Deuteronomy 28:13
in Deuteronomy 28The LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you will only move upward and never downward, if you hear and carefully follow the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am giving you today.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them,
KJV
And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 28
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThe head - The chief of all people in power, or at least in dignity and privileges; so that even they that are not under thine authority shall reverence thy greatness and excellency. So it was in David's and Solomon's time, and so it should have been much oftner and much more, if they had performed the conditions.
This site's exposition
make thee the head, and not the tail
on Deuteronomy 28:13-14
Head and tail change places at verse 44, where the stranger takes the head and Israel the tail. Verse 14 states the condition in its simplest form, that they turn aside neither to the right hand nor to the left, and then names what turning aside would mean, to go after other gods to serve them. The blessing section therefore ends where the book keeps landing, on the danger of another god.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Upon condition that they observe and do all his commandments (and in order to obedience there is need of observation) and that they keep the commandments of God (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The meaning thereof is that He will make you the head of all peoples and not the tail of any one of the nations, for it is possible that you will be the head of many peoples and yet be the tail of one nation more distinguished than you.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
This is connected with the expression [in the preceding Verse 13] if thou shalt hearken, meaning that all these blessings will come upon you when you will hearken to His commandments, and when you will not turn aside to the right, or to the left.
HIS…TREASURE. Which is potentially ready in heaven to go out. 20 Hence rain is referred to as a treasure.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּנְתָֽנְךָ֨ | unetanekha | and he will make you | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְרֹאשׁ֙ | lerosh | into [the] head | H7218 → | 599 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לְזָנָ֔ב | lezanav | into [the] tail | H2180 → | |
| וְהָיִ֙יתָ֙ | vehayita | and you will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| רַ֣ק | rak | only | H7535 → | 109 times |
| לְמַ֔עְלָה | lema'lah | <to> upwards <towards> | H4605 → | 140 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִהְיֶ֖ה | tihyeh | you will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְמָ֑טָּה | lematah | <to> downwards | H4295 → | 19 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תִשְׁמַ֞ע | tishma' | you will listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מִצְוֹ֣ת׀ | mitzvot | [the] commandments of | H4687 → | 181 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָנֹכִ֧י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| מְצַוְּךָ֛ | metzavekha | [am] commanding you | H6680 → | 494 times |
| הַיּ֖וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לִשְׁמֹ֥ר | lishmor | to take care | H8104 → | 468 times |
| וְלַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ | velaasot | and to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
וּנְתָֽנְךָ֨and he will make you
unetanekhaH5414 →2011 times
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְרֹאשׁ֙into [the] head
leroshH7218 →599 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
לְזָנָ֔בinto [the] tail
lezanavH2180 →
וְהָיִ֙יתָ֙and you will be
vehayitaH1961 →3559 times
רַ֣קonly
rakH7535 →109 times
לְמַ֔עְלָה<to> upwards <towards>
lema'lahH4605 →140 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תִהְיֶ֖הyou will be
tihyehH1961 →3559 times
לְמָ֑טָּה<to> downwards
lematahH4295 →19 times
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
תִשְׁמַ֞עyou will listen
tishma'H8085 →1159 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מִצְוֹ֣ת׀[the] commandments of
mitzvotH4687 →181 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אָנֹכִ֧יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
מְצַוְּךָ֛[am] commanding you
metzavekhaH6680 →494 times
הַיּ֖וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
לִשְׁמֹ֥רto take care
lishmorH8104 →468 times
וְלַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃and to do
velaasotH6213 →2628 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
Deuteronomy 28:1“Now if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God and are careful to follow all His commandments I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above…
it leads to
- Isaiah 1:19
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.
- Exodus 23:22
But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.
- Leviticus 26:3–13
If you follow My statutes and carefully keep My commandments,
- Luke 11:28
But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
- John 15:14
You are My friends if you do what I command you.
- Isaiah 1:19
Through
Philippians 1:27Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm…
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:
- 1 Corinthians 16:13–14
Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.
- 2 Peter 3:14
Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight.
- Ephesians 4:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
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About Deuteronomy
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.