Deuteronomy 6:18
in Deuteronomy 6Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may be well with you and that you may enter and possess the good land that the LORD your God swore to give your fathers,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of Jehovah; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers,
KJV
And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers,
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This verse in Deuteronomy 6
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
You are to diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God
on Deuteronomy 6:17-19
Diligent keeping is set beside doing that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD. The older commentators take verse 18 as the ground for reasoning from the law to cases it does not name.
This site's exposition
what is right and good
The standard of right and good is God's sight. The verse ties doing it to Israel's welfare and to entering the land sworn to the fathers. Matthew Henry reads the phrase to mean that what is right and good in God's sight is right and good indeed.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Sinners, especially presumptuous sinners, are said to tempt God, that is, to make a trial of God, whether he be, so wise as to see their sins, so just and true and powerful as to take vengeance on them, concerning which they are very apt to doubt because of the present impunity and prosperity of many such persons.
And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord,....
Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. To induce them to this, he here shows them, 1. That this would be very acceptable to God: it is right and good in the sight of the Lord; and that is right and good indeed that is, so in God's sight.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָשִׂ֛יתָ | veasita | and you will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הַיָּשָׁ֥ר | haiyashar | the right | H3477 → | 119 times |
| וְהַטּ֖וֹב | vehatov | and the good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| בְּעֵינֵ֣י | beeinei | in [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְמַ֙עַן֙ | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| יִ֣יטַב | yitav | it may go well | H3190 → | 117 times |
| לָ֔ךְ | lakh | for you | ||
| וּבָ֗אתָ | uvata | and you will go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וְיָֽרַשְׁתָּ֙ | veyarashta | and you will take possession of | H3423 → | 231 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֣רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַטֹּבָ֔ה | hatovah | <the> good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִשְׁבַּ֥ע | nishba' | he swore | H7650 → | 186 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃ | laavoteikha | to ancestors your | H1 → | 1212 times |
וְעָשִׂ֛יתָand you will do
veasitaH6213 →2628 times
הַיָּשָׁ֥רthe right
haiyasharH3477 →119 times
וְהַטּ֖וֹבand the good
vehatovH2896 →538 times
בְּעֵינֵ֣יin [the] eyes of
beeineiH5869 →887 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְמַ֙עַן֙so that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
יִ֣יטַבit may go well
yitavH3190 →117 times
לָ֔ךְfor you
lakh
וּבָ֗אתָand you will go
uvataH935 →2568 times
וְיָֽרַשְׁתָּ֙and you will take possession of
veyarashtaH3423 →231 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֣רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
הַטֹּבָ֔ה<the> good
hatovahH2896 →538 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
נִשְׁבַּ֥עhe swore
nishba'H7650 →186 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃to ancestors your
laavoteikhaH1 →1212 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
Romans 12:2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:14
As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance.
- Ephesians 4:22–24
to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
- Colossians 3:10
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
- 1 John 2:15–17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- 1 Peter 1:14
Through
Deuteronomy 5:29If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it might be well with them and with their children forever.
it leads to
- Isaiah 48:18
If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea.
- Ezekiel 33:31–32
So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest…
- Isaiah 48:18
Through
Deuteronomy 4:40Keep His statutes and commandments, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD your…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 6:3
Hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers,…
- Deuteronomy 6:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies15
About Deuteronomy

This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.
