Deuteronomy 6:2
in Deuteronomy 6so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that thou mightest fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
KJV
That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 6
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
These are the commandments and statutes and ordinances
on Deuteronomy 6:1-3
The charge is addressed to three generations at once, "you and your children and grandchildren," before a single commandment is given. Its purpose is stated twice, that they "may fear the LORD your God" and that they "may prosper," so obedience and welfare stand together. The land is named as a place Israel is "about to enter and possess" and does not hold yet.
This site's exposition
you and your children and grandchildren
Fear of the LORD is defined here by what it does, keeping all His statutes and commandments, and it is meant to last all the days of a life. Matthew Henry calls the passing of religion down a family the best entail. Adam Clarke explains the fear as respect for God's authority as lawgiver, which binds a man to obey him.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God,....
The entail of religion in a family, or country, is the best entail: it is highly desirable that not we only, but our children, and our children's children, may fear the Lord. Religion and righteousness advance and secure the prosperity of any people.
We are also commanded to love God with all our heart, and soul, and might; that is, we must love him, [1.] With a sincere love; not in word and tongue only, saying we love him when our hearts are not with him, but inwardly, and in truth, solacing ourselves in him. [2.] With a strong love; the heart must be carried out towards him with great ardour and fervency of affection.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
That thou mightest fear the Lord - Respect his sovereign authority as a lawgiver, and ever feel thyself bound to obey him. No man can walk either conscientiously or safely who has not the fear of God continually before his eyes. When this is gone, more than a guardian angel is fled. Thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son - Through all thy successive generations.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְמַ֨עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| תִּירָ֜א | tira' | you may fear | H3372 → | 315 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לִ֠שְׁמֹר | lishmor | to keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חֻקֹּתָ֣יו | chukotav | statutes his | H2708 → | 104 times |
| וּמִצְוֹתָיו֮ | umitzvotav | and commandments his | H4687 → | 181 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָנֹכִ֣י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| מְצַוֶּךָ֒ | metzavekha | [am] commanding you | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אַתָּה֙ | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וּבִנְךָ֣ | uvinkha | and child your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וּבֶן־ | uven- | and [the] child of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בִּנְךָ֔ | binkha | child your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| כֹּ֖ל | kol | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יְמֵ֣י | yemei | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| חַיֶּ֑יךָ | chaiyeikha | life your | H2416 → | 498 times |
| וּלְמַ֖עַן | ulemaan | and so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| יַאֲרִכֻ֥ן | yaarikhun | they may grow long ! | H748 → | 34 times |
| יָמֶֽיךָ׃ | yameikha | days your | H3117 → | 2304 times |
לְמַ֨עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
תִּירָ֜אyou may fear
tira'H3372 →315 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
לִ֠שְׁמֹרto keep
lishmorH8104 →468 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
חֻקֹּתָ֣יוstatutes his
chukotavH2708 →104 times
וּמִצְוֹתָיו֮and commandments his
umitzvotavH4687 →181 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אָנֹכִ֣יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
מְצַוֶּךָ֒[am] commanding you
metzavekhaH6680 →494 times
אַתָּה֙you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וּבִנְךָ֣and child your
uvinkhaH1121 →4930 times
וּבֶן־and [the] child of
uven-H1121 →4930 times
בִּנְךָ֔child your
binkhaH1121 →4930 times
כֹּ֖לall
kolH3605 →5413 times
יְמֵ֣י[the] days of
yemeiH3117 →2304 times
חַיֶּ֑יךָlife your
chaiyeikhaH2416 →498 times
וּלְמַ֖עַןand so that
ulemaanH4616 →272 times
יַאֲרִכֻ֥ןthey may grow long !
yaarikhunH748 →34 times
יָמֶֽיךָ׃days your
yameikhaH3117 →2304 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
Ecclesiastes 12:13When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your…
- Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
- Psalms 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
- Job 28:28
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Psalms 145:19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.
- Deuteronomy 10:12
Through
Psalms 128:1Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways!
it leads to
- Psalms 112:1
Hallelujah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments.
- Psalms 119:1
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Law of the LORD.
- Psalms 103:13
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
- Psalms 112:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
On this chapter
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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.