A Second Version of the Fourth Commandment
“Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 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. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”
Listen to the "Verse by Verse" episode covering this scripture.
In this second listing of the 10 Commandments, the Sabbath command is tied in with God’s role as Deliverer, while in Exodus 20 the Sabbath command was connected with God as our Creator.
The basic command itself is the same, but the two complementary versions give us a broader view of God’s roles and the meanings of the Sabbath day.
For more on the Fourth Commandment, download our free booklet The Sabbath: A Neglected Gift From God.
