Deuteronomy 5:2-12

2 The Lord our God made an Agreement with us at Mount Sinai.

3 He did not make this Agreement with our ancestors, but he made it with us, with all of us who are alive here today.

4 The Lord spoke to you face to face from the fire on the mountain.

5 (At that time I stood between you and the Lord in order to tell you what the Lord said; you were afraid of the fire, so you would not go up on the mountain.) The Lord said:

6 "I am the Lord your God; I brought you out of the land of Egypt where you were slaves.

7 "You must not have any other gods except me.

8 "You must not make for yourselves any idols or anything to worship that looks like something in the sky above or on the earth below or in the water below the land.

9 You must not worship or serve any idol, because I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. If people sin against me and hate me, I will punish their children, even their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

10 But I will be very kind for a thousand lifetimes to those who love me and obey my commands.

11 "You must not use the name of the Lord your God thoughtlessly, because the Lord will punish anyone who uses his name in this way.

12 "Keep the Sabbath as a holy day, as the Lord your God has commanded you.

Deuteronomy 5:2-12 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.