'The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.'
'Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live...Hate the evil, and love the good...'
'...and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts...'
Jesus said: 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.'
Jesus said: 'Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.'
'Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.'
'...life for life...Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.'
'...Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.'
'He that
despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy
is he.'
(Proverbs 14:21)
despiseth: to despise: act of looking down upon: spurn: reject with contempt.
7: Our Enemies
'If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.'
(Exodus 23:4)
'If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink'
(Proverbs 25:21)
Case Study: Luke 6:27-38
Case Study: Matthew 5:38-47
8: The Greatest Commandment
'Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'
(Matthew 22:36-40)
9: No Other Gods
The First Commandment: 'I am the LORD thy God...Thou shalt have no other gods before me.'
(Exodus 20:2-3)
'...I will not give my glory unto another.'
(Isaiah 48:11)
'He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.'
(Exodus 22:20)
'...make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.'
(Exodus 23:13)
'Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you.'
(1 Samuel 12:24)
'Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above...'
(James 1:17)
'It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed...'
(Lamentations 3:22)
'In all thy ways acknowledge him...'
(Proverbs 3:6)
Jesus said: '...Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.'
(Matthew 4:10)
Jesus said: 'He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.'
(Matthew 10:37-38)
sacrificeth: to sacrifice: or offer to.
utterly: or, 'completely'.
consumed: destroyed (by wasting, fire): devoured.
acknowledge: recognise or accept.
worthy: having worth: valuable: deserving of: suited to: in keeping with: of sufficient merit.
10: Graven Images
The Second Commandment: 'Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image...'
(Exodus 20:4-6)
'Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.'
(Leviticus 19:4)
'Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.'
(Deuteronomy 16:22)
'Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place.'
(Deuteronomy 27:15)
'What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.'
(Habakkuk 2:18-19)
'...neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times...nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD'
(Leviticus 19:26, 28)
'Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.'
(Leviticus 19:31)
'There shall not be found among you any one...that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD...'
(Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
'And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul...'
(Leviticus 20:6)
graven: carved or sculpted.
image: a likeness: a statue: an idol: a representation in the mind (especially of a visible object), not necessarily physical.
idols: an image of some object of worship: a person or thing loved too much, admired, or honoured.
molten: melted: made of melted metal.
cursed: under a curse (having evil or harm wished upon): consigned or sent off to perdition (punishment, Hell).
craftsmen: one engaged in craft (cunning: dexterity: an art, a skilled trade).
dumb: without the power of speech: silent: soundless: stupid.
midst: middle or centre.
enchantment: that which enchants: to act on by songs or rhymed formulas of sorcery (divination by the assistance of evil spirits, fallen angels): to charm: bewitch: hypnotise.
regard: or esteem highly, respect.
familiar spirits: having thorough knowledge of and intimate dealings with demons (evil spirits, fallen angels).
wizards: those (usually men) who practise witchcraft or magic.
divination: the act or practise of foretelling the future or of finding a hidden thing by supernatural means.
observer of times: one who uses the times, seasons and positions of the planets, sun, moon, stars and other heavenly bodies to foretell the future: an astrologer.
enchanter: one who enchants: acts on by songs or rhymed formulas of sorcery (divination by the assistance of evil spirits, fallen angels): to charm: bewitch: hypnotise.
witch: a woman regarded as having supernatural power and knowledge gained through contact with the devil.
charmer: one who uses spells against others or upon themselves (for protection): one who uses charms or objects (e.g. amulets or trinkets) that are thought to posses occult (secret) power.
consulter with familiar spirits: one who consults, talks (or communicates by other means) with demons (evil spirits, fallen angels).
necromancer: a sorcerer: one who deals in the art of revealing future events by calling up and questioning the spirits of the dead.
whoring: or, 'following after', or, 'chasing after': pursue with lust.
Case Study: Exodus 20:4-6
Case Study: Psalm 115:4-8
Case Study: Deuteronomy 7:25-26
Case Study: Jeremiah 10:14-15
11: Blasphemy
The Third Commandment: 'Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.'
(Exodus 20:7)
'And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.'
(Leviticus 19:12)
'Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name...'
