Exodus 16:28
And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
Original Language Analysis
יְהוָ֖ה
And the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֖ה
And the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
2 of 10
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
עַד
H5704
עַד
Strong's:
H5704
Word #:
5 of 10
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
אָ֙נָה֙
H575
לִשְׁמֹ֥ר
ye to keep
H8104
לִשְׁמֹ֥ר
ye to keep
Strong's:
H8104
Word #:
8 of 10
properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e., guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc
Cross References
Psalms 78:10They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;Psalms 106:13They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:Ezekiel 20:13But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.2 Kings 17:14Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.Numbers 14:11And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
Historical Context
This divine rebuke occurred before the formal giving of the law at Sinai, showing that Sabbath observance was expected based on creation order and immediate instruction.
Questions for Reflection
- Why is refusing rest (Sabbath-breaking) paradigmatic of all sin against God's provision?
- How does God's grief at persistent disobedience reveal His desire for our trust and rest?
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Analysis & Commentary
And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?—God's question 'How long' (עַד־אָנָה, ad-anah) expresses divine grief at persistent disobedience. The plural 'ye' indicts the entire community for some members' sin—corporate responsibility. 'Refuse' (מֵאַנְתֶּם, me'antem) indicates willful rejection, not ignorant mistake. This rhetorical question previews Israel's chronic rebellion that culminates in 40 years' wilderness wandering. The phrase 'my commandments and my laws' before Sinai shows God's moral order existed prior to formal law-giving. Sabbath-breaking becomes paradigmatic sin: rejecting God's rest reveals hearts that prefer works-righteousness to grace. God's grief here prefigures Christ's lament: 'how often would I have gathered you...and ye would not' (Matt 23:37).