Deuteronomy 5:4-21

4 "The LORD spoke to you ¹face to face at the mountain ²from the midst of the fire,

5 while ³I was standing between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; ⁴for you were afraid because * of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said,

6 '⁵I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

7 '⁶You shall have no other gods before Me.

8 '⁷You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above * or on the earth beneath * or in the water under the earth.

9 'You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, ⁸visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,

10 but ⁹showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

11 '¹⁰You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

12 '¹¹Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you.

13 'Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

14 but ¹²the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

15 '¹³You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore * the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.

16 '¹⁴Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, ¹⁵that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you.

17 '¹⁶You shall not murder.

18 '¹⁷You shall not commit adultery.

19 '¹⁸You shall not steal.

20 '¹⁹You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

21 '²⁰You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.'

Deuteronomy 5:4-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 5

In this chapter Moses, after a short preface, De 5:1-5, repeats the law of the decalogue, or ten commands, with some little variation, De 5:6-21, and then reminds the Israelites of the terrible manner in which it was delivered to them, De 5:22,23 which put them upon making a request that Moses might be a mediator between God and them, and hear what the Lord had to say, and report it to them; to which they promised obedience, De 5:24-27 and which being agreeable to the Lord was granted, De 5:28-31, and this laid them under a greater obligation to observe the commands of God, and keep them, De 5:32,33.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 14:14; Deuteronomy 34:10
• 2. Deuteronomy 4:33
• 3. Galatians 3:19
• 4. Ex 19:16, 21-24; Exodus 20:18; Hebrews 12:18-21
• 5. Exodus 20:2-17; Leviticus 26:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalms 81:10
• 6. Exodus 20:3
• 7. Exodus 20:4-6; Leviticus 26:1; Deuteronomy 4:15-18; Deuteronomy 27:15; Psalms 97:7
• 8. Exodus 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 7:10
• 9. Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 7:9; Jeremiah 32:18
• 10. Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:12; Deuteronomy 6:13; Deuteronomy 10:20; Matthew 5:33
• 11. Exodus 16:23-30; Exodus 20:8-11; Exodus 31:13; Mark 2:27
• 12. Genesis 2:2; Hebrews 4:4
• 13. Exodus 20:11
• 14. Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 19:3; Deuteronomy 27:16; Matthew 15:4; Matthew 19:19; Mark 7:10; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Ephesians 6:2, 3; Colossians 3:20
• 15. Deuteronomy 4:40
• 16. Genesis 9:6; Exodus 20:13; Leviticus 24:17; Matthew 5:21; Matthew 19:18; Mark 10:19; Romans 13:9; James 2:11
• 17. Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10; Matthew 5:27; Matthew 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Romans 13:9; James 2:11
• 18. Exodus 20:15; Leviticus 19:11
• 19. Exodus 20:16; Exodus 23:1; Matthew 19:18
• 20. Exodus 20:17; Romans 7:7; Romans 13:9

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "saying"
• [b]. Lit "slaves"
• [c]. Or "besides"
• [d]. Or "a graven image"
• [e]. Lit "or what is"
• [f]. Lit "or what is"
• [g]. Or "hold him guiltless"
• [h]. Lit "is in your gates"