Chapter Text
The Ten Commandments
And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.
2The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
3The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
4The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
5(I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,
6I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
7Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
8Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
9Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
10And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
11Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
12Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
13Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:
14But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
15And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
16Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
17Thou shalt not kill.
18Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
19Neither shalt thou steal.
20Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
21Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Moses the Mediator
22These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
23And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
24And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.
25Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.
26For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
27Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.
28And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.
29O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
30Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.
31But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.
32Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
33Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
Summary
Moses recounts the giving of the Ten Commandments at Horeb. He repeats all ten commandments to the new generation. The people had been terrified by God's voice from the fire and asked Moses to serve as mediator. God commended their fear and expressed His desire that they would always maintain such reverent hearts, that it might go well with them and their children forever.
Meaning
The repetition of the Ten Commandments to the new generation underscores that each generation must personally receive and embrace God's covenant. The faith of the parents does not automatically transfer to the children; each must hear and respond for themselves.
God's remarkable statement, 'O that there were such an heart in them,' reveals divine longing for genuine human devotion. The Almighty does not merely demand obedience; He desires willing hearts that choose Him freely out of reverent love.
Background
The Deuteronomic version of the Ten Commandments contains slight variations from the Exodus account, particularly in the Sabbath commandment, which here emphasizes deliverance from Egypt rather than creation rest. These differences reflect Moses' pastoral application of the Law to a new generation facing new circumstances.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-5Moses summons Israel to hear the covenant
- vv. 6-10First table: exclusive worship of the LORD
- vv. 11-15The name of God and the Sabbath rest
- vv. 16-21Second table: duties toward neighbor
- vv. 22-27The people's fear and request for a mediator
- vv. 28-33God's response and longing for obedient hearts
Key Verses
“I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”— 5:6
The preamble to the Ten Commandments, grounding God's authority to command in His redemptive act. Every obligation flows from grace already received.
“These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.”— 5:22
Emphasizes the unique, unrepeatable nature of the Decalogue's delivery — spoken directly by God to the entire nation and inscribed by His own hand, setting these commandments apart from all other legislation.
“O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!”— 5:29
God's own longing for Israel's obedience reveals that external law requires internal transformation. This verse anticipates the new covenant promise of a changed heart (Jeremiah 31:33, Ezekiel 36:26).
People & Places
People
- Moses — Mediator between God and Israel who recounts the giving of the law and stood between the LORD and the people at Sinai.
Places
- Horeb — The mountain where God made the covenant with Israel and spoke the Ten Commandments from the fire.
- Egypt — The land of Israel's former bondage, referenced as the basis for God's authority and the motivation for Sabbath observance.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Verse 29, in which God longs for a heart disposed to obedience, foreshadows the new covenant promises of Jeremiah 31:31–33 and Ezekiel 36:26–27, where God pledges to write His law on the heart and give His Spirit. The inadequacy of external commandment to produce inward compliance — implicit throughout this chapter — finds its resolution in the work of Christ, who fulfills the law (Matthew 5:17) and sends the Spirit to empower obedience (Romans 8:4).
Devotional
God does not begin with demands — He begins with deliverance. Before a single commandment is given, He reminds Israel who He is and what He has done. Obedience is not the price of relationship; it is the response to rescue already accomplished.
The commandments themselves are remarkably practical: how we worship, how we rest, how we honor parents, how we treat neighbors. Holiness is not abstract — it is lived out in the ordinary rhythms of work, family, and community.
God's yearning in verse 29 is striking. He desires not mere compliance but a willing heart. True obedience begins with gratitude, not fear.
Literary Style
Homiletical recapitulation — Moses retells the Sinai theophany in sermonic form, blending direct quotation of the Decalogue with narrative framework and exhortation. The chapter features embedded dialogue (God, Moses, the people), creating a three-voiced structure. The Deuteronomic motivation clauses (e.g., 'that it may go well with thee') distinguish this recounting from Exodus 20.