Deuteronomy 5:17-21

17 1"'You shall not murder.[a]
18 2"'And you shall not commit adultery.
19 "'And you shall not steal.
20 "'And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
21 "'And you 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 is your neighbor's.'

Deuteronomy 5:17-21 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 2

  • 1. Matthew 5:21, 27; Luke 18:20; James 2:11
  • 2. [See ver. 17 above]

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. The Hebrew word also covers causing human death through carelessness or negligence
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.