(Psalm 96:8)
'...thine enemies take thy name in vain.'
(Psalm 139:20)
vain: to take in vain, to use (one's name) in an irreverent, disrespectful, mocking or profane manner.
blasphemy: to curse or swear: to speak with contempt or indignity towards God.
swear: to utter (an oath), calling God to witness: to utter the name of God or of sacred things profanely (disrespectfully).
falsely: untruly: mistakenly: misleadingly.
profane: not sacred, secular: heathen: showing contempt of sacred things, impious (irreverent, without respect).
vain: to take in vain, to use (oneís name) in an irreverent, disrespectful, mocking or profane manner.
blasphemy: to curse or swear: to speak with contempt or indignity towards God.
Case Study: Leviticus 24:10-16
12: Sabbath
The Fourth Commandment: 'Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.'
(Exodus 20:8)
'Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.'
(Exodus 20:9-11)
labour: toil, exertion: work hard: take pains: struggle.
sabbath: among the Jews, Saturday, set apart for rest from work: among most Christians, Sunday.
blessed: happy: prosperous: having divine favour upon.
hallowed: made holy: special: consecrated (set apart): reverenced (shown respect for).
Case Study: Numbers 15:32-36
13: Parents
The Fifth Commandment: 'Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.'
(Exodus 20:12)
'Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father...'
(Leviticus 19:3)
'...and honour the face of the old man...'
(Leviticus 19:32)
'Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.'
(Ephesians 6:1-3)
'Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.'
(Proverbs 20:11)
'There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother...The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obeyhis mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.'
(Proverbs 30:11, 17)
'Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child'
(Proverbs 22:15)
'A fool despiseth his father's instruction...'
(Proverbs 15:5)
'...A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.'
(Proverbs 10:1)
'Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.'
(Proverbs 20:20)
Jesus said: 'For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.'
(Matthew 15:4)
'Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.'
(Proverbs 28:24)
'For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.'
(1 Samuel 15:23)
honour: high value due, or paid to someone of worth.
obey: to render obedience, to submit: to do as told by: to comply with: to yield to.
mocketh: or, 'laughs at'.
despiseth: to despise: act of looking down upon: spurn: reject with contempt.
bound: or, 'tied up in'.
despiseth: to despise: act of looking down upon: spurn: reject with contempt.
instruction: the act of informing or teaching: information: direction: command.
obscure: dark, enveloped in darkness: murky: hidden.
robbeth: or, 'steals from'.
companion: one who keeps company or frequently associates with another.
destroyer: a person or thing that destroys: pulls down: ruins: does away with: kills.
rebellion: act of rebelling: to renounce (reject, abandon) the laws of God: to openly oppose them.
witchcraft: the craft or practise of witches: the supposed supernatural power and knowledge gained through contact with the devil (and/or demons, fallen angels).
stubbornness: immovably fixed in opinion, obstinate (pig-headed, inflexible).
idolatry: the worship of idols: excessive love.
14: Murder
The Sixth Commandment: 'Thou shalt not kill.'
(Exodus 20:13)
'Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death...'
(Numbers 35:30)
'He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.'
(Exodus 21:12)
'Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person.'
(Deuteronomy 27:25)
'Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.'
(Proverbs 3:30)
'Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.'
(Ecclesiastes 7:9)
'He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.'
(Proverbs 14:17)
Jesus said: 'whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment...'
(Matthew 5:22)
'Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD'
(Leviticus 19:17-18)
'But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.'
(1 John 2:11)
'He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.'
(Proverbs 10:18)
'Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.'
(1 John 3:15)
smiteth: or, 'strikes', or, 'hits'.
slay: or, 'kill'.
strive: or, 'struggle': go against.
cause: or, 'good reason'.
hasty: too quick: speedy: rushed.
bosom: the breast of a human being: centre of the chest: the seat or place of the passions and feelings, the heart.
devices: plans: strategies; ideas.
brother: the name applied to a male child by the other children of his parents: anyone closely united with or resembling another: all fellow men (in the biblical sense) as all mankind is descended from the same parents (Adam and Eve).
avenge: take revenge: get even: get your own back: retaliate. bear any grudge: or, 'hold any grudge': hold bitterness, ill will or resentment toward another.
whither: or, 'where'.
uttereth: or, 'speaks'.
slander: a false or malicious (spiteful) report, statement, description or story about another: injurious deformation by words (hurtful twisting of words) against the character of another.
abiding: or, 'dwelling', or, 'staying'.
