The Ten Commandments

There is nothing especially demarcating in Exodus 20, which suggests that the first ten commandments are the most important ones.  Nowhere does Yahweh say that this commandment is more important than the next.  Yahweh did not speak directly to the Israelites but rather to Moses and Aaron, and he even stipulated beforehand in Ex. 19:24 that the people and priests should not come up the mountain directly or else Yahweh would be pissed off and would punish them.  Huh. 

Yahweh insists several times that he is to be the one and only god and that the people are to create no idols or graven images to worship of him or any other god.  This is an explicit demand for strict monotheism.  Fear and threats are what Yahweh uses to try and enforce his message.   

Preliminary details are given for how to worship Yahweh at a simple, earthen altar.  It sounds like an altar for itinerant, pastoral people.  It should have no fancy stone, which could be defiled with cutting, and no steps.  Why no steps?  Yahweh cares about your modesty! Ex. 20:26

And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts may be exposed.

Exodus 21 continues with the next order of business after the 10 commandments - how to treat Hebrew slaves, and daughters you sell into slavery.  They have some rights! I am a bit worried about the use of that creepily ambiguous term, "redeemed" when talking about a daughter sold into slavery who is not wanted by her owner.  Hopefully in this case it just means "returned". 

Some rather draconian social control edicts follow.

Ex. 21:12 - Anyone who deliberately kills another will be put to death. (An eye for an eye.)  If it's manslaughter (not deliberate), Yahweh says they shoudl run away and Yahweh will take care of them.

 ¹⁵ “Anyone who kills their father or mother is to be put to death.
 ¹⁶ “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.
 ¹⁷ “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.

One really has to wonder about 21:16 inasmuch as Israel's sons kidnapped Joseph and sold him into slavery.  This must be some retroactive attempt to stop that sort of thing from happening again.

Basic rules for dealing with assault and battery in different circumstances are given, some of which afford some protection to slaves.  The eye for an eye standard is confirmed in 21:24-25

eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. 

The property and theft laws do look like an attempt to make sound laws for the Israelites to settle grievances, now that they have left Egypt, where they were ostensibly under Egyptian law.