The Meaning of Deuteronomy 5:1 Explained

Deuteronomy 5:1

KJV: And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.

YLT: And Moses calleth unto all Israel, and saith unto them, 'Hear, Israel, the statutes and the judgments which I am speaking in your ears to-day, and ye have learned them, and have observed to do them.

Darby: And Moses called to all Israel, and said to them, Hear, Israel, the statutes and the ordinances that I speak in your ears this day, and learn them, and keep them to do them.

ASV: And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and observe to do them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Moses  called  all Israel,  and said  unto them, Hear,  O Israel,  the statutes  and judgments  which I speak  in your ears  this day,  that ye may learn  them, and keep,  and do  them. 

What does Deuteronomy 5:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 5:1-21 - The Decalogue Repeated
The Law of God is for "all Israel." None are exempt. "Not with our fathers" means not with them only; Moses also uses the expression because many of the references of the Decalogue were to the settled life of Canaan. "Face to face," not in dark visions, but clearly and lucidly, Job 4:12-13. Our "face-to-face" vision is yet to come, 1 Corinthians 13:12; Revelation 22:4. Notice in Deuteronomy 5:5 the ideal mediator, Galatians 3:19; 1 Timothy 2:5.
Every soul has two givings of the Law. First, we stand under Sinai to be judged, condemned, and shut up to Christ as our only hope; then we come to it a second time, asking that the Holy Spirit should write it in our hearts, and make us to walk in obedience to its precepts, Galatians 3:23; Romans 8:4.
Adolphe Monod, on his death-bed, said: "Sin has two divisions; the evil that we have done and the good that we have left undone. As to the first, there is not a single command that I have not transgressed in letter or spirit; as to the second, it weighs on me even more than the first." [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 5

1  The covenant in Horeb
6  The ten commandments
23  At the people's request Moses receives the law from God

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 5:1 mean?

And called Moses unto all Israel and said to them Hear - the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today that you may learn them and be careful to observe them
וַיִּקְרָ֣א מֹשֶׁה֮ אֶל־ כָּל־ יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם שְׁמַ֤ע אֶת־ הַחֻקִּ֣ים וְאֶת־ הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י דֹּבֵ֥ר בְּאָזְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם וּלְמַדְתֶּ֣ם אֹתָ֔ם וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם לַעֲשֹׂתָֽם

וַיִּקְרָ֣א  And  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
מֹשֶׁה֮  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יִשְׂרָאֵל֒  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵהֶ֗ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
שְׁמַ֤ע  Hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַחֻקִּ֣ים  the  statutes 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים  judgments 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
דֹּבֵ֥ר  speak 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
בְּאָזְנֵיכֶ֖ם  in  your  hearing 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fdc, second person masculine plural
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
הַיּ֑וֹם  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וּלְמַדְתֶּ֣ם  that  you  may  learn 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: לָמַד  
Sense: to learn. teach, exercise in.
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם  and  be  careful 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
לַעֲשֹׂתָֽם  to  observe  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.