Deuteronomy 5:15-25

15 Have mind, that also thyself servedest in Egypt, and thy Lord God led thee out from thence, in a strong hand, and in an arm stretched forth (Remember, that thou were slaves in Egypt, and that the Lord thy God led thee out from there, with a strong hand, and an outstretched arm); therefore he commanded to thee, that thou shouldest keep the sabbath day.
16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as thy Lord God commanded to thee, that thou live in long time, and that it be well to thee, in the land which thy Lord God shall give to thee. (Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God commanded thee, so that thou live a long time, and that it be well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee.)
17 Thou shalt not slay. (Thou shalt not kill.)
18 Thou shalt not do lechery.
19 Thou shalt not do theft.
20 Thou shalt not speak false witnessing against thy neighbour.
21 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his house, nor his field, nor his servant, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor ass, and all things, that is, nothing of all the things, that be his. (Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his house, nor his field, nor his slave, nor his slave-girl, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that be his.)
22 The Lord spake these words to all your multitude, in the hill, from the midst of the fire, and of the cloud, and of the mist, with great voice, and he added to (it) nothing more; and he wrote those words in two tables of stone, which he gave to me. (The Lord spoke these words to all the multitude of you, on the mountain, from the midst of the fire, and of the cloud, and of the mist, with a great voice, and he added nothing more to it; and he wrote those words on two stone tablets, which he gave to me.)
23 And after that ye heard the voice from the midst of the darknesses, and ye saw the hill burn, all ye princes of the lineages, and the greater men in birth, nighed to me, (And after that ye heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, and ye saw the mountain burning with fire, all ye leaders of the tribes, and the men of great age, that is, the elders, came to me,)
24 and ye said, Lo! our Lord God hath showed to us his majesty and greatness; we heard his voice from [the] midst of the fire, and we have proved today that a man liveth, God speaking with man. (and ye said, Lo! the Lord our God hath shown us his majesty and his greatness; we heard his voice from the midst of the fire, and we have proven today that a person can live, even after God hath spoken with him.)
25 Why therefore shall we die, and shall this greatest fire devour us? For if we hear more the voice of our Lord God, we shall die. (And so why should we risk death again? for this great fire shall devour us! Yea, if we hear the voice of the Lord our God again, surely we shall all die!)

Deuteronomy 5:15-25 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.