How does Deuteronomy 4:13 connect to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20?

Text of Deuteronomy 4:13

“He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to follow — the Ten Commandments that He wrote on two tablets of stone — and He directed me at that time to teach you the statutes and ordinances you are to follow in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

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Direct Link to Exodus 20

• Deuteronomy 4:13 explicitly identifies “the Ten Commandments” as the very covenant God “declared,” pointing the reader back to the original giving in Exodus 20:1-17.

• The phrase “wrote on two tablets of stone” echoes Exodus 31:18; 32:15-16, tying both accounts to the same historical event at Sinai.

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One Covenant, Two Stone Tablets

• Deuteronomy 4:13 calls the Ten Commandments “His covenant.”

• Exodus 19:5-6 shows God offered a covenant relationship; Exodus 24:7-8 confirms Israel’s acceptance.

• Deuteronomy - given forty years later - reaffirms that the foundational covenant terms have not changed.

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Key Parallels Between Deuteronomy 4:13 and Exodus 20

• Source: “The LORD spoke”—Ex 20:1 ; “He declared”—Dt 4:13.

• Content: “all these words” (Exodus 20:1) are the “Ten Commandments” (Deuteronomy 4:13).

• Medium: “two tablets of stone” (Exodus 31:18) stressed again (Deuteronomy 4:13).

• Purpose: obedience in the land—Ex 20:6 anticipates blessing; Deuteronomy 4:13 connects obedience to possessing Canaan.

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Why Moses Repeats the Commandments Here

• New generation poised to enter Canaan needed the same covenant terms (Deuteronomy 5:1-22 recounts them again).

• Reinforces that national success hinges on fidelity to the original covenant (Deuteronomy 4:1, 40).

• Demonstrates God’s unchanging moral standard across time and geography.

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Implications for Obedience Today

• The moral law remains the revealed character of God (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17).

• Believers show love for God by keeping His commandments (John 14:15).

• The commandments drive us to Christ for salvation (Galatians 3:24) and guide grateful obedience thereafter (Romans 13:8-10).

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Supporting Passages

• Deuteronomy 5:22 — God “added no more,” confirming completeness of the Ten.

• Deuteronomy 10:1-4 — second set of tablets re-inscribed by God, proving permanence.

• Psalm 19:7-11 — the law is perfect, trustworthy, and rewarding.