acts 9:31).

• πειράζω / δοκιμάζω: Jas. 1:2–3; 1 Pet. 1:7.

• ἁμαρτάνω as the standard word for sin.

Sinai in the LXX is the prototype that fear of God and testing should lead to a life that does not sin – the NT deepens this inwardly.

5. Altar and Sacrificial Terminology (20:24–26)

“An altar of earth you shall make for Me … burnt offerings and peace offerings…”

5.1 θυσιαστήριον – The Altar

Heb.: מִזְבֵּחַ – mizbéach
LXX: θυσιαστήριον – thysiastērion

In the NT the main term for “altar”:

• Matt. 5:23–24; 23:18–20

• Heb. 13:10: “We have an altar…”

5.2 ὁλοκαυτώματα – holokautōmata (burnt offerings)

Heb.: עֹלָה – ʿolah
LXX: ὁλοκαύτωμα – holokautōma (“entirely burnt”)

This LXX term also appears in the NT:

• Heb. 10:6, 8: “burnt offerings (ὁλοκαυτώματα) You did not delight in.”

5.3 θυσίαι σωτηρίων – Sacrifices of Peace Offerings

Heb.: זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים – zivchej schelamím
LXX: θυσίαι σωτηρίων – thysiai sōtēriōn

σωτήριος – sōtērios: saving, bringing salvation.

Thus the peace offerings are directly linked to the language of salvation.

NT: σωτηρία – sōtēria as the basic word for salvation (Luke 1:69; Heb. 2:3).

5.4 Unhewn Stones, No Human Work (20:25)

Heb.:

“If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of hewn stones; for if you wield your tool on it, you profane it.”

LXX:

• λίθοι – lithoi: stones

• λίθος λαξευτός / λατομητός – hewn stone (depending on textual tradition)
  – from λαξευω / λατομέω – to hew, to quarry

“Your tool”: σίδηρος – sidēros (iron) or generally “tool”.

Theologically:
The altar must not be embellished by human work.

The LXX partly uses terms that will later be used in prophetic texts and the NT for human-made religion / works.

5.5 No Steps – ἀσχημοσύνη (20:26)

Heb.:

“that your nakedness be not exposed” (ערוה)

LXX:

ἀσχημοσύνη – aschēmosynē – indecency, nakedness, shame.

NT:

• 1 Cor. 12:23: “the less honorable (ἀσχήμονα) members” – related term.

• Rev. 16:15: “that he may not go naked and they see his shame (ἀσχημοσύνην).”

The LXX thus connects physical nakedness at the altar with a term that in the NT is used for shame, disgrace, exposure.

6. Neighbor and Brother – The Social Framework (esp. vv. 16–17)

6.1 πλησίον – plēsion (your neighbor)

Heb.: רֵעַ – reʿa
LXX: ὁ πλησίον σου – ho plēsion sou

“Neighbor” = the one who is near, the fellow man.

NT key passages:

• Matt. 22:39: “You shall love your neighbor (πλησίον) as yourself.” – from Lev. 19:18, but same LXX term.

• Rom. 13:9: Paul cites the commandments including “you shall not covet” and concludes: “love your neighbor.”

6.2 ἀδελφός – adelphos (brother)

In Ex. 20 itself mainly רֵעַ (neighbor), but in the decalogic environment “brother” appears frequently.
The LXX prefers ἀδελφός as a covenant/people term.

NT:

• 1 John 3:15: “Everyone who hates his brother (ἀδελφόν) is a murderer” – direct connection to the 6th word, but relating it to the brother.

7. Summary Lines

If we lay all important LXX terms from Ex. 20 side by side, we see especially these “main roads” with regard to the NT:

God’s identity

• JHWH → κύριος ὁ θεός σου → Christ as κύριος.

Redemption from bondage

• “House of bondage” → οἶκος δουλείας →
  Pauline language of δουλεία under sin and law.

Divine speech and “Word”

• דיבר / דבר → λαλέω / λόγοι →
  Heb. 1:1–2; John 1:1: the Logos.

Theophany and nearness to God

• Sinai imagery → βρονταί, ἀστραπαί, φωνὴ σάλπιγγος →
  Heb. 12; Rev. 4–11.

Fear, testing, sin

• פחד / ירא → φόβος

• נסה / בחן → πειράζω / δοκιμάζω

• חטא → ἁμαρτάνω

→ whole NT doctrine of “fear of God”, “testing”, and “sin”.

Altar and sacrifice

• מִזְבֵּחַ → θυσιαστήριον

• עֹלָה → ὁλοκαύτωμα

• שְׁלָמִים → θυσίαι σωτηρίων

→ Heb. 10; Heb. 13; Eph. 5:2; NT language of salvation and sacrifice.

Neighbor and brother

• רֵעַ → πλησίον

• (context) אָח → ἀδελφός

→ entire NT ethics of love.

προσέρχομαι describes the entire movement from Sinai (fear, distance) to Zion (nearness, access).

Thus Ex. 20 in the LXX is a theological foundation that shapes the entire New Testament.

