Westminster Annotations, Exodus · Appendix
These Annotations ensuing, are the supplement of the omission of some part of the twentieth Chapter, by the errour of the Printer, formerly confessed, and promised here to be inserted.
V. 20. prove you] That is, to trie you, or discover you; how we ake, how wicked, or well affected you are: whether you will obey his precepts, as you promised, or no: which probation or triall, is not for satisfaction to God, who knoweth man even to his thoughts, his thoughts afarre off, Psal. 139. 2. but to himselfe, and to others, for conviction, and correction when they did amisse.
that his feare] In the beginning of the verse, the people were forbidden to feare, and here they are required to feare: so here is a two-fold feare; the one a servile, or slavish feare, which stareth perplexedly at the apprehension of danger: the other, a filiall and awfull feare, composed of reverence and love: of the former, he saith, feare not; and of the latter, these words, That ye may feare, are understood.
that ye sinne not] Matth. 10. 28. Gen. 20. 11. Albeit we should so obey God for pure love, that we should be obseouious unto him, though our disobedience were not dangerous to our selves; yet there must be a bridle from sinne, and a spurre unto vertue, as well as beneficence a baite to obedience, Isa. 1. 19, 20.
V. 21. thick darknesse,] Exod. 19. 16. 18. 1 King. 8. 12.
V. 22. * from heaven] Not from the highest heaven, but from the place where then he made demonstration of his especiall presence, which was upon the top of Sinai; or above that in the aire, which is sometimes called heaven: as Gen. 1. 20. Job 35. 11. Psal. 79. 2. Jer. 7. 33.
* Deut. 4. 36. Neh. 9. 13.
V. 23. with me] That is, to be served together with me.
to you] That is, to be served by you; or to expect protection, or deliverance to your selves, by serving of them.
Ye shall not make] See Annot. on vers. 4. God repeats again, his prohibition of Idolatry; wherein he discovereth his owne detestation of it, and mans disposition to commit it.
V. 24. * in all places where I record] Where he fixeth his solemne worship, for the memoriall and honour of his Name; as on Altars of earth, here of stone, vers. 25. Deut. 27. 5. Josh. 8. 31. of brasse, Exod. 38. 2. 2 Chron. 4. 1. in the wildernesse, in Canaan, in the Tabernacle or Temple; yet by divine instinct, and dispensation, sacrifice was sometimes offered up, in other places; as in Mispa, 1 Sam. 7. 9. and in Ramah, vers. 17. and else-where.
* Deut. 12. 5.
V. 25. * lift up thy toole] He meaneth this of such accidentall, and uncertaine Altars, as were made in severall places, upon severall occasions; afterwards when there was a certaine place of worship it was ordained otherwise, Chap. 27. 1, &c. & 38. 1, 2.
* Deut. 27. 5. Josh. 8. 31.
thou hast polluted it] Curiositie in Gods service against his command, is not an ornament, but a desilement: so the flourishes of Rhetorick, when they are brought in, as a necessary garnish to the word of God to make it gracefull (as if it were of none operation, or worthy of no acceptation with them) are but as a garland of weeds, neither gracefull to the sight nor sent. See 1 Cor. 1. 17. & 12. vers. 4.
V. 26. Not goe up by steps] This was for a time onelyonly; for afterwards there was an Altar made, not onelyonly of the height of three cubits, Exod. 27. 1. but ten cubits high, 2 Chron. 4. 1. with staires, Ezek. 43. 17. yet it is thought by some, the going up unto it was not by steps, or staires, but by a continued ascent raised so high, from the lowest place neare unto it, without any degrees marked out proportionably, one above another.
nakednesse be not] Which might be, by the stooping of his body and flying abroad of his cloathes: for men wore garments open below, against which inconvenience when Altars were set higher, linen breeches were prescribed, Exod. 28. 42, 43.