Deuteronomy 5:15

Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The speaker addresses the covenant community, positioning the Sabbath command directly between instructions on servant rest and parental honor.

The words — The Hebrew verb זָכַרְתָּ (za.khar.Ta) means "you will remember," and עֶבֶד ('E.ved) translates to "a slave."

The thread — This liberation rationale for Sabbath observance recurs in Deuteronomy 5:6, Deuteronomy 15:15, and Deuteronomy 16:12, consistently tying covenant obedience to past deliverance.

Why it lands — The text commands the reader to ground weekly rest in the historical fact of Yahweh’s mighty deliverance, making observance a direct response to redemption rather than mere ritual.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְזָכַרְתָּ֞֗ve./za.khar.Taand/ you will remember כִּ֣י־Ki-that עֶ֤֥בֶד'E.veda slave הָיִ֣֙יתָ֙׀ha.Yi.tayou were בְּאֶ֣רֶץbe./'E.retzin/ [the] land of מִצְרַ֔֗יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgypt וַיֹּצִ֨אֲךָ֜֩va/i.yo.Tzi.'a./khaand/ he brought out/ you יְהוָ֤֨הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֤֙יךָ֙'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your מִשָּׁ֔ם֙mi./Shamfrom/ there בְּיָ֤֥דbe./Yadby/ a hand חֲזָקָ֖ה֙cha.za.Kahstrong וּבִזְרֹ֣עַu./vi/z.Ro.a'and/ by/ an arm נְטוּיָ֑֔הne.tu.Yahoutstretched עַל־'al-there-כֵּ֗ןKen-fore צִוְּךָ֙tzi.ve./Khahe has commanded/ you יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your לַעֲשׂ֖וֹתla./'a.Sotto/ observe אֶת־'et-<obj.>י֥וֹםYom[the] day of הַשַׁבָּֽת׃ סha./sha.Batthe/ sabbath

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 5:6 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Deuteronomy 15:15 Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.
Deuteronomy 16:12 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and carefully follow these statutes.
Deuteronomy 24:18 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from that place. Therefore I am commanding you to do this.
Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)—
Deuteronomy 4:34 Or has any god tried to take as his own a nation out of another nation—by trials, signs, wonders, and war, by a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors—as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, before your eyes?
Psalms 116:16 Truly, O LORD, I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have broken my bonds.
Isaiah 51:1 “Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were hewn.
Isaiah 63:9 In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
Luke 1:74 deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,