Deuteronomy 5 14

Deuteronomy 5:14 kjv

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.

Deuteronomy 5:14 nkjv

but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

Deuteronomy 5:14 niv

but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do.

Deuteronomy 5:14 esv

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.

Deuteronomy 5:14 nlt

but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do.

Deuteronomy 5 verses

Deuteronomy 5 14 Meaning

Deuteronomy 5:14 reiterates the Fourth Commandment regarding the Sabbath day, specifying that the seventh day is consecrated as a day of rest to the Lord God. It forbids the doing of any work by the householder, his family (son, daughter), his laborers (male and female servants), his animals (ox, donkey, all livestock), and even the resident alien within his gates. The explicit reason given is to ensure that male and female servants receive rest, mirroring the master's own rest.

Deuteronomy 5 14 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 5 recounts Moses delivering the Ten Commandments a second time to the generation of Israelites poised to enter the Promised Land. This restatement served as a foundational covenant renewal, reminding the people of God's expectations before they settled. Unlike the initial giving at Sinai (Exodus 20), this address includes elaborations and distinct motivations tailored for the new generation, many of whom had not personally experienced the Exodus as adults. Verse 14 specifically addresses the Sabbath commandment, distinguishing itself by providing a humanitarian and redemptive motivation for its observance, rather than solely relying on the creation account as in Exodus 20:11. It places the command within the immediate memory of Israel's own servitude in Egypt, underscoring God's desire for liberation and rest for all, especially the vulnerable.

Deuteronomy 5 14 Word analysis

• the seventh day: This refers to a specific, appointed day. It emphasizes the regular, rhythmic cycle of rest following six days of work, reflecting a divine order established at creation.
• Sabbath (שַׁבָּת - Shabbat): From the verb shabat, meaning "to cease" or "to rest." It implies not just refraining from work but entering into a state of rest, cessation, and enjoyment of God's provision. It is a day of holy cessation.
• to the Lord your God (לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - la'YHWH Eloheykha): Designates the Sabbath as belonging to YHWH, highlighting His authority and proprietorship over time itself. It emphasizes a personal covenant relationship ("your God").
• You shall not do (לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - lo' ta'aseh): A strong negative prohibition, "You shall not make/do."
• any work (כָל־מְלָאכָה - kol-melakhah): Melakhah specifically refers to skilled, purposeful, creative, or productive labor, particularly that associated with one's vocation or ordinary activities that advance a project. It implies a cessation from occupational, wealth-generating work, not merely any physical activity (e.g., walking, preparing simple meals, saving a life are generally understood as permissible).
• you (אַתָּה - attah): The head of the household, responsible for his domain, yet also obligated to rest.
• your son or your daughter: Specifies the immediate family, ensuring the principle extends beyond the individual master. Children are included in the household's rest.
• your male servant or your female servant (עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ - 'avdekha va'amathekha): Refers to household slaves or bondservants. This is a profound social justice aspect, as it guaranteed regular rest for a vulnerable population that often faced relentless labor in the ancient world.
• your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock (שׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרְךָ וְכָל־בְּהֶמְתְּךָ - shorkha va'chamorkha v'chol-behemtkekha): Expands the scope of rest even to working animals, demonstrating God's compassionate care extending beyond humanity to all His creation. It signifies their worth and dignity under God's governance.
• the sojourner (הַגֵּר - ha'ger): A resident alien, stranger, or foreigner living among the Israelites, who often lacked full rights or tribal affiliation. Their inclusion is a powerful testament to the Sabbath's universal scope within Israel's land.
• who is within your gates: Indicates the sojourner residing within the city or communal boundary of the Israelite community, under its laws and protection.
• that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you: This clause explicitly states the social justice purpose of the Sabbath in Deuteronomy. It directly connects the Sabbath to Israel's experience of liberation from Egyptian servitude where they had no rest. God remembers their former plight and commands compassion for others in similar situations, making the Sabbath a weekly reenactment of redemption and shared humanity. This sets the Deuteronomic account apart from Exodus's creation focus for the motivation of Sabbath.

Deuteronomy 5 14 Bonus section

The distinctive motivation for the Sabbath in Deuteronomy 5:14 serves a vital pedagogical purpose: it prevents Israel from forgetting their past enslavement and fosters empathy. The weekly practice was to be a tangible reminder of divine deliverance, a theological and social memory ingrained into the national rhythm. It was a visible counter-cultural act in the ancient Near East, where slave labor was relentless and considered expendable. By extending rest even to beasts of burden, the Sabbath underscored the sacredness of all life within the community and promoted a radical trust in God's sustained provision even during cessation from work. The Sabbath was a foretaste of the land's rest and the ultimate rest found in God.

Deuteronomy 5 14 Commentary

Deuteronomy 5:14 emphasizes the profoundly humane and redemptive character of the Sabbath. While retaining the divine command, it uniquely grounds the Sabbath observance not primarily in creation (as in Exodus 20), but in Israel's own experience of brutal slavery and miraculous liberation from Egypt. The divine injunction, "that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you," serves as a weekly, practical lesson in empathy and justice. Israel, having once been oppressed and denied rest, is now commanded to extend that very rest to others, particularly those in vulnerable positions: the hired hand, the domestic servant, the alien, and even working animals.

This expansive application of rest reveals God's heart for justice and mercy. The prohibition of melakhah (creative/productive work) meant a radical economic pause, compelling reliance on God's provision. It wasn't merely about abstaining from physical exertion, but about ceasing from the driven pursuit of personal gain or output for one day a week. The Sabbath, therefore, becomes a covenant sign, a testament to YHWH's authority over time, His provision, and His unwavering commitment to the dignity of all life within the community. It challenges human exploitation and ceaseless toil, establishing a divine rhythm of work and rest that underscores human dependence on God and their shared humanity. The inclusion of the "sojourner within your gates" demonstrates a revolutionary inclusivity for the time, extending divine compassion beyond the covenant people to anyone living under their roof, irrespective of nationality or social standing.

Practical examples:

• A factory owner ceasing all operations on the Sabbath, ensuring employees, regardless of their role or origin, also receive a mandated day of rest.
• A farmer allowing all his laborers and farm animals to fully rest from agricultural tasks on the seventh day.
• A household refraining from demanding household chores from servants, instead providing a space for their genuine rest and refreshment.