Deuteronomy 5:13 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 5:13 Commentary: Work as Command or Assumption?
Hebrew · 5 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Does this verse command six days of labor or assume a week of work? Explore grammar, context, and traditions of interpretation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The fourth commandment requires six days of labor before the seventh-day rest, linking work and rest as a God-given rhythm rooted in redemption.
- Key words: Ta'avod (you will labor Qal imperfect) can be imperative or descriptive; melakhah (work, occupation) covers all productive activity; shabbat (rest) implies cessation and celebration.
- Main debate: Whether the clause commands six days of work or simply assumes it as normal life before the prohibition of work on the seventh.
- Theological theme: Creation and redemption: humans image God by working and resting; Israel rests because God rescued them from slavery.
- Best use: As a framework for Christian discipleship around Sabbath and vocation, emphasizing that both work and rest are sacred before God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
WEB World English Bible 2000
You shall labor six days, and do all your work;
KJV King James Version 1769
Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
six days thou dost labour, and hast done all thy work,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Six days shalt thou labour, and shalt do all thy works.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Seis días trabajarás y harás toda tu obra:
Seis dias trabalharás e farás toda tua obra:
Tu travailleras six jours, et tu feras tout ton ouvrage.
Sechs Tage sollst du arbeiten und alle deine Werke tun.
Zes dagen zult gij arbeiden, en al uw werk doen;
Lavora sei giorni, e fa’ in essi tutta l’opera tua;
Przez sześć dni będziesz robił, i wykonasz wszelaką robotę twoję;
шесть дней работай и делай всякие дела твои,
六 日 要勞碌 做 你一切的 工，
On six days do all your work:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 5:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree the primary thrust of the fourth commandment falls on the seventh-day rest. The six days of work are either a positive command or an implied assumption. Matthew Henry reads the imperative form as a divine prescription: six days you shall labor. Ellicott's Commentary argues the clause is 'prohibitory rather than mandatory', the work is assumed as what will happen, not required as what must be. The Cambridge Bible notes that the Deuteronomic version differs from Exodus 20:8-11 by explicitly grounding the Sabbath in Israel's redemption from Egypt (v.15). Across traditions, the universal call is to honour a rhythm of work and rest, with the rest bearing special holiness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Positive obligation: The imperative verb 'ta'avod' (you will labor) and the parallelism with the Sabbath rest command suggests work is a required part of the commandment.
- Assumption of natural work: Ellicott's Commentary argues the clause is prohibitory rather than mandatory – work is assumed as what will normally occupy the six days.
What is clear: The seventh day is to be kept holy as a Sabbath to Yahweh; the overall commandment sets a rhythm of six days of productive activity followed by a day of rest.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Is work commanded? | The verse uses the imperative 'you shall labor,' indicating a divine directive to occupy six days with productive work. | Some (e.g., Ellicott & others) read this as an assumption of natural activity, not a positive command; the focus is on the prohibition of work on the seventh day. |
| Purpose of the fourth commandment | The climax is keeping the seventh day holy as a Sabbath to the Lord. Work on six days provides the context for meaningful rest. | Jewish tradition sees it as a unified command for a weekly cycle; Christian traditions differ on which day is observed and whether the Sabbath is a creation ordinance or a ceremonial law fulfilled in Christ. |
| Relation to Exodus 20 | Both versions are part of the Decalogue and command the same basic pattern of six days work and one day rest. | Deuteronomy 5:15 adds a redemption motive not found in Exodus 20:11, which grounds the Sabbath in creation. This changes the emphasis from imitating God to celebrating deliverance. |
| Application for Christians | The principle of regular rest and worship remains authoritative for God's people across both testaments. | Some Christians observe Saturday and others Sunday; some see a mandatory rest and others a joyful option; some interpret 'work' broadly and others narrowly. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Moses addresses a new generation poised to enter the Promised Land. The covenant at Sinai is being reaffirmed, and the Decalogue serves as the foundation. The fourth commandment stands out: it is the only one that begins with a positive action before giving a prohibition. The Hebrew verb ta'avod (you will labor) is in the imperfect mood, which can indicate either a command or a description of what will occur. In the ancient Near East, a seven-day cycle was rare; Israel's Sabbath rest was a distinctive sign of their relationship with Yahweh (Ezekiel 20:12). Verse 15 anchors the command in Israel's own experience: 'You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God brought you out.' The rest of the Sabbath is not merely a pause from labor but a celebration of liberation. The command to labor six days ensures that the rest is meaningful, it is a rest from completed work, not idleness. Later rabbinic and Christian traditions would debate the exact limits of work, but the core rhythm of six days of productive activity and one day of sacred rest remains central to the identity of God's people.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse across Hebrew manuscripts. The Masoretic text is stable, and the verse appears identically in major traditions (Septuagint: ἓξ ἡμέρας ἐργᾷ; Vulgate: sex diebus operaberis). The parallel in Exodus 20:9 uses the same verb but lacks the distinct Deuteronomic framing, but that is a literary difference, not a textual one.
