Deuteronomy 28:9
in Deuteronomy 28The LORD will establish you as His holy people, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah will establish thee for a holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee; if thou shalt keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, and walk in his ways.
KJV
The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.
⋯
This verse in Deuteronomy 28
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAlthough their adoption was gratuitous, still, inasmuch as they were called unto purity, it is not without reason that God promises that what He had spoken should be sure, if by keeping the Law the Israelites themselves should continue in the covenant; as much as to say, that their sanctification should be firm and perpetual if they walked in the commandments of the Law.
This site's exposition
The Lord shall establish thee an holy people
on Deuteronomy 28:9-10
An holy people unto himself is the language of Exodus 19:5-6 at Sinai, and the oath referred to is the one sworn there. Called by the name of the LORD means the name has been laid on them, the way the priestly blessing at Numbers 6:27 puts the name upon the children of Israel. What the nations see is the name and what they feel is fear, and Joshua 2:9-11 has Rahab describe that pairing from the other side.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), their cows and sheep particularly, which would be blessed for the owners' sakes, and made blessings to them. In order to this, it is promised that God would give them rain in due season, which is called his good treasure (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And the Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself,.... Having separated them from all others, for his service, honour, and glory, should continue them as such, and settle them in the land, and confirm all their privileges, natural, civil, and religious.
Having taken them into covenant with himself, he would keep them in covenant; and, provided they used the means of stedfastness, he would give them the grace of stedfastness, that they should not depart from him. Note, Those that are sincere in holiness God will establish in holiness; and he is of power to do it, Rom. xvi.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The Lord shall establish thee a holy people unto himself - This is the sum of all blessings, to be made holy, and be preserved in holiness. If thou shalt keep, etc. - Here is the solemn condition; if they did not keep God’s testimonies, taking them for the regulators of their lives, and according to their direction walking in his ways, under the influence and aids of his grace, then the curses, and not the blessings, must be their portion. See Deu 28:15, etc.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יְקִֽימְךָ֨ | yekimecha | he will establish you | H6965 → | 628 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | for <the> himself | ||
| לְעַ֣ם | leam | to a people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| קָד֔וֹשׁ | kadoosh | holy | H6918 → | 116 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִֽשְׁבַּֽע־ | nishba'- | he swore | H7650 → | 186 times |
| לָ֑ךְ | lakh | to <the> you | ||
| כִּ֣י | ki | that [if] | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תִשְׁמֹ֗ר | tishmor | you will keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִצְוֹת֙ | mitzvot | [the] commandments of | H4687 → | 181 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְהָלַכְתָּ֖ | vehalakhta | and you will walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בִּדְרָכָֽיו׃ | bidrakhav | in ways his | H1870 → | 707 times |
יְקִֽימְךָ֨he will establish you
yekimechaH6965 →628 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לוֹ֙for <the> himself
lo
לְעַ֣םto a people
leamH5971 →1873 times
קָד֔וֹשׁholy
kadooshH6918 →116 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֖רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
נִֽשְׁבַּֽע־he swore
nishba'-H7650 →186 times
לָ֑ךְto <the> you
lakh
כִּ֣יthat [if]
kiH3588 →4482 times
תִשְׁמֹ֗רyou will keep
tishmorH8104 →468 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִצְוֹת֙[the] commandments of
mitzvotH4687 →181 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
וְהָלַכְתָּ֖and you will walk
vehalakhtaH1980 →1546 times
בִּדְרָכָֽיו׃in ways his
bidrakhavH1870 →707 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 7:6For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 14:2
for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all the peoples on the face of the…
- Exodus 19:5–6
Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.
- Malachi 3:17
“They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.
- 1 Peter 2:9
Through
Titus 2:14He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:14
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
- Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
- 1 Peter 1:18
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- Titus 3:8
This saying is trustworthy. And I want you to emphasize these things, so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good deeds. These things are excellent and profitable…
- Hebrews 9:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; 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.