Deuteronomy — Chapter 5
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1Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances that I declare in your hearing this day. Learn them and observe them carefully.
2The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.
3He did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with all of us who are alive here today.
4The LORD spoke with you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.
5At that time I was standing between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain. And He said:
6“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
7You shall have no other gods before Me.
8You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.
9You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
10but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
11You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
12Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you.
13Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
14but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do.
15Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
16Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
17You shall not murder.
18You shall not commit adultery.
19You shall not steal.
20You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
21You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house or field, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
22The LORD spoke these commandments in a loud voice to your whole assembly out of the fire, the cloud, and the deep darkness on the mountain; He added nothing more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.
23And when you heard the voice out of the darkness while the mountain was blazing with fire, all the heads of your tribes and your elders approached me,
24and you said, “Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him.
25But now, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us, and we will die, if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer.
26For who of all flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire, as we have, and survived?
27Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then you can tell us everything the LORD our God tells you; we will listen and obey.”
28And the LORD heard the words you spoke to me, and He said to me, “I have heard the words that these people have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.
29If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it might be well with them and with their children forever.
30Go and tell them: ‘Return to your tents.’
31But you stand here with Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and statutes and ordinances you are to teach them to follow in the land that I am giving them to possess.”
32So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left.
33You must walk in all the ways that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.
1And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.
2The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
3The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
4The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
5(I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,
6I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
7Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
8Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
9Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
10And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
11Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
12Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
13Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:
14But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
15And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
16Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
17Thou shalt not kill.
18Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
19Neither shalt thou steal.
20Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
21Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
22These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
23And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
24And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.
25Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.
26For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
27Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.
28And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.
29O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
30Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.
31But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.
32Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
33Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
1And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and observe to do them.
2Jehovah our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
3Jehovah made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
4Jehovah spake with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
5(I stood between Jehovah and you at that time, to show you the word of Jehovah: for ye were afraid because of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,
6I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
7Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
8Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, [nor] any likeness [of anything] that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
9thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I, Jehovah, thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me;
10and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
11Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain: for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
12Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy, as Jehovah thy God commanded thee.
13Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work;
14but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou.
15And thou shalt remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah thy God brought thee out thence by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm: therefore Jehovah thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
16Honor thy father and thy mother, as Jehovah thy God commanded thee; that thy days may be long, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.
17Thou shalt not kill.
18Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
19Neither shalt thou steal.
20Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor.
21Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor`s wife; neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor`s house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor`s.
22These words Jehovah spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them unto me.
23And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
24and ye said, Behold, Jehovah our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth speak with man, and he liveth.
25Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more, then we shall die.
26For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
27Go thou near, and hear all that Jehovah our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that Jehovah our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.
28And Jehovah heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and Jehovah said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.
29Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
30Go say to them, Return ye to your tents.
31But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.
32Ye shall observe to do therefore as Jehovah your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
33Ye shall walk in all the way which Jehovah your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
1Then Moses called all the people of Israel together and said to them: “Listen, Israel, to the statutes and ordinances that I am about to deliver to you today; learn them and be careful to keep them!
2The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.
3He did not make this covenant with our ancestors but with us, we who are here today, all of us living now.
4The Lord spoke face to face with you at the mountain, from the middle of the fire.
5(I was standing between the Lord and you at that time to reveal the Lord’s message to you, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said:
6“I am the Lord your God—he who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery.
7“You must not have any other gods besides me.
8“You must not make for yourself an image of anything in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters beneath.
9You must not worship or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me,
10but I show covenant faithfulness to the thousands who choose me and keep my commandments.
11“You must not make use of the name of the Lord your God for worthless purposes, for the Lord will not exonerate anyone who abuses his name that way.
12“Be careful to observe the Sabbath day just as the Lord your God has commanded you.
13You are to work and do all your tasks in six days,
14but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. On that day you must not do any work, you, your son, your daughter, your male slave, your female slave, your ox, your donkey, any other animal, or the resident foreigner who lives with you, so that your male and female slaves, like yourself, may have rest.
15Recall that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there by strength and power. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.
16“Honor your father and your mother just as the Lord your God has commanded you to do, so that your days may be extended and that it may go well with you in the land that he is about to give you.
17“You must not murder.
18“You must not commit adultery.
19“You must not steal.
20“You must not offer false testimony against another.
21You must not desire another man’s wife, nor should you crave his house, his field, his male and female servants, his ox, his donkey, or anything else he owns.”
22The Lord said these things to your entire assembly at the mountain from the middle of the fire, the cloud, and the darkness with a loud voice, and that was all he said. Then he inscribed the words on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
23Then, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness while the mountain was ablaze, all your tribal leaders and elders approached me.
24You said, “The Lord our God has shown us his great glory, and we have heard him speak from the middle of the fire. It is now clear to us that God can speak to human beings and they can keep on living.
25But now, why should we die, because this intense fire will consume us? If we keep hearing the voice of the Lord our God we will die!
26Who is there from the entire human race who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the middle of the fire as we have, and has lived?
27You go near so that you can hear everything the Lord our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.”
