Deuteronomy 19:9

and if you carefully keep all these commandments I am giving you today, loving the LORD your God and walking in His ways at all times, then you are to add three more cities to these three.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, delivering civil and ritual legislation before they enter the Promised Land. He outlines a conditional protocol for managing territory as it expands.

The words — The Hebrew תִשְׁמֹר (tishmor) translates literally to "you will keep," and כִּי (ki) means "if." Together they establish the entire directive as a conditional command tied to obedience.

The thread — The text's condition of loving God and walking in His ways mirrors Deuteronomy 11:22. The instruction to add cities anticipates the settlements in Joshua 20:7, while the prohibition against altering divine commands aligns with Deuteronomy 12:32.

Why it lands — The verse states that adding three cities depends entirely on the people's careful obedience to God's commandments. It requires readers to treat practical compliance as the non-negotiable prerequisite for receiving expanded blessing.

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

כִּֽי־ki-if תִשְׁמֹר֩tish.Moryou will keep אֶת־'et-<obj.>כָּל־kol-all הַמִּצְוָ֨הha./mitz.Vahthe/ commandment הַזֹּ֜אתha./Zot<the>/ this לַעֲשֹׂתָ֗הּla./'a.so.Ta/hto/ do/ it אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhich אָנֹכִ֣י'a.no.KhiI מְצַוְּךָ֮me.tza.ve./Kha[am] commanding/ you הַיּוֹם֒hai./yOmthis/ day לְאַהֲבָ֞הle./'a.ha.Vahto/ love אֶת־'et-<obj.>יְהוָ֧הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your וְלָלֶ֥כֶתve./la./Le.khetand/ to/ walk בִּדְרָכָ֖יוbi/d.ra.Kha/vin/ ways/ his כָּל־kol-all הַיָּמִ֑יםhai./ya.Mimthe/ days וְיָסַפְתָּ֨ve./ya.saf.Taand/ you will addלְךָ֥le./Khafor <the>/ yourselfעוֹד֙'Odagain שָׁלֹ֣שׁsha.Loshthree עָרִ֔ים'a.Rimcities עַ֖ל'alto הַשָּׁלֹ֥שׁha./sha.Loshthe/ three [cities]הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ha./'E.leh<the>/ these

King James Version

If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:

Cross-references

Joshua 20:7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
Deuteronomy 11:22 For if you carefully keep all these commandments I am giving you to follow—to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him—
Deuteronomy 12:32 See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.