Deuteronomy Trivia Question:
1
And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the
statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may
learn them, and keep, and do them.
2
The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
3
The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us,
who are all of us here alive this day.
Moses called all of the Israelites together and said to them,
Hear the laws that I speak in your ears today. [1]
Learn, keep, and do them.
4
The LORD talked with you
face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
God talked to you face to face on the mountain from the fire. [2]
5
(I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of
the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the
mount;) saying,
6
I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from
the house of bondage.
7
Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
(I stood between God and you at that time,
because you were afraid of the fire and didn't go up on the mountain.)
While I was on the mountain, God said,
I am the God who brought you out of Egypt.
Don't have any gods before me. [3]
8
Thou shalt not make thee
any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or
that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
Don't make any graven images, or any likeness of anything in heaven, on earth, or in the water. [4]
9
Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the
third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
10
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
Don't bow down to or serve any graven image.
I am a jealous God, who punishes children for what their fathers did to the third and fourth generation.
[5]
11
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD
will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Don't take my name in vain.
If you do I'll punish you for it.
12
Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
13
Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:
14
But the seventh day is
the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work,
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy
maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant
may rest as well as thou.
15
And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the
LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a
stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the
sabbath day.
Keep the sabbath day. [6]
16
Honour thy father and
thy mother , as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may
be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD
thy God giveth thee.
Honor your father and mother. [7]
18
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
Don't commit adultery. [9]
19
Neither shalt thou steal.
20
Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
21
Neither shalt thou
desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet
thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his
ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Don't covet your neighbor's wife, ass, or slave -- or any thing that belongs to your neighbor. [12]
The people hear the voice of God
(and say they'll die if they hear it again)

5:22-33
22
These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the
midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great
voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and
delivered them unto me.
God said these words with a great voice, from out of the fire, cloud, and thick darkness. [13]
And he wrote them on two stone tablets that he gave to me.
23
And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the
darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me,
even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
24
And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his
greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have
seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.
And you heard the voice out of the darkness (because the mountain was burning).
And you said,
God showed us his glory and greatness, and we heard his voice from the fire.
God talked to us, yet we didn't die.
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, then we shall die.
If we hear his voice again, we'll die.
26
For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God
speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
Because who has heard God voice and lived?
27
Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou
unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear
it, and do it.
So we'd like you to speak to God and tell us whatever he wants to say to us.
We'll do whatever he says.
28
And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the
LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which
they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.
29
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep
all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their
children for ever!
God heard your words and said to me,
I have heard the voice of the people, and they are right.
30
Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.
Go say to them,
Go to your tents.
31
But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the
commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach
them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.
32
Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you:
ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath
commanded you,that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong
your days in the land which ye shall possess.
As for you, stand here by me and I'll tell you the commandments.
Then you can tell the people the commandments that I tell you.
Notes
- Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day. (v.1)
The famous "Ten Commandments" are listed in this chapter (and in Ex 20).
Catholics, Protestants, and Jews all agree there are ten (to match the number given in
Ex 34:28; Dt 4:13, 10:4),
but disagree about their numbering.
The Bible never provides a numbered list.
- The LORD talked with you face to face. (v.4)
Can God be seen?
Did the Israelites see God face to face on Mount Horeb?
- Thou shalt have none other gods before me. (v.7)
The first commandment condemns those who worship any other than the biblical god.
How many gods are there?
- Thou shalt not make thee any graven image. (v.8)
Is it OK to make images?
- I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. (v.9)
Are we punished for the sins of others?
- Keep the sabbath day. (v.12)
Is it necessary to keep the sabbath?
- Honour thy father and thy mother (v.16)
How should parents be treated?
Is it OK to call your father (or anyone else) father?
- Thou shalt not kill. (v.17)
To kill or not to kill
- Neither shalt thou commit adultery. (v.18)
Is it wrong to commit adultery?
- Neither shalt thou steal. (v.19)
Is it wrong to steal?
- Neither shalt thou bear false witness. (v.20)
Is it wrong to lie?
- Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife ...
his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's. (v.21)
You see, in the eyes of God, women are the possessions of men.
Neither shalt thou covet they neighbor's ... manservant, or his maidservant. (v.21)
It's OK to have slaves. (But don't covet your neighbor's.)
Is it OK to covet?
Does God approve of slavery?
- The LORD spake ... in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness,
with a great voice. (v.22)
Just like the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz, God spoke with a great voice
in the midst of fire, cloud, and thick darkness.
- Have no other gods before Yahweh.
- Thou shalt have none other gods before me. 5:7
- Don't make any graven images.
- Thou shalt not make thee any graven image. 5:8a
- Don't make an artistic representation of anything.
- Thou shalt not make ... any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath,
or that is in the waters beneath the earth. 5:8b
- Don't bow down to other gods.
- Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them. 5:9a
- Don't serve other gods.
- Thou shalt not ... serve them [other gods]. 5:9b
- Don't take God's name in vain.
- Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain. 5:11
- Keep the Sabbath day holy.
- Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. 5:12
- Don't work on the Sabbath.
- Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work,
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle,
nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. 5:13
- Honor your father and mother.
- Honour thy father and thy mother. 5:16
- Don't kill.
- Thou shalt not kill.5:17
- Don't commit adultery.
- Thou shalt not commit adultery. 5:18
- Don't steal.
- Thou shalt not steal. 5:19
- Don't lie.
- Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 5:20
- Don't covet your neighbor's wife.
- Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife. 5:21a
- Don't covet your neighbor's house, slave, ox, ass, etc.
- Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house ... nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. 5:21b
- Obey all the commandments
- Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you. 5:32
- Dwindling in Unbelief
- Richard Dawkins:
The God of the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 5:9)
- Slate Blogs the Bible by David Plotz
- The Mystery of the Ten Commandments Is Solved!