There are a few differences between the Exodus and Deuteronomy versions of the Ten Commandments. The most striking differences appear in the fourth commandment, the commandment of Shabbat.
1) “Remember” vs. “Keep”
In Exodus, the commandment opens with:
“Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8)
זָכוֹר אֶת־יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ
In Deuteronomy, Moshe instead says:
“Keep the Sabbath day holy, as the LORD your God commanded you.” (Deuteronomy 5:12)
שָׁמוֹר אֶת־יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ
“Remembering” (zachor) is usually associated with positive commandments, while “keeping” (shamor) is associated with prohibitions. The Midrash famously explains that God spoke both words simultaneously at Sinai.
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2) Who Must Rest on Shabbat
Exodus lists those included in Shabbat rest as follows:
“You shall not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, or your cattle, or the stranger who is within your settlements.” (Exodus 20:10)
לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָּל־מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתֶךָ וּבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ
Deuteronomy expands the list significantly:
“You shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your ox or your ass, or any of your cattle, or the stranger in your settlements, so that your male and female slave may rest as you do.” (Deuteronomy 5:14)
לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָל־מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ וְעַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתֶךָ וְשׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרְךָ וְכָל־בְּהֶמְתֶּךָ וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ לְמַעַן יָנוּחַ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתֶךָ כָּמוֹךָ
Exodus lists fewer members of the household. Deuteronomy adds more animals and emphasizes the rest of servants explicitly. At Sinai, the Israelites were nomadic, with few possessions beyond the gold they carried out of Egypt. As they prepare to enter the land, Moshe anticipates expanded households, wealth, and responsibility—and so he broadens the commandment accordingly.
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3) Creation vs. Exodus as the Reason for Shabbat
In Exodus, Shabbat is grounded in creation:
“For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, and then rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.” (Exodus 20:11)
כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת־יָמִים עָשָׂה ה׳ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֶת־הַיָּם וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר בָּם וַיָּנַח בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי עַל־כֵּן בֵּרַךְ ה׳ אֶת־יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת וַיְקַדְּשֵׁהוּ
In Deuteronomy, Moshe gives a different reason altogether:
“Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God freed you from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” (Deuteronomy 5:15)
Chronologically, creation is closer to the original giving of the Ten Commandments, while the Exodus from Egypt was the more immediate experience of the people at Sinai. It might have seemed more intuitive to swap the rationales—but Moshe deliberately does not. Why?
The Rav explains that the two reasons for Shabbat together describe a partnership between God and the people. At Sinai, God reveals Shabbat as a reflection of divine creation—God rested, and therefore the day is sanctified. That is the declaration from heaven. But once Shabbat and the festivals are given at Sinai, the power shifts to the people. Their freedom from slavery enables them to act as partners in sanctifying time. That is why Moshe emphasizes the Exodus in Deuteronomy. God freed the people so that they would have the autonomy necessary to enter this partnership. As they prepare to enter the land, with newfound political and economic independence, Moshe reminds them that Shabbat now depends on their willingness to exercise that freedom responsibly in partnership with the Omnipresent.
