Bible Strands

Deuteronomy 13:18

because you obey the LORD your God, keeping all His commandments I am giving you today and doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses Israel on the plains of Moab, concluding covenant instructions before the Jordan crossing. He presents obedience as the immediate condition for God turning from anger and granting mercy.

The words — תִשְׁמַע (tish.ma') means “you will listen” or obey, and כָּל (kol) means “all,” anchoring the verse’s demand for comprehensive adherence to the commandments just delivered.

The thread — This obedience motif recurs in Deuteronomy 12:28 and Deuteronomy 12:25, where keeping commands guarantees future well-being, and echoes in Matthew 7:21, which ties kingdom entry to doing the Father’s will rather than mere profession.

Why it lands — The text demands concrete compliance with every divine instruction as the non-negotiable basis for receiving God’s mercy and multiplying the community. It requires the reader to measure faithfulness by action, not assertion.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כִּ֣יkiforתִשְׁמַ֗עtish.Ma'you will listenבְּקוֹל֙be./kOlto/ [the] voice ofיְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehאֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ yourלִשְׁמֹר֙li/sh.Morto/ keepאֶת־'et-<obj.>כָּל־kol-allמִצְוֹתָ֔יוmitz.vo.Ta/vcommandments/ hisאֲשֶׁ֛ר'a.Sherwhichאָנֹכִ֥י'a.no.KhiIמְצַוְּךָ֖me.tza.ve./Kha[am] commanding/ youהַיּ֑וֹםhai./Yomthis/ dayלַעֲשׂוֹת֙la./'a.sOtto/ doהַיָּשָׁ֔רhai./ya.Sharthe/ rightבְּעֵינֵ֖יbe./'ei.Neiin/ [the] eyes ofיְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahwehאֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ ס'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your

King James Version

When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord thy God.

Cross-references