Deuteronomy 13:4
in Deuteronomy 13You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Ye shall walk after Jehovah your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
KJV
Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 13
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him
on Deuteronomy 13:4-5
Verse 4 ends on “hold fast to Him”, and verse 5 grounds the sentence in rebellion against the God who “redeemed you from the house of slavery”. The offence is handled as treason against a rescuer rather than an error of opinion. Its closing formula, “purge the evil from among you”, is the line Paul uses to close his own case of discipline at 1 Corinthians 5:13.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
God never leaves us till we leave him." Or, (2.) As furnishing us with an answer to the temptation; say, "It is written, Thou shalt walk after the Lord, and cleave unto him; and therefore what have I to do with idols?" 2.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Ye shall walk after the Lord your God,....
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַחֲרֵ֨י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| יְהוָ֧ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֛ם | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| תֵּלֵ֖כוּ | telekhu | you will walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וְאֹת֣וֹ | veoto | and <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תִירָ֑אוּ | tirau | you will fear | H3372 → | 315 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִצְוֹתָ֤יו | mitzvotav | commandments his | H4687 → | 181 times |
| תִּשְׁמֹ֙רוּ֙ | tishmoru | you will keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| וּבְקֹל֣וֹ | uvekolo | and to voice his | H6963 → | 506 times |
| תִשְׁמָ֔עוּ | tishmau | you will listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| וְאֹת֥וֹ | veoto | and <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תַעֲבֹ֖דוּ | taavodu | you will serve | H5647 → | 288 times |
| וּב֥וֹ | uvo | and to him | ||
| תִדְבָּקֽוּן׃ | tidbakun | you will cleave ! | H1692 → | 54 times |
אַחֲרֵ֨יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
יְהוָ֧הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֛םGod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
תֵּלֵ֖כוּyou will walk
telekhuH1980 →1546 times
וְאֹת֣וֹand <obj.> him
veotoH853 →10935 times
תִירָ֑אוּyou will fear
tirauH3372 →315 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
מִצְוֹתָ֤יוcommandments his
mitzvotavH4687 →181 times
תִּשְׁמֹ֙רוּ֙you will keep
tishmoruH8104 →468 times
וּבְקֹל֣וֹand to voice his
uvekoloH6963 →506 times
תִשְׁמָ֔עוּyou will listen
tishmauH8085 →1159 times
וְאֹת֥וֹand <obj.> him
veotoH853 →10935 times
תַעֲבֹ֖דוּyou will serve
taavoduH5647 →288 times
וּב֥וֹand to him
uvo
תִדְבָּקֽוּן׃you will cleave !
tidbakunH1692 →54 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Colossians 1:10so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:1
As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
- Hebrews 13:21
equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 2 Peter 1:2–3
Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
- John 15:16
You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
- 1 John 3:22
and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.
- Ephesians 4:1
Through
1 Corinthians 6:17But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit.
it leads to
- John 17:21–23
that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
- Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved…
- John 17:21–23
Through
Jeremiah 7:23but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that…
it leads to
- Exodus 15:26
saying, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then…
- Exodus 15:26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Deuteronomy

This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
