God’s Word Translation
Exodus 20:20
20Moses answered the people, “Don’t be afraid! God has come only to test you, so that you will be in awe of him and won’t sin.”
Exodus 20:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Moses said to the people, "Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”
Context of Exodus 20:20
18All the people heard the thunder and saw the lightning. They heard the blast of the ram’s horn and saw the mountain covered with smoke. So they shook with fear and stood at a distance. 19Then they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we’ll listen. But don’t let God speak to us, or we’ll die!” Moses answered the people, “Don’t be afraid! God has come only to test you, so that you will be in awe of him and won’t sin.” 21The people kept their distance while Moses went closer to the dark cloud where God was. 22The Lord said to Moses, “This is what you must say to the Israelites: You’ve seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven.
Read all of Exodus 20Exodus 20:20 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶל־הָעָם֮ אַל־תִּירָאוּ֒ כִּ֗י לְבַֽעֲבוּר֙ נַסּ֣וֹת אֶתְכֶ֔ם בָּ֖א הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וּבַעֲב֗וּר תִּהְיֶ֧ה יִרְאָת֛וֹ עַל־פְּנֵיכֶ֖ם לְבִלְתִּ֥י תֶחֱטָֽאוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- Fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
- not: for Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- is comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- toעָבוּר‛âbûr ‛âbûr · for the sake ofH5668
- proveנָסָהnâsâh · to testH5254
- you, and that his fearיִרְאָהyir'âh · fearH3374
- may be before your facesפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- that ye sinחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
Cross-references for Exodus 20:20
- 1 Samuel 12:20“Don’t be afraid,” Samuel told the people. “You did do all these evil things. But don’t turn away from the Lord. Instead, serve the Lord wholeheartedly.
- Isaiah 41:10Don’t be afraid, because I am with you. Don’t be intimidated; I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will support you with my victorious right hand.
- Exodus 15:25Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord set down laws and rules for them to live by, and there he tested them.
- Genesis 22:1Later God tested Abraham and called to him, “Abraham!” “Yes, here I am!” he answered.
- Deuteronomy 8:2Remember that for 40 years the Lord your God led you on your journey in the desert. He did this in order to humble you and test you. He wanted to know whether or not you would wholeheartedly obey his commands.
- Deuteronomy 13:3The Lord your God is testing you to find out if you really love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
- Genesis 20:11Abraham said, “I thought that because there are no God-fearing people in this place, I’d be killed because of my wife.
- Deuteronomy 6:2As long as you live, you, your children, and your grandchildren must fear the Lord your God. All of you must obey all his laws and commands that I’m giving you, and you will live a long time.
- Deuteronomy 10:12Israel, what does the Lord your God want you to do? He wants you to fear him, follow all his directions, love him, and worship him with all your heart and with all your soul.
- Joshua 24:14“Fear the Lord, and serve him with integrity and faithfulness. Get rid of the gods your ancestors served on the other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve only the Lord.
- Nehemiah 5:15Those who were governors before me had made life difficult for the people by taking from them food and wine plus one pound of silver. Even the governors’ servants took advantage of their power over the people. But I didn’t do that, because I feared God.
- Job 28:28So he told humans, ‘The fear of the Lord is wisdom! To stay away from evil is understanding.’ ”
- Proverbs 1:7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Stubborn fools despise wisdom and discipline.
- Proverbs 3:7Do not consider yourself wise. Fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
- Isaiah 8:13Remember that the Lord of Armies is holy. He is the one you should fear and the one you should be terrified of.
Commentaries on Exodus 20:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20And Moses said - Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces - The maxim contained in this verse is, Fear not, that he may fear - do not fear with such a fear as brings consternation into the soul, and produces nothing but terror and confusion; but fear with that fear which reverence and filial affection inspire, that ye sin not - that, through the love and reverence ye feel to your Maker and Sovereign, ye may…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18-21Verses 18-21 Compare Deuteronomy 5:22-31. Aaron Exodus 19:24 on this occasion accompanied Moses in drawing near to the thick darkness. Exodus 20:22 to Exodus 23:33 is a series of laws which we may identify with what was written by Moses in the book called the book of the covenant, and read by him in the audience of the people Exodus 24:7. The document cannot be regarded as a strictly systematic whole. Portions of it were probably traditional rules handed…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-21Verses 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 the knowledge of the law…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-21The people were very conscious of their sinfulness before a holy God and begged Moses to stand between them and God. Moses pointed out that God’s goal was neither to overawe them nor to destroy them. Rather, he wanted their awe of him to keep them from sinning (Exodus 20:20). Jesus is the ultimate mediator between God and people (1 Timothy 2:5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2118-21. 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.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 20:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries