Chapter Five
Words Written in Stone
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:
The substance of Moses’ second discourse begins with the phrase translated as “Hear, O Israel,” (Hebrew “šemǎ’ Yiś·rā·’ēl”),[1] the first of five found in Deuteronomy (see Deuteronomy 6:4; 9:1; 20:3; 27:9). Each time it is used Moses is conveying something particularly important for them to understand. In the previous chapter they were warned to listen to these words carefully (see Deuteronomy 4:1) as they needed to know all of God’s law. But now it appears that the instructions that follow each time this phrase is used in Deuteronomy are especially vital for their continued relationship and fellowship with God, including the one identified by Jesus as the greatest commandment.[2]
This new generation was to learn and be careful to do (same root word that was used to warn and encourage them in the chapter four is also used here) the statues and rules Moses is about to present to them. The text states that the covenant made between God and the people of Israel at Mount Sinai was not with their parents but with those listening to him on that day. Even though most of statutes and regulations previously given had a “start date” of when they began to occupy the land (see Exodus 12:25; 13:5, 11; Leviticus 14:34; 19:23; 20:22; 23:10, 22, 39; 25:2, 4-7, 9-10, 18-19, 23-24; 26:1, 5-6; 27:30; Numbers 15:2-16, 18-21), their parents managed to disobey God before entering the land. Since this second generation will enter the Promised Land, the covenant will begin with them.
Moses takes them back to the moment when God spoke to the people of Israel from the midst of the fire at the mountain many years earlier. Those listening were afraid and stood at a distance (see Exodus 19:16; 20:18; 24:2). Moses now repeats the words YHWH spoke from Mount Sinai commonly referred to today as the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:2-17).
5:6 “ ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Moses relays how YHWH identified Himself as their God, the one that brought them out of Egypt where they were slaves (see Exodus 20:2).[3]
5:7 “ ‘You shall have no other gods before me.
At the time when the Ten Commandments were first heard from atop Mount Sinai, the people of Israel would have been well-exposed to pagan gods and goddesses as the people of Egypt deified nearly everything, and those beliefs carried over into everything the Egyptians did.[4] God was informing the people of Israel that nothing was to come between them. However, through that exposure in Egypt, the people of Israel may have also embraced polytheism, the concept of believing in multiple gods.
Two questions often are asked after reading this command. Was God telling them that it was okay to believe in other gods if they kept Him as number one? And was He acknowledging there were other gods? The answer to both questions is a definite no! In Scripture the term ‘ělō·hîm’[5] can also refer to false gods, angels, and even judges. In the following verses it is clear that the Israelites were not allowed to even recognize the existence of other gods. Plus, there are no other deities like God as the distinction of being called “the living God,” is often appended to YHWH’s description in Scripture, which clearly demonstrates His uniqueness (see Joshua 3:10; 1 Samuel 17:26, 36; 2 Kings 19:4, 16; Psalm 42:2; 84:2; Isaiah 37:4; Jeremiah 10:10; 23:36; Daniel 6:20, 26; Hosea 1:10).
Here now, knowing how their parents were punished for worshiping false gods, goddesses, and idols (see Exodus 32:1-35; Numbers 25:1-18), and understanding that there is only one true God (another key topic, which will be covered in the next chapter), they, unlike their parents, had the realization of the importance of keeping this commandment.
5:8 “ ‘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 thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
These verses are essentially identical to Exodus 20:4-6.[6] It could be said that this new generation has one ‘advantage’, if we can call it that, experience that their parents did not have, many of them have seen first-hand how God responds to the people of Israel worshiping other gods. There were two times when they, perhaps as small children, saw God respond to idol worship. The first incident was when Moses was returning from being on top of Mount Sinai for forty days and found them worshiping a golden calf. God wanted to destroy them all except for Moses. Due to Moses intervening, only those guilty of sinning against God were killed (see Exodus 32:1-35). Then later when many of the men succumbed to some Midianite women (sent at Balaam’s suggestion) who then brought the worship of Baal-peor to the people of Israel, God sent a plague that killed 24,000. The death toll would have been higher if it wasn’t for Phineas’ quick actions (see Numbers 25:1-18). These two events alone would have given the people listening to Moses first-hand knowledge that God would indeed enforce these commandments. The statement of “showing steadfast love to thousands,” is similar to Deuteronomy 7:9 and is often considered a reference to eternity.
5:11 “ ‘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.
Identical to Exodus 20:7, this passage points out the importance of revering God and His name at all times. Any disrespect or misuse of His name reflects dishonor to God. This commandment not only applies to the use of His name in swearing, it also applies to any misapplication of God’s role or influence in a person’s life (such as saying something like, “God told me this…” when it was not true or behaving in an inappropriate manner when representing God).[7]
5:12 “ ‘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 slave 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.
Here in Deuteronomy, the command to keep the Sabbath varies somewhat from the Exodus 20:8-11 account. Instead of opening with, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8), Moses here states, “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy as the LORD your God commanded you.” The language is slightly stronger (calling it a command, Hebrew ‘ṣiw’),[8] however, nothing else is effectively changed in verse twelve. Verse thirteen reads the same as Exodus 20:9, but in verse fourteen, Moses specifically adds, “your ox or your donkey or any of” and “that your male servant and female servant may rest as well as you,” however, again, nothing new is added.