15: Adultery
The Seventh Commandment: 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.'
(Exodus 20:14)
'Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son’s daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.'
(Leviticus 18:17)
'Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness. Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.'
(Leviticus 18:19-20)
'A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones'
(Proverbs 12:4)
'Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.'
(Proverbs 30:20)
'Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.'
(Hebrews 13:4)
Jesus said: 'Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.'
(Matthew 5:27-28)
'Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.'
(Proverbs 27:20)
'Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.'
(James 1:15)
'Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.'
(Leviticus 19:29)
'The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.'
(Deuteronomy 22:5)
'Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination'
(Leviticus 18:22)
'Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.'
(Jude 7)
"commit not any one of these abominable customs...'
(Leviticus 18:30)
approach: or, 'go near'.
moreover: or, 'further more', or, 'in addition'.
lie: to lie with: lodge or sleep with: to have sexual intercourse with: rest with.
carnally: to be carnal: unspiritual: fleshly: sensual: lustful.
virtuous: animated by virtue (full of moral excellence: worth: sexual purity), obedient to the moral law (of person or action): chaste (of a woman: pure, innocent, faithful, uncorrupted).
crown: a circular head-ornament, especially as a mark of honour.
ashamed: affected by shame: the sense of humiliation due to fault or failure: dishonour: disgrace.
adulterous: guilty of adultery: sexual intercourse between a married man and a woman not his wife, or between a married woman and a man not her husband.
marriage: the ceremony, act, or contract by which a man and a woman become husband and wife: the union of a man and woman as husband and wife.
honourable: worthy of honour: high esteem: exalted rank: respect: admiration: integrity: a fine example.
undefiled: unstained, pure, innocent.
whoremongers: a lecher: a man addicted to lewdness (lustful: provoking or encouraging lust: unchaste: debauched): a pander (one who procures or arranges for another the means of gratifying his base passions: a pimp).
adulterers: those guilty of adultery: sexual intercourse between a married man and a woman not his wife, or between a married woman and a man not her husband.
adultery: sexual intercourse between a married man and a woman not his wife, or between a married woman and a man not her husband.
lust: longing desire, eagerness to possess: sensual appetite: any violent, carnal (fleshly) or depraved desire.
satisfied: to have had enough: to be appeased, supplied fully, contented.
conceived: to conceive: to become pregnant with, form in the womb: to form in the mind: to imagine or think.
prostitute: to offer or sell for evil or base use: to degrade by improper use: a woman who offers herself to indiscriminate (random, casual) sexual intercourse for money.
whore: a prostitute: any unchaste (sexually impure) woman: to practise lewdness (lustful or provoking, encouraging lust).
whoredom: unlawful sexual intercourse: idolatry.
pertaineth: something that belongs to (e.g. a possession, characteristic, function, concern).
garment: item, article or piece of clothing.
lie: to lie with: lodge or sleep with: to have sexual intercourse with: rest with.
Sodom and Gomorrha: Account of the destruction of two wicked cities given in Genesis chapter 19. Amongst many other sins, the two cites were given over to sodomy (unnatural sexuality, as male homosexuality). When Lot, his wife and two daughters fled from Sodom, fire and brimstone rained down from Heaven, utterly destroying both cities and all their inhabitants.
in like manner: or, 'in the same way'.
fornication: sexual intercourse of the unmarried: adultery, and applied frequently by a figure of speech to idolatry.
strange flesh: unnatural, lustful or sensual desires toward that which is outside of the bounds of a heterosexual marriage: perversion.
vengeance: the infliction of punishment upon another in return for an injury or offence, retribution.
customs: custom: what one is wont to do: usage: frequent repetition of the same act: regular trade or business.
