Deuteronomy 6:23 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 6:23 Commentary: Study, Redemption's Purpose
Hebrew · 6 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Deuteronomy 6:23 shows God's purpose in the Exodus: rescue from slavery to bring Israel into the promised land, tying obedience to redemption.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s rescue from Egypt was purposeful, to bring Israel into the promised land, fulfilling his oath to the patriarchs.
- Key words: Brought out (יָצָא, Hiphil) emphasizes divine agency; brought in (בּוֹא, Hiphil) shows purpose; swore (שָׁבַע, Niphal) grounds the gift in God’s covenant oath.
- Main debate: No significant debate on v.23 itself. Discussion centers on how this pattern of grace and law carries over into Christian theology.
- Theological theme: Redemption leads to inheritance; grace precedes and enables obedience.
- Best use: Teaching the relationship between salvation and discipleship, and equipping parents to tell the gospel story to the next generation.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But He brought us out from there to lead us in and give us the land that He had sworn to our fathers.
WEB World English Bible 2000
and he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore to our fathers.
KJV King James Version 1769
And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and us He hath brought out thence, in order to bring us in, to give to us the land which He had sworn to our fathers.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and he brought us out thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore unto our fathers.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in and give us the land, concerning which he swore to our fathers.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y sacónos de allá, para traernos y darnos la tierra que juró á nuestros padres;
E tirou-nos dali, para trazer-nos e dar-nos a terra que jurou a nossos pais;
et il nous a fait sortir de là, pour nous amener dans le pays qu’ il avait juré à nos pères de nous donner.
und führte uns von dannen, auf daß er uns einführte und gäbe uns das Land, das er unsern Vätern geschworen hatte;
En hij voerde ons van daar uit, opdat Hij ons inbracht, om ons het land te geven, dat Hij onzen vaderen gezworen had.
E ci trasse di là per condurci nel paese che avea giurato ai nostri padri di darci.
A wywiódł nas stamtąd, aby nas wprowadził, i dał nam tę ziemię, o którą przysiągł ojcom naszym.
а нас вывел оттуда [Господь, Бог наш,] чтобы ввести нас и дать нам землю, которую [Господь, Бог наш,] клялся отцам нашим [дать нам];
將我們 從那裡 領出來，要 領 我們 進入他向我們列祖 起誓 應許之 地，把 這地賜 給我們。
And he took us out from that place, guiding us here to give us this land, as he said in his oath to our fathers.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 6:23
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Deuteronomy 6:23 crystallizes the logic of salvation history. The verse summarizes the answer Israelite parents were to give their children when asked about the commandments. The Cambridge Bible notes the “close relation between Jehovah’s Laws and His Deeds”: the child’s question about the statutes finds its answer in the story of what God did. Gill emphasizes that the exodus from Egypt was “a state of bondage and misery,” and the entrance into Canaan was the fulfillment of God’s sworn promise to the patriarchs. Keil and Delitzsch see this pattern as designed to “awaken in the younger generation love to the Lord and to His commandments.” The movement from hōṣî (he brought out) to hāvî (to bring in) is a single divine purpose, anchored in the oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Redemption and inheritance are not two unrelated acts but one coherent deliverance, and the law is the gift that makes life in that land possible.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God’s deliverance from bondage and his gift of the land are inseparable parts of one redemptive purpose, grounded in his promise to the patriarchs.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| God as the sole deliverer | All traditions affirm that God alone brought Israel out of Egypt by his mighty acts, not by human effort. | Some emphasize that this precludes any human cooperation in salvation, while others stress that God works through human agency (e.g., Moses, the people's cry). Both sides affirm the divine initiative. |
| Purpose of the exodus | The exodus was not an end in itself; it was directed toward giving Israel the promised land, as sworn to the patriarchs. | Christians vary on whether the land is primarily a type of heaven or a symbol of present spiritual blessings. This difference does not contradict the verse's plain sense. |
| Relationship between redemption and obedience | The law (v.24) follows the deliverance (v.21, 23) chronologically and logically; obedience is a response to grace. | Some traditions (e.g., Lutheran) stress that the law serves to preserve order in the redeemed community, while others (e.g., Reformed) see it as a guide for grateful living. Both agree grace comes first. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits inside a catechetical unit (Deuteronomy 6:20, 25) designed to equip parents for the question a child will naturally ask: “What do these testimonies, statutes, and ordinances mean?” The answer does not begin with a theological explanation of the law. It begins with a story of rescue. The household is to recite the exodus, the bondage in Egypt, the mighty hand, the signs and wonders, and then land on verse 23 as the climax. The purpose clause lemaʿan (“so that”) shows intentionality: the God who brought them out did so in order to bring them in.
The land is not mere geography. It is the territory sworn “to your fathers,” a promise repeated through Deuteronomy (1:8; 6:10; 6:18). The oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob gives the gift a personal anchor. Israel did not earn this land; it comes through promise and divine action. The communal “us” in the verse ties every generation to the event. The child is being told, “This happened to us.” The law that follows (v.24, 25) is not the path out of Egypt, that path is already complete. The law is the way to live well inside the gift.
For the original audience poised on the edge of Canaan, this verse was a compass. It answered the question “Why obey?” with a story of grace. For Christians, the pattern of exodus and entry has been seen as a type of Christ’s redemption and the believer’s inheritance, but the immediate pastoral force is this: the commandments make sense only when they are embedded in the story of what God has already done.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 6:23. The verse is consistent across the Hebrew manuscript tradition and ancient versions (LXX, Syriac, Targums). The Masoretic Text reading stands without dispute.
Reception History
The pattern of “out of Egypt, into the land” has resonated deeply in Jewish and Christian liturgy. In the Passover Haggadah, the exodus story is retold with the same movement from slavery to freedom, and the “land flowing with milk and honey” is both memory and hope. Early Christian writers such as Origen and Augustine read the exodus-entry as a type of the believer’s journey from sin to the inheritance of eternal life. During the Reformation, the verse was used to argue that good works follow justification, not precede it. In contemporary preaching, Deuteronomy 6:23 is often cited as a succinct summary of the gospel: God does not save us aimlessly, he saves us for a home.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s deliverance has a destination. He did not simply break the chains; he had a home in mind. The exodus is incomplete without the entry.
- The promise to the fathers is the guarantee. The land comes because God swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Our inheritance rests on God’s faithfulness, not our worth.
- Obedience flows from redemption, not toward it. The law in verses 24, 25 is the grateful response of a people already brought out and brought in.
Five-point outline
- The question every generation asks: “Why do we live this way?” (v.20)
- The answer begins with what God did, not what we do: We were slaves; God brought us out (v.21, 22).
- The purpose clause is the hinge: He brought us out in order to bring us in (v.23).
- The land is a gift under oath: It rests on God’s sworn promise to the patriarchs.
- The law becomes the way to stay in the land: Righteousness is not the entrance fee but the life that matches the gift.
Illustration hooks
- Moving house: A family packs up not just to leave a bad situation but to arrive at a new home. The packing and the journey have purpose because of the destination.
- Adoption: The child is taken out of a broken situation and brought into a family. The legal papers (the statutes) secure the child’s place; they are not the reason the child was rescued.
- A gift you did not earn: A student receives a scholarship based on a donor’s promise, not her grades. The scholarship comes with expectations (maintain a certain GPA), but the expectations do not cause the gift.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If salvation is free, why does God still require obedience? Does that mean I am saved by works?
- How do I tell my children or grandchildren why we follow Jesus when the world has so many other options?
- Is the promised land for Christians just heaven, or does God have a purpose for us here and now?
Leading a Discussion
This passage is a model for how to talk about faith across generations. The starting point is not a doctrine but a story, God’s rescue and his purpose to bring his people home. As you work through the questions, notice how the shape of the story shapes the shape of obedience.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 20, 21 aloud. Why does Moses tell parents to begin their answer with “We were slaves” rather than with a list of rules?
- The Hebrew word lemaʿan (so that) in verse 23 expresses purpose. What does this grammatical structure tell us about God’s intentions in the exodus?
- How does the phrase “the land which he swore to our fathers” connect the present generation with the patriarchs? Why does that matter for identity today?
- In verse 24, the goal of the commandments is “for our good always.” How does that statement reframe the way we think about God’s rules, are they burdens or gifts?
- Compare this passage with Exodus 13:5. What is the same, and what is added in Deuteronomy’s version? What does the retelling accomplish?
- If someone asked you, “Why are you a Christian?” how much of your answer would be a story (what God has done) versus a list of beliefs or rules? Which emphasis does this text encourage?
- Think of a time when you experienced God’s help in a difficult situation. How did that experience shape your desire to follow him more closely?
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 13:5 | It shall be, when Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. |
| Deuteronomy 1:8 | Behold, I have set the land before you. Go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—to give to them and to their offspring after them.’” |
| Deuteronomy 1:35 | “Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land which I swore to give to your fathers, |
| Deuteronomy 6:10 | It shall be, when Yahweh your God brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and goodly cities which you didn’t build, |
| Deuteronomy 6:18 | You shall do that which is right and good in Yahweh’s sight, that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, |
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
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible notes that these verses highlight the tight link between God's laws and His saving acts. The original Hebrew word order has an exultant ring: "But us He brought out from there." When future generations ask about the laws, the answer points back to God's deliverance from Egypt and His faithful guidance to the promised land.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes stress that God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt had a clear twofold purpose: He brought them out of bondage specifically in order to bring them into the Promised Land. This was no mere rescue; it was the fulfillment of His sworn covenant with the patriarchs, making the exodus incomplete without the inheritance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that God delivered Israel from bondage through the plagues with a specific twofold purpose: He brought them out in order to bring them in. The exodus was not an end in itself but the necessary first step toward placing them in Canaan and fulfilling His sworn promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that the command to teach children is not merely about repeating rules. Parents are to answer their children's questions by recounting God's specific, mighty acts in Egypt and the exodus, using these historical events to awaken love for the Lord and His commandments.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that "Jehovah is one" means far more than numerical unity; it declares His absolute, exclusive deity. Because He alone is God, the demand for total love follows naturally—polytheism never compels such wholehearted devotion. This oneness is the foundation for every command that follows.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that keeping God's commandments requires constant care and effort -- negligence leads to ruin, but diligence is necessary for salvation. He points out that obedience is both right and good in God's sight, and it also brings real advantage to the one who follows.