Exodus 20:20
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
Exodus 20:20 in other translations
| BSB | “Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.” |
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| WEB | Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.” |
| ASV | And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not. |
| YLT | And Moses saith unto the people, ‘Fear not, for to try you hath God come, and in order that His fear may be before your faces--that ye sin not.' |
| DARBY | And Moses said to the people, Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not. |
| BBE | And Moses said to the people, Have no fear: for God has come to put you to the test, so that fearing him you may be kept from sin. |
| Webster | And Moses said to the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. |
What does Exodus 20:20 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 20:18-21
18-21. all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings--They were eye and ear witnesses of the awful emblems of the Deity's descent. But they perceived not the Deity Himself.
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 20:18-21
This law, which is so extensive that we cannot measure it, so spiritual that we cannot evade it, and so reasonable that we cannot find fault with it, will be the rule of the future judgment of God, as it is for the present conduct of man. If tried by this rule, we shall find our lives have been passed in transgressions. And with this holy law and an awful judgment before us, who can despise the gospel of Christ? And…
Exodus 20:20 in the original Hebrew
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Cross references for Exodus 20:20
- Deuteronomy 13:3
Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
- Proverbs 3:7
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
- Isaiah 8:13
Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
- 1 Samuel 12:20
And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart;
- Proverbs 16:6
By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.
- Job 28:28
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
- Deuteronomy 8:2
And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
- Genesis 22:1
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
- Joshua 24:14
Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
- Nehemiah 5:15
But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
- Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
- Genesis 22:12
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- Exodus 20:19
And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
- Exodus 20:20
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
- Exodus 20:21
And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
Exodus 20:20 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Y Moisés respondió al pueblo: No temáis; que por probaros vino Dios, y porque su temor esté en vuestra presencia para que no pequéis. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Et Moïse dit au peuple: Ne craignez pas; car c’est afin de vous éprouver que Dieu est venu, et afin que sa crainte soit devant vos yeux, pour que vous ne péchiez point. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Da sprach Mose zu dem Volke: Fürchtet euch nicht; denn um euch zu versuchen, ist Gott gekommen, und damit seine Furcht vor eurem Angesicht sei, daß ihr nicht sündiget. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Et ait Moyses ad populum: Nolite timere: ut enim probaret vos venit Deus, et ut terror illius esset in vobis, et non peccaretis. |