Deuteronomy 5:3 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

3 The LORD H3068 made H3772 not this covenant H1285 with our fathers, H1 but with us, H587 even us, who are all of us H428 here alive H2416 this day. H3117

Cross Reference

Deuteronomy 29:10-15 STRONG

Ye stand H5324 this day H3117 all of you before H6440 the LORD H3068 your God; H430 your captains H7218 of your tribes, H7626 your elders, H2205 and your officers, H7860 with all the men H376 of Israel, H3478 Your little ones, H2945 your wives, H802 and thy stranger H1616 that is in H7130 thy camp, H4264 from the hewer H2404 of thy wood H6086 unto the drawer H7579 of thy water: H4325 That thou shouldest enter H5674 into covenant H1285 with the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and into his oath, H423 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 maketh H3772 with thee this day: H3117 That he may establish H6965 thee to day H3117 for a people H5971 unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, H430 as he hath said H1696 unto thee, and as he hath sworn H7650 unto thy fathers, H1 to Abraham, H85 to Isaac, H3327 and to Jacob. H3290 Neither with you only do I make H3772 this covenant H1285 and this oath; H423 But with him that standeth H5975 here with us this H3426 day H3117 before H6440 the LORD H3068 our God, H430 and also with him that is not here with us this day: H3117

Psalms 105:8-10 STRONG

He hath remembered H2142 his covenant H1285 for ever, H5769 the word H1697 which he commanded H6680 to a thousand H505 generations. H1755 Which covenant he made H3772 with Abraham, H85 and his oath H7621 unto Isaac; H3446 And confirmed H5975 the same unto Jacob H3290 for a law, H2706 and to Israel H3478 for an everlasting H5769 covenant: H1285

Jeremiah 32:38-40 STRONG

And they shall be my people, H5971 and I will be their God: H430 And I will give H5414 them one H259 heart, H3820 and one H259 way, H1870 that they may fear H3372 me for ever, H3117 for the good H2896 of them, and of their children H1121 after H310 them: And I will make H3772 an everlasting H5769 covenant H1285 with them, that I will not turn away H7725 from them, H310 to do them good; H3190 but I will put H5414 my fear H3374 in their hearts, H3824 that they shall not depart H5493 from me.

Galatians 3:17-21 STRONG

And G1161 this G5124 I say, G3004 that the covenant, G1242 that was confirmed before G4300 of G5259 God G2316 in G1519 Christ, G5547 the law, G3551 which was G1096 four hundred G5071 and G2532 thirty G5144 years G2094 after, G3326 cannot G3756 disannul, G208 that G1519 it should make G2673 the promise G1860 of none effect. G2673 For G1063 if G1487 the inheritance G2817 be of G1537 the law, G3551 it is no more G3765 of G1537 promise: G1860 but G1161 God G2316 gave G5483 it to Abraham G11 by G1223 promise. G1860 Wherefore G5101 then G3767 serveth the law? G3551 It was added G4369 because of G5484 transgressions, G3847 till G891 G3757 the seed G4690 should come G2064 to whom G3739 the promise was made; G1861 and it was ordained G1299 by G1223 angels G32 in G1722 the hand G5495 of a mediator. G3316 Now G1161 a mediator G3316 is G2076 not G3756 a mediator of one, G1520 but G1161 God G2316 is G2076 one. G1520 Is the law G3551 then G3767 against G2596 the promises G1860 of God? G2316 God forbid: G3361 G1096 for G1063 if G1487 there had been G1325 a law G3551 given G1325 which G3588 could G1410 have given life, G2227 verily G3689 righteousness G1343 should G302 have been G2258 by G1537 the law. G3551

Hebrews 8:8-9 STRONG

For G1063 finding fault G3201 with them, G846 he saith, G3004 Behold, G2400 the days G2250 come, G2064 saith G3004 the Lord, G2962 when G2532 I will make G4931 a new G2537 covenant G1242 with G1909 the house G3624 of Israel G2474 and G2532 with G1909 the house G3624 of Judah: G2455 Not G3756 according to G2596 the covenant G1242 that G3739 I made with G4160 their G846 fathers G3962 in G1722 the day G2250 when I took G1949 them G846 by the hand G3450 G5495 to lead G1806 them G846 out of G1537 the land G1093 of Egypt; G125 because G3754 they G846 continued G1696 not G3756 in G1722 my G3450 covenant, G1242 and I G2504 regarded G272 them G846 not, G272 saith G3004 the Lord. G2962

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Deuteronomy 5

Commentary on Deuteronomy 5 Matthew Henry Commentary


Chapter 5

In this chapter we have the second edition of the ten commandments.

