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Exhortation to Remember the Past

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

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 6:20 tn Heb “your son.”
  2. Deuteronomy 6:21 tn Heb “to your son.”
  3. Deuteronomy 6:21 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).
  4. Deuteronomy 6:22 tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on the word “his” in v. 17.
  5. Deuteronomy 6:22 tn Heb “house,” referring to the entire household.
  6. Deuteronomy 6:24 tn Heb “the Lord our God.” See note on the word “his” in v. 17.
  7. Deuteronomy 6:25 tn The term “commandment” (מִצְוָה, mitsvah), here in the singular, refers to the entire body of covenant stipulations.
  8. Deuteronomy 6:25 tn Heb “as he has commanded us” (so NIV, NRSV).

20 (A)When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What do the provisions and the statutes and the judgments mean which the Lord our God commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son, ‘We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Moreover, the Lord provided great and terrible signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household; 23 He brought us out of there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers.’ 24 So the Lord commanded us to [a]follow all these statutes, (B)to fear the Lord our God for our own good always and (C)for our survival, as it is today. 25 And (D)it will be righteousness for us if we are careful to [b]follow all this commandment before the Lord our God, just as He commanded us.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 6:24 Lit perform
  2. Deuteronomy 6:25 Lit perform