Deuteronomy 5 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Deuteronomy 5

The Ten Commandments

5:1 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 Not with our fathers did the LORD make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. 4 The LORD spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, 5 while I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said:

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 before¹ me.

8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands² 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 hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

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 the 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, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave³ in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, 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.⁴

18 “‘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.’

22 “These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. 23 And as soon as you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders. 24 And you said, ‘Behold, the LORD our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man still live. 25 Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, we shall die. 26 For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? 27 Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say, and speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’

28 “And the LORD heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. 29 Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants⁵ forever! 30 Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’ 32 You shall be careful therefore to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

Footnotes

[1] 5:7 Or besides
[2] 5:10 Or to the thousandth generation
[3] 5:15 Or servant
[4] 5:17 The Hebrew word also covers causing human death through carelessness or negligence
[5] 5:29 Or sons

Commentary

v1: The words are addressed to all Israel, demanding obedience from each one. There was a necessary commitment, to learn and obey what God had said. The Ten Commandments, given here again, were the central part of the Covenant that God made with the people (v2).

v3: Moses insisted that the covenant was as applicable to the second generation as to the first.

v4: God had spoken; there was authority and righteousness.

v5: The people were afraid of the appearance of God, Ex 20.18-21, and Moses received the words for them.

The commandments reveal God's holiness, Ps 119.137-138;
The commandments provide a standard of righteousness, Ps 19.9
The commandments expose and identify sin, Rom 7.7.

v6: God delivers; this is the motivation for obedience; see Ex 20.2.

v7: God has total authority; He can therefore demand total obedience and absolute surrender. In a man this would be tyrannical; in God this is right.

v8-10: God is jealous, and tolerates no rivals. This follows the teaching of ch 4. Disobedience here is serious, and is judged, v9. But those who love God receive mercy,

v11: The Name of God is a precious thing, as it declares who He is. We are thus to avoid blasphemy (Lev 24), and hypocrisy (Rom 2.21-24); we are to be careful in all our speaking (Ps 141.3; Matt 12.36). Our words should be true, edifying others, and reflecting the character of God.

v12-15: The fourth commandment was the longest. The institution of the Sabbath went back to creation (Gen 2.1-3); it was a day of rest and worship, Ex 23.12, and a distinctive mark of the Israelite people, Ex 31.16,16.

The Sabbath day also provided rest for slaves (v14), and was a reminder of the deliverance of God (v15).

In the New Testament, acts of mercy were permitted (Matt 12.1-4), and worship of God (Matt 12.5; see Num 28.9). By the first century, the Jewish people had surrounded God's provision of the Sabbath with all manner of rules and burdens, which the Lord Jesus Christ criticised.

v16: Honour your parents. God had created the family, and this was the unit upon which Israelite society was based. The stability and continuity of the family was therefore something important. See Gen 1.27-28; 2.24; Ex 21.17; Lev 25.25; Deut 21.18-21; Luke 2.51; Eph 6.1-4; Col 3.20-21.

Honour for parents includes reverence (Lev 20.9), obedience (Prov 4.1), gratitude (Mark 7.9-13). The Lord promised to bless those who obeyed this commandment; this was the only commandment with a specific blessing.

v17: The command not to murder reflects the sanctity of life.

v18: The command not to commit adultery reflects the sanctity of marriage. The fifth commandment encourages family life, and this commandment warns against anything that threatens true family life. Since marriage is of divine origin, anything that attacks marriage is serious; Job 31.9-12; Lev 20.10. There were serious consequences (Matt 5.27-29; 19.9). The N.T. commands a proper attitude to sex (1 Cor 7.1-2; Eph 5.22,25,28). Scripture lists many who fell in this area, and they stand as a warning to us.

v19: The command not to steal reflects a proper respect for others, and for what belongs to them.

v20: We should speak truth; as in v11; 19.16-20. It is not insignificant that liars are condemned (Rev 21.8); we should avoid lies, perjury, slander, hearsay, deceit, exaggeration, gossip; they all undermine relationships and reputations. Rather we should promote truth; Num 23.19; Ps 51.4; Ps 119.160; Prov 12.22; John 1.14,17; 14.6; Eph 4.29-32; 5.1; 6.14.

Often fewer words are better, Prov 10.19; Ps 141.3. In the multitude of our words, sin is not missing.

v21: Covetousness is a sign of a materialistic society, not necessarily a rich society. It also reflects personal dissatisfaction, since a person's well-being becomes wrapped up in what they have, rather than who they are; it also reflects a low esteem of spiritual things. It is akin to idolatry, Eph 5.5.

v22: He added no more - finality and sufficiency.

He wrote them - permanence and authority.
He gave them - communicated to encourage obedience. See Heb 12.18-19.

v23-27: The people responded with fear, amazed that God should speak with them, and that they did not die. In their fear, the people needed Moses to go near to God, and receive the words for them. They would obey everything!

v27: In their fear, the people needed Moses to go near to God, and receive the words for them. They would obey everything!

v28: The Lord approved of their reverence.

v29: The Lord knows the hearts of men, that the reverence of one day would not last. Soon, words of loyalty would be replaced by rebellion. In the gospels, "Hosanna" was soon replaced by "crucify". Yet there would be great blessings in real obedience.

v31: The emphasis is that the Israelites should obey the law in Canaan, see also 4.40; 6.1. This did not allow a lower standard before they entered the land, since disobedience was treated seriously, 9.16.

The inheritance of the land was certain, and was God's gift of grace, 9.4-5; once in the land, the people had a responsibility to display the character of God, as a testimony to other nations.