When Moses restated the commandments, the more obvious secular rules (“Thou shalt not kill”) are quick one-liners. The more religious ones (“Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it”) have more sentences explaining them. It appears that Moses doesn’t think that we’ll see the inherent logic of the religious.

During most of these chapters, Moses is not just restating the rules, but describing in great detail what will happen to anyone who disobeys. It’s not pretty. This is not a God of Love, but a God of Fear. Like Cthulhu.

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. (Deuteronomy 6:8 KJV)

Next: Deuteronomy 8-10.