DEVARIM 5: The 10 Commandments

After establishing the historical and conceptual framework, Moses began to “repeat the law” to the new generation.

(Deut. 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.

The first thing he says to them is: “Hear, O Israel”. Just as we saw on the previous chapter, “Hear” in Hebrew is: Shema, which implies not just hearing but also doing. This concept is embodied on this verse: “hear the commandments to learn them and to do them”.

COVENANT IN HOREB

Moses reminds everyone of what happened at Mount Horeb (or Sinai). There the last generation heard the Law, known as Torah (lit. teaching). The Torah is not just a legal code; but it is the conditions of a Covenant between God and the people of Israel. And that Covenant was not only done with the desert generation, but it was a multi-generational covenant.

(Deut. 5:2-3) 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.

Although some people of the new generation where not at the Mount that time, it was almost as if they had been there. And this is true of any person in the world and on any historical era – whoever recognizes Yehovah as their God enters into that Covenant. Accepting Him as our God is recognizing Him as Lord; and as such, we owe him obedience. He is our God, and we are His People; He speaks, and we hear and do (Heb. Shema).

Yehovah made the covenant of Horeb with us… “who are all of us here alive today”.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Next, Moses lists once again what is known today as “the 10 Commandments”. However, Jewish tradition didn’t call them “commandments” but words (in Hebrew: Aseret haDevarim), because that is the concept the Bible uses:

(Deut. 5:22a) 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…

The “10 Commandments” are not ALL the commandments, but they are just the introduction.  They are a kind of index that summarizes the whole of the commandments. The first of these 10 commandments are about our relationship with God, and the last are about our relationship with our neighbor.

We could think of the 10 commandments as a summary of the entire law. Jesus summarized it this way:

(Mark 12:28-31) And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” (29) Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (30) And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (31) The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 

Summary of the Law: Love God + love your neighbor

Luke also recounts an event where Jesus confirmed that the summary of the law is: Love God + love your neighbor. That is not a “new truth” but it is written on the Torah. Jesus simply summarized it, just as the rabbis of his time would do.

(Luke 10:25-28) And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (26) He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” (27) And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (28) And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

Paul referenced the second part of the 10 Commandments on his letter to the Romans:

(Romans 13:8-10) Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. (9) For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (10) Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

These words that Paul said don’t exclude the first part of the Law: to Love God. As John explains, loving our neighbor goes hand in hand with loving God.

(1 John 4:20-21) If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. (21) And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

INDEX OF THE LAW

Now let’s see what these introductory commandments are which make up the index of the Law (Heb. Torah):

I. Yehovah is God

II. You shall have no other gods

III. You shall not take God’s name in vain

IV. You shall keep the Sabbath

V. Honor your father and mother

VI. You shall not murder

VII. You shall not commit adultery

VIII. You shall not steal

IX. You shall not bear false witness

X. You shall not covet another’s things

I. Yehovah is God

In Hebrew tradition, the first “word” is considered to be the following:

(Deut. 5:6) I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

This might not be considered a “commandment” in and of itself, but it is the basis for everything else. First we have to see Yehovah as our God. Here the Lord does not introduce himself as God Almighty creator of Heaven and Earth, but as God the Redeemer of His People, which makes the relationship more personal.

II. You shall have no other gods

(Deut. 5:7-10) You shall have no other gods before 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 thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

III. You shall not take God’s name in vain

(Deut. 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.

Several times the Bible numbers God’s attributes when it talks about God: Father, Creator, Healer, Most High, Holy, Jealous God, etc. But when it talks about His Name, there is only one that stands out from all the others, and that name is Yehovah (Jehovah).

IV. You shall keep the Sabbath

(Deut. 5:12-15) 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.

The reason for keeping the day of rest (Heb. Shabbat) is to “keep it holy” (Heb. Kadash, which means: to dedicate, to consecrate). It is a day dedicated to God, on which we pause from our work and rest in Him.

The rabbis have established many prohibitions related to the day of rest (like no cooking, no sewing, no carrying things, no walking long distances, etc.); however, what God commands is simple: don’t do any work (Heb. Melacha, work, labor, business), but you shall rest (Heb. Nuach).

This is great news, right? This should be the simplest commandment to fulfill; and yet, interestingly, this is one of the most violated commandments.

V. Honor your father and mother

(Deut. 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.

VI. You shall not murder

(Deut. 5:17) You shall not murder.

Although in some translations this commandment has been translated as “you shall not kill”, the Hebrew verb is Ratzach, which in fact means: to murder. To “kill” means to take a life; but to “murder” is to do it in a premeditated and intentional way.

VII. You shall not commit adultery

(Deut. 5:18) And you shall not commit adultery.

VIII. You shall not steal

(Deut. 5:19) And you shall not steal.

IX. You shall not bear false witness

(Deut. 5:20) And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

The Hebrew literally says: You shall not answer with a false testimony.

X. You shall not covet another’s things

(Deut. 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.

To “covet” in Hebrew is: Chamad, which also translates as to delight, to desire. This is a commandment that goes straight to the heart, since it is not always obvious for others to see what someone desires or covets.

To want someone else’s things implies that we are not satisfied with what we have; in other words, we are not satisfied with what God has given us.

The opposite of coveting is being satisfied. There is a Hebrew proverb that says: “Who is rich? One who is satisfied with his lot” (Pirkei Avot).

Paul gave us the example of how to live in complacency:

(Philippians 4:11-12) Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. (12) I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 

EXPERIENCE AT MOUNT SINAI

In Devarim 5, Moses repeats the “10 Commandments” (the 10 Words) to the new generation. But the first time the Israelites heard them was at Mount Sinai. Moses used this time to tell the new generation about the experience their fathers had at the foot of the mount, when God personally spoke before all the people.

(Deut. 5:4-5) 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. 

The Lord had already spoken in person with Abraham, Jacob, Moses, etc., but on this occasion, for the first time, he spoke before EVERYONE.

THE PEOPLE’S REACTION

The Israelites did not react very well to the experience of being in the Presence of God.

(Deut. 5:23-27) 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.

They experienced what really is the Holiness of God. Before their flesh and blood they knew what it means for God to be a “consuming fire”. The weight of the Presence of God was so strong that they felt they were going to die. So they wanted to get away from it.

Now let’s see what God’s answer was to His People’s reaction…

(Deut. 5:28-31) 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! (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.’ 

After reminding the new generation about these events, Moses encourages them to always, throughout their lives, remember the fear of God – not to be “afraid” of him, but so that it will provoke them to obey God.

(Deut. 5:32-33) 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.

We need to have “fear of God” (Heb. Yirah, revering fear), but not to be afraid of God. Being afraid is caused by uncertainty; on the other hand, having fear comes from knowing the consequences of our acts, and that knowledge provokes obedience.

(Proverbs 3:1-7) My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, (2) for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. (3) Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. (4) So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. (5) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (6) In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (7) Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

Through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord also expressed the reason why He put reverent fear on His People.

(Jer. 32:40) I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 

The fear of God leads us to obedience; and the obedience brings blessing.

More lessons on Deuteronomy: DEVARIM (Deut.)