Reception History
In early Jewish interpretation, the six days of work were seen as a blessing and a duty, not a burden. The Mishnah tractate Shabbat elaborates on what constitutes work. The early church, following Jesus and the apostles, shifted the primary day of worship to the Lord’s Day (Sunday) while often retaining the ethic of work and rest. Christians through the centuries have debated whether Sunday is a 'Christian Sabbath' requiring cessation from daily labor. Reformers like Calvin argued for a spiritual observance of the principle of rest. In contemporary times, the verse challenges cultures of overwork and productivity. It continues to be read as a divine affirmation that both work and rest have meaning before God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Work is part of God’s design. The commandment does not treat labor as a curse. Six days of work are blessed by the same God who gave the command. Genesis shows God himself working six days and resting the seventh.
- Rest is a gift, not a luxury. The seventh day is set apart for holiness. This is not merely a break but an opportunity to remember who God is and what he has done for you.
- Israel’s story becomes yours. Your work life and your rest life are tied to redemption. You rest because you were once in bondage and are now free.
Five-point outline
- The command assumes productivity. Six days are for labour, this is not a guilt trip about how much you do, but a permission and a pattern.
- The rest is intentional. Holiness means set apart. Your Sabbath is a day to stop ordinary work and focus on God.
- The rhythm protects relationships. The household, employees, animals, and foreigners all share in the rest. This is a communual command, not just personal.
- Memory shapes obedience. You rest because you were once a slave. Your freedom is not earned; it is received.
- Jesus extends the invitation. In the Gospels, Jesus teaches that the Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. The pattern still points to deeper rest in him.
Illustration hooks
- A carpenter who loves his work and would build every day if he could. The commandment says stop, set your tools down, and remember who made you.
- A student cramming for exams, never taking a full day off. The command challenges the assumption that more hours equal better results.
- A family that uses Sunday as a catch-up day for chores, never truly experiencing rest. The rhythm has slipped into busyness even on the day of rest.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this command apply to me today? How do I keep the Sabbath in the New Covenant?
- What counts as “work” in a modern context? Is checking email work? Is cooking for a family dinner work?
- What if my job requires work on Sunday? Is it sin to have a job that cannot observe a literal seventh-day rest?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the heart of the fourth commandment. It invites us to think about work and rest not as opposites but as partners in a God-given rhythm. As you discuss, keep in mind the context: Israel is about to enter a land flowing with milk and honey, but the command reminds them that their new life is not just about labour. The Sabbath ties work to freedom.
Discussion questions
- Read Deuteronomy 5:13-15 together. What does the commandment actually require of Israel? Is the work a command or a description of normal life?
- Verse 15 gives a reason: remember you were slaves in Egypt. How does that reason shape the meaning of the Sabbath? What does it say about God’s character?
- Exodus 23:12 adds that rest is for oxen and donkeys. Why do you think animals are mentioned? What does that tell you about God’s concern for all creation?
- Jesus healed on the Sabbath and faced criticism (Luke 13:14,16). How does Jesus’ example reinterpret the command? Does it change the requirement to work six days?
- Think about your own weekly rhythm. What would it look like to “labor six days” intentionally, not just drift through the week? How could you make the seventh day distinctive?
- Some Christians observe Sunday as the Lord’s Day, others keep Saturday. What principles from this passage apply to any day of rest? What is the heart of the command?
- If this verse is about more than rules, what is God inviting you to? How can your group support one another in finding rest that is holy?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 23:12 | “Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant, and the alien may be refreshed. |
| Exodus 35:2 | ‘Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of solemn rest to Yahweh: whoever does any work in it shall be put to death. |
| Exodus 35:3 | You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day.’” |
| Ezekiel 20:12 | Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies them. |
| Luke 13:14 | The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!” |
| Luke 13:16 | Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” |
| Luke 23:56 | They returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Fourth Commandment as in Exo_20:8-11 with the following differences:
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Sixe dayes thou shalt labour, and shalt doe all thy worke:
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the title Lord in this context emphasizes God's authority and dominion. God's right to give these commandments rests both on His natural claim as Creator and on His covenant relationship with Israel, giving Him sovereign power to govern His people.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that the covenant at Horeb was made directly with the living generation, not with the patriarchs. He sees this as a deliberate shift: the law now takes center stage as a national code, preparing Israel for its role in bringing salvation to all nations.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads the Ten Commandments here as a covenant of grace, not just a legal code. He stresses that God first identifies Himself as Israel's Redeemer before giving any commands. The Sabbath command in Deuteronomy, he notes, is uniquely tied to remembering their deliverance from Egyptian slavery.