Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 20:26
Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
26. Steps are prohibited, because the command is addressed to the Israelite in general, who would sacrifice in his ordinary dress. In later times, when altars of larger size were constructed, a ledge (see on Exo 27:5), or steps (Eze 43:17), came into use: but sacrifice was then confined to the priests, and exposure of the person was guarded against in their case by linen drawers being specially prescribed for their use (Exo 28:42). Cf. OTJC. 2 [183] p. 358.
[183] W. R. Smith, Old Testament in the Jewish Church, ed. 2, 1892.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 26. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar] The word altar comes from altus, high or elevated, though the Hebrew word mizbach, from zabach, to slay, kill, c., signifies merely a place for sacrifice see Ge 8:20. But the heathens, who imitated the rites of the true God in their idolatrous worship, made their altars very high; whence they derived their name altaria, altars, i.e., very high or elevated places; which they built thus, partly through pride and vain glory, and partly that their gods might the better hear them. Hence also the high places or idolatrous altars so often and so severely condemned in the Holy Scriptures. The heathens made some of their altars excessively high; and some imagine that the pyramids were altars of this kind, and that the inspired writer refers to those in these prohibitions. God therefore ordered his altars to be made,
1. either of simple turf, that there might be no unnecessary expense, which, in their present circumstances, the people could not well afford; and that they might be no incentives to idolatry from their costly or curious structure; or
2. of unhewn stone, that no images of animals or of the celestial bodies might be sculptured on them, as was the case among the idolaters, and especially among the Egyptians, as several of their ancient altars which remain to the present day amply testify; which altars themselves, and the images carved on them, became in process of time incentives to idolatry, and even objects of worship.
In short, God formed every part of his worship so that every thing belonging to it might be as dissimilar as possible from that of the surrounding heathenish nations, and especially the Egyptians, from whose land they had just now departed. This seems to have been the whole design of those statutes on which many commentators have written so largely and learnedly, imagining difficulties where probably there are none. The altars of the tabernacle were of a different kind.
IN this and the preceding chapter we have met with some of the most awful displays of the Divine Majesty; manifestations of justice and holiness which have no parallel, and can have none till that day arrive in which he shall appear in his glory, to judge the quick and the dead. The glory was truly terrible, and to the children of Israel insufferable; and yet how highly privileged to have God himself speaking to them from the midst of the fire, giving them statutes and judgments so righteous, so pure, so holy, and so truly excellent in their operation and their end, that they have been the admiration of all the wise and upright in all countries and ages of the world, where their voice has been heard! Mohammed defied all the poets and literati of Arabia to match the language of the Koran; and for purity, elegance, and dignity it bore away the palm, and remained unrivalled. This indeed was the only advantage which the work derived from its author; for its other excellences it was indebted to Moses and the prophets, to Christ and the apostles; as there is scarcely a pure, consistent, theologic notion in it, that has not been borrowed from our sacred books. Moses calls the attention of the people, not to the language in which these Divine laws were given, though that is all that it should be, and every way worthy of its author; compressed yet perspicuous; simple yet dignified; in short, such as God should speak if he wished his creatures to comprehend; but he calls their attention to the purity, righteousness, and usefulness of the grand revelation which they had just received. For what nation, says he, is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as Jehovah our God is, in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day? And that which was the sum of all excellence in the present case was this, that the GOD who gave these laws dwelt among his people; to him they had continual access, and from him received that power without which obedience so extensive and so holy would have been impossible; and yet not one of these laws exacted more than eternal reason, the nature and fitness of things, the prosperity of the community, and the peace and happiness of the individual, required. The LAW is holy, and the COMMANDMENT is HOLY, JUST, and GOOD.
To show still more clearly the excellence and great utility of the ten commandments, and to correct some mistaken notions concerning them, it may be necessary to make a few additional observations. And
1. It is worthy of remark that there is none of these commandments, nor any part of one, which can fairly be considered as merely ceremonial. All are moral, and consequently of everlasting obligation.
2. When considered merely as to the letter, there is certainly no difficulty in the moral obedience required to them. Let every reader take them up one by one, and ask his conscience before God, which of them he is under a fatal and uncontrollable necessity to break?
3. Though by the incarnation and death of Christ all the ceremonial law which referred to him and his sacrifice is necessarily abrogated, yet, as none of these ten commandments refer to any thing properly ceremonial, therefore they are not abrogated.
4. Though Christ came into the world to redeem them who believe from the curse of the law, he did not redeem them from the necessity of walking in that newness of life which these commandments so strongly inculcate.
