The Music of the Law (Exodus 20:12-17)

Glorify! The word is cbd glory. If glory and honour are synonyms, maybe we should rethink the translations of the 16th century. There is another root hdr that is specific to honour.

Note always where the music comes to a cadence. There you have time to think. Notice here the recitation on the rest note, the subdominant. That recitation is a metaphor for the prolonged days.

כַּבֵּ֥ד אֶת־אָבִ֖יךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּ֑ךָ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יַאֲרִכ֣וּן יָמֶ֔יךָ עַ֚ל הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ ס		12 Glorify your father and your mother, so that prolonged are your days on the ground that Yahweh your God gives to you.
ib cbd at-abiç vat-aimç lmyn iaricun imiç yl hadmh awr-ihvh alohiç notn lç s	11 27

Note how the commandment begins on the second note of the scale. What is the connection to the prior verse?

לֹ֥֖א תִּֿרְצָֽ֖ח ס

13 ♪f You will not murder.

ig la trxk s

5

A remarkable brevity to these commandments.

לֹ֣֖א תִּֿנְאָֽ֑ף ס

14 ♪B You will not commit adultery.

id la tnaf s

5

All three show how easy it is to combine reciting notes on a single syllable. I wonder why it was not more frequently done.

לֹ֣֖א תִּֿגְנֹֽ֔ב ס		15 ♪B You will not steal.
'tv la tgnob s	5

Verse 16 is quite straightforward musically.

לֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה בְרֵעֲךָ֖ עֵ֥ד שָֽׁקֶר ס		16 You will not inflict false witness against your associate.
'tz la-tynh briyç yd wqr s	11

The first note connects this to the whole of the previous verses. 

The rest pont in the verse is on the word friend or associate, ryh - yes, the same word as in the prior commandment. (I avoided using neighbor since I use that gloss for a different root wcn.) I am critical of my translation but these posts are about the music. Now you can sing the 10 commandments in Hebrew.

לֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ד בֵּ֣ית רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֹֽא־תַחְמֹ֞ד אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֶ֗ךָ וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ וְשׁוֹר֣וֹ וַחֲמֹר֔וֹ וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְרֵעֶֽךָ פ		17 ♪f You will not covet the house of your friend, nor will you covet the wife of your friend or manservant or maidservant or bull or ass or anything that is your friend's.
iz la tkmod bit riyç la-tkmod awt riyç vybdo vamto vworo vkmoro vcol awr lriyç p	7 31