Deuteronomy 28:1
in Deuteronomy 28“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 all the nations of the earth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that Jehovah thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth:
KJV
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 28
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A comparison of this chapter with Exo 23:20-23 and Lev. 26 will show how Moses here resumes and amplifies the promises and threats already set forth in the earlier records of the Law. The language rises in this chapter to the sublimest strains, especially in the latter part of it; and the prophecies respecting the dispersion and degradation of the Jewish nation in its later days are among the most remarkable in scripture. They are plain, precise, and circumstantial; and the fulfillment of them has been literal, complete, and undeniable. The Blessing.
This site's exposition
Now if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God
on Deuteronomy 28:1-2
The blessing is made conditional twice, at the head of verse 1 and the close of verse 2. Both times the condition is hearing.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
First, God says that He would deal with them so bountifully that they should excel all other nations; for this is the meaning of the words, that they should be illustrious above all the rest of the world on account of the special blessings of God.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): The Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations. He made them so, by taking them into covenant with himself, ch. xxvi. And he would make them more and more so by their outward prosperity, if they would not by sin disparage themselves.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God--In this chapter the blessings and curses are enumerated at length, and in various minute details, so that on the first entrance of the Israelites into the land of promise, their whole destiny was laid before them, as it was to result from their obedience or the contrary.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
This is a general blessing. It states that there will be no nation in the world like you. 1 Vat. Ebr.
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
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָ֗ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | <if> | H518 → | 1069 times |
| שָׁמ֤וֹעַ | shamoa' | certainly [if] <to listen> | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| תִּשְׁמַע֙ | tishma' | you will listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| בְּקוֹל֙ | bekol | to [the] voice of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לִשְׁמֹ֤ר | lishmor | to take care | H8104 → | 468 times |
| לַעֲשׂוֹת֙ | laasot | to observe | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מִצְוֹתָ֔יו | mitzvotav | commandments his | H4687 → | 181 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֛ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָנֹכִ֥י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| מְצַוְּךָ֖ | metzavekha | [am] commanding you | H6680 → | 494 times |
| הַיּ֑וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וּנְתָ֨נְךָ֜ | unetanekha | and he will set you | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עֶלְי֔וֹן | elyon | most high | H5945 → | 53 times |
| עַ֖ל | ʾal | above | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| גּוֹיֵ֥י | goyei | [the] nations of | H1471 → | 561 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
וְהָיָ֗הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
אִם־<if>
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
שָׁמ֤וֹעַcertainly [if] <to listen>
shamoa'H8085 →1159 times
תִּשְׁמַע֙you will listen
tishma'H8085 →1159 times
בְּקוֹל֙to [the] voice of
bekolH6963 →506 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
לִשְׁמֹ֤רto take care
lishmorH8104 →468 times
לַעֲשׂוֹת֙to observe
laasotH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מִצְוֹתָ֔יוcommandments his
mitzvotavH4687 →181 times
אֲשֶׁ֛רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אָנֹכִ֥יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
מְצַוְּךָ֖[am] commanding you
metzavekhaH6680 →494 times
הַיּ֑וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
וּנְתָ֨נְךָ֜and he will set you
unetanekhaH5414 →2011 times
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙God your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
עֶלְי֔וֹןmost high
elyonH5945 →53 times
עַ֖לabove
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
גּוֹיֵ֥י[the] nations of
goyeiH1471 →561 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the earth
haaretzH776 →2504 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
Luke 11:28But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
it leads to
- Luke 6:47–48
I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them:
- Luke 8:21
But He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out.”
- Psalms 112:1
Hallelujah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments.
- James 1:21–25
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.
- John 13:17
If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
- Luke 6:47–48
Through
Isaiah 1:19If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 30:15–16
See, I have set before you today life and goodness, as well as death and disaster.
- Isaiah 3:10
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
- Joel 2:26
You will have plenty to eat, until you are satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you. My people will never again be put to…
- Deuteronomy 30:15–16
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Obedience35 verses
On this page
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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.