  • I. The general intent of them; they were in the nature of a covenant between God and Israel (v. 1-5).
  • II. The particular precepts are repeated (v. 6-21), with the double delivery of them, both by word and writing (v. 22).
  • III. The settling of the correspondence thenceforward between God and Israel, by the mediation and ministry of Moses.
    • 1. It was Israel's humble petition that it might be so (v. 23-27).
    • 2. It was God's gracious grant that it should be so (v. 28-31). And hence he infers the obligation they were under to obedience (v. 32, 33).

Deu 5:1-5

Here,

  • 1. Moses summons the assembly. He called all Israel; not only the elders, but, it is likely, as many of the people as could come within hearing, v. 1. The greatest of them were not above God's command, nor the meanest of them below his cognizance; but they were all bound to do.
  • 2. He demands attention: "Hear, O Israel; hear and heed, hear and remember, hear, that you may learn, and keep, and do; else your hearing is to no purpose.' When we hear the word of God we must set ourselves to learn it, that we may have it ready to us upon all occasions, and what we have learned we must put in practice, for that is the end of hearing and learning; not to fill our heads with notions, or our mouths with talk, but to rectify and direct our affections and conversations.
  • 3. He refers them to the covenant made with them in Horeb, as that which they must govern themselves by. See the wonderful condescension of divine grace in turning the command into a covenant, that we might be the more strongly bound to obedience by our own consent and the more encouraged in it by the divine promise, both which are supposed in the covenant. The promises and threatenings annexed to some of the precepts, as to the second, third, and fifth, make them amount to a covenant. Observe,
    • (1.) The parties to this covenant. God made it, not with our fathers, not with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; to them God gave the covenant of circumcision (Acts 7:8), but not that of the ten commandments. The light of divine revelation shone gradually, and the children were made to know more of God's mind than their fathers had done. "The covenant was made with us, or our immediate parents that represented us, before Mount Sinai, and transacted for us.'
    • (2.) The publication of this covenant. God himself did, as it were, read the articles to them (v. 4): He talked with you face to face; word to word, so the Chaldee. Not in dark visions, as of old he spoke to the fathers (Job 4:12, 13), but openly and clearly, and so that all the thousands of Israel might hear and understand. He spoke to them, and then received the answer they returned to him: thus was it transacted face to face.
    • (3.) The mediator of the covenant: Moses stood between God and them, at the foot of the mount (v. 5), and carried messages between them both for the settling of the preliminaries (Ex. 19) and for the changing of the ratifications, Ex. 24. Herein Moses was a type of Christ, who stands between God and man, to show us the word of the Lord, a blessed days-man, that has laid his hand upon us both, so that we may both hear from God and speak to him without trembling.

Deu 5:6-22

Here is the repetition of the ten commandments, in which observe,

  • 1. Though they had been spoken before, and written, yet they are again rehearsed; for precept must be upon precept, and line upon line, and all little enough to keep the word of God in our minds and to preserve and renew the impressions of it. We have need to have the same things often inculcated upon us. See Phil. 3:1.
  • 2. There is some variation here from that record (Ex. 20), as there is between the Lord's prayer as it is in Mt. 6 and as it is Lu. 11. In both it is more necessary that we tie ourselves to the things than to the words unalterably.
  • 3. The most considerable variation is in the fourth commandment. In Ex. 20 the reason annexed is taken from the creation of the world; here it is taken from their deliverance out of Egypt, because that was typical of our redemption by Jesus Christ, in remembrance of which the Christian sabbath was to be observed: Remember that thou wast a servant, and God brought thee out, v. 15. And Therefore,
    • (1.) "It is fit that thy servants should be favoured by the sabbath-rest; for thou knowest the heart of a servant, and how welcome one day's ease will be after six days' labour.'
    • (2.) "It is fit that thy God should be honoured by the sabbath-work, and the religious services of the day, in consideration of the great things he has done for thee.' In the resurrection of Christ we were brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore, by the gospel-edition of the law, we are directed to observe the first day of the week, in remembrance of that glorious work of power and grace.
  • 4. It is added in the fifth commandment, That it may go well with thee, which addition the apostle quotes, and puts first (Eph. 6:3), that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long. If there be instances of some that have been very dutiful to their parents, and yet have not lived long upon earth, we may reconcile it to the promise by this explication of it, Whether they live long or no, it shall go well with them, either in this world or in a better. See Eccl. 8:12.
  • 5. The last five commandments are connected or coupled together, which they are not in Exodus: Neither shalt thou commit adultery, neither shalt thou steal, etc., which intimate that God's commands are all of a piece: the same authority that obliges us to one obliges us to another; and we must not be partial in the law, but have respect to all God's commandments, for he that offends in one point is guilty of all, Jam. 2:10, 11.
  • 6. That these commandments were given with a great deal of awful solemnity, v. 22.
    • (1.) They were spoken with a great voice out of the fire, and thick darkness. That was a dispensation of terror, designed to make the gospel of grace the more welcome, and to be a specimen of the terrors of the judgment-day, Ps. 50:3, 4.
    • (2.) He added no more. What other laws he gave them were sent by Moses, but no more were spoken in the same manner that the ten commandments were. He added no more, therefore we must not add: the law of the Lord is perfect.
    • (3.) He wrote them in two tables of stone, that they might be preserved from corruption, and might be transmitted pure and entire to posterity, for whose use they were intended, as well as for the present generation. These being the heads of the covenant, the chest in which the written tables were deposited was called the ark of the covenant. See Rev. 11:19.

