The Meaning of Deuteronomy 5:15 Explained

Deuteronomy 5:15

KJV: 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.

YLT: and thou hast remembered that a servant thou hast been in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah thy God is bringing thee out thence by a strong hand, and by a stretched-out arm; therefore hath Jehovah thy God commanded thee to keep the day of the sabbath.

Darby: And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and that Jehovah thy God brought thee out thence with a powerful hand and with a stretched-out arm; therefore Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee to observe the sabbath day.

ASV: And thou shalt remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah thy God brought thee out thence by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm: therefore Jehovah thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Deuteronomy 5:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 5:1-21 - The Decalogue Repeated
The Law of God is for "all Israel." None are exempt. "Not with our fathers" means not with them only; Moses also uses the expression because many of the references of the Decalogue were to the settled life of Canaan. "Face to face," not in dark visions, but clearly and lucidly, Job 4:12-13. Our "face-to-face" vision is yet to come, 1 Corinthians 13:12; Revelation 22:4. Notice in Deuteronomy 5:5 the ideal mediator, Galatians 3:19; 1 Timothy 2:5.
Every soul has two givings of the Law. First, we stand under Sinai to be judged, condemned, and shut up to Christ as our only hope; then we come to it a second time, asking that the Holy Spirit should write it in our hearts, and make us to walk in obedience to its precepts, Galatians 3:23; Romans 8:4.
Adolphe Monod, on his death-bed, said: "Sin has two divisions; the evil that we have done and the good that we have left undone. As to the first, there is not a single command that I have not transgressed in letter or spirit; as to the second, it weighs on me even more than the first." [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 5

1  The covenant in Horeb
6  The ten commandments
23  At the people's request Moses receives the law from God

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 5:15 mean?

And remember that a slave you were in the land of Egypt and brought you out Yahweh your God from there by a hand mighty and by an arm outstretched upon thus commanded you Yahweh your God to keep - day the Sabbath -
וְזָכַרְתָּ֞֗ כִּ֣י־ עֶ֤֥בֶד הָיִ֣֙יתָ֙ ׀ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔֗יִם וַיֹּצִ֨אֲךָ֜֩ יְהוָ֤֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֤֙יךָ֙ מִשָּׁ֔ם֙ בְּיָ֤֥ד חֲזָקָ֖ה֙ וּבִזְרֹ֣עַ נְטוּיָ֑֔ה עַל־ כֵּ֗ן צִוְּךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת אֶת־ י֥וֹם הַשַׁבָּֽת‪‬‪‬ ס

וְזָכַרְתָּ֞֗  And  remember 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
כִּ֣י־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עֶ֤֥בֶד  a  slave 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
הָיִ֣֙יתָ֙ ׀  you  were 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרַ֔֗יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וַיֹּצִ֨אֲךָ֜֩  and  brought  you  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
יְהוָ֤֨ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֤֙יךָ֙  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
מִשָּׁ֔ם֙  from  there 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
בְּיָ֤֥ד  by  a  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
חֲזָקָ֖ה֙  mighty 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: חָזָק  
Sense: strong, stout, mighty.
וּבִזְרֹ֣עַ  and  by  an  arm 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: זְרֹועַ  
Sense: arm, forearm, shoulder, strength.
נְטוּיָ֑֔ה  outstretched 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּ֗ן  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
צִוְּךָ֙  commanded  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת  to  keep 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
י֥וֹם  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַשַׁבָּֽת‪‬‪‬  the  Sabbath 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שַׁבָּת  
Sense: Sabbath.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation