And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore I command you to do this thing.
- BSB Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. Therefore I am commanding you to do this.
- NKJV And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing.
- NASB And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.
- NLT Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel must remember their slavery in Egypt as the motive for caring for the poor. Redemption remembered produces mercy practiced.
Overview
This repeated reminder seals the gleaning laws with the memory of Israel's own bondage and God's deliverance. Because they were once helpless and were redeemed, they must show like compassion to the helpless among them. This is the gospel logic of grateful obedience: those forgiven much love much (Luke 7:47), and the redeemed reflect their Redeemer's mercy.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Deut 24:18But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.
- Deut 7:8But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
- 1 Jn 4:10–11Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
- Isa 51:1Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
- 2 Cor 8:8–9I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
- Eph 5:1–2Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
- Deut 5:14–15But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 24:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.