Deuteronomy5

Moses gathers all Israel to reiterate the covenant made at Horeb, emphasizing that the LORD spoke the Ten Commandments directly to the current generation from the midst of the fire. Due to the people's fear of direct divine communication, they requested Moses to mediate further. Moses then recites the Decalogue, urging strict obedience to these foundational laws for their prosperity in the promised land.
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Moses Recounts the Horeb Covenant

1
Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances that I declare in your hearing this day. Learn them and observe them carefully. ​
2
The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. ​
3
He did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with all of us who are alive here today. ​
4
The LORD spoke with you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.
5
At that time I was standing between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain. And He said: ​

The Ten Commandments Recited

6
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ​
7
You shall have no other gods before Me.
8
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.
9
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, ​
10
but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
11
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain. ​
12
Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you.
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Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
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but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do. ​
15
Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. ​
16
Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. ​
17
You shall not murder. ​
18
You shall not commit adultery.
19
You shall not steal.
20
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
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You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house or field, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” ​
22
The LORD spoke these commandments in a loud voice to your whole assembly out of the fire, the cloud, and the deep darkness on the mountain; He added nothing more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

Israel Requests Moses to Mediate

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And when you heard the voice out of the darkness while the mountain was blazing with fire, all the heads of your tribes and your elders approached me, ​
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and you said, “Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him.
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But now, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us, and we will die, if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer.
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For who of all flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire, as we have, and survived?
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Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then you can tell us everything the LORD our God tells you; we will listen and obey.”
28
And the LORD heard the words you spoke to me, and He said to me, “I have heard the words that these people have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.

God Commends Israel's Intent

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If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it might be well with them and with their children forever. ​
30
Go and tell them: ‘Return to your tents.’
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But you stand here with Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and statutes and ordinances you are to teach them to follow in the land that I am giving them to possess.”
32
So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left. ​
33
You must walk in all the ways that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

Study Notes for Deuteronomy 5

Verse 1

Moses begins his second major address by demanding attention to the statutes and judgments, emphasizing that the purpose is not just to hear, but to learn, keep, and practice them in the promised land.

Verse 2

Horeb is the name used throughout Deuteronomy for Mount Sinai, the site of the foundational covenant where the relationship between God and Israel was formally established.

Verse 3

This verse stresses that the covenant is binding on the current generation, not just their deceased parents. The law is perpetually relevant and requires a fresh commitment from every living Israelite.

Verse 5

Moses explains his role as the necessary mediator. Because the people feared God’s overwhelming presence, Moses stood between them, receiving and transmitting the divine word.

Verse 6

The Decalogue begins with a statement of redemption. The demand for obedience is grounded in God's prior act of liberation (the Exodus), establishing a relationship before imposing laws.

Verse 9

The concept of 'jealousy' (Heb. *qanna*) here reflects God's insistence on exclusive fidelity within the covenant relationship. Visiting iniquity refers to the persistent, generational consequences of idolatry and spiritual rebellion.

Verse 11

To take the name of the LORD 'in vain' (*la shav*) means using it falsely, lightly, or for destructive purposes (e.g., false oaths, curses). This command guarantees divine accountability for the misuse of God's revealed character.

Verse 14

The Sabbath rest extends universally to all members of the household and community, reflecting the fundamental equality and dignity of all persons before God.

Verse 15

This Deuteronomic version of the Sabbath command anchors the observance in redemption (Exodus) rather than creation (Exodus 20:11). Israel keeps the Sabbath as a perpetual reminder of their deliverance from slavery.

Verse 16

Honoring parents ensures stable family structures, which are vital for national longevity. The promise of prolonged days is specifically tied to their well-being in the land they are about to possess.

Verse 17

The Hebrew term *ratsach* refers specifically to unlawful homicide or murder, distinguishing it from accidental killing or legitimate judicial execution.

Verse 21

The final command addresses the internal desire (coveting) that precedes the outward act. Deuteronomy places the neighbor's wife first, emphasizing the sanctity of marriage over material possessions.

Verse 23

The people, overwhelmed by the terrifying theophany (God speaking from fire), recognized the deadly nature of direct divine encounter and sought safety through Moses' mediation.

Verse 29

This verse is a poignant divine wish (*Mi yitten*), reflecting God's desire for the people’s internal disposition (heart) to match their external commitment (words), ensuring sustained obedience and blessing.

Verse 32

The command not to turn aside 'to the right hand or to the left' is a common biblical idiom demanding strict, uncompromising adherence to the divine instruction alone.

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