Deuteronomy 6:20-25

Exhortation to Remember the Past

6:20 When your children ¹  ask you later on, “What are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord our God commanded you?” 6:21 you must say to them, ²  “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt in a powerful way. ³  6:22 And he ⁴  brought signs and great, devastating wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on his whole family ⁵  before our very eyes. 6:23 He delivered us from there so that he could give us the land he had promised our ancestors. 6:24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these statutes and to revere him ⁶  so that it may always go well for us and he may preserve us, as he has to this day. 6:25 We will be innocent if we carefully keep all these commandments ⁷  before the Lord our God, just as he demands.” ⁸ 

[6:20]  ¹ tn Heb “your son.”

[6:21]  ² tn Heb “to your son.”

[6:21]  ³ tn Heb “by a strong hand.” The image is that of a warrior who, with weapon in hand, overcomes his enemies. The Lord is commonly depicted as a divine warrior in the Book of Deuteronomy (cf. 5:15; 7:8; 9:26; 26:8).

[6:22]  ⁴ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on the word “his” in v. 17.

[6:22]  ⁵ tn Heb “house,” referring to the entire household.

[6:24]  ⁶ tn Heb “the Lord our God.” See note on the word “his” in v. 17.

[6:25]  ⁷ tn The term “commandment” (מִצְוָה, mitsvah), here in the singular, refers to the entire body of covenant stipulations.

[6:25]  ⁸ tn Heb “as he has commanded us” (so NIV, NRSV).