Deuteronomy 8:20
in Deuteronomy 8Like the nations that the LORD has destroyed before you, so you will perish if you do not obey the LORD your God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
As the nations that Jehovah maketh to perish before you, so shall ye perish; because ye would not hearken unto the voice of Jehovah your God.
KJV
As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 8
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
If you ever forget the LORD your God
on Deuteronomy 8:19-20
The chapter closes by putting Israel under the sentence of the nations it will displace, "so you will perish". Leviticus 18:28 had warned that the land would "vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you", on the same ground of disobedience.
This site's exposition
if you do not obey the LORD your God
The chapter ends on a condition, and the nations now being driven out serve as the example of what disobedience brings. Matthew Henry reads the sentence as God making no more account of a disobedient Israel than of those nations, covenant notwithstanding.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; 9 A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. The charge here given them is the same as before, to keep and do all God's commandments.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:81%@v8-10
God will make no more account of you, notwithstanding his covenant with you and your relation to him, than he does of them, if you will not be obedient and faithful to him." Those that follow others in sin will certainly follow them to destruction. If we do as sinners do, we must expect to fare as sinners fare.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish,.... Be cut off by the sword, or cast out as they were, the same sins, particularly idolatry, being committed by them.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כַּגּוֹיִ֗ם | kagoyim | like the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מַאֲבִ֣יד | maavid | [is] about to destroy | H6 → | 184 times |
| מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם | mipeneikhem | from before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| כֵּ֖ן | ken | so | H3651 → | 771 times |
| תֹאבֵד֑וּן | toedun | you will perish ! | H6 → | 184 times |
| עֵ֚קֶב | ʾekev | consequence | H6118 → | |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִשְׁמְע֔וּן | tishmeun | you will listen ! | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| בְּק֖וֹל | bekol | to [the] voice of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ פ | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
כַּגּוֹיִ֗םlike the nations
kagoyimH1471 →561 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מַאֲבִ֣יד[is] about to destroy
maavidH6 →184 times
מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔םfrom before you
mipeneikhemH6440 →2123 times
כֵּ֖ןso
kenH3651 →771 times
תֹאבֵד֑וּןyou will perish !
toedunH6 →184 times
עֵ֚קֶבconsequence
ʾekevH6118 →
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תִשְׁמְע֔וּןyou will listen !
tishmeunH8085 →1159 times
בְּק֖וֹלto [the] voice of
bekolH6963 →506 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ פGod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.