◄ Deuteronomy 5:31 ►
But you stand here with Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and statutes and ordinances you are to teach them to follow in the land that I am giving them to possess."
Study Bible
But you are to stand here with Me
This phrase emphasizes the unique role of Moses as the mediator between God and the Israelites. The Hebrew word for "stand" (עָמַד, 'amad) implies a position of readiness and attentiveness. Moses is called to remain in God's presence, highlighting the intimate relationship and direct communication he has with the Divine. This standing with God signifies a place of honor and responsibility, underscoring the gravity of his mission to convey God's laws to the people.

and I will speak to you
The act of God speaking to Moses is a profound moment of divine revelation. The Hebrew root for "speak" (דָּבַר, dabar) conveys not just the act of speaking but also the authority and power behind the words. This communication is not merely informational but transformational, as it carries the weight of divine authority and the expectation of obedience. It reflects the personal nature of God's guidance and His desire to instruct His people through a chosen leader.

all the commandments and statutes and ordinances
This triad of terms—commandments (מִצְוָה, mitzvah), statutes (חֹק, choq), and ordinances (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat)—encompasses the full scope of God's law. "Commandments" refer to the direct orders from God, "statutes" are the decrees that establish the boundaries of holy living, and "ordinances" are the judgments or decisions that guide justice and community life. Together, they form a comprehensive legal and moral framework intended to shape the identity and conduct of the Israelite nation.

you are to teach them
The Hebrew word for "teach" (לָמַד, lamad) implies a process of learning and instruction that is both formal and experiential. Moses' role as a teacher is crucial, as he is responsible for ensuring that the Israelites understand and internalize God's laws. This teaching is not just about imparting knowledge but also about shaping character and fostering a community that reflects God's holiness and justice.

so that they may follow them
The purpose of teaching the commandments is practical and transformative. The phrase "follow them" (שָׁמַר, shamar) in Hebrew means to guard, keep, or observe. It implies a diligent and faithful adherence to God's laws, suggesting that obedience is an active and ongoing commitment. This obedience is not merely for the sake of compliance but is intended to lead to a life that is aligned with God's will and purpose.

in the land that I am giving them to possess
The land is a central theme in the covenant relationship between God and Israel. It is both a gift and a responsibility. The phrase "I am giving" (נָתַן, natan) highlights God's sovereignty and grace, as the land is a divine provision. "To possess" (יָרַשׁ, yarash) indicates not just ownership but also the responsibility to cultivate and steward the land according to God's laws. This promise of land is a tangible expression of God's faithfulness and a call to live in a way that honors Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to deliver His laws and commandments to the people.

2. God
The divine speaker in this verse, instructing Moses on his role as a mediator and teacher of His laws.

3. Israelites
The people of Israel, who are to receive and follow the commandments, statutes, and ordinances.

4. The Promised Land
The land that God is giving to the Israelites to possess, a central theme in the journey of the Israelites.

5. Mount Sinai
The place where Moses received the commandments from God, although not directly mentioned in this verse, it is the backdrop for the giving of the law.
Teaching Points
The Role of a Mediator
Moses serves as a mediator between God and the Israelites, a role that foreshadows Christ as the ultimate mediator between God and humanity.

The Importance of Obedience
The verse underscores the necessity of obedience to God's commandments as a condition for possessing the land, highlighting the broader biblical theme of obedience leading to blessing.

God's Instruction and Guidance
God’s willingness to instruct Moses personally emphasizes His desire for His people to understand and follow His ways.

The Continuity of God's Law
The commandments given to Moses are part of a continuous revelation that finds its fulfillment in Christ, showing the unity of the Old and New Testaments.

Living in the Promised Land
The physical possession of the land is symbolic of the spiritual inheritance believers have in Christ, encouraging us to live according to God's statutes.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Moses' role as a mediator in Deuteronomy 5:31 point to the work of Christ in the New Testament?

2. In what ways can we apply the principle of obedience to God's commandments in our daily lives today?

3. How does the concept of the Promised Land in Deuteronomy relate to the spiritual promises we have in Christ?

4. What can we learn from God's direct communication with Moses about His desire for a relationship with His people?

5. How do the commandments, statutes, and ordinances given to the Israelites reflect God's character and His expectations for His people?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 24:12
This verse parallels Deuteronomy 5:31, where God calls Moses to the mountain to receive the tablets of stone with the law and commandments.

Deuteronomy 4:1
This passage emphasizes the importance of following God's statutes and ordinances as a means to live and possess the land.

Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus speaks about the fulfillment of the law, connecting the Old Testament commandments to His teachings.

Hebrews 3:1-6
This passage highlights Moses' faithfulness in God's house, drawing a parallel to Christ's greater faithfulness.
Sermons
Reminiscences of HorebJ. Orr Deuteronomy 5:1-33
Character Determines EnvironmentD. Davies Deuteronomy 5:21-33
How Moses Became MediatorR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 5:22-33
People
Moses
Places
Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, Horeb
Topics
Clear, Command, Commandment, Commandments, Commands, Decisions, Decrees, Follow, Giving, Heritage, Judgments, Laws, Observe, Orders, Ordinances, Possess, Speak, Stand, Statutes, Teach
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 5:31

     5031   knowledge, of sin

Deuteronomy 5:31-33

     8404   commands, in OT

Library
Prayer and Obedience
"An obedience discovered itself in Fletcher of Madeley, which I wish I could describe or imitate. It produced in him a ready mind to embrace every cross with alacrity and pleasure. He had a singular love for the lambs of the flock, and applied himself with the greatest diligence to their instruction, for which he had a peculiar gift. . . . All his intercourse with me was so mingled with prayer and praise, that every employment, and every meal was, as it were, perfumed therewith." -- JOHN WESLEY. …
Edward M. Bounds—The Necessity of Prayer

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

"They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his Children; they are a Perverse and Crooked Generation. "
Deut. xxxii. 5.--"They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked generation." We doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves as Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen such a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so rebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free his choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
Now the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things--First, In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life; Secondly, In consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God, and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. For the First. 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are, generally, all civil works, from the least to the greatest (Exod. xxxi. 12, 13, 15, &c.) More particularly-- First, From all the works of our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Everlasting Covenant of the Spirit
"They shall be My people, and l will be their God. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me."--JER. xxxii. 38, 40. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Foundations of Good Citizenship.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.--Ex. 20:1-17. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible I, 194-198. Prin. of Politics, Chap. II. Lowell, Essay on "Democracy." Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image. Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou …
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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