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Exodus 20 – Chiasm
The First 5 of the 10 Commandments
For those who like chiasms, this helps explain a few things.
Unlike the Christian community, Jews combine what we consider the first two commands into one, making them the second command or as the Jews call these, “words” (instead of commands). Therefore the Jews see this list as beginning with the declaration of God freeing Israel as the first “word”. When looking at it that way, the first five “words” form an interesting chiasm.
A, A’ – God’s declaration of bringing Israel out of the land of slavery (#1) is now connected to God’s giving them the Promise Land (honor your parents – #5). This helps explain why honoring your parents is tied to the land. Each is chiastically tied to the land. Both also have the phrase, “Yahweh your your God”.
B,B’ – Equally fascinating is how #2 and #4 are connected. Both are about God’s creation. #2 says not to make idols in the form of things on heaven, earth, and water. #4 is about the Sabbath rest and is tied to God’s rest after creating things in the heavens, earth, and seas. Again, both have the phrase, “Yahweh your God”.
C – This is the center of the Jewish way of organizing the first five “words”. Do not take God’s name in vain. As the center point, it is about treating God holy. It too has the phrase, “Yahweh your God”.
Looking at this Jewish way of organizing these “words”, we can see how their way fits. All are about “Yahweh your God”.
A – (#1) “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
B – (#2) “You shall have no other gods before Me. “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. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh 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, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
C – (#3) “You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
B’ – (#4) “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female slave or your cattle or your sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
A’ – (#5) “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you
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