Deuteronomy 30:19
in Deuteronomy 30I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed;
KJV
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 30
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today
Heaven and earth are called as witnesses at 4:26, here and at 31:28, and addressed at 32:1. Treaties of the second millennium between a great king and a vassal close with such a witness clause, as Kline and Kitchen set out.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
As he himself said … "Behold before you are fire and water, death and life. Choose life, that you may live." Everything we mentioned above, that is, good and evil, is contained in these two. For heaven and hell, Christ and the devil, height and …
A commentator
Salvian the PresbyterFOUR BOOKS OF TIMOTHY TO THE CHURCH 1.1.7 · Written before 500.
proposed
For since, as it is written, man is confronted equally with life and death and stretches out his hand toward what he wants, it is necessary that whatever a man grasps with his hands in time he must possess forever in eternity. What here he …
Behold, man, you have before you "water and fire, life and death, good and evil," heaven and hell, the legitimate king and a cruel tyrant, the false sweetness of the world and the true blessedness of paradise. Power is given to you through the grace …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,....
And, (3.) Of their expectations from him in performance of that promise: "Love God, and serve him, that thou mayest dwell in that land of promise which thou mayest be sure he can give, and uphold to thee who is thy life and the length of thy days. " All these are arguments to us to continue in love and obedience to the God of our mercies.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Love of God and compliance with His will are the only ways of securing the blessings and avoiding the evils described. The choice was left to them, and in urging upon them the inducements to a wise choice, Moses warmed as he proceeded into a tone of solemn and impressive earnestness similar to that of Paul to the elders of Ephesus (Ac 20:26, 27).
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַעִידֹ֨תִי | haidoti | I call as witnesses | H5749 → | 44 times |
| בָכֶ֣ם | vakhem | against <the> you | ||
| הַיּוֹם֮ | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָרֶץ֒ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַחַיִּ֤ים | hachaiyim | <the> life | H2416 → | 498 times |
| וְהַמָּ֙וֶת֙ | vehamavet | and <the> death | H4194 → | 156 times |
| נָתַ֣תִּי | natati | I have set | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְפָנֶ֔יךָ | lefaneikha | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַבְּרָכָ֖ה | haberakhah | <the> blessing | H1293 → | 69 times |
| וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה | vehakelalah | and <the> curse | H7045 → | 33 times |
| וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ | uvacharta | and you will choose | H977 → | 171 times |
| בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים | bachaiyim | <in> <the> life | H2416 → | 498 times |
| לְמַ֥עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| תִּחְיֶ֖ה | tichyeh | you may live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| אַתָּ֥ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃ | vezarekha | and offspring your | H2233 → | 229 times |
הַעִידֹ֨תִיI call as witnesses
haidotiH5749 →44 times
בָכֶ֣םagainst <the> you
vakhem
הַיּוֹם֮this day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַשָּׁמַ֣יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הָאָרֶץ֒the earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
הַחַיִּ֤ים<the> life
hachaiyimH2416 →498 times
וְהַמָּ֙וֶת֙and <the> death
vehamavetH4194 →156 times
נָתַ֣תִּיI have set
natatiH5414 →2011 times
לְפָנֶ֔יךָ<to> before you
lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
הַבְּרָכָ֖ה<the> blessing
haberakhahH1293 →69 times
וְהַקְּלָלָ֑הand <the> curse
vehakelalahH7045 →33 times
וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙and you will choose
uvachartaH977 →171 times
בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים<in> <the> life
bachaiyimH2416 →498 times
לְמַ֥עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
תִּחְיֶ֖הyou may live
tichyehH2421 →282 times
אַתָּ֥הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃and offspring your
vezarekhaH2233 →229 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 30:15See, I have set before you today life and goodness, as well as death and disaster.
it leads to
- Galatians 3:13–14
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 11:26
See, today I am setting before you a blessing and a curse—
- Galatians 3:13–14
Through
Proverbs 8:36But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:32
He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.
- Proverbs 1:31
So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
- John 15:23–24
Whoever hates Me hates My Father as well.
- 1 Corinthians 16:22
If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be under a curse. Come, O Lord!
- Proverbs 15:32
Through
Psalms 119:30I have chosen the way of truth; I have set Your ordinances before me.
it leads to
- John 3:19–21
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
- Psalms 119:29
Remove me from the path of deceit and graciously grant me Your law.
- John 3:19–21
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Obedience35 verses
On this page
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 149.1; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 151.5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Salvian the Presbyter, FOUR BOOKS OF TIMOTHY TO THE CHURCH 1.1.7.