Deu 5:23-33

Here,

  • I. Moses reminds them of the agreement of both the parties that were now treating, in the mediation of Moses.
    • 1. Here is the consternation that the people were put into by that extreme terror with which the law was given. They owned that they could not bear it any more: "This great fire will consume us; this dreadful voice will be fatal to us; we shall certainly die if we hear it any more,' v. 25. They wondered that they were not already struck dead with it, and took it for an extraordinary instance of the divine power and goodness, not only that they were thus spoken to, but that they were enabled to bear it. For who ever heard the voice of the living God, as we have, and lived? God's appearances have always been terrible to man, ever since the fall: but Christ, having taken away sin, invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace.
    • 2. Their earnest request that God would henceforth speak to them by Moses, with a promise that they would hear what he said as from God himself, and do it, v. 27. It seems by this,
      • (1.) That they expected to receive further commands from God and were willing to hear more from him.
      • (2.) That they thought Moses able to bear those discoveries of the divine glory which they by reason of guilt were sensible of their inability to stand up under. They believed him to be a favourite of Heaven, and also one that would be faithful to them; yet at other times they murmured at him, and but a little before this were ready to stone him, Ex. 17:4. See how men's convictions correct their passions.
      • (3.) That now they were in a good mind, under the strong convictions of the word they heard. Many have their consciences startled by the law that have them not purified; fair promises are extorted from them, but no good principles fixed and rooted in them.
    • 3. God's approbation of their request.
      • (1.) He commends what they said, v. 28. They spoke it to Moses, but God took notice of it; for there is not a word in our tongue but he knows it. He acknowledges, They have well said. Their owning the necessity of a mediator to deal between them and God was well said. Their desire to receive further directions from God by Moses, and their promise to observe what directions should be given them, were well said. And what is well said shall have its praise with God, and should have with us. What is good, as far as it goes, let it be commended.
      • (2.) He wishes they were but sincere in it: O that there were such a heart in them! v. 29.
        • [1.] Such a heart as they should have, a heart to fear God, and keep his commandments for ever. Note, The God of heaven is truly and earnestly desirous of the welfare and salvation of poor sinners. He has given abundant proof that he is so: he gives us time and space to repent, by his mercies invites us to repentance, and waits to be gracious; he has sent his Son to redeem us, published a general offer of pardon and life, promised his Spirit to those that pray for him, and has said and sworn that he has no pleasure in the ruin of sinners.
        • [2.] Such a heart as they now had, or one would think they had. Note, It would be well with many if there were always such a heart in them as there seems to be sometimes, when they are under conviction of sin, or the rebukes of Providence, or when they come to look death in the face: How gracious will they be when these pangs come upon them! O that there were always such a heart in them!
        • (3.) He appoints Moses to be his messenger to them, to receive the law from his mouth and to communicate it to them, v. 31. Here the matter was settled by consent of both parties that God should hence-forward speak to us by men like ourselves, by Moses and the prophets, by the apostles and the evangelists, and, if we believe not these, neither should we be persuaded though God should speak to us as he did to Israel at Mount Sinai, or send expresses from heaven or hell.
  • II. Hence he infers a charge to them to observe and do all that God had commanded them, v. 32, 33. Seeing God had shown himself so tender of them, and so willing to consider their frame and gratify them in what they desired, and withal so ready to make the best of them,-seeing they themselves had desired to have Moses for their teacher, who was now teaching them,-and seeing they had promised so solemnly, and under the influence of so many good causes and considerations, that they would hear and do, he charges them to walk in all the ways that God had commanded them, assuring them that it would be highly for their advantage to do so. The only way to be happy is to be holy. Say to the righteous, It shall be well with them.