Case Study: Proverbs 6:24-28, 32
Case Study: Genesis 19:1-28
16: Stealing
The Eighth Commandment: 'Thou shalt not steal.'
(Exodus 20:15)
'Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.'
(Leviticus 19:11)
'Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul...'
(Proverbs 29:24)
'If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.'
(Exodus 22:2)
'He that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.'
(Exodus 21:16)
'Just balances, just weights...shall ye have...'
(Leviticus 19:36)
'Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.'
(Leviticus 19:13)
'Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.'
(Leviticus 19:14)
'The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again...'
(Psalm 37:21)
'Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.'
(Proverbs 3:27-28)
deal falsely: or, 'trade dishonestly': rip off: cheat: con: deal misleadingly.
breaking up: or, 'breaking and entering'.
smitten: or, 'struck', or, 'hit'.
defraud: to deprive by fraud (of): to cheat or deceive: swindle: fleece: dupe: take advantage of.
abide: to wait for: endure: tolerate: to remain in a place, dwell or stay.
stumblingblock: a block or stone over which one would be likely to stumble: a cause of error: an obstacle, impediment.
due: owed: that ought to be paid or done to another: proper: expected to arrive, be ready, be paid.
17: Lying
The Ninth Commandment: 'Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.'
(Exodus 20:16)
'These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour...And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.'
(Zechariah 8:16-17)
'But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.'
(James 5:12)
'Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil...'
(Exodus 23:1-2)
'That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform...'
(Deuteronomy 23:23)
'Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people...'
(Leviticus 19:16)
'He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.'
(Proverbs 13:3)
'But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.'
(James 3:8)
'These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.'
(Proverbs 6:16-19)
'A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.'
(Proverbs 26:28)
'A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.'
(Proverbs 18:7)
'Lying lips are abomination to the LORD...'
(Proverbs 12:22)
'He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.'
(Psalm 101:7)
'A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.'
(Proverbs 19:9)
Jesus said: 'But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.'
(Matthew 12:36-37)
'Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.'
(1 John 2:22)
bear: to carry (literally and figuratively speaking): to support: to endure: to bring forth or produce.
oath: a solemn appeal to a god or to something holy or reverenced as witness of the truth of a statement or of the inviolability (purity, sacredness) of a promise: an irreverent (disrespectful) use of God's name.
swear: to utter (an oath), calling God to witness: to utter the name of God or of sacred things profanely (disrespectfully).
yea: yes.
nay: no.
lest: or, 'in case', or, 'for fear that'.
condemnation: state of being condemned: pronounced guilty: blamed: sentenced to punishment or an unpleasant fate.
report: to bring back, as an answer, news, or account of anything: to announce: to give a formal statement of: to circulate publicly: to write down or take notes of: to make a complaint about or against.
multitude: a large crowd, group or mob of people.
perform: to do: carry out duly: execute in undertaking.
talebearer: one who maliciously (spitefully, cruelly) gives out (often false or exaggerated) information about others.
tame: to make gentle, humble: bring under control.
unruly: uncontrollable: disruptive.
shed: or, 'pour forth': spill: separate: cast off.
deviseth: to devise: plan: think up: invent.
imaginations: the act of imagining (seeing in the mind's eye): the faculty (power or talent) of forming images in the mind: the artist's creative power: that which is imagined: schemed: plotted.
swift: or, 'quick'.
mischief: misbehaviour: naughtiness: trouble.
discord: opposite of concord: disagreement, strife.
brethren: brother: fellow man: close group.
afflicted: crushed by pain: distressed: grieved: harassed: vexed.
flattering: uttering (speaking) false praise: pleasing to pride or vanity.
ruin: downfall, collapse, overthrow: complete destruction.
snare: or, 'trap'.
deceit: or, 'lies'.
tarry: wait: hinder: delay: stay.
idle: or, 'casual': laid back: not in use: unemployed.
account thereof: or, 'explanation of'.
condemned: pronounced guilty: blamed: sentenced to punishment or an unpleasant fate.
denieth: or, 'rejects'.
the Christ: or, 'the Messiah' (the anointed one): Deliverer: Saviour.
antichrist: or, 'against Christ'.