The biggest difference between the Exodus rendering of this command and Deuteronomy’s account, is found in verse fifteen. In Exodus 20:11, the explanation for the Sabbath is connected to Creation, pointing to how God rested on the seventh day: “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Here in verse fifteen, the instruction includes the need for them to remember that they were slaves in Egypt and that YHWH brought them out of slavery and out of Egypt with a strong hand and mighty arm, that demonstrated to them and the world, His power. That is why YHWH commanded them to now keep the Sabbath day.
5:16 “ ‘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.
Once again, the Hebrew ‘ṣiw’[9] is added, making it clear it is a command (see verse 12). The text does have some other subtle differences than Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” First, the added conjunction ‘and’ between “that your days be long” and “that it may go well with you in the land.” Here the text states that if the person obeys this commandment, they will have both long days, and it will go well during occupation of the Promised Land. The Exodus account implies only a lengthy stay in the land. Some believe that the reference to longer days in both verses is a reference to being blessed with a longer life.[10]
Secondly, this verse adds “that it may go well” (being one Hebrew word, ‘yî’·ṭǎḇ’,[11] meaning to be good) with the person who obeys this commandment in the land (not mentioned in the Exodus account). This clause mirrors some of the wording found in Deuteronomy 4:40.
5:17 “ ‘You shall not murder.
Identical to Exodus 20:13.[12]
5:18 “ ‘And you shall not commit adultery.
Begins with the conjunction ‘and’, otherwise this passage is identical to the account in Exodus.[13]
5:19 “ ‘And you shall not steal.
Same applies here, the word ‘and’ has been added, otherwise the same as Exodus 20:15.
5:20 “ ‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Again, the word ‘and’ has been added to the beginning of the verse, otherwise the same as Exodus 20:16.
5:21 “ ‘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.’
The order of this text is different than what is found in the Exodus account, here it begins with the decree to not covet the neighbor’s wife, followed by the instruction not to desire the neighbor’s house (reverse of Exodus 20:17). The word translated here as ‘desire’ is the Hebrew word ‘ṯiṯ·’ǎw·wě(h)’,[14] meaning to be inclined or to desire; the Exodus account uses the Hebrew ‘ṭǎḥ·mōḏ’[15] (translated as ‘covet’), which means to take pleasure in or to lust after, in context, is not considered a significant difference.[16]
5:22 “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.’
Moses tells them that when their parents heard God speak the commandments from the midst of the fire, cloud, and darkness, they were extremely afraid. They were convinced that they would not be able to survive another encounter with God, so they pleaded with Moses to be their spokesman (see also Exodus 20:18-19). They said that whatever God said to him, that they would, in turn, do them, which sadly was certainly not the case, as evidenced by the fact that those in attendance back then, with only a couple of exceptions, were dead and were still not in the Promised Land.
5:28 “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 descendants forever!
Moses discloses God’s response to the people’s promise of obedience, most of which was not revealed in the account recorded in Exodus. Moses shares what YHWH said to him after hearing them say, “speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.” (Deuteronomy 5:27b) Here God acknowledges that they are right and since God is omniscient, He knew at the time that even though their hearts were truly ready to obey, they would ultimately fail and turn away from Him. God’s deepest desire was that their hearts would retain that commitment and continue in obedience, so that they and their descendants could live in the Promised Land forever.
5:30 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.
When the presentation was finished the people were to return to their tents, but Moses was asked to stay there on top of Mount Sinai so that He could receive the whole commandment (Hebrew word ‘miṣ·wā(h)’,[17] a singular noun referring to a commandment, an edict, or a body of teachings),[18] the remaining portions of the law, as the Ten Commandments are only a portion of the law (often considered as a summary of the law)[19], including the statutes (Hebrew ‘ḥǔq·qîm’,[20] a plural noun referring to regulations, decrees, etc.)[21] and the rules (Hebrew ‘miš·pā·ṭîm’,[22] a plural noun referring to a legal decision, a judgment).[23] Moses was to teach the people all of God’s law so that they could do them when they arrive in the land given to them to possess. Moses then turns to the people and tells them that they need to be careful to do as YHWH commanded, they are not to turn aside, to turn to the right or the left, they are to do precisely as God commands, no compromises will be allowed (similar to statement given in Deuteronomy 4:2).[24] So that everything will go well for them in the Promised Land.
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 8085 and 3478.
[2] See Introduction to Deuteronomy.
[3] See also Considerations under Exodus 12:31-32.
[4] See Considerations under Exodus 12:31-32.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 430.
[6] See commentaries under Exodus 20:4, 5 and 6 for exposition regarding the text.
[7] See commentary under Exodus 20:7.
[8] See commentary under Exodus 6:10-13; 35:4-9.
[9] Strong’s Hebrew 6680.
[10] See commentary under Exodus 20:12.
[11] Strong’s Hebrew 3190.
[12] See commentary under Exodus 20:13 for exposition.
[13] See commentary under Exodus 20:14.
[14] Strong’s Hebrew 183.
[15] Strong’s Hebrew 2530.
[16] See commentary under Exodus 20:17 for further exposition.
[17] Strong’s Hebrew 4687.
[18] See commentary under Genesis 26:1-5.
[19] See the section titled, “Introduction to the Ten Commandments” in the chapter named “A Brief Introduction to God’s Law.”
[20] Strong’s Hebrew 2706.
[21] See commentary under Leviticus 27:34.
[22] Strong’s Hebrew 4941.
[23] See commentary under Exodus 21:1; 28:15; Leviticus 19:36-37; 27:34.
[24] See also Considerations under Deuteronomy 4:9-14.