📘 Tabular Overview – Main LXX Lemmas in Exodus 20

🟥 A. Names of God & Words of Revelation

🟦 B. Redemption & Bondage

🟩 C. Theophany, Fear, Testing

🟨 D. Law and Ethical Terms of the Ten Words

🟫 E. Altar, Sacrifice, and Cult Terminology

🟪 F. Nearness, Distance, Approach

🔵 Overall Observation

The LXX creates the indispensable semantic bridge between Sinai and the NT:

• κύριος is applied to Jesus Christ → “Jesus is Lord” is a Sinai proclamation in NT depth.

• δουλεία (bondage) is extended from bodily slavery in Egypt to spiritual bondage under law and sin.

• φόβος, πειράζω, ἁμαρτάνω form the ethical basic vocabulary of the NT.

• θυσιαστήριον, θυσία, ὁλοκαύτωμα flow into Heb. 10–13 and define Christ’s sacrifice.

• πλησίον is the key to Christian ethics (Rom. 13; Matt. 22).

• προσέρχομαι describes the whole movement from Sinai (fear, distance) to Zion (nearness, access).

Thus Exodus 20 in the LXX is a theological foundation that structures the entire New Testament.

50-Line Teaser on the Main LXX Lemmas in Exodus 20

The translation of the Old Testament into the Greek Septuagint (LXX) belongs to the most important bridges between Old and New Testament.

This becomes especially clear in the way the LXX handles the key terms of Exodus 20, the “Ten Words”.

The LXX shapes the language of the New Testament writings; it virtually forms the theological vocabulary of early Christianity.

Many central terms of the NT – such as Kyrios, Logos, Dulia, Phobos or Thysiastērion – have their roots in the LXX version of the Sinai event.

Those who understand the LXX terms recognize deeper connections between law and gospel.

Exodus 20 is an exemplary case for this.

Here God Himself speaks – and the LXX expresses this speech with a linguistic clarity that reaches far beyond the OT.

Thus the divine name JHWH is consistently rendered in Greek by “Kyrios”.

This title is deliberately applied to Jesus Christ in the NT.

In this way the LXX already sets the course for New Testament Christology in the Old Testament.

Likewise the term “Elohim” is rendered as “Theos”.

The LXX uses this term in a strictly monotheistic sense – in full harmony with New Testament doctrine of God.

Particularly important is also the rendering of the Hebrew “Dewarim” by “Logoi”.

In this lies the root of the highly theological language of “Logos”, the Word of God, in the Gospel of John.

The exodus motif also finds a clear linguistic line in the LXX.

The expression “house of bondage” is translated as “Oikos douleias”.

This term is central in the New Testament, especially in Romans and Galatians.

The language about “bondage under sin and law” stands directly in the tradition of the LXX.

Equally important are the theophanic terms with which the appearance of God at Sinai is described.

Words like “Brontai” (thunders), “Astrapai” (lightnings) and “Phōnē salpingos” (trumpet sound) shape the judgment language of Revelation.

The NT thus deliberately takes up the Sinai event.

The LXX also makes clear that fear and reverence are two different things.

“Phobos” does not describe panic, but the reverent attitude before the holiness of God.

The LXX language in Exodus 20 already contains the seeds of New Testament ethics.

The LXX also shapes the language for sin and testing.

Words like “Hamartano”, “Peirazō” and “Dokimazō” become basic terms of the doctrine of faith in the NT.

These terms in the context of Sinai have a clear meaning: fear of God leads to avoiding sin.

The sacrificial and altar terminology is also guided into New Testament channels by the LXX.

The “Mizbeach” becomes “Thysiastērion”.

This term appears in Hebrews and describes the spiritual altar of the church of Christ.

Likewise the burnt offering “Olah” becomes “Holokautōma”.

This word is taken up by Hebrews when it speaks of the insufficiency of the old sacrifices.

The peace offerings “Shelamim” become “Thysiai sōtēriōn” – “sacrifices of salvation”.

In this way the LXX connects the cultic sacrifice with the saving significance fulfilled in Christ in the NT.

The LXX also brings clarity into the ethics of the neighbor.

The “Rea”, the neighbor, becomes “Plēsion”.

This term in the NT becomes the core of love of neighbor.

New Testament ethics can hardly be understood without the LXX version of Sinai.

The motif of drawing near and standing afar is also shaped by the LXX.

Israel “stood afar off” – “Makrothen”.

Moses “drew near” – “Proserchomai”.

Exactly this verb becomes the key word of faith in Hebrews.

The believer may “draw near to the throne of grace”.

The contrast between Sinai and Zion is linguistically prepared by the LXX.

The entire theology of Hebrews lives from these terms.

Whoever considers the LXX terms of Exodus 20 opens a door to deeper understanding of the entire NT.

The LXX is not merely a translation – it is a salvation-historical bridge.

It gives Sinai a language that the New Testament deliberately continues.

Therefore a careful analysis of the LXX lemmas is one of the most important tools of biblical exegesis.

Especially Exodus 20 shows how God spoke at Sinai – and how this speech in the New Covenant found its fulfillment in Christ.