Deuteronomy 5:12-15

12 "'Observe 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 1the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On 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 livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, 2that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.
15 3You shall remember that you were a slave[a] in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there 4with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 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 4

  • 1. Exodus 16:29, 30; Hebrews 4:4
  • 2. [Exodus 23:12]
  • 3. Deuteronomy 15:15; Deuteronomy 16:12; Deuteronomy 24:18, 22
  • 4. See Deuteronomy 4:34

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.