28When the Lord heard you speaking to me, he said to me, “I have heard what these people have said to you—they have spoken well.
29If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever.
30Go and tell them, ‘Return to your tents!’
31But as for you, remain here with me so I can declare to you all the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that you are to teach them, so that they can carry them out in the land I am about to give them.”
32Be careful, therefore, to do exactly what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn right or left!
33Walk just as he has commanded you so that you may live, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land you are going to possess.
1Moses called to all Israel, and said to them, “Hear, Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears today, that you may learn them, and observe to do them.”
2Yahweh our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
3Yahweh didn’t make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive today.
4Yahweh spoke with you face to face on the mountain out of the middle of the fire,
5(I stood between Yahweh and you at that time, to show you Yahweh’s word: for you were afraid because of the fire, and didn’t go up onto the mountain;) saying,
6“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
7“You shall have no other gods before me.
8“You shall not make a carved image for yourself, any likeness of what is in heaven above, or what is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
9You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them; for I, Yahweh, your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me;
10and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
11“You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain: for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
12“Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as Yahweh your God commanded you.
13You shall labor six days, and do all your work;
14but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God, in which you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.
15You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. Therefore Yahweh your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
16“Honor your father and your mother, as Yahweh your God commanded you; that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you, in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
17“You shall not murder.
18“You shall not commit adultery.
19“You shall not steal.
20“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
21“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. Neither shall you desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
22Yahweh spoke these words to all your assembly on the mountain out of the middle of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice. He added no more. He wrote them on two stone tablets, and gave them to me.
23When you heard the voice out of the middle of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
24and you said, “Behold, Yahweh our God has shown us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the middle of the fire. We have seen today that God does speak with man, and he lives.
25Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear Yahweh our God’s voice any more, then we shall die.
26For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the middle of the fire, as we have, and lived?
27Go near, and hear all that Yahweh our God shall say, and tell us all that Yahweh our God tells you; and we will hear it, and do it.”
28Yahweh heard the voice of your words, when you spoke to me; and Yahweh said to me, “I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They have well said all that they have spoken.
29Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!
30“Go tell them, ‘Return to your tents.’
31But as for you, stand here by me, and I will tell you all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.”
32You shall observe to do therefore as Yahweh your God has commanded you. You shall not turn away to the right hand or to the left.
33You shall walk in all the way which Yahweh your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.
Summary
Moses gathers Israel to restate the covenant made at Horeb, reminding the new generation that it applies to them and not only their fathers (vv. 1-5). He repeats the Ten Commandments essentially as first given at Sinai, covering worship of God alone, the prohibition of idols, keeping the Sabbath, honoring parents, and the commands against murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and coveting (vv. 6-21). Moses recalls how the people, terrified by the fire and voice at the mountain, asked him to hear from God on their behalf and relay His words to them, a request God approved (vv. 22-33).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Moses speaks from the plains of Moab. He recounts the giving of the Ten Commandments at Horeb (Sinai) — "The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire" (v.4).
Places on this map
- Moabwest-central JordanThe plateau east of the Dead Sea, cut off from Israel by the rift valley and from Ammon by the Arnon gorge. High enough to farm grain, which is why Naomi's family went there in a famine. Wikipedia
- Mount SinaiJebel Musa, Sinai Peninsula, EgyptTraditionally Jebel Musa in the granite mountains of the southern Sinai peninsula, about 7,500 feet high. The identification dates from Christian monastic tradition rather than from the text, and other candidates have been proposed, but this has been the pilgrimage site since the fourth century. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes the difference between the Exodus and Deuteronomy Sabbath rationales — creation vs. redemption — showing that the same command can have multiple valid motivations. He highlights v.29 as one of the most moving verses in Scripture: God's own longing for obedient hearts, which He knows the old covenant cannot produce.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Deuteronomy -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- The Covenant Is Made With You Today (v.3) — Moses tells a generation who were not even alive at Horeb that the covenant was made with them, not just their fathers. Do you treat God's commands as living and personal, or as history that happened to someone else?
- Identity Before Instruction (v.6) — God introduces the commandments by first reminding Israel who He is and what He already did for them. Are you obeying God out of gratitude for what He has done, or trying to earn something from Him?
- Rest Rooted in Remembered Freedom (v.15) — The reason given for Sabbath rest here is Israel's memory of slavery in Egypt. Does remembering what you have been freed from shape how generously you extend rest and grace to others?
- Right Fear, Incomplete Obedience (vv.25-27) — Israel's fear of God's voice was appropriate, yet fear alone was not enough to produce lasting faithfulness. Where has fear of consequences taken you only partway toward real obedience?
- God's Longing for a Willing Heart (v.29) — God expresses His own desire that Israel's heart would truly want to obey Him always, not just comply outwardly. Would you say your obedience today flows from a willing heart or from mere duty?
- No Turning Right or Left (v.32) — Moses charges Israel to walk exactly the path God commanded without straying to either side. What is currently pulling you off the straight path God has set before you?