5. Though Christ is said to have fulfilled the law for us, yet it is nowhere intimated in the Scripture that he has so fulfilled these TEN LAWS, as to exempt us from the necessity and privilege of being no idolaters, swearers, Sabbath-breakers, disobedient and cruel children, murderers, adulterers, thieves, and corrupt witnesses. All these commandments, it is true, he punctually fulfilled himself; and all these he writes on the heart of every soul redeemed by his blood.
6. Do not those who scruple not to insinuate that the proper observation of these laws is impossible in this life, and that every man since the fall does daily break them in thought, word, and deed, bear false witness against God and his truth? and do they not greatly err, not knowing the Scripture, which teaches the necessity of such obedience, nor the power of God, by which the evil principle of the heart is destroyed, and the law of purity written on the soul? If even the regenerate man, as some have unwarily asserted, does daily break these commands, these ten words, in thought, word, and deed, he may be as bad as Satan for aught we know; for Satan himself cannot transgress in more forms than these, for sin can be committed in no other way, either by bodied or disembodied spirits, than by thought, or word, or deed. Such sayings as these tend to destroy the distinction between good and evil, and leave the infidel and the believer on a par as to their moral state. The people of God should be careful how they use them.
7. It must be granted, and indeed has sufficiently appeared from the preceding exposition of these commandments, that they are not only to be understood in the letter but also in the spirit, and that therefore they may be broken in the heart while outwardly kept inviolate; yet this does not prove that a soul influenced by the grace and spirit of Christ cannot most conscientiously observe them; for the grace of the Gospel not on)y saves a man from outward but also from inward sin; for, says the heavenly messenger, his name shall be called JESUS, (i.e., Saviour,) because he shall save, (i.e., DELIVER) his people FROM their sins. Therefore the weakness or corruption of human nature forms no argument here, because the blood of Christ cleanses from all unrighteousness; and he saves to the uttermost all who come unto the Father through him. It is therefore readily granted that no man unassisted and uninfluenced by the grace of Christ can keep these commandments, either in the letter or in the spirit; but he who is truly converted to God, and has Christ dwelling in his heart by faith, can, in the letter and in the spirit, do all these things, BECAUSE CHRIST STRENGTHENS him. – Reader, the following is a good prayer, and oftentimes thou hast said it; now learn to pray it: “Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep these laws! Lord, have mercy upon us, and write all these thy laws in our hearts, we beseech thee!” – Com. Service.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He seems to mean the steps of ladders, or others of the same nature, which could suddenly be made, and were proper for their present condition, where there was danger of the following inconvenience. For afterwards God appointed an altar ten cubits high, 2Ch 4:1; though some conceive they went not up to that by steps, but by an insensible ascent upon the ground raised by degrees for that purpose. But if the priests did go up to it by steps, God provided against the indecency here mentioned, by prescribing linen breeches to them in that service.
That thy nakedness be not discovered thereon; for these linen breeches were not yet appointed, and the manner then and there was for men to wear long coats or gowns like women. God would remove all appearance or occasion of immodesty, especially in sacred persons and things; and the rather, to show his detestation of that impudence and filthiness which was very usual in some of the solemnities and worships of the heathen.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26. by stepsa precautiontaken for the sake of decency, in consequence of the loose, wide,flowing garments of the priests.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar,…. That is, you priests, the sons of Aaron, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase the words; the altar of burnt offering built when the tabernacle was seemed not to require any, being but three cubits high, Ex 27:1 but that in Solomon’s temple did, being ten cubits high, 2Ch 4:1 and therefore some method must be used to ascend it, and do the business that was to be done on it: now the Jews say b, there was what they call “Kibbesh”, a sort of a causeway made of earth thrown up, which rose gradually and led to the top of the altar, and was about thirty two cubits long and sixteen broad: and so the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases the words,
“thou shalt not go up by steps to mine altar, but by bridges;”
express mention is made of stairs to the altar in Ezekiel’s vision,
Eze 43:17
that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon; that part of the body which is not to be named, and ought not to be seen, and which would be exposed if there were many steps, and these at a distance from each other; which would oblige them to take large strides, and so be in danger of discovering those parts which would make them the object of contempt and ridicule with the people; since as yet breeches were not used, and the garments were long loose ones, which were easily turned aside, or the parts under them seen by those below; to prevent which, afterwards linen breeches were ordered to be made for the priests, and to be used by them in their service: Maimonides c thinks the reason of this was, because formerly the idolatrous worship of Peor was performed by uncovering of their nakedness before it; and so by this is expressed God’s detestation of such an impure and abominable practice; but this is uncertain; however, this we may be sure of, that this is the will of God, that all immodesty and indecency, and whatever tends to create impure thoughts and stir up unclean lusts, should be carefully avoided in his worship.
b Middot, c. 3. sect. 3. c Ut supra. (Apud L’Empereur in Middot, ib.)
