What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 6:21?

then you are to tell him

Deuteronomy 6:21 opens with an instruction for parents to speak: “then you are to tell him…”. God expects every generation to pass the story on.

• The command is relational—conversation in the home, not a lecture hall (cf. Deuteronomy 6:6–7; Exodus 12:26–27).

• It safeguards memory: if children don’t hear it, they will forget (Judges 2:10).

• It invites testimony: parents recount God’s acts, children grow confident in God’s character (Psalm 78:4–7).

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We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt

The next phrase grounds the story in literal history: Israel was once in bondage (Exodus 1:13–14).

• “Slaves” stresses utter helplessness—no political escape, no human savior (Leviticus 26:13).

• “We” makes the past personal; every Israelite, generations later, owns that slavery (cf. Joshua 24:17).

• The picture foreshadows humanity’s deeper slavery to sin (John 8:34; Romans 6:17), highlighting our need for rescue.

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but the LORD brought us out of Egypt

Deliverance comes directly from the covenant-keeping LORD.

• God saw, heard, remembered, and acted (Exodus 2:23–25; 3:7–8).

• Salvation is entirely His initiative—no bargaining, no merit (Deuteronomy 5:15; Titus 3:5).

• The exodus shapes Israel’s identity: redeemed people now belong to the Redeemer (Exodus 19:4–6; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

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with a mighty hand

The manner of rescue matters: omnipotent power on display.

• Ten plagues, the Red Sea, cloud and fire—God overwhelms Egypt’s gods and armies (Exodus 6:6; 14:30-31).

• “Mighty hand” becomes shorthand for unstoppable strength (Deuteronomy 4:34; Jeremiah 32:21).

• That same power secures every later deliverance, climaxing in Christ’s resurrection (Ephesians 1:19–20; 1 Peter 1:18–21).

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summary

Deuteronomy 6:21 calls parents to retell the literal, historical exodus so children grasp three truths: we were helpless slaves, God personally intervened, and He did so with unrivaled power. Knowing this anchors faith, shapes identity, and assures every generation that the God who once delivered with a mighty hand still saves today.