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
26. Neither shalt thou go up. When God had prescribed modesty to the priests in their whole life, and in their private actions, no wonder that He should require especial care of decency and propriety in the performance of their sacred duties. He had indeed already desired that the priests should wear drawers or breeches when they went into the sanctuary; yet not content with this symbol of purity, He forbids them to ascend the altar by steps, lest haply the drawers themselves should be seen; since the dignity and sanctity of sacred things would thus be impaired. By all means, therefore, He would induce the Israelites to conduct themselves most purely and most chastely in the exercises of religion.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(26) Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar.When the dress of the priests had been so arranged that no exposure of the person was possible (verses 42, 43), this precept became unnecessary. Thus it would seem that Solomons altar had steps. (Compare 2Ch. 4:1 with Eze. 43:17.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26. Neither shalt thou go up by steps That is, by an elevated staircase or means of ascent which would indecently expose the person of the one who offered the sacrifice .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 20:26. Neither shalt thou go up, &c. God forbids the altar to be erected high, with many steps, as were the altars of the heathen celestial deities.
REFLECTIONS.Idolatry being the sin to which God saw the people most inveterately addicted, he gives Moses some particular directions to guard them from it.
1. All images are forbidden. The most costly are an abomination in the sight of God. The most expensive worship, if not according to God’s commandment, is but a more splendid iniquity.
2. Their altars must be plain, unadorned, of earth or unhewn stone, and low, for the reason given Exo 20:26. God must be worshipped in spirit; and gorgeous ornaments are there superfluous, where the heart only is to be regarded. The showy pageantry of the Romish church is but as the finery of a wanton. Though it may draw in the unwary, it is a signal to the wise to turn away.
3. God will meet those who wait upon him in his ways, and will bless them, in every place where his Name should be worshipped according to his own institution. Now, they were allowed as many altars as they chose; afterwards, their sacrifices were to be offered at Jerusalem: but since the true Lamb of God was slain there, this peculiarity has been destroyed; and now in every place God is near to answer those who call upon him out of a pure heart fervently.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
REFLECTIONS
BLESSED God! do thou enable me to reverence thine holy law, and never to lose sight of that solemn truth, that rather than one jot, or tittle, of thy law should fail; thou hast given that glorious, all-sufficient Surety, to be made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
And Oh! thou adored Redeemer, may every renewed view, and every repeated hearing of thy Father’s law, still serve to endear thee the more to my heart. May I be led therefrom to behold thee as becoming one with our nature, for the express purpose of fulfilling the whole will and law of God, for us, and for our salvation. And as thou didst undertake so hast thou graciously answered the demand, both in obedience and suffering, of all that was owing to divine justice. Yes ! thou clearest Jesus, thou didst take the whole debt upon thyself, and when we had nothing to pay, either in doing or in suffering, then it was thou didst say, I will be surety for them: at mine hand, Father, thou shalt require it. Lord, help me, by the sweet influences of thy Holy Spirit, to accept thy sacred person, under this complete character, as my Justifier before God. Do thou blessed Spirit of all truth, guide my soul to Jesus, and never suffer me to have more than an altar of earth, or to lift up a tool of my own, to pollute the sweet sacrifice of Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Never let me go about to establish mine own righteousness, but most thankfully bless God for the covenant righteousness of God my Savior; blessing and praising the divine mercy, that when by sin I had destroyed myself, and the terrors of a broken law stood forth against me, Jesus was made of God to my soul, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, that all my glorying might he in the Lord.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
Ver. 26. That thy nakedness. ] We blush when taken naked, as if the blood would run forth to cover us. What beasts, then, were those priests of Priapus, and those base Bacchanalists, that ran up and down naked!
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
by steps. Only exposes nakedness. “I will come unto thee” (Exo 20:24) is the essence of worship. Our approach is quite secondary. Whether by “tool” or “steps”, it either pollutes the Divine or exposes the human.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
thy nakedness: Lev 10:3, Psa 89:7, Ecc 5:1, Heb 12:28, Heb 12:29, 1Pe 1:16
Reciprocal: Exo 28:42 – breeches Exo 28:43 – unto the altar Lev 16:33 – General Eze 43:17 – his stairs Act 7:36 – and in the wilderness Act 7:53 – have received
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 20:26. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar Indeed afterward God appointed an altar ten cubits high. But it is probable they went not up to that by steps, but by a sloping ascent. The garments worn in those countries, being perfectly loose, were easily blown aside, so as to discover the lower parts of the body; to prevent, therefore, this inconvenience, and that no indecency might be intermixed with the service of God, this precaution was necessary. And for the same reason the priests were afterward appointed to wear breeches, which were worn by none of the people besides, Exo 28:42.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy {p} nakedness be not discovered thereon.
(p) Which might be by his stooping or flying up of his clothes.